[21 :: The Last Thing This Crap Needs is a Soundtrack ]

It was late morning by the time Tevos left her auxiliary apartment, and her office behind, the faint reminders of the dream- of rushing out the doors in a panic- only partly circumvented by giving herself more than enough time to prepare for the induction ceremony.

Not that there was ever such a thing as 'enough time.' Her aide, Corynne T'Lina, would- as always- be waiting to give her an update once she got to the primary offices of the Citadel Tower. After that, her three colleagues in the Council, alongside Irana, and her Director of Communications, Adira Kahri, would be waiting for her in the briefing room for a meeting.

Stepping onto the elevator, she could feel a brief twinge of uneasiness, the idle time she had between floors giving her mind more than enough time to dwell on what had greeted her in her sleep, once those doors slid open.

You've presided over an induction that was far more contentious than this one, she reminded herself quietly, inhaling steadily as the elevator began to slow. You've done this job ill, distracted, upset... She let her eyes close for a time- the only difference here is an uncertain future- exhaling slowly, steadily- and that, you need to put out of your mind. Allowed the last moment of quiet to be a transitory one; allowed herself to calm as the doors slid open, and the chaotic hive of activity that was the upper floors of the tower- everything from dignitaries, to Council staff rushing to and from their assorted tasks- came into view.

True to form, the only person that was stationary- save for those that weren't waiting for her to disembark from the elevator solely so they could get on- was her aide, as timely as ever.

"Councilor," Corynne said, diligently falling in step beside her as she made her way down the hall.

"Ms. T'Lina," Tevos replied. "I trust you're well this morning."

"Well enough," Corynne said. "You?"

"The same, more or less," Tevos said, stopping by a small datacenter, and bringing up her omnitool. "You said you had some news for me?"

Corynne nodded as Tevos synched the omnitool to the device, looking down to a datapad in hand. "Just a couple things we need to go over before your meeting."

Closing down her omnitool once the daily briefings had synched, she said, "Is it something the deputy councilor can deal with?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Corynne said. "According to her, that start-up colony, Irelli? The one just off of-"

"I know the one you're referring to, Ms. T'Lina," Tevos interrupted. "You don't need to explain."

"Right," Corynne said, shifting gears. "Sorry. Anyway, ah- as I was saying, it was placed under an embargo last night, and Thereen needs authorization to proceed with an intervention before it gets ugly."

"An embargo?" Tevos said. "That's already ugly enough on its own, isn't it?" All she needed to see was a vague shrug as a prompt to ask, "Who ordered it?"

"Colonial administration," Corynne said. "They say that since the colony insists on having a labor strike, they're not producing any goods, so... apparently, they're not entitled to receive any."

"You'll need to refresh my memory," Tevos asked, accepting a datapad from one of the staffers flagging her down. "Is this a colony that can produce its own food? Or is it dependent on imports?"

"Dependent," Corynne said, as Tevos scanned over the information on the pad itself; a resolution passed from the day before that required authorization.

"To what degree?" Tevos said, jotting down her signature.

"They won't be self-sustaining for another year or so. So... fully."

Tevos paused- glanced towards Corynne. "Starving them out, then?" She didn't wait for an answer- just shook her head, and said, "That's charming," under her breath.

"Very."

"And serves the purpose of answering my next question," Tevos said, holding up the small device to get a quick scan of her iris. "Tell Thereen she has my permission to proceed," she continued, handing the datapad back to the staffer, "and that she can be as aggressive as she likes in pressing for a mediated negotiation between both factions. I don't want the colony's provisional leadership to be left out of this."

Corynne paused for all of a heartbeat- then said, "There's one small problem with that."

"What?"

"The corporation that the laborers are working for-"

"Yes? What about them?"

"They've been a major contributor to High Command. The CEO, ah... One second." Corynne looked down at her omnitool, somehow managing to side-step another near collision. "Alright," she said. "Here it is. Her name's Visella. She's one of Matriarch Tilori's primary supporters."

"Primary lobbyists," Tevos corrected. "To be honest, I'm surprised to hear that she's coming out of the woodwork these days. I'd have thought she'd be bright enough to lay low, but I suppose I overestimated her grasp of common sense." A pause- then, "Has she made any statements about it? Publicly? Privately?"

"She has, actually. Talked to colonial administration directly, saying it'd be a real shame if they were caught 'bowing to terrorists.'"

Tevos slowed somewhat, incredulous. "She actually used the word 'terrorists?'"

"Yes," Corynne said mildly, glancing back down at her own datapad. "Yes, she did."

"And what was the response from the administration officials?" All Tevos needed to see was the slight grimace on Corynne's face to know the answer. Loosing a light sigh, she said, "Well, then," under her breath, and picked up her pace again. "I see we're off to a lovely start with these negotiations."

"Not quite the way I'd put it," Corynne said, smiling lopsidedly, "but I suppose that's as good a description as any."

"It'll have to do for now," Rounding the corner to make her way towards the briefing rooms, she continued by saying, "Thankfully for us, it's highly unlikely that High Command will back her on this. They know the Council Charter as well as anyone."

"So," Corynne said, "is that a go ahead?"

"It is," Tevos said. "As I said before, be sure to tell the deputy councilor that she shouldn't hesitate to use more... aggressive language than usual, since it's clear that 'assertive' isn't hitting the right chords."

Corynne nodded, jotting down a couple more notes on her omnitool. "I'll pass that along. Oh-" She looked up, and said, "And before you go in there, you should know that Valern and Sparatus aren't in the best of moods this morning."

Tevos arched a brow. "And Udina?"

Corynne shrugged. "It's hard to tell with him. Easier just to say he's at a baseline, I guess."

"Sounds about right," Tevos said, offering an amused smile in spite of herself. "Even if he is a bit more irritable, he tends to be in high spirits when Sparatus... isn't."

"I noticed," Corynne said, withdrawing the datapad out from under her arm to hand it over to Tevos. "Anyway, here's the information I've got on the colony. Do you want me to give you a call when I hear any updates about the meetings?"

"Yes," Tevos said. "Just try to keep in mind that I'll have comms silenced during the induction, and the joint ceremonies."

Corynne nodded again, and made a note about the radio silence in her omnitool. "By the way," she said, "I was meaning to tell you. Thanks- for inviting me along. To the banquet, I mean. I wasn't expecting that."

"You put enough work into the details that you deserve to get some enjoyment out of it," Tevos said, smiling faintly. "Oh- and speaking of, let Thereen know that if she finds herself wrapping things up a little early, no one would fault her for being late to the dinner. Assuming, of course, that being let out of the talks early isn't an indication that she's started a civil war."

Corynne offered a faint smile, and said, "I'm sure she'll do her best not to." Letting her omnitool fade out, she said, "Good luck with the induction ceremony," and turned to start down the hallway. The only thing she added was a quick, "And I'll let you know if anything else comes up," over her shoulder before picking up her pace.

Left Tevos to hit the door panel for the office, and stepped inside just in time to hear Sparatus's incredulous question of, "Won't that look a bit silly? Us staring blithely at a screen and occasionally having a horrified reaction?"

"I think the point is to keep from looking 'horrified,'" Valern had replied blandly, "though I don't know that any of us can promise anything when it comes to the daily review of microexpressions."

