CHAPTER 8
The New Council
Hackett sat in his chair rubbing the lids of his tired eyes with his thumb and index finger. It was quiet in his quarters for once. The days after the battle for Earth had afforded the Admiral little to no rest. The joy and relief he had felt in the wake of the Reapers' defeat was quickly being swallowed up by the sheer amount of new problems to solve. Mountains and mountains of paperwork had already begun to pile up on his desk, and hundreds upon hundreds of emails and messages had begun to fill up space on his personal datapad. Repair reports, requests for assistance, search and rescue updates, casualty numbers, etc, all flooded his office within a matter of hours. He had to install several new VI programs just to sort through them all.
This was the less glamorous side of leadership that most people neglect to mention when you get promoted to be the de facto leader of humanity. During the war, the Reapers had methodically dismantled almost the entirety of humanity's command structure. Alliance parliament and all of its members had been killed in the initial invasion, along with much of Alliance Fleet command. This left Hackett as the highest ranking officer left in the Alliance military, with only Councilor Udina for him to answer to. This didn't last long, however, as Udina was later discovered to be a Cerberus sympathizer and died in an attempted coup d'etat against the rest of the council. Hackett was now responsible for humanity as a whole. A fact that weighed heavily on his old shoulders.
Hackett's moment of peace abruptly ended with hard knocking at his office door. "Come in," he croaked in a tired, gravelly voice. The door slid open to reveal a small woman standing in the doorway, clutching a datapad in one hand and offering a salute with the other. She had a freckled face and bright orange hair wrapped in a tight bun. She was young. Too young, Hackett reckoned. Couldn't have been more than 16. Typically the Alliance didn't allow anyone to enlist until they were at least 18 years old, but with the heavy losses they had sustained early in the war, they decided to overlook that requirement for the time being.
"Serviceman Carter, sir." She finally piped up, still holding her salute. "Your meeting with the other fleet commanders is ready. The Vidcon in the ready room is waiting for you, sir."
Hackett stood up and gave her a tired salute in return. "At ease, serviceman. Thank you. I'll be there shortly," he said as he worked on straightening out his uniform.
Carter hesitated for a second, and then quickly dropped her hand to her side. "I also have a report from the mass relay repair teams," she said, offering her datapad to the Admiral. "It looks like they are requesting more resources."
Hackett furrowed his brow as he took the datapad. "Of course they are. Walk with me," he grunted stepping past her and marching down the hallway.
The small girl swiftly fell in line with him as they wound their way through the ship to the ready room. He poured through the report silently as they walked. It showed that little progress had been made so far. They needed more element zero and technicians along with various other parts. Turns out repairing and reactivating a damaged mass relay was a far bigger undertaking than his engineers had bargained. Hackett frowned as he digested all the information. Diverting more technicians to the mass relay was simple. Finding more eezo, not so much. All of the Sol system's eezo mining facilities were obliterated when the Reapers invaded, and much of what had been stored on Earth was lost during their occupation.
Hackett let out a tired sigh and signed his name in approval on the datapad. When they reached the door to the ready room he turned to Carter and handed it back to her.
"Tell them they'll get what they need. It just may take some time to get it."
"Aye Aye, sir!" The girl gave Hackett a quick salute before hurrying back down the hallway.
The ready room was sparse, save for the large donut shaped, wooden table that sat directly in the center. The table was large enough to fit about twenty people around it, and it had holographic projectors set up in regular intervals on its surface. Hackett would regularly use this room for briefings with other commanders, human and alien alike. There was also a large viewport that made up almost the entirety of the room's far wall, allowing those within to gaze into space.
Hackett slowly made his way around the table to look out the large window. There were hundreds of ships assembling outside, almost as far as he could see. Ships from almost all the races who took part in the battle were present. He could see turian ships flying in tight formations alongside human vessels, and the giant asari ships slowly lumbering alongside them.
