1750 hours, September 22nd, 2542 (UNSC military calendar)

Private Council meeting chamber, Citadel Tower, Citadel Station.

"I can't believe you're even considering this!" Tevos yelled at Valern, slamming a fist onto the table, shaking it. "It has taken decades of Sanctions and careful political maneuvering to reduce the Batarians to a paper varren, and now you want to undo all of that?" The Asari Councillor had been pushed to the limit by the war and all the secret diplomatic wrangling she'd been forced to engage in. "You won't see the results, but I will in my lifetime."

Valern stood up, indignant. "Do you see an alternative, Tevos? It will add thousands of ships to our forces, and free up just half as many Turian ships. I do not like the Batarians either, but they are being remarkably reasonable. They don't want leadership roles in the war, just a decrease in their sanctions. In exchange, they are offering a commitment of three thousand ships and three million soldiers. And if those ships are in the Orion Arm, we can decrease nearly all our fleet commitments besides the Covenant front and the Geth Containment Perimeter. We're talking another five thousand ships altogether." He glared at Tevos. "Those Sanctions haven't got anything done besides radicalize the Batarians while you refuse to let the STG take hard action against the Hegemony."

"A collapsed Hegemony would be a disaster of untold scale, killing Billions and drawing us into the largest quagmire the galactic community has ever seen," Tevos said. "I will not vote on reducing Batarian sanctions."

Sparatus tapped on the table. "I have received word from Primarch Fedorian he agrees on this course of action, and he has instructed me to agree on lifting the sanctions on the Batarian Hegemony, for the duration of this war, and the promise that sixty percent of Batarian military power is deployed into the Orion Arm. I do not agree, but I defer to the Primarch." He looked at Tevos. "Insult Valern again, and I'll file a motion of no-confidence. This is not like you, Tevos. You're letting this war drag you down. I suggest taking a break."

Tevos went silent, then averted her eyes and nodded, ashamed of her outburst. Unbeknownst to her fellow Councillors, she had been working behind the scenes to bribe, threaten, convince, and seduce the many Asari Republics into committing more resources to the war effort, while balancing the constant demands of the Shadow Broker, all the while trying to narrow in on his location. To no effect. Valern and Sparatus were performing purely as their office dictated, managing inter-governmental diplomacy and providing a unified diplomatic front in dealing with the humans. Most of their decisions were those made by their respective governments.

Valern froze, activating his omni-tool and reading a message on it. He went absolutely silent and spent the next three minutes reading the report, leaving Sparatus and Tevos in suspense. Valern then nodded. "We have a potential issue. The STG has just sent me reports that indicate a potential political dilemma unfolding in UNSC space, but nothing is confirmed. They felt it prudent that we be informed nonetheless."

"Tell us more," Sparatus instructed.

"Reports from STG agents inserted alongside UNSC personnel and on supply bases on human worlds have reported a series of murders and disappearances that have been suppressed on all human media. The victims were primarily former UEG senators and other politicians. The deaths were reported and confirmed far apart from each other, but our agents did some digging and found that several of the deaths had been reported as occurring before or after the time of death. Other deaths were student activists, scientists, and other officials with anti-authoritarian leanings."

Sparatus crossed his arms. "That does sound suspicious, but there is no hard proof. What else did the STG discover?"

Valern nodded. "This came around the same time as the announcement of a large scale democratization of human politics, as well as many pro-environmental and anti-corporate reforms being passed by their security council. These have been widely lauded and celebrated across human space, and in Council space as well, as an example of pro-sapient economic and political structures."

"I know of those." Tevos nodded. "They were quite impressive, and they sounded like a very normal response to the humans getting breathing room and a chance to restabilize their economy and political system. But I thought all they were doing was establishing provisional democratic planetary governments, and folding institutions into the UNSC navy. I still can't see the STG's suspicions."

