Chapter 16. A Threat, A Trial, A Farewell
2130 CE, Palaven
The recording was frozen on a monster Desolas had faced regularly in his dreams ever since encountering it, the metal claw still dug into the melting surface of the hangar, a purple artifact clutched in it's organic hand, the turian's legs already catching fire from the lava below. The recordings hadn't left the same impact as seeing the creature had.
"Which brings me to my last question regarding this recording, General Arterius," the voice of his superior flanged, black plates covered by blue facial marks shifting as the mandibles moved to create the rest of the question. "Who is this Harbinger the late captain mentioned?"
Desolas straightened himself as the head of the turian naval intelligence, Galus Fedorian stared at him with piercing, yellow eyes. The man, rumored to soon make a move to advance to the 27th and last tier of turian citizenship, making him a Primarch, waited for the battle-scarred turian to answer.
"We don't know, Sir. Not for sure," he answered, meeting the eyes of Admiral Fedorian.
"What do you believe him to be, General?" the admiral replied his finger typing in a series of commands to replay the audio.
"Haliat is dead," the haunting voice echoed through the otherwise empty office. "I am merely a servant of the Harbinger now." It sent shivers down Desolas's spine, two decades of service in the Blackwatch and nothing had left a mark on him like this encounter.
"I believe him to be the creator of the artifacts,"
"Do you believe him to be a threat to the Hierarchy, General?" he asked as he turned his head towards the monstrosity, apparently completely unaffected by the sheer wrongness of Haliat's features.
"I do," Desolas said. "Even though evidence is scarce, we know that the artifacts can make people do things, they normally would never think about. We know that they use the people they manipulates in an intelligent way, it isn't like a drug inducing a certain set of behavior. No, it's more than that. The pirates had a plan, they moved with purpose."
"Your report, and the recordings of your mission, make it clear that the pirates viewed it in a religious light. Is it possible that this was simply a cult forming itself around unknown alien technology?" the admiral questioned. "Such things have happened in the past."
"Captain Haliat's rapid change in behaviour doesn't suggest that. It supports the theory that the artifact controls the people in a way. Before he returned to its proximity, he seemed conflicted, almost as if his personality was split in two pieces, one loyal to the artifact and growing, the other one loyal to the Hierarchy, fighting a losing battle against the artifact's influence."
"I get the impression that the artifact implants ideas in people," the admiral began, "Haliat spoke of voices in his head." The turian said as he brought up Haliat's previous messages.
"I believe the ideas being the first stage, followed by cybernetic implants and finally almost complete control over those it affects," Desolas stated his observations. "The implants probably reinforce the control the artifact has over those it affects.
"General Arterius, I believe you," Fedorian spoke. "However, the lack of evidence combined with the batarian lockdown of the entire Dis System, makes it a hard case to bring up to the Primarchs."
"Admiral, with all due respect, I am certain that this 'Harbinger' is still out there, Haliat spoke of the arrival of something," Desolas reasoned. "And it didn't sound like that arrival was in the distant future, it sounded like something both of us will live to see. This is an immediate threat."
"I agree with you to a certain extend and I will take your case to the Primarchs. There is more to this, however we can't prepare for something we know nothing about," the head of TNI argued. "What if we prepare for a foe we believe to be carrying a spear but when he arrives we realise that it was simply an arrow for a bow thought bigger than possible?" the admiral questioned, his example a reference to a book written by one of the most praised turian military commanders to have ever lived. It was a solid example, the story of how the opposing force hadn't been aware of the new ranged weapon a well known example for knowledge being key when planning one's strategy. "We'd be slaughtered from a distance, the expectation of a melee fight being completely wrong, our high ground giving us no advantage against the weapons used by our foe."
His mandible's twitched as he paused his explanation. "We need to learn more about this Harbinger, we need to investigate every lead we have on it and then, when we understand its nature, the way it thinks, what it wants, then we can prepare. Your mission turned up no artifact, that's correct. However you've gathered data, delivered eye witness report, took recordings," the admiral began to list. "The battle of Tunae Prime handed us some of the cruder cybernetic implants. We know what to look for now."
Desolas was relieved, somewhat. While not the exact reaction he had hoped for, the admiral would at least take action.
"There is justice in your claims, something drove Haliat and we need to understand it, but I can't ask the Primarchs to invade Jartar to get to the bottom of all of this. This matter requires a different approach. A more sublte one. You have to understand this General Arterius."
"I do, Sir," he replied.
"TNI will take this matter into its hands, if we require the Blackwatch again we shall inform you."
"Yes, Sir."
"You are dismissed, General Arterius."
The turian general got up from the chair, offered a sharp salute, turned on his heel and walked out of the admiral's office, a burden lifted of his shoulders.
Now to attend family business.
21. June 2388 AD, Cronos Station, 'Section 13'
"They are even more dangerous than we thought," he sighted, "it only needed ten days to turn a bunch of pirates into cybernetic killing machines."
