1-17-2157 0849 hours (Alliance standard time)
Citadel
Presidium
Republics Embassy
Two standard galactic days later had passed since the turian embassy incident. Fortunately, the events following had done great things in placating the alliance of two species. The blame for the whole mess itself could only be placed upon the Hegemony after all; a fact all three Councilors were quick to agree upon.
After Councilor Tevos had left the embassy, she discreetly informed the Republics of the situation. Secrecy was almost required, to quietly force the batarians to the same negotiating table as the races they had just attacked; a scenario the four-eyed beings would avoid with all of their considerable guile. She sent out messages via Quantum Entanglement, to some of the most respected Matriarchs – particularly of Armali and Thessia, including a somewhat risky message to several on Illium; their 'indentured servitude' contracts were of considerable debate throughout asari space. However, once she had informed her government of what had transpired; it was obvious what their response was.
They had achieved a consensus to meet upon, and take the name of, the Armali colony, convening under the heaviest security seen in millennia. Some of the Matriarchs were certain it was possibly the tightest since the discovery of the Turian Hierarchy. The revelation of the crimes performed by the Hegemony only grew as the meeting continued.
The Armali Council was furious.
Under the circumstance, the Republics deemed it necessary to dispatch teams of asari commandoes to the Citadel; in order to neutralize any Hegemony threat presenting itself. Assistance to such highly valued allies came in the form of STG cells being activated, some intercepting or outright hacking batarian communications – obtaining even more incriminating evidence. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on the perspective, the only individuals who knew about the catastrophe were high ranking officials in each of the councilors' government. However, the Hegemony would no doubt be doing its best to come up with a cover story. History was written by the victors, and the Hegemony had a long habit of pulling victory from the jaws of apparent defeat.
Additional factors needed to be considered. The public had yet to be informed, and the Council wasn't about to release the blow they were preparing before it was ready. Since the Systems Alliance possessed no line of communication to the Citadel, much less a presence in Council controlled space, Tevos didn't have to worry about them broadcasting their side of the story. Regrettably this meant that any and all communication between the two parties required the turian's Second Fleet, currently stationed as a deterrent near the Relay 314, to act as intermediaries.
Tevos was no fool; she easily recognized how the Hierarchy was using the situation to their benefit, trying to appease the new races while at the same time appearing as heroes. Once the Hierarchy's discovery was made public, not only receiving credit for discovering another space faring civilization, but also being seen as saviors in the eyes of the public. It was a nice PR stunt with the added benefits of un-quantifiable magnitude with the new civilization; something about which the Armali Council was discussing with an unacceptable amount of frantic mania.
If her sources were correct, the Matriarchs had elected to move faster than they had in centuries, beginning preparations to bring the Hegemony to the negotiating table by nearly any means possible. Matriarchs learned an extraordinary number of tricks during their long, long life-spans, and while it was quite possible the Hegemony would refuse to cooperate, the Republics would still be seen as the heralds of justice, standing with the Systems Alliance. The batarians might threaten to leave the Citadel as they were no doubt prepared to throw a tantrum to avoid responsibility, but whether they did or did not follow such an ultimatum, Tevos would not allow her people to be engulfed in a bitter conflict
She sat at her office's desk, looking through the various reports provided by Sparatus. Tevos had attempted reading some of the reports several times, but could not overrule her impulses. Disgust filled her mind at what she had read thus far. Aside from the Hegemony's violation of one of the Citadel's strictest laws, there were reports of mass murder, rape, torture, and even orbital bombardment of a Class-1 Garden world! The first and final actions broke nearly all of the Citadel's bedrock conventions. And to do so in the face of the turians, the most law-abiding and draconian member no less, meant that any action held by the non-turian members would almost certainly be devoted to restraining the turian bloodlust.
To make matters worse, the orbital bombardments were conducted after the batarians had achieved orbital supremacy. That fact alone spoke more than most realized. Orbital bombardment, under the most excusable circumstances, was conducted solely upon significantly powerful threats to ground forces, or on potential threats to orbital supremacy. The after-action reports seemed to state that once the human defenders had lost the battle of attrition in space – after inflicting significant damage to batarian forces – they had continued to resist pacification. It was noted that among all the tactics used to engage the batarians, the humans had shown no preference between either hit and run engagements against high priority targets, or straight out brawls. They had shown an easy mastery of situational conformation, when the odds and conditions favored them.