"According to discrete interviews of human personnel and data analysis of planetary info-networks, we have come to the conclusion that the majority of these provisional governments have been filled with politicians that are inordinately well disposed towards the Office of Naval Intelligence, with a few of those interviewed mentioning that the individuals in question rose up the ranks very quickly, or even have missing histories entirely. STG has decided on a 61% likelihood that this is the result of a conspiracy stacking future democratic councils in its favor." Valern brought up a series of personality profiles. "These people are, to the average human, low ranking bureaucrats, clerks, or student activists who have "risen to the challenge," and their non-elected status has been accepted as a temporary measure."

"Also, the Human Admiral "Lord Hood" has taken charge of the initiative to move humans onto the world they've called "Eden Prime" and has moved many people there already. Including the families of several of those aforementioned political activists that died. This goes against his stated directive to be in command of the UEG inner colony defenses, and his marked caution about contact with the Citadel."

"If I were suspicious, I could see that as an admiral seeing where the wind is blowing and moving loyal assets to safety under the guise of a colonization program," Sparatus muttered. "Nothing is connecting these events, but it could very easily be part of something bigger."

Tevos narrowed his eyes at Vallern. "Why wouldn't this be reported in human media? It does sound like there could be something credible in the STG's maddening pursuit of any possible political conspiracy they don't have a hand in." She said, giving Valern a cheeky grin. "But I still don't see how this all ties together. And I hope there isn't."

"Because human media is under the complete and total control of the Office of Naval Intelligence, an organization that the majority of those humans interviewed have publicly decried for corruption and untrustworthiness. Attempts to transmit information about any of these subjects over the Comm Buoys in human space have been blocked by the ONI agencies in charge of these devices." Valern paused, looking mightily embarrassed. "This was noticed because the STG "accidentally" left weaknesses in several of the non-essential Comm Buoys provided to the UNSC, which automatically close upon the presence of AI-heuristics in a direct network connection."

There was an awkward silence.

"Damn it, Valern!" Tevos slammed a biotically powered fist into the much-abused table, denting it and making Sparatus leap up in surprise, arms flailing. "Did you know of the STG endangering our relationship with the humans?! This could have ruined all our diplomatic efforts if the humans discovered these before they'd fully committed to the Coalition!" Tevos felt an unquenchable urge to drink, and find solace with another Asari. "Even now, it could very much undermine our alliance, while we're on the brink of the largest naval battle since the Fall of Tuchanka!"

Valern raised his hands defensively. "I did not. And if I did, I would have opposed this. But that is irrelevant now. We have proof that ONI is censoring knowledge of these deaths, and by all appearances, they've succeeded in this quite effectively. ONI control over the human populace exceeds even Batarian Intelligence. The STG only managed to discover this due to looking into ONI blocking information about this on their Comm Buoys."

Tevos leaned back into her chair, bridging her hands and thinking deeply about what to do. "If this is true, then we're dealing with a possible rogue intelligence service trying to increase control over the human government. One that we've been feeding with Eezo, technology, and military support. We will have to be very careful about this. Valern, what do you think?" Tevos asked.

Valern's mouth raced so hard Tevos had trouble keeping up.

"Increase STG and SPECTER activities in the CEF to avoid ONI infiltration. Make sure to stop ONI from maintaining a solid presence in Citadel Space, work with the Broker if we have to. Try to find out more information on whatever ONI is getting up to. We'll improve diplomatic connections with the new human democracies and see about establishing consulates and other intelligence avenues in UNSC space. What we need most of all is intelligence." Tevos tried to think of what else she could do to assist anti-ONI efforts. "ONI has, by all records, been an extremely competent and efficient organization. I want to know why they are making these moves. We should see if the state of human of the UEG before the war was something that might require harsh political reforms to amend."

Sparatus, who'd by now gotten off the floor, dusted himself off and nodded. The fact he wasn't berating Tevos for denting the table being the closest thing Sparatus could give to approval of the display of anger. "We don't know enough to warrant direct action. So acquiring as much information on what might have led to these actions is going to be incredibly important. We need to maintain our alliance against the Covenant for as long as possible. And make sure that a potential rogue state does not form from this war." Sparatus sat back down.

"Let us bring these matters to a close," Valern said. "Any who are opposed to reducing Batarian sanctions on non-military trade in exchange for Batarian commitment to the war effort?"

"Opposed," Tevos stated, turning to look at Sparatus, who just shook his head.