"I believe that confirms our suspicion, doesn't it, Specialist Rei?" his superior asked.
"Yes director, the Object Omnicron is definitely capable of learning. It possesses some sort of intelligence, it seemed like-"
"It had a plan," he finished the sentence. "I agree."
"The pirates viewed it in a very religious way." the director of Section 13 observed. "It might use that very effect to make people do something."
"On that,I disagree." Tao said. "The religious aspect is a symptom, not the cause."
"Then what is the cause?" the soft voice of the director questioned.
"Most likely proximity and time of exposure."
"Back in 2379, when the IFS stumbled upon a very similar object," the director said as the blue light of the projector began to assemble the footage gathered back then. "The incursion back then could've gotten a lot worse. Especially if the Object Omnicron had been active any longer."
"What are you getting at, Director?"
"These things are incredibly dangerous, yet we spent the last years only looking for signs of them surfacing," the head of Section 13 stated, "Maybe we should rethink that approach. By the time we catch the next one, it might grow to a scale that can't be kept secret."
"You want to hunt them down? Make the knowledge public?"
"I want to find out who created them, they sure as hell didn't built themselves."
The recordings paused as the director froze the frame and once more called up the image of the modified turian.
"Merely a servant of the Harbinger," the director quoted as she turned around in the chair, no longer facing the view of the star that hid Cronos station, a trait Harper had adopted from her, most certainly to add a sense of drama to his conversations. He could see that she was trying to connect things.
The woman didn't really look like she was the leader of the 296 deadliest humans in existence and that very trait had made her such an asset when she first entered the field over thirty years ago. People looked at Tao and they saw a scarred, bulky marine with a buzz cut. An obvious threat. People looked at the director and saw a woman with brunette hair, amber eyes, pale skin and a friendly smile. No one would ever suspect her to be the reason behind hundreds of assassinations. The 'Widow Maker' being a complete phantom even by Section 13's standards.
"Our assumption that these things were simply a weapon left behind by a race that once set foot on Shanxi has been dead wrong," she sighted. "The last nine years that we've known about these things, we could've used them to prepare. Instead we wasted them."
"You think that this Harbinger guy has a game plan?" Tao questioned.
"I'm afraid he's been playing the long game this entire time," she replied.
"The devices acting as a stage of his long term strategy," Tao suddenly began to see a picture. "He creates a few sleeper cells, those cells spread his influence via the objects and then they wreck havoc before he moves in for the kill."
"Disrupting the enemy without putting his own assets at risk, all the while weakening his target," the director concluded.
"This is bad."
"This is something Section 13 is not equipped to deal with, our numbers don't allow for the actions we need to take now."
"What's our move?"
"We need to catch up on nine years of wasted time, fast. We don't know anything about the foe we'll face and he's been watching for long enough to have most of his pieces right where he wants them."
Tao cracked his neck, a tick he had developed to ease tension in his whole body, it worked for him.
"I have a terrible suspicion right about now."
"Ma'am?" the specialist questioned, not understanding what she was talking about.
"You're dismissed, Specialist Rei. I'll need you to prepare a briefing for high ranking Cerberus officers by tomorrow morning."
"You're bringing them into this?"
"This is a matter we can't possibly bring up to the public. Not yet. Before we-"
"We need to have the hard facts," Tao finished her line of thought. "Hard facts we are too few to gather effectivly."
"I'll have Cerberus dig through every ruin we ever found, ever little detail they find about past galactic civilisations, extinction events, reports of strange contacts. Myths of other galactic cultures."
"Why, Ma'am?"
"If I am right, this has been going on for a long time. If that's the case, there will be traces. No one is a complete ghost, not even me."
"I'll have the briefing ready by tomorrow morning. Want me to send Harper?"
"No, I'll humor him and let him do the chair thing to me for a change," the director chuckled. "After all, I'm about to drown him in even more work."
"Poor bastard." Tao said to himself as he closed the door of the directors office.
29. June 2388 AD, Citadel, Docking Bay D-24
"Why don't you ever take me somewhere nice, Redford? You know I hate this place," Tela mocked as she stepped out of the airlock, the entire docking bay cleared of people, armed marines replacing them, assault rifles ready to put down anyone who'd stand in their way.
"Hey, I took you to a spa on Illium once," the man countered as he followed the former Spectre, shields and her own biotics ensuring she wouldn't be gunned down on her way to the shuttle waiting to take her to the chambers of the Council's supreme court in which Tevos's trial would be held in a few hours.
Redford gave the N7 squad that would accompany them for the rest of the day the sign to form up around him and the HSA's most valuable witness, effectively adding their own bodies and armor to the shield around Vasir.
"Crashing through the roof while police forces hunt us is not exactly ' taking me somewhere nice'," he heard her snark from behind him.
"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it," the specialist argued in an amused tone.