Hackett smiled a little when he saw the massive bulk of the Asari's flagship, Destiny Ascension, drift into view. Years prior, Hackett sacrificed 12 human ships from the 5th fleet to save the massive asari dreadnought from destruction during Sovereign's attack on the Citadel. Many questioned if it was worth it to sacrifice so many human lives to save one alien ship, but seeing the Destiny Ascension in action against the Reapers above Earth put those doubts to rest.
Furthest from the pack of ships, Hackett was able to make out the remnants of the quarian's Migrant Fleet. The quarians had the largest fleet in the galaxy by far, despite the losses they had sustained during the battle. Thousands of small ships were flying in formation around the large round liveships that made up the bulk of their heavy fleet. Most of their ships were lightly armored transport vessels, but the quarians, being the resourceful race that they are, managed to jury rig just about every ship in their fleet for war. Even turning their gigantic agricultural liveships into dreadnoughts. The only fleet that was missing from the gathering was the geth's. Their destruction with the Crucibles firing deeply saddened and frustrated Hackett. The geth's technical skills and expertise will be sorely missed during the rebuilding of the galaxy.
Hackett turned his gaze from the swarm of gathering ships and looked down at the massive spinning star shaped structure below them. The Citadel. The once magnificent and beautiful center of galactic civilization, was a crumbling ruin.
Upon learning about the existence of the Crucible, the Reapers had moved the gigantic station to Earth for safe keeping. Without the Citadel, the Crucible was essentially useless. So Hackett gathered every ship, ally, and resource he had and threw them at Earth in a last desperate attack. The energy released by the Crucible when it fired nearly shook the whole station apart, in addition to setting off many enormous explosions throughout the wards that made up its five arms. Pieces of the wards floated weightlessly around what was left of the Citadel. One of its arms was jutting out at an odd angle compared to the rest of the station, and looked as if it could snap off and float away at any moment. Hackett had ordered an immediate repair to that ward to prevent it from breaking off and crashing down to the Earth. Thousands of small ships and shuttles were buzzing around the pieces of the station, like flies fighting over an old corpse. Each one looking for survivors.
Before it was taken by the Reapers, the Citadel was home to millions upon millions of citizens from all corners of the galaxy. Many of the wars refugees had even fled to the Citadel for safety once the Reapers attacked their worlds. Hackett feared that all of those people were killed when the Reapers finally made their move for the giant station. However, after the Crucible fired and the Reapers were destroyed, Hackett started receiving thousands of scattered calls for help coming from the wards. Despite moving the massive station to Earth, the Reapers did not have enough time to harvest all of its citizens before the Alliance fleet attacked. Many of the survivors had run and hidden deep in the many tunnels and bunkers that honeycombed throughout the station. Hackett was relieved upon learning this and deployed as many ships as he could spare for rescue operations and repairs. But for each survivor they rescued, he knew they would find many more dead.
And somewhere on that wrecked station, was Commander Shepard. As soon as Hackett's ship made it back to Earth, he sent teams of marines to go in and find Commander Shepard and Admiral David Anderson. After two whole days of searching the Citadel, the marines found the body of Admiral Anderson, but there was no trace of the heroic commander.
They reported that the whole area surrounding the Crucible was a wreck. Debris from explosions littered the area, and much to the marines horror, they discovered tunnels filled with human corpses. The area of the Citadel that Anderson and Shepard had been transported to after using London's beam was used by the Reapers as a staging area for processing human remains. The search teams feared that Shepard's body could be mixed up with the others in the tunnels. Perhaps he died in one or had his body moved there by one of the station's keepers. Hackett remained hopeful that they would find Shepard alive, but as the days went on that hope faded. Shepard's biometric scans during the battle showed that he was heavily injured when he reached the beam. It was doubtful he could survive whole days without some kind of medical attention. Nonetheless, Hackett ordered search teams to keep combing the area. They were to recover Shepard, no matter what.
