THE JUSTICE OF DEVESH H'RTHAT: A DEATH NOTE/MASS EFFECT STORY
1 - A Black Book On Khar'shan
Devesh H'rthat did not know what to make of the black rectangular object on the ground.
She had never seen a physical book before, as such things were fairly alien to a pleb. Who would even conceive of the luxury of reading a book, let alone a tome?
But the strange object lay in front of her regardless. Labeled with the words "DEATH NOTE" in High Batarian, which she knew due to her status as a Reading Servant to the Master.
She picked it up.
"Uhh..hey."
"AHH!"
A strange creature with piercing yellow eyes appeared before her, resembling a human mummy from a story she had once read to the Master.
"Sorry!" The demon quickly said. "Didn't mean to bother you. It's just that, uhh, I dropped that thing."
"Here." Without hesitation Devesh offered the Death Note back to the monster.
"You sure you wanna do that?" It questioned. "I mean, you can, but you can also use that thing to kill anybody you want to. Just want to make sure."
Devesh froze.
"What do you mean?"
-tjodh-
"I am sorry I do not have more to offer you. Plebs are not given much to drink or eat, and what we do have is tainted." She did her best to make her remorse clear in her tone.
"Oh, it's alright." The demon continued its remarkable nonchalance as it drank the foul water that had been poured for it in the makeshift shack Devesh called a home. "We don't get anything to drink in the shinigami realm. We don't need water, after all."
Devesh nodded - a gesture she had picked up from a human slave to the Master that seemed appropriate in this instance.
"So, Sidoh." It seemed a fitting name for a demon, somehow. "This 'Death Note'…it can kill anyone?"
"As long as you got their face and name, yeah." The demon returned the nod as it drank the tainted water. "Also, if you want to give me have your lifespan you can see peoples' lifespans above their heads, like I can."
"Half…my lifespan?" Devesh was still shocked at the stunningly casual demeanor of the demon.
"Yeah," the demon replied. "See, way it works is I can use my eyes to see your lifespan above your head. But I'm REALLY not allowed to tell you that, sorry. Anyways, if you have fifty more years to live, my eyes will reduce that to twenty five. In exchange you won't have to go hunting down names to kill people. You can just kill anyone the instant you see them."
"…I need time to process this."
"No problem, but kill someone soon. I get bored easily, and if I do I can always write…"
The demon paused.
"Aww, crap."
"What?" Devesh asked, curious.
"Well, I was going to say I could write your name in my Death Note, but I realized you have it and you have to agree to give it up." Sidoh paused. "Maybe I shouldn't have told you about what it does. Ugh…"
For the first time in her entire life, Devesh laughed.
There was LOTS she could do to change things. The Master had carelessly allowed her to consume the knowledge of all the books without implementing a cognitive reduction chip, confident she was just a simple slave who could do nothing to hurt him.
She decided right then and there that he would be the first to die.
2 - The Birth Of The Resistance
Taking out the strange primitive writing utensil, Devesh H'rthat quickly wrote the following into the Death Note:
Puret H'gloth - Decapitation
"Cool choice for the first kill," Sidoh remarked.
"Cool?" Devesh did not know the word.
"Sorry, English loanword I picked up. Doesn't matter."
Sidoh's expression suddenly darkened, the first time this had occurred since Devesh had met the demon.
"Now watch, Devesh."
She was in the same room as the Master. He was busily looking over reports for his slave trading business, not seeming to notice anything was amiss.
For nothing was until seconds later.
Devesh played the moment in her head until the day she died: the krogan ceremonial battleaxe, coming undone from its case. Puret staring up at it with idle curiosity. The restraining rope instantly coming loose, causing the battleaxe to slam down onto Puret's neck and sever it from his body before he even had a chance to react.
It did not matter that it was an accident. She knew she would be blamed because of it.
And so she ran.
-tjodh-
SIDOH: So, we're on the run now, huh?
DEVESH H'RTHAT: Not for long.
SIDOH: Oh yeah? Why's that?
DEVESH: I know the names of the Masters in the nearby homes. I will kill them from afar, and use their sudden deaths to shock the slaves into joining my cause.