Ever since April he had been stuck guarding the former Spectre. Accompanying her to interrogations, taking part in the interrogations himself, working on their case against the former asari councilor on trial today, gathering pieces of information regarding other matters from Tela Vasir by showing her that the HSA was willing to work with her, plead her case for her.
"Can I have a gun now?" she nagged for what had to be the tenth time in the last hour.
"You are basically a space magician," Redford countered. "You don't need a gun and I doubt that they'd let you inside the court with one anyway."
"I know, I still want one though," she replied, "Just in case the jury's not as impartial as I need it to be."
"All the more reason not to give you one."
Tela Vasir was a strange case, deadly serious when the situation required it, incredibly irritating when she wanted to be but at the same time still somewhat charming once one got through the layers of the jaded former Spectre. He got into the shuttle and sat down, the asari taking a place next to them as the N7 team shuffled in.
"So they'll finally make her pay," Tela mused. The trial had been delayed time and again by 'inconveniences' on the part of the defense, the sudden retirement of an asari judge and other disturbances Redford was certain could be traced back to the few powerful asari matriarchs still on Tevos's side if one bothered to look a little closer.
Not that most people actually did. Even the jury had thrown stones into the path of the trial.
He had seen the jury, it wasn't surprising really.
There were ten, two asari, two salarians, two turians, a volus, an elcor, a hanar and one batarian. Two representatives for each council member, one for each associate, just as the law of the Council demanded.
Not a single human would be able to take part in the actual process of punishing the councilor. The evidence gathered by the HSA would be presented by a C-SEC officer followed by the judge questioning Tela Vasir and Ambassador Goyle.
That was humanity's part in this case.
He understood why the government had decided to play along. Honor the laws of the council, push for a seat using the leverage gathered in the last years, make the best out of the situation.
Just because he understood didn't mean that he liked it.
Redford sighed.
"Everything alright, Sir?" an N7 questioned immediately afterwards, his head turning to the same window Redford had looked out off, looking for whatever could've upset the specialist.
"Yes, just had to get that out my system Master Chief," Redford replied, the N7 relaxing in an almost unnoticeable manner, Redford's training being the only reason he had noticed how the soldier had tensed up in the first place.
"You don't believe that they'll give Tevos what she deserves, do you?" the Spectre questioned from the side.
"The judge is an asari," Redford replied, "no offense."
"None taken, I get it. You don't think she'll be as harsh as you want her to be," Vasir answered,"If this was up to me, I'd just put a bullet into her and be done with it."
"Sadly it isn't."
"Coming up on the landing area," the pilot informed Redford who got up as the N7 escort rose from their seats, "C-SEC presence is stronger than expected."
"Off to a great start," Redford said as the shuttle touched down and a soldier opened the door, the unit jumping out and forming up around him and Vasir once more. He saw the turian walk up to him, the blue armor and sigil of C-SEC putting his mind somewhat at ease.
"I'd ask you to hurry up," he began, "We got a last minute lead that someone might make a move during the transfer between the landing zone and the chambers."
"I understand, let's move it people," Redford ordered as he began to scan his surroundings, C-SEC snipers littering the roofs, several patrol cars circling the area, a platoon of C-SEC's special response unit waiting in front of the chambers. Citadel Security had done quite the number on this place.
Jogging towards the chambers, he somewhat expected an attack. This was the moment they were most likely to make a move after all, the higher levels allowing any assailant an easy drop on the formation.
He knew that he would do it right now after all.
Sneak up on a lone sniper, wait for him to check in, knock him out, fire his rifle to do the deed, make it seem like the knocked out officer was responsible. Vanish as undetected as possible, leaving behind a false trail in the process.
Part of Redford knew he had been assigned to lead this protection mission precisely because he could think like an assassin. For the same reason Alec Shepard had gotten his job as Goyle's chief of security. Who would be better at spotting security holes than someone who was used to employing them in his favour?
As he set foot in front the court and no one had tried to kill him, Vasir or anyone in general, he let a small breath of relief escape his mouth before he made his move to step into the room.
Then batarian C-Sec officer walked up to him, extending his hands as if he would be capable of stopping the formation.
"This is as far as anyone besides the witness can go," he sounded as peaceful as his deep baritone allowed him to, "I'll have to ask you to leave her with us now."
Redford hesitated, his hand activating the communication device in his ear.
"Ambassador, is it true that we have to hand Vasir over to C-SEC?" he asked all the while planning to shove past the batarian.
"I'm afraid so, Specialist," she answered, "The only armed people getting in or out of the court are C-SEC. You can entrust Ms. Vasir into their hands." Always the diplomat.
"If you say so Ma'am," he said as the formation opened up at the front. "Watch your back."
"I'll be fine," she ensured him.
This would be a long wait, he knew it would be.
As he spotted Alec Shepard, looking very bored as he waited with the ambassador's security detail, Redford had found something to kill the time.
"Alec, mate," he called, the people inside the court house looking at him as if he had done something terrible just by raising his voice, "bloody marvelous."
