AN: Okay I want to know which one of you spiked my god damned cider, fess up now and I might send you money, just give me your home address before hand, okay, great.
It feels good to finally to get straight into the swing of things after such a long hiatus, I can't thank the reviewers who left their condolences enough, Katie would've loved them, even though she was born with (CP) cerebral palsy, she always had that energy about her, she always smiled whenever I got the chance to talk about all the people who enjoyed my writing.
Shit look at me a grown ass man, trying not to cry man tears.
I can't thank my friends and family enough for being there, you guys as well, now unfortunately there's little to…. No, there's no action here unless you call civil negotiations between two species a high octane adrenaline fuelled stimulant you need hooked into your veins.
If you do, what do you smoke and where can I get some?
Anyways, on with the show.
December 6th 2207 EMC [Earth Military Calendar] 2151 CE [Common Era].
Turian Frontier Space, Agamemnon System.
SSV Lion, The Crown Pub.
The 'Knights Roundtable' had been set up for both parties Captain Spruce and a select few of his crew which were full time diplomats and lawyers before they were full-time sailors, occupied one half of the table whilst on the opposite side the Primarch and his team of the hierarchies best and brightest, as well as Admiral and Commodore Nyx sat facing inwards.
Ka'mara had been excluded from the talks to attend to the Lion the ship still had to be run after all, besides asking a capable officer of the hierarchy to 'pick sides' as it were, was the epitome of bad form.
Neither side wanted that.
Dotted about the table, were various note pads, documentation and the like that both sides had taken the last hour setting up, Liam taking his time rose from his seat to address everyone in the impromptu negotiation suite.
"As the senior most representative of Earth, her colonies and the Systems Alliance, I would like to personally thank each and everyone here for attending these talks, and tiring and trying as they may become, let's not lose sight on what we've achieved and continue on as friends if nothing else comes from these talks."
A "Here, here." Was muttered between the attendees. "I'd like to start with establishing the Systems Alliance borders in relation to the greater galactic community, if each of you could please activate the personal PADD's provided."
Everyone tapping the PADD's singular button the full screen display showed the codex standard galactic map, with multiple colours breaking down each species territorial claims, huge swathes of the galactic map taken up by a multitude of colours.
"As everyone can see the Systems Alliance's claimed territory is comparatively small in comparison to the big three and some rather controversial 'associate races'." Liam stated, everyone knew full well which races he was talking about in particular.
"whilst our overall territory is small, our colonies are 'densely packed' when compared with the galactic standard, you'll be surprised to find out how many habitable or near habitable worlds are tucked between mass relay jump's." Liam finished.
The display changed once more this time green dots appearing within the territories, clearly marking colonised systems of each race, the stark contrast on just how solidly packed humanities colonies were in comparison to their own came as a bit of a shock.
"Just how many colonies does humanity hold currently?" Admiral Nyx asked.
"During the last census a little over a year ago, the Systems Alliance had 398 colonised worlds with a combined population in the somewhere just over one trillion, and 1000's of minor settlements which act as permanent or mobile mining operations for precious metals and exotic minerals." Liam answered honestly.
"By the spirits, how do you keep the population from committing outright rebellion?" Primarch Tullius responded.
"By speaking softly while carrying a big stick…." Liam shook his head realising that the Turian delegates were confused, before continuing. "We'll try and be polite with politics, if they continue its followed by sanctions, if it comes to armed insurrection…. We'll resort to military intervention." He finished.
"You're being rather open about this?" One of the diplomats spoke up, interlocking her fingers.
"It's nothing you couldn't find on the net, our equivalent of the codex, the policies regarding insurrection have been the same for about a century, they get one chance to surrender before we'll put the insurrectionists six foot in the ground."
One of the Lion's Engineers spoke up beside his Commanding officer, Liam raised his hand cutting off the engineer before things got too far off topic. "The Systems Alliance gave me a clear objective to establish our borders with our allies seeing as we border the Hierarchy and the Hegemony we'd like to know if this area of space has had any claims to it?" The area in question was highlighted stretching outwards towards the Hierarchies borders.
The Turian Delegation quickly pulled up their omni-tools and began searching for the relevant information, finally after half an hour of discussions and swapping notes, the reply came back.
"It seems that no other species has a direct link through the Mass Relay Transit System into Systems Alliance space besides Relay three one four, we had put in a request to the Citadel Councils Colonisation Authority to send probes through the relay for a possible expansion into the region, we've still got ten years before we hear their decision." Tullius clicked his mandibles how would the good captain use this information.
"For resources or colonisation?" Liam asked.
The Turian's looked to one another, before looking back. "Both, if there was a world to settle, if not just for the resources." Liam tapped his finger on the table. "We're a little more liberal when it comes to colonisation claims, Three of our colony ships are already heading towards what we've called the Shanxi System…. It'll take them six months but they'll get there, Master Chief, your specialty is colonial settlement disputes right."
"Aye, cap'n." another of the humans piped up with a rather unusual accent.
"Recommendations?" Liam asked.
"Tricky one 'ere cap'n, usually we're dealin' in claims by two human parties, a joint venture maybe if we can get both colonial authorities to agree to push for joint development, otherwise we be shit outa luck on that front, cap'n." The Master Chief spoke rather candidly.
Liam nodded before addressing the Turian's. "How strong of a claim would you say you had to the Shanxi System Primarch? Could we say compensate you for capital lost on the claim, and give Turian Farmers and Businesses tax relief for say ten years."
That got a few murmurs, on both sides of the table, to purchase the claim for a fair price and a tax relief for an initial incentive, there wasn't a galactic precedent for the practice, then again there wasn't one against it either.