"Spirits," Sparatus growled, as Tevos motioned Adira over to her, "are they still doing those?" He shook his head, adding, "What am I saying?" under his breath. "Of course they are."

"Councilor," Adira said as she approached, keeping her voice low as the discussion continued amidst Tevos's colleagues. "Not exactly the time to be 'fashionably late.'"

"I'm aware," Tevos said gently, "and you have my apologies for that. I had some matters to clear up with my assistant concerning today's schedule."

"Anything I need a heads up for?" Adira asked.

"Yes," Tevos said. "You'll want to tell your staff to pay attention to any news feeds regarding Irelli. They may be- rather talkative, in the next few hours."

Adira nodded, and stepped out of the room for a time as Tevos took her seat at the table, "I take it that it's safe to assume this is about the... eventful part of the banquet," said as her only means of greeting.

"You missed the best part," Sparatus said. "About how we'll be 'revoicing' our lines."

"Never mind that we'll be listening to the slaughter through earpieces," Udina added. "Apparently, it doesn't count if we can't hear it."

Valern made an irritated sound, and said, "It's one of the few times in my life I can say quite honestly that I'd rather be listening to krogan opera."

Udina paused. "Did you really just say 'krogan opera?' Please tell me that's not an actual-"

"It's the closest approximate term that can be applied to it," Valern replied. "More of a crude description than anything else."

"And it's also besides the point," Tevos said, looking up at Irana. "Are you certain that revoicing is the best option? It runs the risk of causing some unnecessary delays."

Irana shrugged. "Prompters would have been too unsightly, and datapads-"

"-Are a bit uncouth, I know," Tevos interrupted. "I'm just concerned about the flow of the ceremony. Granted, I realize that it's likely to come off a bit stilted since we haven't had much time to rehearse, but..."

"It'll be fine," Irana said. "The delegates already know to expect some delays, here and there."

"That's good, I suppose," Tevos said, looking back down at the datapad in hand. "The last thing we need today is a diplomatic nightmare."

"It's already a nightmare," Sparatus said, looking to Irana. "And I'm sure Ms. Tinos will be happy to tell you why."

Tevos looked at Irana curiously, the attention prompting the press secretary to clear her throat, and say, "The, ah... 'livestock' isn't what we thought it was."

"Meaning?" Tevos asked, brow raised.

"Meaning they brought a predator on board," Sparatus said. "One of those- black things."

Tevos didn't bother to hide the stare she shifted between Irana, and Sparatus, at that. "A sihoma."

"It's elderly," Irana was quick to say, "and 'declawed,' apparently."

"And I'm thinking of starting up a betting pool on whether we'll be seeing a slaughter," Udina amended, "or a massacre. Either way, the headlines should be entertaining."

"I'll say," Sparatus said under his breath.

"Why wasn't I informed about this until now?" Tevos said, breaking her dumbfounded silence. "Or did you just find out?"

"I only just found out," Irana said. "Apparently, they fall under the raloi's definition of 'livestock.' It's being held in customs with its handlers, at the moment."

"I take it Ix'alam still has no intention of withdrawing her request?" Tevos asked.

"She was a bit more understanding when we mentioned that a predator presented a minor problem, and why," Irana said dryly, "but she urged us to consider going ahead with it. Gave every assurance that the animal wasn't a danger to anyone."

"Maybe by her standards," Sparatus said. "Even in an environmental suit, I don't doubt that she could wrestle that thing single-handedly."

"Actually," Udina said, "according to her dossier, she's done it more than once. Seems their military leaders are required to prove their worth every time they make major advancements in rank."

Sparatus grunted, but couldn't keep from looking vaguely impressed. "I wasn't aware she was military."

"Most of the Siho'kans are," Valern said blandly, "which you'd know, if you read the profile."

Sparatus glanced at Tevos, as if to assure himself that she wasn't going to say anything- cleared his throat, and replied, "I did. That detail must've slipped my mind."

"I'll admit, it slipped mine, as well," Tevos said, honestly enough. "It's not a crucial detail to the ceremony, is it? I didn't see anything mentioned about it."

"It's not," Irana said. "And we should get back to talking about it before it gets too late. You four still need to meet with your communications directors before the induction ceremony."

"Does this mean we're getting a pass on press conferences for the day?" Sparatus asked.

"For today, yes," Irana said. "Tomorrow, you'll be answering questions separately, but for now, you're fine. Now... can we get on it?"

They did, as best they could, with the biggest point of contention being none other than whether or not to allow the animal that Ix'alam had brought with her for the banquet. Though it took several calls to the ambassador herself to discuss specifics, there was, at least, a consensus that was reached between the two sides. The animal would be tranquilized, heavily, and the meat that was served would instead be from the fresh cuts in the Voreia's own kitchen, so as to avoid any bad interactions with the drug used to keep it from attacking.

It wasn't the most elegant solution, but it was something they could all abide by, regardless of Ix'alam's assurances that any casualties that occurred due to the sihoma acting out would be her responsibility.

From there, it was a simple matter of the four of them disbanding to speak to their own communications directors. Adira, for her part, was still elsewhere to talk to her staff, leaving Tevos alone with Irana for a time; gave her the opportunity to approach some of the topics that were still weighing on her.

To that end, she said, "Ms. Tinos," before the press secretary could go elsewhere, "if you don't mind, I'd like to speak to you for a moment."

"I was about to say the same to you," Irana said. "When you walked in, you took Adira aside and asked her some questions. What was that about?"

"Hopefully," Tevos said, "it won't amount to anything other than posturing, on the part of colonial administration. Seems they've decided to be more aggressive, where the Irelli colony is concerned."

"Irelli?" Irana said, arms crossing over her chest. "Is that the colony that's neck deep in a labor dispute, or am I thinking of something else?"

"No," Tevos said, accepting the datapad Irana handed to her and putting it on top of the one Corynne had given her to study. "Though it's a bit more than a labor dispute, at this point."

"Define 'a bit more.'"

Looking up from the datapad, Tevos said, "Just that I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it prompted more talk of secession."

"Secession?" Irana said. "You really think they'd go that far?" Rather than wait for an answer, she shook her head, and said, "Never mind. Considering I just heard the word 'embargo,' I shouldn't be too surprised."

"No," Tevos sighed. "You shouldn't. Either way, you, and Adira both should contact Thereen about it this afternoon, if you can find the time. Assuming you don't hear anything about it during this news cycle. If you do-"

Irana raised her hand. "I'm not a rookie, councilor," she said, though hardly sounded insulted. "If I hear so much as a passing reference to it on the feeds, I'll have my staff hunt her down."

"Thank you," Tevos said gently, scanning over the information on the datapad. "By the way, you should speak to Corynne about consolidating the datapads you two hand off to me. Carrying two or three around at any given time is a little ridiculous." Then, after a moment, she asked, "Are these the questions for the briefing?"

"Yes," Irana said. "The revised list just came in this morning. I left in the ones that didn't get approved in there at the end, just in case someone decides to be cute and bring them up anyway."

Tevos frowned. "More to do with the economy than I was anticipating," she said. "I take it they've become aware of the upcoming summit?"

Irana nodded. "They've been calling it an 'overglorified job fair,'" she said. "And media reps from the Vol Protectorate seem to think it's just a ceremonial gesture, not an actual fix."