Two Minutes Later, Citadel, Inside the Chamber of the Supreme Court
The jury was seated on the right of the two present councilors, who acted as supervisors of the trial as dictated by the laws of the Citadel Council in case of a high ranking official being trialed, while the asari judge was seated at her bigger desk in the center of the room.
The witnesses, the accused councilor and other people present for the trial were placed opposite to the jury on the left side of the center desk. The defense, along side with Tevos, was facing the judge just as the prosecution was, a lone witness stand halfway between judge and accused.
Goyle herself had been asked to take a seat next to the prosecutor, a turian 'law giver' by the name of Janir Tralavia having practiced law on the Citadel for over twenty years. She had met her before, a meeting just days before having been set up by the turian councilor to ensure that they could go over the case unobserved.
Of course a human prosecutor would've been preferable, but since not a single human had even started to study Citadel Law due to associate status being a requirement to enroll in programs connected to the Citadel Council, she was glad it was a turian. After all, they had been the driving force behind arresting Tevos in the first place.
Goyle saw Vasir being seated in the shielded compartment assigned to the witnesses, the C-SEC guard behind her most certainly not there for her protection but rather to ensure the former Spectre didn't become a threat herself.
Shortly after Vasir, the judge herself arrived, causing everyone to rise from their seats.
"Be seated," the asari judge, Matriarch Janiva, ordered. "Today I will hold the trial between Matriarch Tevos and the Citadel Council," she declared. "Without further ado we will now hear the prosecution opening statement."
The turian next to Goyle rose from her chair, taking a look around herself before she walked in front of the judge, placing herself next to the witness stand.
"Upon becoming a councilor one takes an oath to work towards galactic cooperation, act in the interest of peace and the protection of innocent life," she began. "As all of you are painfully aware, the accused broke that oath in the hope of furthering her own agenda, neglecting her duty towards her people, the Citadel Council and the galactic community."
The law giver paused for a moment before turning towards the jury.
"Matriarch Tevos and the late Councilor Vaelan conspired to provoke a terroristic attack against three human colonies, killing tens of thousands of innocents in the process," she stated, "betraying everything they swore to uphold in order to alienate the newest arrivals to our community. The Citadel Council has always embraced the unknown, working through issues between galactic civilizations by using diplomacy in order to find common ground. The accused spat on that heritage, betraying the very principles of the galactic community. For that she stands trial and I trust the Council, its judge and its jury to honor our principles and make her answer for her crimes."
This was a good opening, make the case a crime against everyone, get compassion from the individual species by appealing to the social stigmas of each culture. Breaking an oath was certain to draw turian ire, her betrayal and neglection of duty only adding to the things that would make any turian vote against her.
By pointing out the lack of diplomacy and the fact that Tevos went behind the back of the Asari Republics, she would rattle the two asari and in the process draw salarian sympathy due to Tevos harming the long-term cooperation between the new arrivals and the Council, the Union having a reputation for being very eager to strike deals with others in the past.
She was appealing to the volus, elcor and hanar representatives by talking about the importance galactic community, the three associates most dependent on cooperation. The opposite of cooperation being conflict and conflict would lead to the turian patrol fleet decreasing its activity in their space due to having to move to new found threats, making their an attractive target for pirates or slavers.
This in turn would lead to them having to cover their own territory with their own navies, a job they were as far as Goyle was aware not fully equipped to do because of different founding priorities. Conflict would lead to an economical shift they didn't desire.
The Vol Protectorate had disbanded most of its space vessels in favour of trade ships ever since becoming a client race of the Turian Hierarchy, the turians offering protection, soldiers and weapons and relying on the volus to keep their economy going. The funds freed up were accumulated and used to further bolster the economy of the volus.
Meanwhile the Illuminated Primacy, the government of the hanar, had never bothered to build a big fleet due to their biology causing them to underperform in comparison to bipedal races in the tasks of space combat, instead opting for complex planetary defense systems and isolationism and spending their money on sustaining the drell cities on Kahje or searching for artifacts of the 'Enkindlers'.
Finally the Courts of Dekuuna only maintained a small fleet due to their culture opposing hasty rushes into warfare and just like the Illuminated Primacy their self sustained, somewhat isolated status allowing them to simply avoid it. In turn they used the credits that other races invested into dreadnoughts to build their colonies to a level that made them rival Dekuuna itself, colonial elcor infrastructure and living standards being unchallenged by the rest of the galaxy.
The turian law giver even managed to get some sympathy out of the batarian by accusing Tevos of 'spitting on the heritage', something considered an incredible social offense within the caste society of the Batarian Hegemony.
Janir Tralavia gave a respectful nod towards the councilors, the jury and turned back towards the judge.
"This concludes my opening statement," she spoke, her voice flanging through the courthouse
"Be seated."
As she walked back towards her seat, the legal representative of Tevos whispered something into the ear of the judge.
