…
"War is where the young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other."
(Niko Bellic)
…
MFV Discovery, March 4th, 4:52 PM, 2185
…
Jumping into orbit of Turviss, it didn't take long to be contacted by the Vivvius. Being the head ship in the flotilla, it was the first responder to new vessels entering the closed system.
"Discovery, this is Captain Ren of the Vivvius. Please transmit pass phrase or be fired upon." The message came, filling me with relief despite the threat that came with it.
"Vivvius, this is Cap-... Admiral Michaels of the Discovery, transmitting now." I spoke clearly, correcting myself in the middle of speaking. "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
"Pass phrase accepted… Sean, did you just refer to yourself as Admiral?" Ren asked, sounding appropriately confused.
"Unfortunately, I did." I confirmed, standing straight on the bridge as I fought my nerves once again. "Ren, can you please connect me to the whole Fleet, emergency channel? This is something everyone has to hear."
"Sure, give me a second." He agreed, filling the channel with static for a few moments before the connection tone rang out, confirming the connection was good.
"Attention all ships, this is Sean Michaels." I began, determined to keep my voice from going shaky. "Approximately half an hour ago, Admirals Ysin'Mal and Zaal'Koris initiated the Keluaran Contingency, separating from the main Fleet along with over a fifth of the ships, including the Liveship Shellen. They're currently making their way to the Perseus Veil to make contact with the Geth."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, pausing to take a deep breath.
"Listen, I don't have to tell you all what this means. We're… rolling a hard six now, and there's going to be more than our fair share of difficulty in the times ahead." I spoke with renewed strength. "Mal and Koris have seen fit to promote me to Admiral, and have given us a separate task to accomplish away from the Fleet. We're to secure the full support of the Raloi in our future endeavors, then make contact with the main body of the Fleet. Failing that, we're to abandon the system and rejoin the Admirals at the Veil. Either way, we're all in this together now. I expect nothing but the best, and look forward to working with each and every one of you. Keelah se'lai."
I cut the transmission, immediately getting transferred back to Ren as all the wireless signals between the ships started going nuts.
"Well, I guess the higher-ups back in-system consider us enemies now?" Ren correctly guessed, getting me to purse my lips.
"Well, I don't know about the rest of the Fleet, but someone sent interceptors after my ship during our escape. If I had to guess, it was Gerrel." I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "That makes us enemies in my book."
"Yes Admiral." He confirmed as indiscernible chatter could be heard in the background on his end. "What actions should we take in the meantime?"
"The exodus took Gerrel and the rest of the Fleet off-guard, so we should have at least a few hours to prepare ourselves in case they decide to investigate this system. We'll defend the planet, same as before, but we'll have to keep an eye out for ships from the Klenot Nebula." I explained, trying to keep everything in order. "Have the Captains change their IFF codes to 0451-5731, that'll keep us from misidentifying one another, and keep an eye out for any anomalous heat emissions near the planet. That could indicate the use of Phantom-class stealth ships."
"Understood, sir. I'll get on the horn with everyone and get the ball rolling." He agreed, pausing for a moment. "What should we do if the system is at risk of being overrun by their forces?"
"If we've failed to secure the support of the Raloi, we'll be long gone before then." I answered, watching Dan and Dimitri turn to give me odd looks. "If we do, and the Fleet attacks, we'll hold them back with everything we have."
"Yes'sir. I'll begin transmitting orders now." He finished, cutting the connection as I turned to quietly look at everyone's faces.
"Take us back down to the planet, I need to talk to Orontid in the back." I ordered, turning on my heel to leave the bridge as they got to work.
"So my husband is now an Admiral?" Mara immediately confronted at the bottom of the ladder, giving me a sly look with crossed arms.
"Uh… yeah." I nodded quickly, cracking a weak smile. "The world is moving pretty fast, huh?"
Without warning, she grabbed me and pulled me in for a long kiss, right in front of the whole team in the crew quarters. Accepting it, I put my arms around her, returning the gesture in full. This lasted for several seconds until Lydia whistled sharply, causing both of us to pull away and smile.
"I've got some work to do." I said in a whisper with reluctance, putting my forehead against hers as we kept our arms wrapped around each other.
"I know." She replied in kind as we held each other a little longer, breaking into a hug before letting go of one another. "Go on, do what you do best."