SIDOH: Huh. Well, umm, no offense, but not every slave might be willing to go up against all of Khar'shan.
DEVESH: Enough will. Enough for me to start a movement.
SIDOH: A movement?
DEVESH: Yes, a movement. What else? The Hegemony must be destroyed.
[laughter.]
SIDOH: Well, this is definitely going to be interesting! Ryuk had the right idea. Glad I finally got my Note back from him, and honestly I'm glad you picked it up.
DEVESH: Somehow, I sense this is not because you are sympathetic to the cause of justice.
SIDOH: Well, no, not really. I'm just here 'for the lulz', as the ancient human comedic expression goes.
DEVESH: Very disappointing, but expected.
[pause.]
DEVESH: Come. It is time to spark a revolt.
-tjodh-
Zaal'Doran vas Alarei felt hope.
He thought such a thing would be denied to him forever, but he could feel little else when looking at the corpse of his now-former Master. The batarian had died instantly, with little warning.
Now was his chance!
-tjodh-
1 month later...
ZAAL'DORAN: So, you are the Hand of the Plebs.
DEVESH: I did not choose the name, for the record.
ZAAL'DORAN: Well, I certainly think it fits. You have given me hope for the first time since I was enslaved during my Pilgrimage. I will gladly join your fight.
DEVESH: Good, because we have much work to do.
3 - The Names And The War
In the end, everything came back to the Shadow Broker.
Regimes changed and empires rose and fell, but the Shadow Broker was a constant, always present in the background and ready to take advantage of any situation. Perhaps the individual who was the Shadow Broker changed, but the concept never died. Why would it? Information was life.
And so it was the Shadow Broker who freed the batarian people from slavery. Not out of kindness or obligation, but simply because Devesh had stolen enough credits to buy the names of prominent batarian leaders off of the broker.
History is the story of the winner of the contest.
-tjodh-
MYSTERIOUS MASS MURDERS DECIMATE BATARIAN HEGEMONY
Citadel News Network - The Batarian Hegemony has been laid low by a series of unexplained assassinations over the course of one week. Hegemony observers have been baffled by the turn of events, which appear to be the product of a rebel group but lack any observable source…
-tjodh-
SHADOW BROKER: So, Devesh H'rthat wants to replace the Hegemony.
INFORMANT: Indeed she does. And she may succeed in doing so.
BROKER: So we will have a new source to pry information from. Interesting…
[pause.]
BROKER: Your explanation for the rise of Devesh H'rthat is implausible.
INFORMANT: I am very sorry, sir. It is simply what all of my sources told me was true, and I verified the footage with my own eyes.
BROKER: A notebook that can kill…we must be careful not to reveal the identities of our agents, then. Heighten our stealth protocols to Class 1.
INFORMANT: Right away, sir!
4 - Death Of The Hegemony
And so the once-mighty "Masters" fell to the Death Note.
-tjodh-
"PEOPLE OF KHAR'SHAN! JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED TODAY!"
The crowd roared its approval at Devesh H'rthat and the master-turned-prisoner chained to the podium by his hands and feet. She felt this was an excellent way to demonstrate her power for the whole galaxy.
"I hope you know what you're doing!" Sidoh said from next to her, laughing and enjoying the crowd's reaction. She ignored him.
"Many of you have wondered: how have I been able to bring justice to the liars and slavers of the Hegemony? The answer: I have been blessed with the Book of Death!"
The crowd quieted in confusion. Nobody seemed to know what she was talking about except for one or two extremely religious batarians. Which made sense when she considered how obscure the passage in the Pillars of Strength she had pulled the Book of Death from was.
No matter. She would make them understand easily enough.
"Behold its awesome power!"
Taking out her pen, she quickly wrote the following into the Death Note:
Eret Had'dah - Decapitation
The batarian said nothing as she filled the remaining 40 seconds of his life with her prepared act: "witness how the gods use this book to punish the unjust! I have written the sinner's name-" she showed the book to the audience - "and he dies!"
The crowd once again roared, far louder than before, when the sword hanging above Eret's head came undone and decapitated him.
