Day Cycle, Citadel Presidium

Council Halls

Year: 2354

Admiral Graves nods to the three aliens standing in front of us.
"Councilors. I am Admiral Marcus Graves. I understand you wished to speak with myself, my crew, and my teams?"

The one in the center, a Turian, I'm told, nods slightly. He looks a lot like a walking bird, or perhaps a raptor. "Yes. I am Councilor Sparatus, representative of the Turian Empire"

The alien to his left, an Asari, nods as well. She looks a lot like a blue woman with tentacle fringes. "And I am Councilor Tevos, representative of the Asari Republics"

The alien to Sparatus' right, a Salarian, nods too. He looks like someone took the aliens from humanity's fictions, added two slightly fleshy horns, and gave them pale skin. "And I am Councilor Valern, representative of the Salarian Union. We greet you, Admiral Marcus Graves, and your fellows, and welcome you to the Citadel"

Admiral Graves nods. "Thank you, Councilors. Now, what did you wish to discuss?"

I lean against the wall. CV's watching through my helmet feed – she couldn't fit on the elevator.

"Your first contact packet explained a lot about your culture, recent history, and the technology you humans use, and frankly, we're surprised. Your race is the first that didn't use the Mass Relays to explore space"

Admiral Graves nods. "Yes. Our race originated on the planet Earth, in the Sol system. We developed the Warp Drive to cover great distances in space, although it is fuel intensive. During our exploration, we came across a group of planets we dubbed "The Frontier". Colonists, mainly veterans of the many wars in the Sol system and those surrounding it, settled numerous planets on the Frontier, forming towns, then cities. However, support waned in the Core systems – the Core being the Sol system and those systems nearby"

Sparatus nods. "We can relate. The Turian Empire spans a number of systems, and some two thousand years ago, we underwent the Reunification War, bringing the colonies back under our control"

Admiral Graves takes a long look at the Turian representative. "So, your species reconquered your colonies and brought them under unified control"

Sparatus nods. "Yes"

Admiral Graves sighs. "Councilor, I am not from Earth, or the Core sectors. My home is on the Frontier Alliance's Capital, a planet called Harmony"

That surprises Councilor Sparatus. "You mean to say…"

"Yes, Councilor. We won our war. The Frontier Alliance is separate from Earth, and the Core sectors. We fought a long war – seventeen years long – defending our homes, our families, our lives, from those that would exploit and use us as meaningless fodder"

Councilor Tevos turns to Valern, then back at us. "So, there is another faction of Humanity out there, that does not know about the Mass Relays?"

Admiral Graves nods. "Quite so, Councilor Tevos. They are controlled by the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation and its subsidies"

"I see"

Admiral Graves lets out a long sigh. We can tell he's getting tired. "Councilor, understand that we on the Frontier were abandoned by the IMC long before they attacked us. When they came, they attacked us. No offer of diplomacy was given, no deal brokered. A demand, for resources they did not earn, for a mere pittance"

Sparatus nods. "And when you refused, they tried to seize these resources?"

Admiral Graves nods. "I do not know the circumstances of your Reunification War, but I highly doubt that your war is comparable to the one we fought"

Sparatus shakes his head. "No, it is not. Obviously, your fight was one to secure freedom from a tyrannical oppressor"

Admiral Graves nods. "I'm glad you see"

Valern nods. "Perhaps if we encounter them, we can broker some kind of reunification between – "

Admiral Graves shakes his head. "We appreciate the offer, Councilor Valern, but the IMC won't attempt negotiations – If they can't buy it cheap, they'll simply steal it"

Councilor Tevos lowers her head. "A shame, then"

"Yes"

Valern's horns twitch slightly. "Tell us about the technologies you use – specifically these 'Titans'. What role do they play in your culture?"

Admiral Graves nods to Dad, who steps forward. "I was expecting this. Councilors, I am Jack Cooper, retired Pilot, and veteran of the Frontier Liberation War. I am paired with BT-7274, a Vanguard-class Titan"

The three councilors nod. "So, what is a Titan?"

Dad shakes his head. "Not a what – a who. Titans are large, robotic mechs designed for multiple purposes. BT was designed from the ground up as a combat titan, based partially off of Hammond Robotics' Atlas Titan. There are others as well, Titans used for emergency services, construction purposes, et cetera, et cetera"

Tevos raises her brow. "You said, 'not a what – a who'. What do you mean?"

Dad sighs. "Exactly what I meant, Councilor. Each Titan is his or her own person, depending on how their Artificial Intelligence is programmed"

That shocked the council. "You… have developed AI?"

Dad nods. "Why, is that a problem?"

Sparatus sighs. "AIs are forbidden in Citadel Space. For a little over two hundred and seventy galactic cycles, in fact"

Dad shakes his head. "Why is that?"

Councilor Tevos looks to Sparatus. "The Quarians, mentioned in the first contact packet you received, developed synthetic life – known as the geth – to assist them with menial tasks on their home world of Rannoch almost three hundred years ago. As more of these 'geth' were manufactured, their intelligence grew until hostilities broke out. The result – Rannoch is controlled by the geth, behind the Perseus Veil – and the Quarians live on their Migrant Fleet, without a planet to call their own"

Dad sighs. "Well, isn't that a pickle"

Tevos rubs her forehead. "Yes, it is troublesome. However – "

Dad raises his hand. "Just stop. I already know what you're going to ask, and no, I'm not going to give up my best friend. BT has saved my life and millions of other lives with his actions, and I'm not going to let him be dismantled because your rules say he can't exist – and I know a number of fellow Pilots who would back me up, my daughter included"

I grin. Thank goodness I have my helmet on.

Valern sighs. "Perhaps, then, we could interview BT-7274? Assess what kind of risk he might pose, if any?"