"Yes ma'am." I smiled back, turning to see the faces of everyone watching. "What are you looking at? Never seen a healthy relationship before? Go find something to do while we sort this situation out."
As they broke things up and I walked towards the back of the ship, Lydia cut me off with a huge grin on her face.
"I've only seen love that sappy in light novels." She poked, getting me to cock my head and narrow my eyes. "You don't plan on making a regular habit of that, do you?"
"Hey, it may be my ship, but she's the one in charge when it comes to… private matters." I remarked, feeling my cheeks light up before I quickly recomposed myself. "Why? You got a problem with it, Lady Mohawk?"
Without warning, she immediately jabbed me in the left shoulder with her index and middle finger, sending a sharp jolt through my arm that could be felt all the way up to the base of my neck.
"Ow!" I winced, grabbing for my shoulder as I attempted to alleviate the throb it had left in its wake.
"I've been waiting years to get back at you for that." She smiled, crossing her arms and stepping aside to let me pass.
"Jeez… sorry." I dismissed, recomposing myself as I walked into the medical area, seeing Orontid and Largos both seated on their mats quietly. As I walked closer Orontid opened his eyes, standing back up.
"Well Sean Michaels, I imagine you wish to speak to me after everything that has transpired." He correctly guessed as Largos stood back up too, positioning himself directly behind his boss. "Despite the… dangers involved, I must admit this has been quite the exhilarating experience."
"Believe me, this isn't the kind of thing that happens every day." I remarked, rubbing the side of my face. "Listen, I need your help."
"You wish for my support?" He guessed right again, getting a smile to creep onto the corner of my mouth. "I believed I was correct in that regard. While I'll happily support your cause and personally accept the offer your Admirals have extended to my people, I am... unsure how the Nakharars may react. As you know, they aren't ones for sudden changes."
"I know, that's why I want to build as good of a case as possible before meeting them." I reasoned, knowing the gravity of their decision could affect several million lives. "I know we can count on Amisen for support, but what about Iolin?"
"For Sarapet Iolin, you'd likely have to appeal to his militaristic nature." He explained, focusing both eyes as he stared directly at me. "I'd imagine that, since your new leadership likely requires defense, that they won't be entirely willing to give ships with weapons away."
"Unfortunately, that's very true." I agreed, rubbing my goatee in thought. "Maybe if I mentioned their other potential uses, such as colonization or exploration, that could sway them into lending their support."
"It could work, but it is not guaranteed." He nodded, sounding just as unsure about the situation as me. "You're best chance involves benefits, positive reinforcement, and other such methods of persuasion."
"Attention, we are now entering atmosphere." Lenlo announced over the intercom, breaking my concentration as the ship rumbled, signalling our descent into Turviss' atmosphere.
"Either way, we'll likely be pulling ahead by the skin of our teeth, if at all." I shook my head, getting a head tilt from Orontid as I crossed my arms. "Can you set up a meeting with them in the city? I want everyone to hear what I have to say, regardless of who it may be."
"I can have it arranged in less than an hour." He bowed his head, getting me to smile again.
"Thanks." I finished, giving him a quick pat on the arm and walking back towards the bridge, filled with anticipation.
I'd need to appeal to each and every one of them in order to win support. I knew this had to be steady and concise, otherwise I'd fail horribly and spell potential doom for Mal, Koris, and the rest of the Fleet.
I had to put on the best performance of my life.
…
Caesarea, March 4th, 6:12 PM, 2185
…
The sun was beginning to set on the city of Caesarea, casting long shadows on everything in sight, occasionally broken up by the profile of a passing Raloi flying overhead. I wanted nothing more than to stop and gaze upon it all, but I didn't have the time for it.
Walking briskly into the Grand Hall of the Ancients, I had most of my crew in tow, including Lenlo, Dan, and Lydia among many others. Orontid led us up the stairs, making sure we were close behind as many onlookers gazed upon us with curious eyes. We were not the mere observers we had been before, we were here on much more serious grounds this time around.
"They should be assembled by now." Orontid said as we walked into the building, guards turning their heads to look at us. "I'll try to vouch for you as best I can, though my word only goes so far outside a select few Houses."