Tevos thought about that last fact. The humans had shown they understood the difference between tactical situations and strategic victory. And yet they had restrained their thirst for vengeance to a single warning volley when the turians had arrived.
'An adaptable adversary, not just in combat, but in mind as well.'
It was not uncommon for a military to adopt tactics that benefited the situation at hand; there were many notable examples by the Citadel races themselves, demonstrating how to swap out usual doctrine to achieve the results desired. But the reports sent by the turians highlighted the remarkably small amounts of time required by the humans to swap tactics, and the extreme precision in which those strikes were performed. It was no wonder the turians had taken an immediate liking to them, possibly even seeing the humans as the sword to their shield.
In her mind, Tevos knew that a race so skilled in the art of war could potentially be a serious threat to Citadel space. Given what the reports were suggesting, the humans would be more than capable of causing significant damage to the batarian infrastructure and society – although she was equally certain the Hegemony would wreak a terrible price for its downfall.
More disturbing was the paucity of information on the two species themselves. The humans had given a massive quantity of data on themselves, enough to convince even the most paranoid of salarians of its veracity. But there had been practically nothing pertaining to the Raloi. By travelling several light-days from the human colony, Turian analysis had spotted differing energy signature residues from various points of conflict. That seemed to indicate a fairly segregated society, if the two powers allowed their infantry to maintain separate methods of destruction.
But the surface had seen multiple nuclear weapons detonated … and that terrified her almost as much as the orbital bombardment reports. A species so vicious as to inflict atomic fire on their own soil? The Hegemony had truly selected the wrong target for … servicing.
But in her heart, Tevos held a desire to ensure that such events would never be needed to take place. She looked over to her aide, Milesia, whom was organizing various pieces of information in a more-coordinated manner, ready for inspection. A brief moment later, Milesia became more alert, grasping a data-pad with a perplexed look.
"Councilor, you may want to take a look at this," She said, gesturing to the data-pad in her hand.
Tevos waved her over, preparing herself for whatever information wished to present itself this time. A moment later, Milesia hurried over, placing the pad on the desk in front of Tevos's interested gaze. Her eyes widened in surprise; the information before her seemed to hold the best theories to explain why and/or more importantly, how the humans were able to provide such a fierce resistance for such a young species.
"Theorem on Human Naval capability"
From information we have received from various sources, we have begun to theorize why this species has been able to develop such a keen mindset for naval tactics. This remarkable capability must not be an inherent quality but rather a learned cultural phenomenon, gathered over many different occasions resulting in their current capabilities.
Information that we have obtain about the human home-world suggests that approximately two-thirds of its surface area is covered by large bodies of water. Yet, there are sources claiming the human home-world is covered in more land than water; a conundrum that must be resolved.
However we have deduced that this second claim may either be purposeful misdirection or a possible reference to another garden world under their control. For example, we have learned that their home-world is known as Earth, located in an – as of yet – undisclosed system. The planet itself has a described atmosphere almost identical to that of Thessia and a very similar mass.
To explore this, additional consideration should be given to the (at least) two other named planets in this system: Venus and Mars. [Team Note I: given the vernacular terminology typically used for naming conventions, we theorize the names are either of royal ruling bodies, or of deities no longer worshipped. These names appeared in two areas of the data packet, see "History: Mythology" for further information.]
Venus appears to be a potentially Class-VII garden world, based on data given by the Alliance and noted for its physically nigh-identical quality to the human home-world Earth. They seem to possess a similar size, mass, proximity to their native star, and composition bulk. However, Venus appears to have a radically different atmospheric composition, rendering it uninhabitable.
Mars on the other hand, appears to have a smaller mass compared to the other two planets, and is a stark contrast to Earth with little to no natural bodies of water. Due to its natural composition, Mars falls under Class-2 for garden worlds with heavy need for terra-forming.
[Team Note II: It is possible that unlike other races that seemed to possess only one habitable planet in their home system, the human's remarkable speed at achieving interstellar travel can be partially attributed to having two garden worlds in their system, a decisive advantage for raw material harvesting.]
Returning to the home world; the humans are suspected to have developed a keen mind for naval tactics through conflicts on Earth – either through small scale skirmishes similar to those reported as occurring shortly after contact with the Hegemony, or through large scale deployment with the various craft we have documented as appearing shortly after the first turian encounter at Relay 314.