"Well," Tevos said, scanning over the questions, "they're welcome to think whatever they like, and they're likely to anyway. I don't see any reason to address their concerns if all that will come of it is the usual hyperbole."

"Does that mean you want me to stonewall them?"

"Not entirely," Tevos said, setting the datapad down on the table. "Confirm that the summit is taking place, be blunt about what it entails, but that the details themselves are better left to those coordinating the effort, for the time being."

"You sure?" Irana asked. "They'll just assume you have no idea what's going on."

"You're perfectly capable of communicating otherwise," Tevos replied, offering a faint smile. "Though, if you'd be so kind as to remind them that, asari or no, I am not singlehandedly controlling the economy, or unemployment, I'd be much obliged."

"You trying to tell me you don't?" Irana said, as Adira stepped back into the room. "Well. Normally, I try not to get disillusioned until much later in the day, but I suppose it doesn't hurt to start early."

"I like the implication that there's ever a time you're not disillusioned," Adira replied, coming to a halt alongside Tevos.

"Usually, an implication's all it'd be when it's not last call," Irana said, "but I've been trying to be more positive lately."

Adira smirked. "That positivity doesn't happen to prescription strength, does it?" Earning a shrug by way of response, she brought up her omnitool, and said, "Irana's thrilling nightlife aside," to Tevos, "I didn't pick up any chatter about the colony, but one of the sub-directors did hear a little something about gross overspending on a certain 'lavish banquet.'"

"Of course she did," Tevos said under her breath. Then, "And I'd imagine they have something to say about where that 'gross overspending' should be directed, as well."

"Plenty," Adira said. "But don't worry. You still put the 'classy' in 'classism' so far as most public polls are concerned." When the aside didn't earn a smile, she cleared her throat, and said, "Otherwise, the relief efforts on Belan were mentioned once or twice. It's not going over as well as they'd hoped, but it's still a talking point."

"And that's already been broadcast?" Tevos said, though she hardly needed the nod of confirmation. "Has the hanar government said anything about it?"

"There's been more than a few indications that they're not exceptionally fond of it being put to use the way it is," Adira said, "but they haven't made an official statement about it."

"Something to speak to the hanar ambassador about, I suppose," Tevos said. "Assuming either of you have the time."

"Not today," Irana said, "but I'll be making it a point to defer all questions to him about it." Pausing, she glanced at Adira again and said, "How widespread is the talking point, anyway?"

"There's only a couple agencies running with it," Adira said, "but it's prominent enough that you can expect to get quizzed on it during your briefing."

"How long ago did you find out about this?"

"My assistant just let me know about it a second ago," Adira said, "so you can stop thinking of ways to fire your deputy."

Irana smirked, glancing up from her omnitool. "How many times do I have to tell you? It's not a matter of 'how,' it's just a matter of 'when.'"

"Right," Adira said. "My mistake." Turning to Tevos, she said, "Anyway- is there anything else you wanted to ask me, councilor, or is that it?"

"If you have something that needs doing," Tevos replied, "I can just speak to Ms. Tinos about it."

"Sounds like a fair punishment for keeping me waiting," Adira said, stepping towards the door, "but completely unnecessary." Offering a nod to Tevos, she sobered, and said, "Councilor," an amused smile shot in Irana's direction to offer a wry, "Ms. Tinos," before she exited the room.

It earned an arched brow from the press secretary, but the expression eased once the door slipped shut, Irana's attitude quickly shifting back to all business to ask, "So," her attention turning back to Tevos, "what did you need to talk to me about?"

"Well," Tevos began, "I realize Ms. Kahri might be the one to ask about this, but I was wondering if any reports have been circulating about the geth."

"None that I'm aware of," Irana said, "aside from the usual, at least. They're still a hot topic, but they didn't come up in the list of questions I got handed."

"Good to hear," Tevos said. "Though... I'd be grateful if we could arrange a meeting to speak about a contingency plan. Especially in light of the- intel... you managed to dig up for me. I don't want to be caught unawares."

Irana paused- looked faintly confused for a moment, then, upon realizing what Tevos was referring to, said, "Right. With everything going on, I'd nearly forgotten about that." She canted her head to one side, and asked, "You didn't find out anything new, did you?"

Tevos mn'd. "No. It seems that, whoever leaked the information gave Vinckeia reason to double down. Even the brokers we contacted through a go-between refused to offer a sale price."

"Copyright violations, I bet," Irana said, echoing Tela's own assessment from almost a week before. "Gets 'em every time." She sifted through a datapad, and absently asked, "Have you got anyone looking into it for you?"

"Yes," Tevos said. "Though you aren't going to like who it is."

Irana looked at her for a time, expression flatlining. "It's Vasir, isn't it?" Shaking her head, she said, "She's liable to get a fat head with all the opportunities you've been giving her to grandstand."

"It's not exactly something you can publicly take credit for," Tevos reminded her. "Besides, I-" Tevos paused- found herself privy to a distinct feeling of deja vu. Nonetheless, she said, "Mn. I'm feeling a bit like a go-between, actually. It wasn't that long ago that I had to rise to your defense when she was the one to make an offhanded remark."

"'Rising to my defense?'" Irana said, allowing for a wry smile. "Well. I'm honored, but-"

"Ms. Tinos," the two of them heard over the press secretary's omnitool. "The delegation is here, and the press corps is waiting for you."

"Right on schedule," Irana said under her breath. "You ready?"

"As ready as I can be, I suppose," Tevos sighed. "I just need to remind myself that I'm presiding over an induction, not announcing a war."

"Yeah," Irana said, "not a whole lot to launch a protest over, unless you're Terra Firma."

"I suppose," Tevos said mildly. "That aside, we'll have to hope the joint ceremony dims tensions, rather than bolsters them."

Irana paused on her way out the door, turning to favor Tevos with a look. "Councilor- I'm not known for having an overabundance of optimism, but considering how you've managed this sort of thing in the past? I don't think it'll be an issue."

"Kind of you to say," Tevos said, smiling. "But perhaps you should save the pep talk for after you've addressed the press corps."

Irana offered a wry smile of her own, and said, "Right, well. Just try to remember that you're the one who managed to get the all clear for an entire asari subdivision to celebrate Janiris 'properly.' Even let them follow their beloved, time-honored tradition of 'mandatory naked time,' which is a feat all its own."

Unable to keep her smile from broadening slightly, Tevos said, "That was a case of pulling strings, Ms. Tinos- not a matter of political prowess."

"Maybe," Irana said. "But you managed to do it without pissing anyone off. So, trust me on this one... if anyone can handle this, it's you."

In spite of herself, Tevos let out a short, subdued laugh. "Well said, Ms. Tinos. Now-"

"-I'm going," Irana said, giving a brief wave of her hand. "Don't worry." Stepping over the threshold, she called back a, "And don't be nervous," before the doors closed, giving Tevos reason to chide herself for being obvious.

Take a few slow breaths, she told herself- just like in the elevator. Dreams, Din Korlack, and all the other irritants aside, the induction itself was the easy part. The banquet, the joint ceremonies- though they were more difficult, they weren't foreign to her.

That peculiar feeling of impending doom, though- that was different. Still- don't think about it- she'd be fine.

Everything would be just... fine.

[...]

"There are no announcements to make," Irana began, "and we're on a tighter schedule than usual for obvious reasons, so let's move straight to questions. Yes, Mr. Carter?"