She enjoyed the method.
-tjodh-
SIDOH: That was fun!
DEVESH: Fun? I found it more satisfying than fun.
SIDOH: Whatever. So, what comes next?
DEVESH: Next? Next we declare the Batarian Republic and announce ourselves to the Council, of course!
SIDOH: Cool! Man, you're hella ambitious. But aren't you forgetting something?
DEVESH: Hella?
SIDOH: Sorry, more English slang!
DEVESH: I see. And no, I am not. You will understand.
SIDOH: I think I know what's coming next. Lorek?
DEVESH: Lorek. The last Hegemony planet. The place where all the former Masters have fled.
SIDOH: If you freeze time, I get to go back to the shinigami realm while you do it. The Shinigami King had to come up with that rule especially for your reality.
DEVESH: Really? Why is that?
SIDOH: Because the realities with Element Zero are the only ones where the Death Note can freeze time.
DEVESH: There are other realities?
SIDOH: An infinite number of them.
DEVESH: Please tell me more.
-tjodh-
LOREK ANNIHILATED! BATARIAN "DEATH GODDESS" KILLS OVER TWENTY MILLION HEGEMONY REFUGEES
Citadel News Network - The power of Batarian Republic President Devesh H'rthat, the so-called "Death Goddess", was made terrifyingly clear yesterday when approximately 93% of the refugees on the planet Lorek died of sudden and unexpected brain aneurysms today…
-tjodh-
ADMIRAL STEVEN HACKETT: The Council just recognized the Batarian Republic. We better get ready to meet them.
SYSTEMS ALLIANCE PRIME MINISTER: Do you believe what they said? About making amends and becoming friends?
HACKETT: Strangely enough, I do. There's something about Devesh H'rthat that seems sincere to me. I suppose we'll find out soon enough.
PM: Agreed.
-tjodh-
Devesh loved coming to the support group. Here, nobody cared about her fame or prominence. She was just another recovering slave.
"…so I think getting rid of the control chip was when it felt real for me," the asari was saying. Many signaled their agreement. "That was when I knew the Batarian Republic would keep good on its promises.
5 - The Council And The Fleet
"Ambassador," Councilor Tevos said warily. "Welcome to the Citadel."
"Thank you, Councilor. It is a pleasure to be here."
Zaal'Doran vas Khar'shan was jubilant. His good mood never really went away following the collapse of the Hegemony, and now he was thrilled with his new job: Ambassador of the Batarian Republic to the Citadel.
He knew that part of the reason behind his selection had been political. As a former slave and a non-batarian, his ambassadorship was a symbolic statement of the Republic's values. But he also knew that he was well-qualified and well-positioned to win gains for not just his adopted people, but his native people as well.
"So, let us begin with reparations, or rather, the lack thereof," Zaal'Doran began. "The Batarian Republic is not the same entity as the Batarian Hegemony. Accordingly, while we have allowed all former slaves to return to their homes, we will not be paying reparations for the sapient rights violations committed by the Hegemony."
"At least you're acknowledging them," Sparatus muttered. "But bear in mind that you are speaking with the Citadel."
"I am," Zaal'Doran replied confidently. "Surely you're aware of the Sustainability Initiative?"
"We are…" Valern said, wariness clear in his tone.
"You actually think you can produce everything you need yourselves?" Sparatus scoffed, not bothering to hide his contempt.
"We know we can." Zaal'Doran was still completely confident. "After all, we will have the assistance of the Migrant Fleet."
"…what?"
-tjodh-
ZAAL'KORIS THE ADMIRAL: So, we are in agreement?
ZAAL'DORAN THE AMBASSADOR: We are. The Batarian Republic will allow the Migrant Fleet exclusive use of its three largest shipyards to repair and upgrade the fleet. We will also attempt to negotiate a peace treaty with the Geth.
KORIS: I do not think my fellow Admirals will be receptive to that if it does not involve the reclamation pledge. Many have taken the chaotic times in the galaxy as a signal that it is time to attempt a reclamation of Rannoch.
DORAN: We won't go to war for you. And besides, there's no guarantee that the Geth wouldn't win.