Sparatus turns to Valern. "Surely you're not serious. They are AI, they need to be dismantled before they revolt"

Valern, along with Tevos, turns to face Sparatus. "Sparatus, I am quite serious. You just heard the man speak, as well as I did. Unless your ears are packed with wool?"

Sparatus glares at the Salarian. "Fine. But I insist on bringing C-Sec, in case they turn hostile"

[-]

Zakera Ward Docks, Citadel Station, Day Cycle

"This is BT?" Valern exclaims. "BT-7274?"

Dad nods. "Yep. Vanguard-class Titan, and my best friend for the past thirty-three years"

Valern tugs a little at his collar. I can tell he's nervous. "O-okay then… BT-7274, who are you? What is your purpose?"

BT's eye blinks open. "Hello, Jack. I assume we successfully passed through the relay, since an alien is standing in front of me"

Dad nods. "He's got some questions. His fellows want to make sure you're not gonna go nuts and kill all of us"

BT's eye closes in, focusing on Valern. "I see. Alien, I request you identify yourself, so I may know to whom I am speaking"

Valern nods, sweat beading on his forehead. "I am Councilor Valern, representative of the Salarian Union. Behind me are my colleagues, Councilor Tevos, representative of the Asari Republics, and Councilor Sparatus, representative of the Turian Empire. We wish to know what your view of humankind is"

BT-7274 opens his eye back up, noting the other two councilors behind Valern. Valern is still nervous, but Sparatus has a fighting expression on his face… I think. Can't tell with those plates on him. Tevos is calm, as if she was anticipating this.

"Councilors. My view of humankind is that of a species that aims to improve itself through many means. Technology, philosophy, exploration, it does not matter the means – they will use it. Humans are a species full of energy and passion, and as a result of their attempts to improve themselves, I am proud to stand with them"

Tevos steps forward. "They say you are your own person. Is this true? If so, how is their treatment of you?"

BT's eye centers on Tevos. "You wish to know if they have mistreated me? Jack Cooper, my Pilot, has not. In all the years we have spent as companions, he has never mistreated me"

Sparatus steps forward. "Machine, what are your protocols, if any?"

BT's eye centers on Sparatus. If he's mad, Dad knows. I know if he called CV "machine" I'd be pretty pissed off.
"Protocol One: Link with Pilot"

Sparatus raises a plate-brow. "What does that mean?"

"Protocol One directs a titan, such as me, to establish a neural link with the pilot, for easier navigation control and assistance when embarked"

Sparatus nods. I can tell he's still pretty mad though. "Okay…"

"Protocol Two: Uphold the mission"

"That one seems pretty straightforward"

"It is supposed to be. Protocol Three: Protect the Pilot"

Sparatus cocks an eye-plate. "You are directed to protect your pilot?"

Dad steps forward. "Even to his own detriment, sometimes. During the Battle of Typhon, he saved my life by pulling me out of the cockpit and throwing me clear of an explosion that started a chain-reaction in the planet's core"

Sparatus turns to face Dad. "Explain"

Dad sighs. "The IMC had found a full-scale fold weapon, repaired it, and made a power core, the Ark, for it. BT and I were the only ones on station who could stop it from firing. However, in the main chamber, we fought a vicious mercenary pilot named Sloane, who crippled BT. With the Fold weapon about to fire, we opened up the chamber mechanism, crawled inside, and prepared to detonate BT's power core. At the last moment, he yanked me out of the cockpit and threw me clear as his core detonated"

Sparatus' mouth was agape. "How, by the spirits, are you still functioning then?"

BT blinks. "I uploaded myself into Jack's helmet as my chassis fell into the ark and detonated. It was only after we left Typhon that I revealed myself via binary code and was uploaded into a new data core"

Sparatus sighs.
"I see then"

Tevos walks over. "Clearly these Titans don't pose a threat to humanity, surprised as we all are"

Valern nods. "Indeed. Curious, that Humankind, unassisted, has created a stable AI platform and created…"

Valern turns to face Dad. "How many of these Titans have been created?"

Dad scratches the top of his head. "Off the top of my head? At least five thousand, thereabouts"

I see Valern blink. "A numerous amount of stable AI platforms that haven't tried to revolt against their creators en-masse"

Sparatus nods. His mind is elsewhere, I can tell. "Yes, quite the feat"

Admiral Graves turns to face the Councilors. "Does that conclude our business here, Councilors? If so, I must return to Harmony, to share the news"

Tevos nods. "Yes, I think it does. Welcome to Citadel Space, Admiral Graves"

[-]

Frontier Alliance Codex
- Citadel
- Location: Serpent Nebula, Widow System

Gravity - 1.02 on the Wards, 0.3 on Presidium Ring

Length - 44.7 km ( open )

Diameter - 12.8 km ( open )

Gross weight - 7.11 billion metric tons

The Citadel is an ancient deep-space station, constructed by an extinct space-faring species known as the Protheans. Since the Prothean extinction, a number of different species have come to call the Citadel home. It serves as the political, cultural, and financial capital of the galactic community. To represent their interests, most species maintain embassies on the Presidium, the Citadel's inner ring.

The Citadel Tower, in the center of the Presidium, holds the Citadel Council chambers. Council affairs often have far-reaching effects on the rest of the galactic community. Five arms, known as the wards, extend from the Presidium. Their inner surfaces have been built into cities, populated by millions of inhabitants from across the galaxy, most notably the Turian Empire, the Salarian Union, and the Asari Republics.

The Citadel is virtually indestructible. If attacked, the station can close its arms to form a solid, impregnable shell. For as long as the station has existed, an enigmatic race called the keepers has maintained it.

[-]

Well, that finishes this arc!
What happens next? We'll see!
UPDATE: Removed the distinction between IMC and Frontier Militia