"Thanks, Irana," the reporter said, offering a congenial smile. "First off, I'd like to to say congratulations-"

"For what?" Irana asked. "Waking up this morning?"

The usual canned laughter came from the assembled reporters, followed by Carter saying, "On this being the second species that you've been a part of welcoming into Citadel space."

"Really," Irana said, brow raised. "No offense, Azad, but you don't give out backpats without an agenda in mind."

"It's- quite an achievement," he said. "Deserves an honorable mention."

"But?" Irana added for him.

He cleared his throat, and said, "But- I do have some questions about it."

"Of course you do," Irana said. "Let's hear them."

Council Press Secretary Irana Tinos began today's briefing by addressing a question posed by ANN's senior Citadel correspondent, Azad Carter, on whether or not the induction of a new species so soon after humanity's own was either 'too hasty,' or a sign that the Council is attempting to distract their constituents from matters that have earned them a great deal of criticism.

"Secretary Tinos had this to say in response to the inquiries," Tela's omnitool bleated out, the sound of the newscaster's voice slowly tugging her out of slumber, and into a wretched state of wakefulness.

"I'll get to your question in a moment, Azad," she heard Irana say, "but let me start by saying that I'm genuinely amazed by the fact that you've actually managed to outpace your usual brand of cynicism."

Irana's gratingly recognizable voice, she could at least parse, but when the newscaster interrupted briefly to say something about the secretary's ivory tower colleagues considering the opening remarks to be 'unbecoming' and 'unprofessional,' the words became a blur. It was like listening to someone when her subdermal translator was on the fritz; she caught meanings here and there, impressions, but not much more than that.

Didn't care to, either; she was too busy taking note of one of the many downsides of what she knew, already, was going to be a brutal hangover, one that humans had described with a rather apt term.

Namely: cotton mouth.

She'd heard it applied to other things- the side-effects of a smokeable drug that lead to the mass raids of pantries and convenience stores- but the only other one that stuck out was the colloquial name for a type of venomous reptile.

Normally, the thought wouldn't have crossed her mind; given the local obsession with human terms, she, in fact, would have preferred not to dwell on it at all. But, laying there, one half of her face pressed against the pillow, neck at an awkward angle, limbs sprawled haphazardly beneath the sheets, eyes focusing blearily on the far wall, 'venomous' was a word that had special meaning, with 'reptilian' presenting a decent description of which part of her brain was willing to function.

Rolling onto her back, her eyes focusing slowly on the grooves in the ceiling, the state she was in- the one she was immediately clobbered with upon trying to do much more than lay there- making her wonder how the hell she'd managed to set an alarm in the first place.

When the number 'too many' was the answer to how many drinks she'd had the night before, and the words 'never again' were quick to follow, the fact that she'd had any amount of foresight was impressive. No... check that.

As she raised a hand to wipe cooling saliva off her cheek, and caught sight of the corresponding spot of drool on the pillow, she wagered that remembering anything aside from continuing to breathe had been nothing short of a minor miracle.

Doing her best to clear the rest of the dampness of her cheek, she slowly began to tune back into what the newscaster was saying, "-gave assurances that the economy could only be bolstered by the introduction of a new species," proving to be the first thing she picked up on, "citing an already impressive surge in galactic job growth that's occurred since the raloi announced their willingness to become a functioning part of Citadel space."

Wiping her hand off on the sheets, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, and forced herself to her feet, the switch back to Irana saying, "This is a species that's ready, and eager to learn more about their place in the galaxy," coming in time with a brief bout of lightheadedness, the pins-and-needles sensation that came alongside poor circulation, "and the Council, in conjunction with both the public, and private sector, intends on giving them the opportunity to do just that."

"Though many commentators and economists have already deemed Secretary Tinos's answer to be unsatisfactory," the newscaster interrupted to say, as Tela shuffled her way into the adjoining bathroom, "ANN's Community Watch extranet polls indicate that respondents of all races are feeling more confident than they were about the economy as a result of this latest induction. We'll have more on that later in our segment, Citizen Report, where we'll give you all the latest feedback we've received on the Community Watch website from you, the viewer. For now, we turn to Alicia Rosenfield, a professor of theology from the Loyola University in Chicago, for an in-depth analysis of the religious conflict that's arisen as a result of the Council's surprising, and some say, highly controversial decision to involve themselves in a joint ceremony during today's banquet."

Tela paused in raising her sweat-sodden shirt for a scent check, affording the small projector a curious glance. The shirt, she let go of; it didn't smell fantastic, but it could be worse, which... was good- sort of- on the basis that she didn't have time to change, or wash her clothes.

All very classy, really- and not nearly as interesting as the notion of a 'religious ceremony,' by her count.

"As you know," the analyst was saying, as Tela turned on the sink faucet, "this isn't the first time the Council's decision to, quote, 'go out of their way to validate religious practices' has come under fire." Leaning down to splash cold water on her face, the shift in temperature brought on a mix of sensations, both good and bad; faint chills acting in concert with an underpinning of nausea, and one hell of a headache- made her wonder if she was doomed to feel like warmed over shit for the rest of the day. "During humanity's own induction, the Earth-based non-profit organization, Citizens for Secular Humanism, were extremely critical of the Alliance's decision to allow religious leaders to take such a prominent role in the proceedings."

"Can you give us a little insight into how that all went down?" the newscaster prompted, the question leading Tela to slowly tune back out.

She didn't care about history; it was the possibility that Tevos would have more on her plate than anticipated that had caught her attention initially, and now? Now, what had her focus was her own dull gaze in the mirror, one that was exaggerated by reddened eyes and discolored lids, her violet markings noticeably darkened around the sockets.

She shook her head, raising her hand again to press the heel of her hand against her forehead, as if that might dampen the ache in her skull. Hadn't Aeza said something about having a couple things 'on tap' to help with this? Seemed worth it to ask, even if it turned out to be one of those generic one-shot drinks they'd aptly named Hangover Cure. Even one- or two- of those would be of some assistance. Not a lot, but enough to make the 'warmed over shit' feeling go away.

Or... that was the hope, at least.

Letting her hand lower, she turned on the shower, and started to tug off her clothes, her shirt and undergarments laid out over the back of a chair in the main room to let them dry, the newscast allowed to keep playing as she did her best to pull herself out of the less than pleasant state of hangover limbo. Wasn't what she usually preferred to listen to upon waking, but at the very least, it served as a reminder of why she was pulling herself together so forcibly.

Assuming they ever got back on topic.

"After fielding numerous questions and concerns about the religious side of today's ceremonies, Secretary Tinos concluded her briefing by saying, quote, "Just so we're clear, the portion of the ceremony that's being referred to as a 'joint prayer' is being conducted entirely by the raloi themselves. The councilors have no part in that, and are in no way attempting to send a message that secularism among the galactic community is somehow 'less than' non-secularism."

As Irana stepped out of the briefing room, she caught sight of Adira standing by, the communications director wearing an amused smile.

"Isn't there some unwritten rule about smiling after press briefings?" she asked, starting down the hallway.

"Probably," Adira said, falling in step alongside her. "But it's not every day I hear someone compare butchering a live animal to dropping shellfish into boiling water."

"I'll admit," Irana said, "I probably could have phrased that a bit more elegantly, but it shut them up, at least." Gesturing loosely towards the datapad in Adira's hand, she said, "That the schedule I asked for?"