Tullius and his team of lawyers and diplomats were quietly chatting to themselves, before straightening up once more. "My lawyers will tally up what the claim has cost so far in capital, as well as what it would have cost to set up operations in the system. Any details on the system itself would prove invaluable." Tullius spoke.
Liam nodded. "I'll have Ka'mara send down the detailed charts when we all decide it's time to recess." He continued. "No rush, the fewer the mistakes now will save a decade of growing pains later." All parties nodded at the logic of that statement.
Tullius spoke up next. "What are your plans for when you introduce yourselves to the Citadel? To the Council?" he asked.
"The Systems Alliance is a sovereign democratic entity and will remain as such, until such time until certain concessions are made we can I'll afford to gut our entire navy to placate fools on a council who know little to nothing on how our people operate, no offence intended towards your people's choice in councillor of course, we will not be cow towed by anyone." Liam retorted, before continuing.
"Or as my rather candid Prime minister put it in his rather blunt letter, addressed to me…. 'They can politely shove their superiority complex or whatever rod has been shoved up their fucking arses further in there, we will not beg, we will not bow, we will spill blood for our sovereign right to determine 'OUR' future.' Humanity is no one's lap dog. Signed yours faithfully. Prime minister Harold M. Johnson."
Gripping a single sheet of paper, he passed it clockwise around the table so it reached the Primarch, who with his contact lens which had been updated with all of humanities written languages gave a hearty Turian laugh.
"You humans take personal pride in your accomplishments, to think even your Prime minister writes such scathing comments, the Asari will see this as a slight against their established prestige and accumulated power." Tullius remarked.
"Let them, we don't care, they're nothing but a bunch of stagnant parasites, oh we'll play nice to make more friends than enemies, but the moment they try to put a leash on us, we'll snap and draw first blood." Liam took a second to compose himself. "Those amphibian pricks aren't much better in our eyes, try to hide it all they fucking want, but its fucking obvious those assholes have been updating the Genophage to cull the Krogan population, they're like Nazi's in space. Killing off an undesirable race or ethnically cleansing them, we don't care, when one group of humans tried it, we had each and every one of them tried, imprisoned or hung for crimes against humanity."
Tullius coughed. "The Hierarchy did its part; don't you hate us?"
"You lot deployed the weapon to coerce a threat into surrendering to save more lives in the long run, we've done something similar with our own people, is it a black mark that will never wash away, for sure, but here's the crux of it, you did it to save lives, to prevent the war from continuing to its bitter and bloody end. They are continuing to develop it like some cruel and unusual punishment."
Tullius's respect for Humanity had gone up a few notches, even more so for the Captain, for lack of a better term, the man was very Human about his beliefs, almost Turian in dedication but something else at the same time.
"The TL; DR of it, we're sticking to our borders and our way of life, so long as the council stays on theirs, we couldn't give a damn on their opinions on matter, if we do, we'll ask them." The Turian's gave nods towards the declaration.
"What about border security? We need some kind of mutual agreement between both parties." Admiral Nyx spoke for the first time during the meeting.
"System 314, it'll be a single system buffer between our two people." Tullius chipped in, before continuing on. "Both sides will need to provide security for a waypoint station, where goods and vessels will need to be inspected."
Liam gave a nod to the proposal. "Both sides contribute half of the materials to a single station which could double as a neutral embassy, whilst each of us provide, say a battlegroup and a unit of marines to act as station security."
"What about police forces?" Ardella chipped in.
"Could I suggest an Interpol? Which shares information while allowing both sides to execute warrants on the behalf of the other party." One of the Lion's junior officer technicians spoke up.
Notes and the like were being scribbled down all the while, as details were organised, taking an hour long recess somewhere in the middle of the debates for food and drink, somewhat shocking the Turian's when the Humans helped themselves to servings of Turian vegetables.
The kicker being Humans had evolved with the capability to process dextro without an allergic reaction it didn't provide much in the way of nutrition, but it had served to diversify rations on board the Lion after some poor sods had been volunteered 'See: Told' to sacrifice their stomachs for the greater good.
More than a few brow ridges had been raised on just how the discovery had been made, much to Liam's displeasure, having to retell something he had tried his damnedest to forget for a good long while after witnessing that particular car crash in slow motion.
With the initial negotiations dealt with a good couple of days were spent ironing out the biggest creases to the best of the Lion's dedicated crewmen's abilities, it was then with a semi-final draft in both parties possession, Captain Spruce made an unusual request, for the SSV Lion to transit to Palaven to deploy a satellite.
More specifically a Quantum Entanglement Communications satellite, to allow Humanities best and brightest politicians, diplomats and lawyers to. 'Take what they had started with and run with it.' Another Human quote that the delegation had taken a while to. 'Get their heads round.' They'd especially enjoyed a lesson or two in deadpan sarcasm.
Especially if the Turian diplomats could sneak in some finger quotations as a quick jibe or two before the other races 'caught wind' on what the small innocuous gesture meant.
To Be Continued….
AN: Next chapter will be similar to this one only we're going to be catching up with the greater galactic community, who'll be reacting to Hierarchy Military News clips on how humanity kicks arse and takes names.
I know fun right, Also if anyone has any suggestions for me on shit hot rock music that needs some love, Alestorm, MANOWAR, Iron Maiden what have you send me a PM with that shit on, name of band and song of choice I will listen to them on Youtube and then and buy the ones I like on Vinyl.
When this god-damned lockdown is lifted.
Stay safe, I want you bastards back to increase my views past 50K!
Signed.
Your Lord Commander, The Manperor of Mankind.
The one true Omnissiah and all my other titles.
Liam Valentinez Alkalinella Xifax Sicidabohertz Gombigobilla Blue Stradivari Talentrent Pierre Andri Charton-Haymoss Ivanovici Baldeu George Doitzel Kaiser Spruce III.