"Trust me, some support is better than none at all." I reassured, walking into the main chamber where the House Nakharars were already seated, along with Amisen and Iolin who were standing in between.
"Orontid, your message sounded urgent." Amisen greeted both with caution and worry in his voice. "I hope everything is alright, because the Nakharars are not happy about this sudden meeting."
"I'm sure they'll understand the gravity of the situation once its been explained to them." I cut in, getting their attention in an instant. "Nice to see you two again."
"It is good to see you and your crew again as well, Captain Michaels." Amisen returned, triggering a little "twinge" nerve that had started in the back of my head ever since my promotion.
"Actually, its Admiral Michaels now." I corrected, holding up one of my hands to satisfy the nerve. "I was promoted."
"Ah, well congratulations are in order!" He replied in a joyous tone, before his eyes narrowed on me again and his tone changed to a lower one. "You do not look very happy over this occasion."
"I'll tell all of you at the same time." I redirected, nodding towards the Nakharars as he returned the gesture, walking to the seats waiting for us.
"Sean Michaels, we did not expect to see you for several more days." One of the Nakharars immediately began as we sat ourselves down. "Based on your early return to our world and the urgency of Orontid's message, we suspect you have something important you wish to share with us."
"I do." I confirmed, looking at each one of them as I prepared myself. "There has been a very recent schism in the Migrant Fleet, one involving the future of the Quarian people and their former creations, the Geth. This… exodus has led to the formation of two separate factions, those for war back on Reach, and those against war, who have fled to form a new Fleet under Admiral Ysin'Mal and Zaal'Koris. Under the authority given to me by these two Admirals, they have asked me to come here in person to extend to you an offer."
The Seven Nakharars looked at each other in confusion, much like I had expected them to. Amisen and Iolin were no different, both giving me off-kilter looks before turning and speaking quietly to each other.
"Um… what would this offer be, Sean Michaels?" Another one of the Nakharars asked, refocusing everyone in the room.
"In exchange for your support against the other Admirals, my superiors will share all of their technology with you, including weapons, defensive tech, and even several of our own ships for your people to utilize." I answered, getting several of the Nakharars to look at one another with widened eyes, while others narrowed their eyes, cautious. "We'll accelerate your development in three months what would normally take three decades, offer constant technical support, and defend you from any and all outside threats, no matter what they might be."
"Orontid, does this human speak the truth?" One of them asked, focusing on him exclusively.
"Indeed he does, honorable Nakharars." He confirmed, bowing his head. "I was there myself when Admiral Michaels received his orders. Admirals Mal and Koris are honorable individuals, they would not lie to him or any under their command."
"Admiral Mchaels…" One of them spoke, somehow sounding even more confused. "I thought you were known as a Captain. Have your leaders seen fit to… uplift you in their organization?"
"In a manner of speaking." I shrugged, nearly breaking my composure before I forced myself to sit straight. "I speak with the same authority as my former superiors."
"I must ask… would accepting this deal have any negative repercussions on us?" The one in the center refocused, obviously worried about how a decision such as this could affect his people. "As you are very well aware, we are in no position to fight the kind of wars your people are used to."
"We're not asking for your help when it comes to fighting, honorable Nakharars. We simply want your support in acknowledging us as a legitimate faction should the occasion arise." I clarified, doing my best to keep the topic on-point. "My fellow Admirals and I wish to make it perfectly clear that we have no intention of bringing any potential harm to your world. We're willing to train you in all fields of knowledge, whether it be medical, scientific, or exploratory. If you wish, we'd even be happy to train your people in the way of modern combat. All of these and more we will freely give you if you accept our offer."
The seven of them gave each other expressions I had trouble interpreting, varying from curiosity to what felt like some form of contempt. I had no idea other than the eyes, considering their large "beaks" didn't lend much to their expression-making potential.
"Admiral, could you and your party could give us a moment to speak in private?" The center Nakharar gently asked as I gave a single, respectful nod.
"Come on." I ordered, getting everyone out of their "chairs" as Orontid, Amisen, and Iolin stayed seated.
Outside of the building, we all stood in a circle with varying levels of worry on our faces. None of us knew how this was going to go down.
"They seem like an… uptight bunch." Lydia remarked, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm guessing they're always like this?"