"Yes," Adira said. "All the planned photo ops are listed here."

"Anything scheduled for the banquet itself?"

"A couple, yes," Adira replied. "I take it you want those cancelled?"

"If they're during the joint ceremony?" Irana said. "Yes."

"Any particular reason?"

"Well, how about we start with the fact that it's completely unnecessary?" Irana said. "Honestly, if they wanted shots of elaborate raloi rituals, they should have hitched a ride to Turvess with the rest of the delegation."

"This is a pretty historic occasion," Adira noted. "You can't blame them for wanting it on record."

"Maybe not," Irana said, "but there's a couple outlets that made a bigger deal about the religious angle than I'd like. Last thing we need is one of them finding a particularly 'damning' holophoto to slap under a ridiculous headline."

"Good point," Adira said, noting it down on the datapad. "But you might want to keep in mind that I only work for one councilor, not all four-"

"-And the one you're working for has been edgy all damn day," Irana said. "The last thing she needs is a bunch of photographers milling around and distracting her."

"That still doesn't negate the fact that I don't speak for all of them."

"You don't have to," Irana said, rounding a corner to approach a cluster of offices. "Tevos is officiating. What she says? Goes. End of story."

"Fair enough," Adira said. "Mind telling me what she has to say to them, then?"

"That she's uncomfortable with the idea of allowing photographs when she hasn't had a chance to clear it with the raloi ambassadors," Irana said, coming to a halt at her office door. "It's short notice. They'll buy it."

"One can hope, anyway," Adira said, jotting down a couple more notes. "Which leads to my next question-"

"-'What if they don't?'"

Adira offered a faint smile. "Something like that."

"Like I said before, tell them they'll have plenty of other photo ops to win prizes off of," Irana said. "Otherwise? I don't care what you do. Shame them, if you have to. Just- make sure they back off, and I'll have one of my assistants tell security that anyone who does otherwise should be... heavily encouraged to follow your instructions."

Adira nodded. "I'll see what I can do, but it might not go over well."

"Leave the fallout to me," Irana said, opening the door to her office. "Oh- and tell Tevos to consider wearing something traditionally asari, would you? I don't want the gossip rags going on about how she's allergic to her own culture again."

Adira smirked. "I sincerely doubt she'll listen," she said, "but it's worth a try, anyway." Before Irana stepped into her office, she said, "Oh, by the way- what's Tevos been edgy about? I haven't had a chance to talk to her about it."

"She'll tell you when this is over," Irana said. "For now, don't worry about it." She stepped into her office, then, and didn't bother turning around to add, "Just try to get her into something that gets Athame's traditionalist cheerleaders to keep their mouths shut this time around," before the door closed.

"This is all much ado about nothing," was the response High Command's Matriarch Renalle gave to reporters of the Serrice Daily Review this morning, when asked about whether or not she'd be upset if Councilor Tevos again insisted on wearing non-native attire to the banquet. Enora Mirann, one of Serrice's premiere fashion designers, echoed those sentiments, stating that, "Actually, I think it's quite fitting that someone in her position would choose to wear the styles of other species," then added, "and it looks good on her. I just hope she opts for something that isn't black."

Drying off from the quick shower, Tela couldn't help but smirk at the commentary, though the expression was replaced, slowly but surely, by a faint grimace. Hard to forget the last time she'd seen the elegant black dress that was being referenced, the dream- the trade-off of jewelry, what it meant- bringing on a slight tightness in her throat.

Rather than shake off the image, no matter how tempting, she instead made it a point to use it as motivation; to get dressed, gather up her belongings, and make her way into the main room, intent on pulling herself together as quickly as possible- a feat that was easier said than done.

The lighting in the main room was queasy- an off-putting color at a low level- and the glare from the monitors in the corner made her squint, the ache behind her eyes becoming more prominent by the second. She wasn't alone, either, though that came as no surprise. Caris- or Aeza, it was hard to tell from behind- was seated at the monitors, the distinct, acrid scent of smoke lingering in the air. Her eyes caught sight of a cigarette holder on his- her?- hand, and for a time, nothing sounded better than to get her hands on one, though the thought of a cigarette meant for consumption by the volus nearly flipped her stomach.

Something about the oxygen-sapping filtration process in the holders that made them double up on the ingredients; made them the equivalent of getting kicked in the chest.

"Ah," Caris- definitely Caris- said as she approached, pulling her out of the rather insipid train of thought, "Good morning. I was wondering if I'd have to wake you."

"I was bright enough to set an alarm last night," she said, making her way to the bar, and setting the Prasino bag next to one of the lowered stools. "Can't say I'm all that 'awake' just yet, but I'm hoping to fix that."

"I thought you might," Caris said, pausing to take an idle drag off the cigarette holder. "There should be something on the bar to help to that effect. A 'pick me up,' if you will."

She'd noticed the small tube on the bartop, with a glass of water alongside it, but she hadn't thought much of it; it didn't look too dissimilar to the nutrient paste volus were known to suck down when they weren't on Irune. Taking a closer look, she recognized what it was almost immediately. Still a nutrient paste, but it was one formulated solely for hangovers- one that her old unit lauded as a miracle cure in and of itself, which... it was, to be fair, but-

"I don't mean to sound ungrateful," she said, picking up the glass of water, "but I'll need something more than paste for breakfast if I plan on being functional."

"I can put a call up to Aeza, if you like," Caris said. "She's running inventory in the kitchen this morning."

"How long will it take to get something down here?"

"Not very, if I put the call in soon."

"The sooner the better," she said, without caring too much about sounding insistent; he'd already made it clear she was the one doing him favors. "And tell her to make it a five-hundred spread if she's got a calorie counter. High protein. Last thing I need is-"

The chime of her omnitool brought her words to a halt, her eyes going down towards the light flickering on the top of her hand. Bringing the device up, she saw the source of the call, and arched an eyebrow.

It was Selex.

"I need to take this," she said, accepting the call without bothering to move into the side room; there wasn't much point.

"Vasir," Selex said over the comm unit in her ear, audio-only, as Caris typed out a message to, presumably, send up to Aeza, "There's been a change of plans."

Wonderful, she thought, lip quirking in a show of irritation. "I'm not a big fan of switching things up on short notice, Selex," she said. "Makes me wonder if you're looking to weasel out of the deal."

"I have no intention of 'weaseling' out of anything," he said irritably. "You're getting what you asked for, and then some, but this meeting needs to happen now, not later."

"That'll cut in on the time I've got to look over that material you handed me," she said. "You alright with that?"

"Yes," he said. "Yes. I don't-" He paused, presumably to keep from stumbling over his own words, and said, "It doesn't matter. It's fine. I'll fill you in on the details you're missing. Just, please- like I said-"

"-'Now, not later,'" Tela interrupted. "I know. I heard you the first time."

"So- you'll be here soon?"

"I need some time to finish eating," Tela said, "but-"

"How much time?"

Fighting a brief wave of irritation at the interruption, she said, "You do realize I've got a thirty minute cab ride ahead of me-"

"-You can eat in the cab, can't you?"

It's way too early for this shit, she thought, raising a hand to rub at her eyes. "It'll be about forty five minutes, Selex," she said, hand lowering back to her side. "Take it or leave it."