The history packet has strong references to three separate global conflicts we believe developed this naval mindset into what we have seen exemplified by Relay 314. Palaven Command seems highly interested in the human's use of a particular vessel, a design experimented upon by the quarians prior to the Geth Uprising.
According to the notes, this curious vessel appears to have been first used approximately two centuries earlier on their home-world. The version seen by Relay 314 is at least 1 kilometer in length, very similar to a typical battle cruiser. From the turians' observations, this design seems to incorporate very little offensive weaponry, but it does possess the full defensive capabilities expected of a battle cruiser class vessel. The key point reported by the turians, is that the vessel itself carries large numbers of multi-role fighters, heavy bombers, and even large quantities of drones.
These strike craft – no larger than thirty meters in length – are launched in large numbers to reinforce their fleets and act as force multipliers. A fleet that possesses the initial advantage without the strike craft would quickly lose that advantage as these strike-craft are deployed from a safe distance. These large ships then act as a refueling, re-arming, and possibly even as light repair stations for larger vessels as well.
This vessel has the logical designation of 'Carrier' by the humans; its applications are astronomical in terms of naval warfare. We theorize that this vessel was first conceived on their home-world before they developed any space capable craft, even exploration shuttles [Note: Second World War is first point of referral].
While inconclusive, this analysis should give a sound theoretical foundation for future potential musings. More information regarding the Alliance's tactics will follow in the next report, along with suggested tactics for effective countermeasures.
~Dr. Adrian Gallus, Chief Scientist, Xeno-cultural studies, Pralague Solutions, Lmtd.
End Report.
"Milesia prep a sky car, we're heading back to the turian embassy," Tevos ordered with new found vigor.
'Time to set plans into motion, before events progress too far for any possible peace,' she thought.
Citadel
Presidium
Hierarchy embassy
Councilor Tevos sat in the sky-car, one hand covering her mouth in thought as she looked out the tinted window. A mass of conflicting emotions mixed within her. Worry, that the Hegemony's actions destroying any possibility of peaceful relations with a space-faring civilization before the Council had a chance was foremost. It was closely followed by a deep anger at the batarians grotesque performance. Her only hope rested on the Alliance being willing to settle on a compromise, and the batarians willing to see reason … variables that compounded each other into hopelessly exponential realms of improbability.
She pursed her lips. 'The humans and raloi are children, compared to the elder races. Their own records testify to that … assuming they did not lie. I true, they have been a space-faring species for only a fraction of the time we have. If only we could get a chance to guide them, help mentor them on how to wield their influence correctly, as we did with the eclor and hanar.' She sighed in frustration, an expression she allowed only in the rarified company present.
"Are you alright, Councilor," Milesia asked with genuine concern. She leaned forward ever so slightly on the seat opposite Tevos, concern in her eyes.
Tevos released a heavy sigh. "I'm not sure what to make of all of this," she replied. "First we thought the Hierarchy was mobilizing for war, only to learn a worse truth." Tevos involuntarily let her worry crack through her voice, momentarily losing her façade. "What if this 'Alliance' wishes to declare war on the Hegemony? Do we stand by our own laws and leave the batarians to fend for themselves like we did with the quarians or do we defend the Hegemony despite their crimes? I just don't know what to do."
"Councilor," Milesia's voice was calm, intent, "I realize that your position puts you in an enormous amount of pressure, but please keep a clear mind. Without it any chance for peace would be destroyed."
Tevos couldn't resist the urge to smile. Her assistant had grown over the decades; no longer the young, wide-eyed neophyte. It had been an excellent choice, allowing her to become an acolyte.
The skycar quickly descended onto the embassy's many landing pads. Through the vehicle's window, Tevos could see outside the main entrance where a significant number of C-Sec patrols still stationed themselves. Not enough to warrant attention by reporters, but enough to leave an impression.
A hissing sound indicated the door of the skycar opening, allowing her to exit. Tevos and Milesia walked along the landing pad to the nearby entrance into the embassy, careful to keep their hands visible; diplomatic incidents had occurred over less cautious individuals. A pair of C-Sec guards stiffened as they approached, offering a salute to the Councilor. The second set of guards opened the door between them, the metallic door sliding easily to allow passage. Tevos strode inside and heard the guards muttering into their comms, no doubt alerting its security of their arrival.
It wasn't long before she was welcomed by a familiar face.
"Councilor Tevos, it's good to see you again," Vidonis said, standing to greet them. "I have standing orders to guide to Councilor Sparatus. Please follow me." He swiveled on his feet and then began to lead the way.