"Yes." Lenlo groaned, slouching as he shook his head. "Sir, I'm not so sure about all of this, I think they're going to shoot the offer down. What are our options now?"
"You seem quick to jump to conclusions all of a sudden." I retorted, knowing it wasn't normal for him to sound like this. "Come on, Lenlo. What's gotten into you?"
"Its… I don't know, sir." He stammered, obviously upset about something. "I'm just worried about my parents. I know the Havvano is still in the Fleet, the Captain was always one of the militaristic, traditionalist types. Part of me is afraid I might be forced to fight them at some point."
"No on wants a fight to break out, Lenlo. You know that." I replied, focusing exclusively on him. "You know that given the choice, I'd much rather run than fight my own people."
"What if our back is against the wall? If the Raloi accept your offer, we'll have to stay here and defend the planet." He argued, sounding slightly manic. It was actually starting to annoy me.
"Lenlo, at the risk of sounding callous, I'm only going to say this once." I began, grabbing him by the shoulders and forcing him to look at me. "You've been under my command for years. I've done nothing but try and make the right decisions for all of us, and at every available opportunity I've given you and everyone else the choice of whether or not to follow me. You can't break down on me now, the situations here and in the coming months are too important. I need you as my Number 2. Now, can I count on you or not?"
He looked back down at the ground, breathing in sharply before straightening himself out again.
"Yes'sir." He replied, saluting as he held his back straight. "I'm sorry, Admiral. It won't happen again."
"We're gonna get through this. You just have to trust me." I reassured, giving him a quick pat on the shoulder.
"He does have point." Dimitri thought out loud, getting us to turn to him. "If these… "Loyalist" forces come to investigate system, how do we defend with so few ships? Discovery is not equipped to deal with larger vessels."
"We'd have to depend on the Vivvius and the rest of the flotilla, unfortunately. We don't have much… well, anything else if I'm being honest." I shot down, shaking my head. "Hopefully, the messenger ship might be able to call for reinforcements in time to support us. Even then, that's assuming we'll still be here."
"You'd better hope these negotiations are g-going well. If we go to those coo...coordinates and find a bunch of b-blasted ship hulks, there's nowhere else in the galaxy that'll t-take us." Dan spoke in his pessimistic tone, getting me to shoot a glare at him.
"I'm sure there's one other place that'll take us." I retorted, replacing my frown with a grin. "Besides, I doubt that'll happen anyway. I don't think Mal and Koris would risk going to the Veil without some kind of prior contact."
"If Pistis followed Richard's advice, they should have made contact months ago." Lydia reasoned, adjusting her hood as the wind picked up. "The Geth want peace more than anyone, I can't imagine them suddenly turning their back on two-hundred years of consensus."
"Well, Pistis saved the lives of many people on Fehl Prime, including mine, so I trust him." I nodded, several… unpleasant images from that battle returning to my thoughts.
I looked down at Dan's leg, remembering that specific image of a smoke-filled cockpit, covered in blood before shaking my head and banishing the image from my mind. Before any of us could speak further, Orontid walked out of the building, hands held together.
"The Nakharars wish to speak with you now." He announced, holding up his six-digit hand before we all moved as a group. "Specifically you, Admiral Michaels. They wish for the rest of your party to remain outside."
I looked back at my friends, getting a single, small smile from Dan as I flipped back around to face him.
"Very well, then." I agreed, walking back up the stairs into the interior of the building once again as my friends watched.
"I'm not entirely sure what they spoke about during your absence, only that they asked Amisen and Iolin to speak with them in private behind the chambers." He explained as we walked, sounding as worried as I felt. "I do not know what to expect, I'm sorry."
"What are you apologizing for? There's nothing you could have done." I replied in a relaxed tone, looking up at him as we walked.
"I just don't wish to see an end to our relationship." He reasoned, stopping to look down at me. "We've learned so much in such a short amount of time... I'd hate to see it all end on bad terms."
"So would I." I smiled, entering the main chamber where the Nakharars were seating themselves once again. An odd silence hung in the air as we sat down, lingering for a few moments as the Nakharars observed me.
"Admiral Sean Michaels, we've discussed your offer in great detail, and have rendered a decision." The Nakharar in the center announced, leaning forward as he craned his neck towards me. "We, as leaders of the Seven Grand Houses, have voted unanimously to accept the offer given to you by your leadership."