Hackett sighed as he turned away from the viewport and back toward the table. The control panel had a green blinking light indicating that there was a comm channel waiting to be opened. He walked up to the control panel and switched it on. Static filled the room and Hackett could feel his hairs standing on edge as the holopads hummed to life. Images of the various allied leaders began to materialize around the table.
To his left stood the image of the proud turian leader, Primarch Adrien Victus. Victus was a general before the war, and was used to fighting combat on the ground alongside his men. So when the battle finally came to Earth, Victus donned his battle armor and joined his soldiers in London alongside the humans. Hackett was pleased to see that the grizzled old Turian had survived the fighting. Of all the other alien leaders that Hackett worked with, Victus was the one he could see eye to eye with most. Both of them were soldiers. So both understood the nature of war, and what needed to be done to end the war quickly. He was also unconventional for a Turian. While most Turian generals stuck to a rigid combat doctrine, he proved to be flexible. For Hackett, this made the turian much more easy, and interesting, to work and strategize with.
To the left of the turian stood the image of the scarred and venerable krogan chieftain, Urdnot Wrex. The krogan were tough and formidable warriors, and were asked personally by Primarch Victus to aid the turians against the Reapers. Wrex agreed to enter the war on the condition that the sterility plague that his people suffered from, the genophage, be cured. Hackett was skeptical about this demand at first. The krogan were known to be aggressive and prone to violence. With the genophage cured there would be little to stop them from breeding beyond control and taking over the galaxy once the Reapers were defeated. However, the krogan chieftain surprised Hackett. Wrex proved to be more reasonable than most of his kin, and regularly made it clear that he would not let his people repeat the mistakes of the past. Hackett figured that with the right leadership, namely Wrex being in charge, peace with the krogan was possible.
Another one of Shepard's miracles, the Admiral mused to himself.
On the other side of the krogan was the image of the asari leader. The Captain of the Destiny Ascension, Matriarch Lidanya. She stood at attention with her arms behind her back as she studied the other leaders assembled around the table. Even in their military uniforms the asari radiated beauty and grace. But Hackett knew that behind Lidanya's elegance, lived the mind of a battle hardened veteran. A soldier who has seen more combat than most other species would see in a lifetime.
Beside Lidanya stood a tall, green skinned salarian. Major Kirahee stood at attention in his black STG uniform. The proud salarian had become renowned in the Alliance for helping Shepard several years ago, and leading a suicidal attack against Saren's secret lab on Virmire. He was also known for his long winded "hold the line" speeches that he tended to recite before battle. While the Salarian Union never formally committed any troops to the war effort, Major Kirahee promised Shepard that he and the STG would be with him when it was time to reclaim Earth. The salarian made good on that promise, bringing not only the STG, but several salarian fleets as well.
Next to the salarian stood the image of the admiral of the quarian heavy fleet, Admiral Han'Gerrel vas Neema. The quarian admiral had the reputation of being a troublemaker. Before the war, Han'Gerrel had the habit of leading the Migrant Fleet close to the borders of turian space. Jumping the fleet into systems marked for colonization by the Turian Hierarchy, and threatening to strip mine the system unless they were offered "gifts" to relocate. An underhanded tactic that usually worked, much to the annoyance of the turians. But Han'Gerrel and the quarians proved to be invaluable in the war against the Reapers, using their massive fleet to offer orbital fire support and evacuating civilians from war zones. Their technical expertise also came in handy for repairing damaged ships and building the Crucible. The war gave Hackett a new found respect for the quarians. Once thinking them to be little more than interstellar panhandlers, he now saw the quarians as a resourceful and dependable ally.