She didn't have to see his face to know he was tempted to debate her on that, but instead, he conceded, and said, "Alright. That's- that's acceptable. I'll see you forty five minutes."

He terminated the connection before she could get a word in edgewise, the omnitool allowed to fade back out as she looked up to see Caris looking at her curiously.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Everything's fine," Tela said, pausing for long enough to take a sip of her water. "Annoying, but fine."

"I got that impression, yes," Caris said. "And can I assume that your willingness to meet means he's not backing out of the arrangement?"

"He's not," Tela said. "We're still on to get the manuscript. Just sounds like he's freaking out about his little 'chat' with Yirell last night." A pause, then- "How much longer is that food going to take?"

"Five minutes," Caris said, "give or take."

Gave her twenty minutes or so to wolf down whatever was set in front of her- but, if that was how it had to be, that was how it had to be. Not that she was planning on complaining about it. Really, the sooner she had all of this behind her, the better. That went double for the hangover, and the less than palatable 'cure' that would help get rid of it.

She could only be grateful for the fact that, by the time she was ready to leave, it felt decidedly less like her head was attempting to cave in on itself, making the idea of talking to a very agitated, very demanding Jona Selex a bit less nauseating.

But only a bit.

"As officials are gearing up to attend the banquet, several commentators, as well as Wusterland News's own Eyes on the Citadel reporter, Khalisah al-Jilani, have made note of the fact that Tela Vasir, the asari spectre responsible for bringing down TruthHax, has been seen aboard the Citadel, but is conspicuously absent from the list of tonight's attendees.

Obin Alef, the editor-in-chief of the Citadel Business Review, and a former financial advisor for many of Irune's top CEOs, stated in a recent article that he believes the omission was intentional. "Spectre Vasir has the dubious honor of being a reminder that the Council chose to withhold key economic reports from the joint governments. It goes without saying that her presence at an expensive banquet the Council's budgetary committee has overextended itself to pay for would be, as the humans but it, a truly unfortunate faux-pas."

Of course they'd bring up Tela.

Tevos closed her eyes for a time, forcibly containing a brief, irrational spark of irritation at the thought.

Switching off the news feed, if only to put both that, and the images of the lonesome, solitary animal she'd seen in files the night before out of her mind, Tevos looked at herself in the full length mirror- and loosed a soft sigh.

When she'd stepped into her auxiliary apartment to redress for the banquet, she'd told herself that she'd take Adira's impromptu fashion advice to heart- but the more she'd stared at the contents of her closet, the more intent she became on donning her usual attire. Now, with very little time to make additional preparations, the best she could do was stare at her reflection, at the choice she'd made, and quietly rehearse her reasons for choosing it. After all, someone was bound to ask; they always did.

It seemed absurd, having to justify something so simple, but she knew the reason for all of the standard question- reasons that had little to do with the affinity she had for human styles; little to do with the underplayed modesty of some of the more elegant evening gowns she'd seen on human delegates effectively drawing her eye. No, in this case, as with others, they were more intent on asking about her choice of color- or lack thereof- and whether or not she was trying to set herself apart from own kind, or, alternatively, flaunt her lineage.

The off-the-shoulder cut, whether or not she wore long dinner gloves, showed the swaths of white markings that ran down her back and shoulders- a show of pride in her 'mixed blood heritage,' they'd said, though the matriarchs hardly disapproved of that. What they did disapprove of was her choice to wear black. It was a tone that had significant meaning to her own people especially, though it was rarely mentioned outside of asari circles. Black was a reflection of a darkened, intent gaze, a message that worked as a method of intimidation for soldiers, law enforcement, and commandos, meant to broadcast a willingness to use melding as a weapon- but for evening wear, it was seen as an invitation.

Not unlike the one that had been staring her in the face, two nights before.

She had to wonder if that was part of the decision, but she knew it was peripheral. Knew, at least to some capacity, that the choice was dictated by the creature she'd see put to death later that day. She wasn't immune to the analogy that presented, to the impression of being trotted out for ceremonial purposes, and just as quickly dispatched once she'd done the job she was asked to do. The same job that made the invitation of wearing black a complete, and utter joke.

Little more than a personal rebellion...

Made her wonder if losing out, if allowing for the worst outcome to take place, would really be so bad.

Clasping an ornate necklace- very nearly a choker- around her throat, she continued to watch herself in the mirror for a time. She could see the haggard expression she wore, the fatigue plain in her gaze, in the slight discoloration beneath her eyes. Made her wonder just how visible it had been to everyone else, no matter the distance she'd had from the delegation earlier that morning. They had stood on the platform she'd dreamed herself onto the night before, and listened as she, and her colleagues officially welcomed them into the Council.

"A little over three decades ago," she'd said, when she'd stood before them, in a prelude to the ceremonial speech, "I was honored by the opportunity to welcome a new species into Citadel space; to bring them into our community to share in the benefits, and the burdens. That I'm able to do so again today, with all of you- representatives of countries that had, less than half a year ago, only just discovered that they were one planet, one species, among many- is a rare blessing. That you, and, by extension, your people, were so willing to embrace such an overwhelming discovery speaks of a remarkable, if not enviable fortitude."

She paused- and smiled faintly at the recent memory. It was foolish to think they'd cared much about her features, beyond the fact that she wore a smile of welcome, reciting the words she'd memorized from the speech itself with the warm, patient tone and cadence she'd become known for. Whether or not the encounter suits had hidden their faces, she had seen their heads lift with pride as the welcome continued- had seen even the hardened rivals, Yajati, and Ix'alam, regard her and her colleagues with a kind of reverence. Had heard it in their reedy voices when they'd each, in turn, accepted the invitation.

It had been their moment, not hers. The press, and everyone else who'd been allowed to gather during the proceedings, had their attention firmly riveted on the newcomers- not on her, not on Sparatus, not on Udina, or Valern. Not one the faces they'd seen constantly, day in and day out.

Covered by masks or no, those new faces had been, and would be, far more important.

Hers, she reminded herself hesitantly, was one that may very well be destined to fade out; unacknowledged, unnecessary... as utterly forgettable as that of her predecessor, no matter what she'd presided over.

Just the way it should be.

Something to remind yourself of, she thought, slowly pulling on the long pair of fingerless dinner gloves, a couple pairs of silver bangles snapped around her wrists once they'd been pulled on...

...when you begin to worry yourself needlessly.

It had been ten minutes since Aeza and Tela had departed the lounge, leaving Caris to monitor the comings and goings of all the various security feeds he had set up in the 7th, though his attention remained on locales that Yirell, and Selex both were known to frequent.

One in particular, he set to record, but had only gotten so far in writing up the filename before a chime came in over his omnitool. That, on its own, wasn't surprising- calls came in at odds hours all the time- but the name he saw on the frequency did.

"Von," Caris said, once the audio line went live. "It's not often I get the chance to speak to you directly- so either this is good news, or something else entirely."

"I'm afraid it's the latter, in this case," Von replied. "Has to do with one of your 'persons of interest.'"

Caris paused in taking another slow drag from his cigarette, and said, "What about them?"

"One of them has been receiving a conspicuous amount of unusual comms chatter," Von replied, "the origin of which is quite revealing."

"Are you able to send me recordings of the communiques?" he asked. "Or are you seeing this from the outside?"