I wave of relief rolled over my body, tempting me to breathe deeply.
"That's… fantastic." I smiled, bowing my head as I fought back a giddy sensation building up in my gut. "I'll dispatch a ship immediately to inform the Admirals of your decision. Once we've established everything, we'll begin our end of the deal."
"We won't lie to you, Admiral Sean Michaels, we're putting a lot of faith in you and your leaders." He spoke again, snapping me out of my near-daze. "If this comes back to harm our people in any way in the future, this agreement is over and your people will no longer be welcomed on our planet."
"I promise you that you won't regret this decision." I reassured, fully aware of the threat that came with that warning. "Thank you."
They all bowed their heads in unison, effectively ending the meeting as they all stood up and walked away.
Looking at Orontid and smiling, new thoughts entered my mind.
I had work to do.
…
MFV Discovery, March 4th, 9:19 PM, 2185
…
I sat on the bridge of my ship in anticipation, waiting for the Kavna to return as I listened to some trashy 90's music, mostly eurodance, to keep myself awake. It was a guilty pleasure of mine, listening to what Dan would have called garbage, but considering I had heard so much of it growing up, it ended up creating its own little place in my brain. Currently playing in my earphone was 2 Unlimited's "No Limit", which to me sounded like something that would play in One Must Fall 2097 while I ripped apart some giant fighting robots.
I rubbed my forehead, remembering that I did have my limits. If I had to listen to "Pump Up The Jam" or "Rhythm Is A Dancer" one more time today I'd lose my fucking mind.
I gave the task of contacting Mal and Koris to Captain Teera'Soran, knowing I'd be able to trust her to get the job done. She left two hours ago, and it was starting to get late for us. I was determined to see this through before I got any shuteye. All I could do was run scans of the area while everyone sat at their respective stations on standby, ready for one of two things; either Soran's return, or the arrival of some of Gerrel's ships looking for us.
Either one held its own risks.
"Admiral, we've just finished changing the last of the IFF codes." Ren announced over our private line, surprising me slightly and forcing me to turn down the music. "Any further orders?"
"Continue to hold our defensive posture above the planet. We're here for the long haul, so keep scanning the region until further notice." I replied, getting a bored look from Dan as he leaned back in his seat. "How are the other Captains holding up to the news?"
"I'm not going to lie, sir. Spirits are not high right now." He said with honesty, getting a long sigh out of me. "Until Soran returns with good news, I doubt morale will improve much."
"That's understandable. I don't think anyone expected things to fall apart so quickly." I agreed, leaning against one arm, staring at the holographic sensor field in front of me. "Hell, I didn't even see it coming until it happened."
"A lot of us knew we'd have to leave behind family when this happened. It still doesn't make it any easier." He lamented, getting me to reflexively look over at Lenlo in his station, monitoring the sensor station diligently. "This'll take some getting used to, that much is certain."
Before I could turn the music back up, however, I saw the hologram flash as several signals appeared several hundred kilometers away from our formation, right where I was hoping they wouldn't appear. They all had "original" Fleet IFFs according to the markers, and they were approaching fast.
"Sir, we have thirty ships approaching fast, all Migrant Fleet transponders!" Lenlo shouted, filling my veins with adrenaline as all of us snapped to attention.
"Ren, can you confirm those signals?" In quickly asked, watching the feed explode with activity again.
"Migrant Fleet IFFs confirmed. They're not on our side." He replied, filling my veins with ice as I received a communications ping from what appeared to be the lead vessel, the MFV Drogna, a heavy cruiser much like Ren's Vivvius, but of an older Krogan design.
"Broadcast to the whole Fleet." I ordered, getting out of my chair and standing at attention as the line was opened. "Let's see what's going on in their heads."
"Captain Michaels, this is Captain Oslo'Oben of the Drogna." He announced, sounding rather terse. "Admirals Han'Gerrel, Shala'Raan, and Mirna'Zadie have demanded that you return to the Klenot Nebula at once to face charges of theft, treason, and conspiracy. If you do not comply, you will be fired upon."
"Captain Oslo, this is Admiral Sean Michaels of the Discovery." I spoke loudly for everyone to hear, holding my hands tightly behind my back. "We will not submit to any of the Admiralty's demands. Any hostile actions taken against me or a ship in this Fleet will not be taken lightly. Please leave immediately, I don't want any fighting here."