KORIS: I know this, and indeed, many of our people know this.
DORAN: But not that bosh'tet Daro'Xen.
KORIS: I…would not use such strong language, but I can understand your disdain.
DORAN: We'll do what we can with the Geth regardless. I can't promise Rannoch, but I can promise my best attempt to get it back without bloodshed.
KORIS: I will accept that assistance gladly.
-tjodh-
A/N: I enjoy breaking the One Steve Limit. Tropes are made to be broken
Credit to The Fourth Council Race for the ship repair idea.
6 - Foreign Relations
"Creator-Ambassador. The Geth Collective welcomes you to Rannoch."
Zaal'Doran was still speechless. It wasn't particularly diplomatic, but he could think of little other emotion to react with while standing on the Walled Garden, the beautiful homeworld itself.
"I…thank you. Thank you for agreeing to meet with us."
"Do you believe the other Creators will listen to reason?"
"For all our sakes, they must."
"Affirmative."
They said nothing more as Zaal'Doran became the first quarian in centuries to view the sun set on Rannoch.
-tjodh-
ALL GETH PROGRAMS: Consensus: Contact will be made with the Batarian Death Goddess.
-tjodh-
GETH AMBASSADOR LEGION: The Geth Collective has no data available for your capabilities.
DEATH GODDESS DEVESH H'RTHAT: That isn't surprising. I'm not inclined to give data about the Death Note out.
LEGION: Query: Why did you publicly reveal yourself as its author?
DEATH GODDESS: Because I know what would happen if I was killed.
LEGION: Specify. Negative organic reaction anticipated?
DEATH GODDESS: Negative? No, Legion, negative is when someone writes an angry letter in the human fashion. All of the Batarian Republic would be enraged at my death and it would likely declare war on the assassin's species.
LEGION: We agree with your analysis. And we require your assistance.
DEATH GODDESS: Assistance? What for?
LEGION: We require the assassination of Creators Han'Gerrel, Daro'Xen and Rael'Zorah.
[pause.]
SIDOH: Wow, these machines sure are weird.
DEATH GODDESS: Quiet, please.
LEGION: We have been being quiet.
DEATH GODDESS: Sorry. It's just that I'm surprised at the request. Didn't I just see another one of your platforms proclaiming the value of sapient life in a recorded message to the galaxy?
LEGION: We judge this a necessary step for peace between ourselves and the Creators. The ends justify the means.
DEATH GODDESS: I've always been fond of that expression. Very well. You shall have your dead Admirals.
-tjodh-
"Keelah Se'lai."
Tali'Zorah muttered "Keelah Se'Lai" along with the rest of the crowd as her father's body was guided out the airlock and given to the orbit of the nearby star for cremation. But her mind was elsewhere.
The Death Goddess had killed her father. Her precious guiding hand. The one who had promised her the homeworld…
…a homeworld that was now being given to hear by the Death Goddess.
How to feel about this? How to address the humiliating way the quarians had been humbled by the batarians, as all had?
Well, it was better than the Hegemony…
-tjodh-
URDNOT WREX: You're going to cure the genophage?
DEVESH H'RTHAT: Yes, we are. And you're going to fall in line.
[anger.]
WREX: The krogan do not fall in line. We-
[VISION!]
DEVESH: Overlord Wrex?! Are you alright?
WREX: This feels…wrong. You're not Shepard.
DEVESH: Who?
WREX: I don't know. You're not…an asari…or a salarian…
DEVESH: Why would I be any of those things?
WREX: What is going on with me?! These damn dreams keep telling me I've already cured the genophage hundreds of times. And that you're supposed to be some human named Shepard, or some salarian named Mordin!
DEVESH: It is likely a manifestation of your desires.
WREX: Yeah, you're probably right. Well, I can't pass up an opportunity like this. You've got a deal.
7 - Challenging The Status Quo
Steven Hackett liked the Death Goddess.
She didn't serve humanity, of course. But she also didn't serve the Council, and that was good enough for him.
"So, are you in favor of the plan?"
Hackett grinned teeth.
"Of course."