"The defense has informed me that they will withhold a statement for now, therefore I'd like to question the first witness," Matriach Janiva informed the chamber. "The defense calls the aid of Matriarch Tevos, Jalezina T'Val as a character witness. Please be seated in the witness stand."
And so the trial began.
The judge questioned the aid on Tevos's behaviour in the months leading up to the conspiracy, how she acted while she did the things she was on trial for and how the aid would judge her character. The young asari maiden, obviously shaken up by the entire situation, her admiration for the former councilor and what Goyle believed to be a classic case of a crush adding to her current state.
Once the aid had been questioned and somewhat traumatized in the ambassadors mind, the idea of her idol turning out to have betrayed everything she had admired about her now implanted in her brain, the C-SEC detective began to present the evidence against Tevos.
The first piece of evidence was the trail that had led them to Vasir in the first place, the turian detective doing an admirable job at showcasing the findings of HSAIS and Cerberus, the laters achievements being attributed to N7. He outlined the details behind what had placed them on Vasir's trail, described how she had came to work with the HSA and finally played the recording, Tevos's voice echoing through the chamber as he presented the technical analysis confirming the audio file to be completely real.
He had made a solid case, Janir Tralavia injecting questions to reinforce the prosecutions point when she felt it was necessary.
After completing that part of the trial, the judge spent some time questioning the detective on Vaelan's role in the entire conspiracy, the audio file serving as the main piece of evidence against the late salarian councilor.
Being dead meant that the time dedicated to his case paled in comparison to Tevos, the judge quickly coming to the conclusion that Vaelan was an actor in the conspiracy but not the main cause behind it.
"That will be all, Detective," the judge said. "I now call former Spectre Tela Vasir into the witness stand, please be seated."
Goyle saw the former asari Spectre walk from her special place towards the witness stand, the C-SEC officer not leaving her side even as she sat down, the certainty clearly visible in her face.
"Ms. Vasir, you've delivered the biggest evidence against Matriarch Tevos, even though you were part of her plan," the judge began. "Was the motivation behind your cooperation with the HSA to escape parts of the responsibility you hold in the events that conspired between 2129 CE and 2130 CE?"
"No. My motivation was getting back at the bit-"
"Mind your tone, Ms. Vasir," the judge interrupted her, "Consider this a warning."
"My motivation was petty vengeance really. Matriarch," the venom the last word carried was evident to Goyle and the rest of the people present, "Tevos wanted to blame everything on me. I simply acted on her orders as my superior and for that she wanted to use me to get away with what she did."
"Is it true that you were blackmailed by Matriarch Tevos with the fact that you worked with the Shadow Broker?"
"She tried to blackmail me, that is correct. Precisely because of that I recorded her in the first place," Vasir said as she looked over at Tevos, who had yet to say a single word.
The asari had patience, Goyle had to give her that much although if she was in her place, she wouldn't say anything either. The evidence against her was simply overwhelming.
"You claim to have acted on her orders as a Spectre, yet you conspired with a known enemy of the Council, the Shadow Broker."
"My allegiance was always with the Council, the Shadow Broker helped me in my mission as an agent of the Citadel Council, you should be aware that Spectres walk a very fine line between good and evil. If doing a favour for the Shadow Broker meant getting information used for stopping a terrorist attack on an asari planet, I fail to see why I shouldn't have done it."
The judge was silent for a moment, considering Vasir's example. Goyle was certain Vasir had chosen that very example for a reason, a reason she didn't know.
"Ms. Vasir, you are aware that none of this will help you in regaining your status as a Spectre, correct?"
"That's not my intention," the asari replied. "My intention is as previously established petty revenge. I took offense when she tried to had me killed," the Spectre chuckled. "Should've gotten the job done."
"Ms. Vasir, I have one final question," the judge sighted at the asari's behaviour. "Do you regret handing the accused the data she gave to the organizations behind the attacks?"
"I regret working for someone who betrayed me."
"So would you do it again?"
"If she didn't use me as a way to shift the blame, probably. If I wouldn't have done it, she would've found someone else anyway," that shocked Goyle a little, she had expected Tela Vasir to be somewhat regretful of her role in all of this.
Apparently she had been wrong.
"That concludes your questioning, I now ask the jury to withdraw while I come to a conclusion, unless there is something the defense or prosecution would like to bring up?"
A moment of silence.
Then the asari lawyer, Aria Laisir, spoke up, "I'd like to question Ambassador Goyle, put matters into perspective before you come to a ruling, your honor."
"Excuse me?" Anita Goyle asked as she looked at the asari.
"You have a right to refuse questioning, Ambassador," the judge informed her as she picked up on Goyle's surprise.
Of course she did but if she took it it would most certainly influence the jury. She knew exactly what the legal representative was trying to do. Punch a hole into their otherwise flawless case by bringing something up that would push the jury in Tevos's direction or by showing that she, the human representative, didn't have the guts to raise her voice in this case.
She wouldn't give that to her.