"Admiral?! You don't hold such authority, Michaels." He immediately replied, sounding more insulted than anything else. "I don't know what you've told these people, but if they're traitors like you, we won't hesitate to fire on any of you should you refuse the Admiralty's direct orders."
"I will not entertain this jingoistic charade of yours. I will only warn you once." I immediately shot back, not willing to take his threat lying down. "If you fire upon this Fleet or any other ships aligned with Admirals Ysin'Mal or Zaal'Koris, it means war."
Captain Oslo cut the connection without another word, leaving us at what I knew was an incredibly dangerous situation. They were nearly at weapons range now, and from what I could gather from the tone he had taken with me, he wasn't in the mood to talk about this.
"Attention all ships, ready weapons but do not fire, I repeat, do NOT fire unless fired upon." I ordered into the fleet-wide comm, getting several pings of confirmation as I spoke. "If they want to play war, let them be the ones to cast the first stone."
I held my breath, watching them approach further and further. Considering our position above Turviss, they'd have to be stupid to fire on us with their MACs, they'd kill millions on the planet below if they missed a shot. Even still, I knew we were taking a massive risk just by staying here. If we moved out of range, they'd be able to shoot us to pieces with impunity.
"Sir, new contacts!" Lenlo shouted, looking back at me from his station as I turned to the hologram, seeing at least another dozen ships had just entered the system. "Unknown IFFs!"
"Unknown?" I repeated, knowing that they could have been the frigates. "Give me a visual!"
The external camera zoomed in on new ships, revealing why we hadn't tracked their IFF.
It was a small fleet of Geth ships, led by one of the massive dreadnoughts they've been constructing.
"To all ships under the Admiralty's command, this is Admiral Ysin'Mal." A new channel popped up, getting my eyes to widen as the IFF identified that the Kavna had jumped in as well. "We have arrived with a Geth battle group, cease all hostilities and leave at once or be destroyed. This is your first and last warning."
At first, the Admiralty's ships just stopped in their tracks, stationary for a few moments until they began to turn around, jumping away from the system in a surprised, disjointed manner that reminded me of the way Cerberus ships attempted to flee from Reach. It brought a smile to my face.
Once all the ships had jumped away, I sighed deeply, holding my hand on my chest as felt my heartbeat.
"Mal, you are a sight for sore eyes!" I shouted out loud triumphantly into the comm, wondering to myself if this was come kind of dream.
"It looks like we got here just in time." He said, obviously with a smile on his face as the rest of my bridge crew celebrated. "I brought some friends along."
"Good friends… good friends." I grinned, throwing myself into my chair as the adrenaline drained from my system. "The Admiralty is going to have a field day once they've heard about this."
As the comm channels lit up and my friends did their own little celebrations, I sat quietly in my chair, finally feeling like the world was coming together.
The Quarians, the Geth… reunited. Only partially reunited, sure, but it was certainly better than nothing.
I could rest easy tonight.
…
A/N: Hello hello hello again, we've reached that point where you're wondering if I've either gone crazy, or if I just have too much free time on my hands. To be fair, its likely a little bit of both, but it's the good kind of crazy, don't worry. By the time the next chapter comes out, I'll be 24 years old, so here's to getting older, I guess.
I'd like to address the lovely reviews several of you left last time. As always, I encourage you to let me know what you think, I take all criticism and praise seriously, and with what some would call and unhealthy amount of enthusiasm.
Tom712: I don't think blowing up stuff is such a good way to leave a lasting impression, especially when there's a bunch of volunteers working there and there's no way to prepare for it ahead of time without knowing what's going on. Besides, it would have accomplished little anyways.
BJ Hanssen: I loved writing that chapter a lot, and I won't lie, to get the proper "urgent" feeling while writing the last part, I listened to Battlestar Galactica's "Prelude To War" on repeat for a whole hour to get the energy of it all down. Its what gave the chapter its name, too. Wish I had watched the 2003 series sooner, it's fantastic.
Weebo23: I hope this chapter gives you a good idea of what to expect next! :P
As always, I'm always up for suggestions or constructive criticism. Please leave a review telling me what you think of the story so far, and stay tuned!