To the right of Hackett, finishing the circle, materialized the image of the final allied leader. An individual that made Hackett bristle every time they were forced to interact. The last remaining leader of the Batarian Hegemony, Balak. Before the war, Balak was little more than a state sponsored terrorist. He nearly destroyed the human colony of Terra Nova several years prior by trying to steer a giant asteroid toward its capital. Commander Shepard managed to divert the asteroid, but was unable to stop Balak from escaping. Since then, Balak continued making small raids on human colonies, trying to get back at humanity for perceived slights against the batarians. When the Reapers first entered the galaxy the batarians were the first ones to be hit. The Reapers annihilated the batarians as they bombarded their worlds, and the entirety of the Batarian Hegemony's leadership was killed or indoctrinated. Balak and a handful of ships were all that was left of the arrogant race. To Hacketts amazement, Shepard had managed to get Balak to begrudgingly join forces with the humans and the rest of the galaxy. Hackett didn't like working with the batarians, but he couldn't afford to turn away any help that was offered.
Hackett cleared his throat. "It's good to see you all again. I felt it was necessary to gather you all here to formally discuss the situation together in person. So to speak."
The group of leaders all nodded in agreement.
"We've been through a lot together, and I fear we still have much further to go before this war will be past us. As you are all aware, the mass relays were damaged by the Crucible. I've put the Crucible science team to work on repairing them, but progress is slow going. They don't know for sure when it will be up and running again."
"So we're stuck here," grumbled the krogan.
"For the time being, yes," admitted Hackett.
"Have they given you a time frame?" asked the salarian.
"Weeks… maybe months," Hackett said grimmly. "And even if we get the Charon relay fixed, we still have to wait on others throughout the galaxy."
Lidanya and Victus shifted uneasily at the statement. Palaven and Thessia were devastated during the war and both were eager to return to their people. Balak visibly bristled at the notion of being stuck in the human home system. He had no interest in staying any longer than he needed to. Hackett couldn't read the quarian. Thanks to their masks, quarians had one hell of a poker face.
"Is there anything we can do to speed up the process?" asked Lidanya, clearly anxious.
"The repair team is requesting more technicians and eezo. I've got technicians that I can divert, but the extra eezo will be a problem. All of our eezo mining facilities in the system were destroyed by the Reapers, and everything we had on Earth is still unaccounted for."
"We can handle that," replied Han'Gerrel, folding his arms and taking on a confident stance. Hackett shot the quarian a curious look. The Migrant Fleet had never even been to the Sol system, let alone the Local cluster.
"You know where to get eezo around here?" Victus asked, also unbelieving.
"Look around you," the quarian said flatly, gesturing behind him. "There are thousands of derelict ships orbiting Earth right now. I'd be willing to bet many of them still have intact drive cores. I can send my people into the wrecks and extract whatever eezo is left in them."
Hackett had to admit, he was impressed. The large debris field of shipwrecks was a hazard that he knew would have to be dealt with at some point, but it had never occurred to him that they could put it to good use.
"That's not a bad idea," chuckled Wrex. "If there's one thing quarians are good at, it's scavenging."
"Salvaging," the quarian corrected, somewhat annoyed. The krogan snickered to himself, relishing the fact he had gotten under the quarian's suit. Hackett learned rather quickly that Wrex was quite fond of taking jabs at those he worked with. He figured it was his way of letting them know he liked them. Something the others were still getting used to.
"A solid plan," Lidanya added professionally, trying to steer the conversation back on track.
"Agreed. Make it happen Admiral. Get whatever you can from the ships. And if your people come across any bodies… be sure they get the respect they deserve. They all died heroes," said Hackett solemnly.
The quarian nodded. "Understood."
"What about the Reapers?" offered Kirahee. "Our preliminary scans show many of them to be mostly intact. Perhaps their drive cores would make a good source of element zero?"
Everyone around the table exchanged concerned looks with one another. "Too risky," warned Victus. "We still don't fully understand what the Crucible did to them. If we try to take them apart without further study, we could risk accidentally… waking them."
"You think they're just takin' a nap, Victus?" sneered Wrex. "I shot at a few of them just for good measure after they fell over. Pretty sure they're dead."