"No, I'll submit to her questioning," Goyle said as she got up, the turian prosecutor placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Mind your words," she advised. "I'm afraid she'll try to push you into a corner."
"Just intervene when she does something she isn't allowed to do," Goyle replied, the suspicion that the lawyer would try the same thing the prosecutor had done before, push the jury for a favorable sentence.
"Ambassador Goyle," the asari began. "You've served as the human representative on the Citadel for almost four years, correct?"
"Yes that is correct."
"In your time, have your actions not caused the same things the prosecution accused Matriarch Tevos of? Has your kind not done things that hinder galactic cooperation? Have you not acted to further your own gain?" she asked as she turned to the jury. "Is there not a certain hypocrisy to the opening statement of the prosecution," she asked the ten members of the jury and the two councilors.
Goyle didn't have to be a diplomat to know what Ioventus's expression meant but sadly he wasn't the one to do the ruling.
She had two paths ahead of her, one involved speaking the truth and pointing out that the council was asking humanity to cripple itself, throw away military independence all the while endangering everyone that couldn't fight for themselves in the process.
The other involved doing what diplomats did if they were pushed into such a situation.
Turn it around with the art of using words.
"My 'kind' hasn't ordered the death of thousands of innocent colonists because we were afraid that certain members," she looked at the turians and the volus of the jury,"might take a liking to someone new," they were already right where Goyle and the prosecution needed them to be.
"I simply asked if you have worked towards or against the galactic cooperation, Ambassador," the asari replied. Goyle suppressed the smirk. She had gone into the very direction she had wanted her to go.
"That depends, what do you call saving thousands of colonists used as slaves from the Blood Pack all the while dismanteling two major crime syndicates in the Terminus?" she asked, this ought to get the two asari. She knew they weren't from one of the worlds with Eclipse on its payroll after all. "What do you call joint maneuvers with the Hierarchy to exchange tactics and strategy?"
"I call it strange outcomes of reactionary thinking," she replied. "You've refused to accept the Treaty of Farixen yet you asked the council to prosecute a criminal for you. All your kind did-"
"Ms. Laisir," the judge interrupted. "I am going to ask you to stop referring to the ambassador and humanity as 'your kind'. This court is no place for this rhetoric."
That was unexpected, not unwelcome but unexpected.
"I apologize Matriarch Janiva."
"Continue."
"All humanity has done is ask the council to do things for them, while refusing to abide to our rules. How do you justify that, Ambassador Goyle?"
"I'd like to point out that I do not need to justify anything, I am not on trial," Goyle replied causing shocked whispers to sound off, "However I'd also like to point out that you just made a baseless accusation. We negotiated on the terms of the Treaty of Farixen, the other agreements leading up to it have been accepted by the Human Systems Alliance."
"So you refused to dismantle your dreadnoughts in the name of galactic peace."
"We refused to endanger those who lack the means to defend themselves, we are completely capable of defending our own space, those dreadnoughts help us do just that. Why dismantle them and spread out the patrol fleet, which protects those that require protection?" with that statement Goyle aimed to further draw the sympathy of the elcor, hanar and asari jury members. "This is not a political debate, Ms. Laisir. I am willing to answer your questions, I fail to see the point in discussing military matters."
Why the lawyer had thought she could challenge an ambassador sent to the Citadel in a duel of words was beyond Goyle, maybe she wanted to reduce Tevos's punishment, maybe Tevos had asked her to deal a final blow against humanity's image before she would lack the means to do it in prison.
Goyle didn't care. It worked in her favour up to now.
"Very well then, I have another question for you, Ambassador Goyle," the lawyer said, having considered her words carefully. "Can the galactic community expect the HSA to shelter people like Tela Vasir in the future as well?"
Questioning the morals of the HSA. Anita Goyle had seen that one coming, it was just a question of time until someone brought up Vasir again.
"The galactic community can count on the HSA to pull its weight in ensuring that its leadership remains true to their people."
That was the finishing blow. She saw it in the asari's eyes.
"No further questions your honor."
"I'd ask the jury to withdraw and come to a conclusion while I do the same. This court is adjourned for the time it takes both parties to come to a ruling. I'd ask the people involved in the trial to remain in the chamber, the people in the viewing stands and the media are free to leave this room," the judge concluded.
Now the waiting began.
At first time passed quickly, Goyle using the time to prepare for a meeting with Chancellor Noé after the trial and suggesting that the HSA should offer a few ships to help with patrolling duties in order to reinforce what she had just pointed out.
God knew the HSA would need incredibly good publicity if they hoped for a seat on the council, its actions having to outweigh its status as a newcomer by a big factor.
Then when she ran out of work, time slowed to a grind, the seconds passing way too slow and the minutes stretching far beyond their limitation.
Finally the judge entered the room again, the jury walking in at almost the same time, and everyone rose again.