"A little of both," Von said. "I'll send you what I can, but in the meantime, I suggest you, and anyone working with you, keep a very close eye on both of your targets.

...I don't like the sound of what I'm hearing, and neither will you."

For her part, Tela couldn't say she was especially fond of what she was hearing, either. Seated in the front of the cab- on the seat that had formerly been painted with human grey matter and skull fragments- she'd been subjected to Aeza humming idly to a tune she didn't recognize, which... to be fair, didn't sound half bad, but it mixed poorly with her attempts to read Selex's rambling notes.

With or without the guide the two elcor had given her, keeping track of all the insane ideas was feeling more and more hopeless by the second.

"Is that humming really necessary?" she asked, as the cab rounded a corner, and dropped into a lower wrung of traffic.

"It is if you plan on being boring," Aeza replied, shrugging. "Besides, I figured you could use a little background music with your morning crazy."

"That's kind of you," Tela said, "but I'm pretty sure we've got a stereo for that," looking back at her omnitool. "And the last thing this crap needs is a soundtrack." She paused- and shook her head, a look of exasperation slowly crossing her features. "Not that it matters. I could be studying this at peak efficiency and it'd still be baffling."

Aeza glanced at her after easing into a new lane of sky traffic. "I thought you said you didn't need to."

"I don't," Tela said, "but I'd rather not take any chances."

"Got any highlights, or is it all equally mind-numbing?"

"I'm not sure yet," Tela said, brow furrowing. "I just got to the part about Shepard."

"Oh, ho," Aeza said, audibly amused. "Humanity's golden child. What's she got to do with this?"

"Too much," Tela said. "Same as everything she got her hands in."

"Not big on the hype, are you?" Aeza said. "Or is this just run-of-the-mill professional jealousy?"

"You're joking, right?" Tela said, shooting the volus an incredulous look. "Look, with all due respect to the dead- Shepard was effective, sure, but you could say the same thing about a varren in a china shop."

"Well," Aeza said, "apparently someone thinks she had some subtlety if she's in those files."

"Yeah," Tela said, "but considering the source, I wouldn't take it as a compliment."

"You raise a good point," Aeza said. "What's he got to say about her, anyway?"

"What little I can wrap my head around?" Tela said. "That humans were engineered by some extinct species that managed to kick the protheans out of the galaxy, and- I guess- that someone like her was 'destined' to awaken if the protheans ever came back."

"I'm gonna hate myself for asking this," Aeza said, "but what's he base that on?"

"You mean aside from 'helped rout a hoard of killer robots?" Tela said. "Her role in the slapfight between the Alliance and the Hegemony."

"The Hegemony? How'd be manage to shoehorn them into this?"

Unable to fight a faint, incredulous smile, Tela said, "It's all very scientific. According to his amazing powers of deductive reasoning, he's concluded that since the batarians have four eyes, and so do the Collectors, obviously that means the batarians were engineered to serve as a slave race."

"Can't say I would've made that connection," Aeza said, turning on to a side street. "But, I suppose that's what separates the plucky, intrepid journalists from the rest of us low-lifes."

"What? Insane leaps of logic?"

"I believe the term you're looking for is 'vision,' actually."

Tela offered Aeza a sidelong glance, and a faint smile. "Ah," she said. "Well. Don't be too hard on yourself for it. We all have our shortcomings."

"That we do."

Shaking her head, and looking back down at the omnitool, Tela said, "Anyway... aside from all those fascinating revelations, there's just a lot of gibberish explaining how any of this is plausible."

"Does it come with charts?"

"And graphs," Tela said mildly. "Still can't make heads or tails of any of it, though."

"That's why he has editors," Aeza said, pulling into a parking space that was a block away from Selex's subdivision. "And here we are," she said, as Tela rooted around in the Prasino bag for the sidearm that had been placed there the night before. "I want highlights when you get back, by the way."

Placing the pistol in its holster, Tela glanced up, and said, "You planning on waiting around?"

Aeza nodded. "There's plenty I can monitor from here without drawing much attention." A pause, then, "Speaking of which... I don't know if Oma mentioned this to you, but Yirell got a call last night-"

"-From her sister," Tela said. "I know. He mentioned it during breakfast."

"Did he mention that thing about the drawer?"

"In enough detail that I know what the hell you're talking about," Tela said, brow raised. "'Thing with the drawer?' Really? You couldn't have been a little more descriptive than that?" Getting a shrug from Aeza, she offered a subdued smile, and said, "E for effort, I guess," in an aside. "Anyway, Caris said whatever she saw made her about-face on a call to C-Sec. That's about all I needed to hear."

"And that doesn't worry you?"

"Not when it's pretty damn clear that she's already on her way out," Tela said, disembarking from the cab. "Only reason it'd matter is if Selex is in on it, and from what I can tell, he's not."

Aeza nodded, and said, "This is one of the few times you'd know better than I would."

"Just a few?" Tela said, hand on the passenger side door. "That's a nice vote of confidence."

"Try not to let it get to your head," Aeza said. "And don't take all day in there, alright?"

"I'm not making any promises," Tela said, offered a half-smile, and stepped away from the passenger side door...

"...but I'll try."

It wasn't more than a few minutes after Tela had disappeared into the subdivision that the chime on Aeza's omnitool went off, the tone that was used letting her know that it was Oma.

Accepting the call, she said, "Hey, good lookin'. What's the word?"

"Nothing good, I'm afraid," Oma replied. "Has Ms. Vasir left to speak with Jona already?"

"Yeah," she said. "Why? Is that a bad thing?"

"Not at the moment, no," Oma said, "but it's good you're there to keep an eye on things...

...I have a feeling things could go from bad to worse at a moment's notice."

Just ten minutes now, Tevos realized.

Ten minutes before she'd have to leave for the banquet.

Taking a breath, she stepped away from the mirror, and moved towards the desk that housed her personal terminal. One of the many datapads she'd received throughout the day was placed alongside the projected keyboard, listing the names of all the ambassadors she'd be sharing a meal with, as well as the names of the nations they hailed from.

She'd just seen all of them before her, and though all of them wore some variant of the 'plague masks' Udina had cited, each partial suit had been unique enough to make them each identifiable. Quickly, she scanned over the list, noting which one was which, just to try, one more time, to solidify their identities in her mind- for reasons she didn't care to dwell on.

Beyond Ix'alam, and Yajati, there was Jasheen Ilharsa, from the eastern nation of B'ahal, often thought of as an arbiter between north and south. At the induction, Inensi Theraz, the ambassador from the western continent, stood beside her. He represented a country that had only recently joined Turvess's own United Council- a body created as a means to engender peace among warring nations- after years of being denied the opportunity. And, finally, standing calmly behind them them was Varroa Akath, of the northwestern commonwealth, flanked by representatives of-

She made herself pause for long enough to glance at the time. Five minutes.

Biting lightly at the inside of her lip, she glanced back down at the datapad, again going over the list of names. They were ones that would remembered back on their homeworld, for generations to come. The first of their species to leave the planet, and be accepted by alien races they'd never dreamed existed. They would be seen as pioneers, a point of pride for the raloi as a whole. What she said, what she had contributed, would be mere color commentary by comparison.

Selfishly, she found herself hoping that she'd be remembered, but knew her name was unlikely to be much more than a footnote.

Tevos glanced at the clock again. Three minutes.