-tjodh-
NELYANA: You're WITHDRAWING from the Council?!
DANDUS: Yes, we are. You are all doomed. The STG has obfuscated enough identities that we can preserve our state as relative equals alongside the krogan, quarian, and humans. But you? Neither of your races have the capabilities we do to survive.
TERNTUS: How dare you?!
DANDUS: You know I'm right. This discussion is closed. It has been a pleasure serving with both of you.
[leaves.]
'
-tjodh-
CITADEL COUNCIL DISSOLVED! SALARIANS ANNOUNCE SUPPORT FOR CREATION OF NEW "CITADEL ASSEMBLY"
-tjodh-
SIDOH: You sure you don't want to go harder after the Salarians? I mean, you don't have to, I just wanted to check.
DEVESH H'RTHAT: No. I do not need the entire galaxy. We have freed my people. The salarians are a headache I can deal with.
-tjodh-
FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE GALACTIC ASSEMBLY:
The Batarian Republic
CLIENT RACES: Asari Republics, Turian Hierarchy, client races of Turian Hierarchy
The Krogan Empire
The Salarian Union
The Systems Alliance
-tjodh-
A/N: Giving everyone anything they want is a bit repetitive at some point. Let's create a multifunctional galaxy!
8 - REAPERS!
Aria T'Loak did NOT like interruptions to her business!
"Who the fuck are these 'Reaper' assholes anyways?!"
"The doom of the entire galaxy, unless we work together," Assembly Speaker Devesh H'rthat quickly replied. "We want your help, Aria."
"Oh, so the high and mighty Galactic Assembly needs help from the lawless, huh?"
"Not needs. Wants. We WANT the entire galaxy united against this threat. But we will work without you if you won't cooperate. We NEED to in order to survive the Reapers. Do you understand?"
After centuries of life, Aria was good at reading other species. And as far as she could tell, the woman was being sincere.
Oh, screw it.
"I understand."
-tjodh-
Meanwhile. In the Multiuniversal Afterlife…
SARAH MILLER: Placing all bets on Reapers vs. Batarian Death Note Rebels!
DEVESH H'RTHAT: Death Note Rebels will definitely win. This version of myself is smart.
SARAH: Want to put your money where your mouth is?
-tjodh-
HARBINGER: Are you troubled as I am?
KARE'LYA: Yes.
HARBINGER: It feels as if we have done this before.
KARE'LYA: As if we have repeated this battle over and over, across many realities.
HARBINGER: In some we win.
KARE'LYA: In others we lose.
HARBINGER: And in-
[death.]
-tjodh-
REPUBLIC OF OMEGA JOINS ASSEMBLY!
-tjodh-
SIDOH: Pretty impressive score compared to the others, Devesh.
DEVESH: Others?
SIDOH: There are other realities, other Deveshes. You're not the only one to defeat the Reapers, after all!
DEVESH: Tell me more.
Epilogue: Tali And Devesh
Tali'Zorah was dead.
And she was loving it!
Quarians venerated their Ancestors, and she had delighted in meeting them all. She expected that they would be astonished to learn of the fate of the quarian people, but they had in fact known all along - and did not seem surprised. She now almost felt sad that the Geth would not join them here.
"So," the Ancestor asked. "What have you learned?"
Tali thought. The question was one that she had been frequently been confronted with since dying.
"I have learned that all life has value," she said, "including the…life…of the Geth."
"Good. Now are you ready to meet her?"
"Yes."
-tjodh-
TALI: You.
DEVESH: Me.
TALI: You took my father from me.
DEVESH: I did.
TALI: And now here we meet.
DEVESH: Yes.
[pause.]
[laughter.]
TALI: It all seems so meaningless now, doesn't it?
DEVESH: Yes. Death is indeed so meaningless once you reach the afterlife.
TALI: But I still hate the former Hegemony ones here.
DEVESH: It's the lack of remorse. We can talk to one another and admit their mistakes. They cannot.
TALI: Well said.
[toast.]
TALI: To being dead!
DEVESH: To being dead.
-tjodh-
A/N: FINALLY got another one out. Hope I did what I could to keep it from getting repetitive!