"Please be seated," she ordered as her voice echoed through the silent chamber. "In the case of the Citadel Council against Matriarch Tevos, this court has found the accused guilty of conspiracy, neglecting her duty and causing the attacks on three human colonies as a direct result of her actions," she spoke, Goyle noting the lack of reaction on Tevos's face. "The sentence for crimes of this degree is imprisonment for life in a high-security facility."
Goyle already expected a but as she kept observing the stoic features of the former council.
"A sentence the jury agrees with. However, the accused would be put in danger, even when placed in a high-security facility due to her status as a former councilor. Therefore this court has decided to sentence her to house arrest in her residence on Thessia, handing her over to the authorities she betrayed and keeping her there until her dying day under the guard of asari police forces for her own protection. An imprisonment in a secure facility is not required due to no imminent danger coming from the accused. Adding to her confinement, she will be stripped of all political power and titles and measures will be put in place to keep her from interfering with politics ever again. This court closes the case, Matriarch Tevos will remain in C-SEC's custody until preparations have been made. The rest of you are free to leave."
2130 CE, Palaven, Mausoleum of the 22nd Palavani Legion
It was the day of the funeral, Bassilo Kandros having returned home for one last time, his ashes placed in the silver container standing on a small table in front of his final resting place, a compartment in the hall of the fallen of the 22nd Palavani Legion.
Turians that died in the line of duty, something not nearly as common as during earlier times of the Hierarchy, were cremated, their ashes placed inside a container and locked up in the mausoleum of their legion. The 22nd's mausoleum contained thousands of the small boxes dating back to the first casualties of the Unification Wars, the thousands of soldiers that had died during the rebellion and the 1238 that had laid down their lives every since.
In death every turian was treated equally, even those shot by the hastatim for fighting the Hierarchy.
For that reason, Bassilo Kandros, the cabal who had been an outcast among regular turians, was placed in a small compartment next to a sergeant who had died inside a Jiris back on Tunae-Prime, the two being separated during their live due to one having biotic powers and the other not having them were now united in death for giving their life to uphold the Hierarchy. Their final acts committed to the oath they swore.
There was a certain beauty to it in Saren's mind although he didn't bother to think about the implications of it as the imperial anthem, Die for the Cause, sounded while Kabalim Vitallion and Kandros's wife placed the small box in the compartment. It wasn't proper to think about social principles while one's friend was placed in his final rest.
Vitallion nodded towards Kandros's wife, their daughter waiting with her parents in the front row, right next to the members of his unit, as both of them closed the compartment, its small door engraved with a name, a rank, date of birth and death, military commendations and a service number.
The Kabalim raised his voice.
"We lay our comrade to rest but we vouch to never forget why he laid down his live. For the Hierarchy!"
As tradition dictated, the active service men rose from their seats and echoed the final words of Kabalim Vitallion.
"For the Hierarchy!"
The kabalim guided Kandros's widow back towards a chair and knelt down in front of her, Saren standing beside him.
"We will not forget him," Vitallion ensured. "The Hierarchy will not forget you."
To the woman it most certainly sounded like an empty promise.
Vitallion lingered for a moment before rising from his kneeling position, making room for Saren.
"He mentioned you, you're Saren," she began to speak as she looked at him, the same red facial markings as Bassilo had worn pointing to a same place of birth.
"Bassilo was more than a comrade for me. He was a friend," Saren began. "A friend who showed me what it means to belong somewhere."
"He was a very kind soul."
"He also spoke of you and your daughter."
"He was so excited to be a father, spirits I-" she choked on her words.
"I own Bassilo something I can never repay to himself," Saren said as he brought up his omni-tool, "but I can repay it to his family. Your daughter, if there ever is anything I can do, anything you need help with, contact me."
He transferred his contact information, "The least I can do is take care of his family. It will never compare to what he did for me but it's a start."
"Thank you, Saren."
"There is nothing to thank me for," he replied as he got up, "Don't hesitate. I will answer."
"I know you will."
Saren walked back to his chair and was about to sit down when he was interrupted.
"Attention!" it suddenly echoed through the chamber, causing every turian still in the military to rise to their feet, standing at attention.
"Not in here Kabalim," a familiar voice called. "The dead deserve your attention more than I do."
It couldn't be.
"Desolas?" he asked as a figure in the grey dress uniform of a general walked past him and saluted the fresh compartment, golden markings signifying his rank, dozens of commendations lining his chest, a golden mexta on a black patch clearly visible on his uniform.
"It's been far too long, Saren."
"What are you doing here?"
"I was on Palaven and I said that we have things to discuss. I figured I'd not take a chance and ambush you. Let's take this outside."
"Of course."
The two brothers walked out of the mausoleum and into the camp of the 22nd Palavani Legion. It was a nice day for a funeral, the weather was beautiful, Palaven's sun warming his skin as the rays of light touched him.
"The Nova Cluster looks good on you," Desolas said as he placed a talon on the small blue orb, a white talon placed in its center. "You're still three behind though," the general chuckled as Saren eyed Desolas's wider array of military honours.
"About that," Saren began. "Blackwatch? Really?"