Irana would be arriving at the Voreia ahead of time to brief the members of the press on codes of conduct, Adira in tow to speak to them individually- about what, she wasn't entirely sure. Beyond the usual, at least.

Taking one last look at the mirror from a distance, she knew that even if she wanted to change her mind on her attire, it was too late. For the better, she supposed, noting inwardly that she looked more like a corporate mogul than a councilor; a fashionable party-goer, not an official.

Fitting, she thought, raising a hand to toy idly with the elaborate necklace splayed over her bared sternum, if it turns out that you won't be one for much longer.

It was curious to feel resignation, at that. To bow to the worst case scenario, rather than the best... but to her mind, it was better than worrying. Better to simply enjoy the event, defer to those who were being honored that evening, and to assume that it would be her last chance to enjoy herself in her present role.

There would be more lavish banquets, though none of them historic. Losing her position didn't mean losing her life...

...and in the end, that was all that mattered.

Just minutes ago, we heard from our reporters outside the Voreia that a protest against the planned slaughter of a live animal at today's banquet was broken up by both C-Sec, and hotel security. Telina Liann, the animal rights activist from Thessia responsible for organizing the protest, said that, while the officers were courteous, they were still, quote, "acting as an accessory to murder."

When asked whether or not the Council had anything to say about the incident, Secretary Tinos again reiterated what she said during the press briefing this morning, stating that, "this is the exact same thing that happened when one of the human delegates insisted on a meal that required dropping live shellfish into boiling water. The Council refrained from comment then, so it should stand to reason that they'd refrain from comment now."

For the temporary waitstaff of the Voreia, all of them preparing for a grueling day of work for an unfortunate amount of pay, nothing was more amusing than watching the salarian who owned the establishment have a complete meltdown in front one of the security guards sent over from C-Sec. The timing couldn't have been better, either, the news the young turian delivered interrupting Orenn's brief lecture on why their pay might not be quite as much as advertised.

Granted, it was unnerving to hear the words 'large predator' and 'arriving soon' thrown into the mix, but Orenn's explosive rant was enough of a distraction from that... not so little detail.

"This is a blatant abuse of the Council's authority!" he'd snapped at the dumbfounded turian who'd told him the news. "First, they demand I put up half of my own finances to run this ridiculous gala, and now, you're telling me I have to bring a predator into a crowded hotel?"

"That's- exactly what I'm telling you, sir," the turian replied, stiff brow raised slightly. "Not much I can do about it, at this point."

"There's plenty you can do," Orenn replied. "And while I understand that, technically, you answer to the Council, I-" He paused, then, forcibly calming himself to say, "Here's the thing, officer-" Another paused. "What did you say your name was again?"

"Paschalus, sir," the turian said.

"Officer Paschalus," Orenn repeated. "You seem like a fine, upstanding young man, so... let me ask you- one concerned citizen to another: do you really want it on your record that you willfully endangered these people?"

Paschalus shrugged. "I'm just a messenger," he said. "It's not going on my record." Orenn scoffed at that, and paced away in the other direction, leading the officer to add, "Look, I know it's a pain-"

"A pain?" Orenn interrupted, the indigo hues in his face darkening. "Listen, I realize that you're not hired on the basis of intelligence, but could you please do me the favor of not understating the case? I'm being asked to bring a wild animal on to the premises-"

"It's not 'wild,' Orenn," came a new voice from the nearby entrance, the sound calling the attention of the waitstaff from the manager and his event planner, over to a newly arrived Irana Tinos. "It's from one of the nature preserves back on Turvess, and it's heavily sedated-"

"-I don't care if it's sedated," Orenn snapped. "I am not allowing that- creature in here!"

"Actually," Irana said, "according to the contract that got you all those incentivizing subsidies, you are."

"Don't tell me that," Orenn sneered. "There's nothing in my contract that says-"

"-Any and all orders from the Council need to be followed, to the letter, when it comes time for the Voreia to be utilized for diplomatic purposes?" Irana interrupted. "On the contrary, it's pretty clear about that."

"Then I'll have my attorney find a loophole-"

"-It's a little late for that, Orenn," Irana said flatly. "If you wanted to waste your money on lawyering up, you should have done it days ago."

Orenn went flush, his jaw going tense, outrage mounting. "I wasn't even told about this- slaughter until last night!" he said. "You intentionally gave me no time to react. And these orders-" He shook his head. "These orders are insane. Now- I've done everything that was asked of me- I've even hired new temps to cover for any discrepancies," he added, gesturing broadly towards the line of new hires, "but this is patently absurd! You're telling me to bring a predator that you barely understand into my hotel-"

"-It's a jointly owned venue," Irana said. "You just get to run it."

Orenn paused, thin lips pursing just slightly. "That's low, Ms. Tinos."

"It also happens to be the truth," she replied. "Now... can we move on with this? Or would you like to keep putting on a floorshow for your day laborers?"

Orenn snorted. "They're not day laborers, and I resent your implication that-"

"-How much is he paying you?" Irana asked a nearby asari, who was bit surprised to be called on. After a moment of silence, she said, "It's alright. You can answer."

"Don't let her bully you," Orenn said, getting more agitated. "You don't have to answer anything."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'm not the 'bully,' here," Irana said mildly. Then to the asari, "What's the pay?"

The asari glanced at the others, none of whom seemed to care if she said anything out loud. It wasn't as if Orenn could fire them on the spot, on such short notice.

"Twenty credits an hour, ma'am," the asari replied, finally.

Irana looked back at Orenn and tsk'd. "Twenty credits, Orenn? Really?" To the asari, she said, "How old are you, by the way?"

"Six- ah, six hundred and fifty, ma'am," the asari said gently.

"Six hundred and fifty," Irana said, eyeing Orenn. "A late-stage matron. I'm sure I could think of ways to spin that for the press if she agrees to step in front of the cameras-"

"-Twenty credits is an industry standard, Ms. Tinos," he blurted out tensely. "I'm doing nothing wrong."

"Twenty credits is below minimum wage," Irana said, "and it's a non-tipping event." Then, turning to the turian officer, she said, "Tell them to bring the animal in- through the back, if you can."

"That was the plan, ma'am," the officer said, departing from the group before Orenn could add anything. "I'll let 'em know it's go time."

"Thank you," she said, her gaze turning back to the flustered salarian. "And if you say one word- just one- to the press, or anyone, about how the Council is 'leveraging' you, or try to turn this into your own little PR event? I'll make this poor woman the poster child for the Voreia's latest streak of wage theft. Do you understand me?"

Orenn closed his mouth in spite of wanting to offer a rebuttal- nodded, and said, "I understand, Ms. Tinos," no matter how much he resented it. "But, in my defense, I-"

He went dead quiet at the low, half-grunt, half-growl that rose from the back entrance, the look on his face inspiring the rest of the assembled to look in the direction he was staring- just in time to see a large, black creature, its silver eyes and white teeth proving to be the only visible traits on its face, being lead into the hotel by a procession of raloi.

"Step back, please," the turian said, gesturing for the waitstaff to give the creature, and its handlers, some room.

It was tall enough on all fours to come up past the officer's hip, and its musculature was such that, claws or no, it could have easily torn its handlers in half. That it didn't- that it barely acknowledged any of them- was a relief in and of itself.

Patently surreal, but a relief, all the same.