Victus rolled his eyes. "I'm just saying we should be cautious. We have no idea if the Crucible really killed them or simply deactivated them. I'd rather not fight this war twice."
"I agree with Victus," croaked Balak, eliciting a surprised look from almost every other leader. What meetings the batarian did attend in the past, he almost never spoke. And when he did, it was usually just to ask where to shoot.
"Even dead Reapers are dangerous. They might still be able to indoctrinate," he reminded with a hint of scorn in his gravelly voice. Hackett frowned remembering what Balak was referring to. The Leviathan of Dis. The large derelict reaper that the batarian government had found and hidden years ago. Not fully understanding what they had found, the batarians studied it closely for years, having their top scientists and political leaders spending long periods of time around it in hopes of finding some kind of technological edge over their rivals. The results were catastrophic. Nearly all of the Hegemony's leadership became indoctrinated, and when the Reapers arrived at their doorstep, they deactivated or turned all of their defense systems against their own people.
Hackett nodded reluctantly in agreement. A rarity with Balak. "He's right. There are too many unknowns. For now, I suggest we keep our distance. At least until we have more information."
Kirahee stroked his short green chin for a brief moment before shrugging. "I see. However, I suggest we tow a few of the wrecks somewhere safe for study. We shouldn't put it off. If they are still a threat, then we need to know."
"Very well," Hackett relented. "We will set up a perimeter on Luna as a staging area. But we need to keep contact with Reapers to a minimum, and we will need regular psych evals on all personnel who have prolonged exposure."
Kirahee grinned. "Simple enough."
"In the meantime, I will see what I can do about making accommodations for everyone who needs it on Earth," Hackett said, glancing back over his shoulder toward the spinning blue planet behind him. He paused for a few seconds, carefully planning his next words. "However… There are a lot of people down there that need help, and... I can't guarantee I'll be able to meet everybody's needs."
Victus bowed his crested head. "I appreciate your offer, Admiral, but we didn't come here to be taken care of. You're right, we've been through a lot together and we still have a long way to go. While the quarians focus on salvage operations I will dedicate my people to assist in search and rescue efforts where needed. The turians won't sit idly by while our allies suffer."
"Neither will the asari," Lidanya added, standing up straight in a display of pride. "The people of Earth can count on our help. We are at your disposal, Admiral."
"As are the salarians, Admiral!" Kirahee added promptly. "The STG is ready to go. My people are well equipped for navigating ruined buildings and cramped spaces if need be."
Wrex, not to be out done by a salarian, threw in his support as well. "Why bother going around rocks when you could just move them? I'll put my people to work clearing rubble and debris in London and wherever else you need some actual muscle." Wrex laughed while flexing an arm. "Besides, it will be good practice for when we go back to Tuchanka."
Not wanting to draw the ire of his much needed allies, Balak crossed his arms, turned toward Hackett, and growled, "My people will assist where needed..."
Hackett smiled appreciatively. He was moved by their display of generosity. Part of him had worried that the alliance that he and Shepard had worked so hard to build over the last few months would start to fragment as soon as the Reapers were gone. But so far, it seemed those fears were unfounded. "I… Thank you. Thank you for your support. I promise, once the relays are repaired, I will send whatever aid I can to your homeworlds. Humanity owes the galaxy a great debt. One we will repay."
Victus shook his head. "No more debts. No more baggage. The victory we achieved here is a fresh start for the galaxy. None of us would have survived this if we all hadn't come together."
"You mean, If he hadn't pulled our sorry asses together," Wrex posited toward the turian.
Victus' mandibles twitched awkwardly before he eventually nodded in agreement. "Very true, Urdnot Wrex."
Hackett chuckled quietly to himself. Very true. Wherever you are, Shepard. Thank you.
"Now," Hackett injected after clearing his throat again. "Before we all go, we need to discuss some logistical concerns."
Wrex crossed his arms and grumbled loudly in an annoyed tone, "Fine. Let's get this over with."