"I kept it a secret for a reason."
"Why tell me now, why like this?"
"I know you've been using my old clearance codes and before you apologize, I'm fine with that. It worked in our favour."
"I was always a rather curious child."
"That you were," Desolas said as his mandibles displayed his amusement.
"What was it that you wanted to discuss?" Saren asked.
"You saw the recordings of Haliat, didn't you?"
"Curious child," Saren repeated.
"Something is out there."
"I know."
"We need to do something about it," Desolas spoke. "If we don't, everyone inside that mausoleum died for nothing.
"I know," Saren replied again with a bitter tone.
"You already thought about it, didn't you?"
"About what?"
"I know you Saren, you believe that the best course of action right now is to get into a position that allows you to act as flexible as possible, a flexibility the Cabal Corps doesn't give you," he sighted. "When are you applying as a Spectre?"
"As soon as possible."
"I've seen your scores. I can give you the opportunity for training that will help you."
"I've been asked before why I didn't apply for the Blackwatch yet," he admitted, recalling the day he had completed a perfect series of tests.
"A new training class is starting in two months, as always there are still a few open spots," Desolas said. "I won't lie to you, it will be horrible beyond imagination but I believe that you can endure it."
"I need to endure it."
"Two years of training, after that the Council will beg you to become a Spectre. A biotic Blackwatch operative? I'd hate to let you go but I'd green light it."
"There might be claims of nepotism," Saren replied to his brother.
"Your scores speak for themselves, furthermore Blackwatch doesn't care who you are as long as you get the job done."
"Where do we go from there?"
"I don't know, not yet. I brought the matter to TNI," Desolas spoke as he picked up one of the few flowers that didn't have traces of metal in it, instead having evolved a natural tolerance against the radiation of the star Palaven orbited. "They want to gather more intelligence and I agree with that but I believe that we'll need more than that."
"As a Spectre, I could travel the galaxy to gather information, favours, clues."
"That's what I'm counting on," Desolas replied, "but there's more."
"What else is there right now?"
"We'll need allies, every ship, every soldier we can get. As a Spectre you can push for something that a turian general can't push for."
"And what is that," he questioned, the answer already forming on his tongue.
"You can push for a race sending their own Spectre and in doing so you can push for them getting their own seat," Desolas explained as he let the flower drift to the ground,"when this Harbinger comes and he will come, there's not a single doubt in my mind about that, we can't afford to argue about a reduction of dreadnoughts. We'll need every ship we can get."
"We'll need humanity."
"We won't be able to speak for some time, I'll have to make a trip to the Citadel," Desolas began. "If we don't see each other in the next two months, know the following," he placed a hand on Saren's shoulder and pulled him into a surprising hug, the feeling that Desolas himself needed it more than he himself crawling up in his spine, "I believe in you."
"I will make you proud, Desolas."
"You already have."
Codex: Turian Burial Practices
Turian culture differentiates only between the turians that died in the line of duty and those that died outside of it.
The later group is buried in civilian mausoleum, their ashes stored for ten years until they are used as fertilizer, giving new life in agriculture or parks as a final service to the collective. The bodies of the highest tier of civilian life, the law givers, are given the same treatment as those of a factory worker.
Every turian is equal in death.
The former are honored with eternal storage in their unit's 'hall of the fallen', a complex build in every base camp ever since the founding of the Turian Hierarchy. The soldiers, in accordance to the history of each legion, are buried along side those who died in the same battles, their names, commendations and ranks forever documented on small plates attached to the compartments they are stored in.
Turians treat every dead, no matter who's allegiance they shared in life with the same respect and the corpses are burned due to the social stigma attached to dead bodies, which can neither be shown on camera, nor displayed in public. Even inside a casket. Therefore, the only way for the families to bury their loved one's is to burn them and store them inside a mausoleum.
During a military funeral the unit of the fallen is placed in the same row as their relatives, the bond between comrades seen as equal to that between spouses, siblings, children or parents.
A/N: So this one is shorter than the last chapter due to the fact that the last chapter marked the end of one plot line and this one's the beginning of a new one.
Pieces are falling into play and Desolas meets Saren in person.
I really wanted to get this one out before Andromeda, because let's face it, being european and all, starting thursday, I'll be quiet busy... playing Andromeda for the majority of the day and probably (who knows maybe I'll get inspired) not update until I'm done with the first playthrough, hype through the roof guys.
Let me know what you think of this chapter, writing the court scene and the implied back room dealings that took place before it (wink wink asari judge) was somewhat complicated but I hope I didn't fuck up.
Let's just say, she might have been to court, but Tevos isn't out of the picture just now.
As of right now we are at 108 reviews (I want more, give them to me), 261 favorites and 326 follows and I still appreciate the hell out of every last one of you, please give my your thoughts ont he story.
Also people wanted some turian culture, so I gave it to them. It makes a ton of sense in my eyes, hope it does in yours too.
See you around next time.