"The sanctions will be lifted then. We will all contact our governments and have new trade treaties with the Batarians ratified." Valern said.

"Any who are opposed to increased anti-ONI activities by the STG and Specters, and further attempts to gather information on the United Earth Government?"

Neither Sparatus or Tevos said anything.

"That's those matters settled for now. Do either of you have anything to share for this meeting?"

Sparatus stood up, putting his hands on the table and taking a deep breath. "I have a grave matter to discuss. In regards to that name discovered inside the crashed ship on New Ghent. "Charum Hakkor." This information is only known at the highest levels of my government, and it is shared in trust with you to do with as you see fit."

"Using brute force quantum-computing, we processed the entire collective data storage archive of the Turian Hierarchy, and we were able to discover another mention of "Charum Hakkor" in the form of an ancient Turian myth." Sparatus put his hands behind his back and straightened up.

"What we uncovered was an early-industrial account from a Turian anthropologist that mapped out the history of the now-extinct steppe cultures of Palavan. She transcribed their oral histories into a travel journal. I have a copy with me."

Sparatus reached beneath the table where he'd placed a suitcase and took out an actual written book. Tevos hadn't seen one in what felt like years. Sparatus opened the novel and began reciting a passage. "I have come into contact with a reclusive tribe that lives on the borders of mountain and steppe, living inside the caves and only emerging to hunt or trade. After earning their trust with gifts, I was brought before their elder, who brought me to an ancient rock carving at the deepest part of the tunnels they made their home, one which they said showed the home of a former tribe that inhabited their land, and which they sought to preserve."

"This tribe speaks of an army of spirits of blue and orange light that came to their world and seeing the sorry state of their people, brought them to a new land of plenty in the bellies of giant flying birds.

In this world, they had been granted, life started anew, under the many eyes of the spirits. But an army of demons, composed of warriors and tricksters, came from a realm named "Karuum Hak'ur.", a world carved into the bones of dead gods. They drove the Turians from their homes with fire and thunder, taking their land for their own, and "rotting their wombs with death and decay."

When all seemed lost, the host of demons was met by the Lawgiver of the spirits of light, who waged war upon the demons and cast them into the abyss. The lady of light then came down to Palavan, and she wove life anew, taking the remains of those who had died, and creating from them the many races of Turian that inhabit the world. The cave folk who survived recorded songs and poems of what they had seen, and shared this with the tribe, passing them on before dying out.

This story is truly breathtaking, and the most original creation story I've recorded in my long travels. I thoroughly recommend the other members of the royal guild of science and learning visit these people as well. "

Sparatus closed the book and looked at the other Councillors. "An archeological survey team found the tunnels this account spoke off, discovering them to be extraordinarily rich in lead. At the bottom, they found the carving this account spoke of. There we found Turian DNA remnants of the inhabitants of this cave. All the DNA matched the local populace descended from the steppe people, except for the oldest bones. We discovered a DNA-sample from before the last mass-extinction of Turians and the subsequent genetic bottleneck. In fact, it was from before the Garlak-Dorian split. The others from the same era showed the subsequent genetic bottleneck."

"The identical minuscule gap in the fossil records of almost a thousand worlds," Valern muttered. "Bellies of giant birds, Rotting wombs, eyes of the gods watching from above." The Salarian shook his head. "This sounds like a mythologized version of real events."

"I pray it is not, because if it is, then a xenocidal horde slaughtered the ancient Turians to such an extent, we had to be saved through cloning by another species. Naturally, we've classified this knowledge to the highest extent."

"By the goddess." Tevos had a hard time finding the words for what Sparatus had just announced. It was almost too much for her. "The gaps in the fossil records weren't from a space-time fluctuation or other crazy theories, it was from something that wiped these worlds clean of life, before it was restored. A xenocide beyond imagining." She clenched her fists. "We need to find Charum Hakkor. I'll put my best people on scouring the galaxy for any other creation stories or legends from this era. We might learn more."

Valern nodded. "The implications are unnerving, to say the least. Who was this Lawgiver, and who were these demons? And why haven't we learned of either before now?"