On her way across, Tevos noticed how the Blackwatch guards that were present yesterday had decreased significantly. She also noticed how Vidonis was not posted outside, but further inside where his presence would be less conspicuous. He led Tevos and her aide directly back to the hidden conference that they discovered yesterday.
"Captain, just how long has this conference room been hidden here?" Tevos asked.
"I'm not exactly sure Councilor, but I probably couldn't tell you even if I did." Came the response from Vidonis. "I apologize."
"Do not worry captain," Tevos assured. "I do not hold your actions yesterday against you. After all, each government has its own secrets."
They came to a stop at the end of the hidden corridor again and the door slip open revealing the conference room, and yet another change. Yesterday, it had been filled with high ranking officials from the Hierarchy, and now it was all but vacant. Analysts from both the Hierarchy and the Union now filled the chamber, soft murmurs of their susurration rising and falling. Councilor Sparatus was once again sitting in his chair at the head of the dais, but this time he had Councilor Soliris at his side. Thankfully, the atmosphere was far less tense than the day prior.
Tevos could see Soliris' aide, Valern at a distant table with another turian, discussing something. As she approached, the unknown turian soon became recognizable as Councilor's Sparatus' aide, Quentius. She frowned. Whatever the matter they were discussing, they seemed to be at odds over it.
"Ah Tevos, please come this way." Sparatus beckoned as he shifted his attention from the holographic display to her, and then swiftly back down.
It was the display that caught her eye, the same star chart that she had briefly seen yesterday as she had entered; only this time it wasn't being hidden. She moved alongside Sparatus and Soliris, the latter of which appeared to be speaking into an earpiece. Tevos focused on the system highlighted by the display, noticing its unknown position for the first time. Despite having visited literally hundreds of systems in her time, this one was still unknown.
"Is this their home system?" Tevos asked, looking directly towards Sparatus.
"On the contrary, this is the system that the batarians invaded," Soliris dropped the connection immediately. Tevos wondered briefly how the other side of the conversation appreciated that fact, then put it out of mind. "Both the humans and raloi have been reluctant to share such vital pieces of intelligence, and any data sent between them and the Hierarchy's Second Fleet appears to have been thoroughly swept by the humans. STG has been unable to locate so much as their population number or how they've been able to possess eezo efficient starships." It was clear by the dejected tone in Soliris' voice that she was far from pleased. "Long-distance reconnaissance has failed to penetrate their security, their firewalls are formidable."
"It seems they are quick to learn," Sparatus began, never once taking his eyes off the holo-image. "Any information they withhold would be a major bonus during negotiations, though I suspect the reasons are far more practical."
"What do you mean?" Tevos asked.
"It's clear, even now as we are assisting them with rebuilding their colony and providing security, that they don't trust us. Already they've stationed another fleet in the system, increasing their total to over three hundred ships." Sparatus flicked his mandibles approvingly, "More of their larger-style vessels have arrived. I doubt the Hegemony would be capable of a victory at this point, even without the Second Fleet."
Tevos frowned. "Goddess, do they really need so many? I was under the assumption that Admiral Servius had eased their concerns."
"He did, but …" Sparatus gave a heavy sigh, "I believe that having the codex taught the Alliance that the batarians are part of the Citadel."
"If that was the case," Soliris folded her arms, "then surely it would have been better to have given them a half-complete codex to avoid complications."
"That would only work on the short-run and only give the Alliance more reason to mistrust us." Sparatus's voice dropped into a bitter growl, "As I have said numerous times before, we should have kicked the Hegemony from the Council long ago."
"What's done is done." Tevos switched the subject, "Have there been any latest developments?"
"Yes of course," Soliris replied as she tapped at the haptic interface's control. "We were just beginning to look at this ourselves."
The holographic display seemed to zoom outwards from the human controlled system to view the cluster it inhabited. The display then shifted to highlight regions to where Relay 314 linked, extending the known connections to the next Relay, culminating in a white patch beyond that enveloped considerable territory. The amorphous mass fluctuated at the edges as the VI continually recalculated, assessing known, dormant Relays and the entirety of active Relays.
"Impressive isn't it?" Soliris asked no one. "We can theorize with seventy percent certainty that both the humans and raloi are very new to mass effect physics, a century at most. Given that we have not heard from them before, and we know that the other Relays surrounding this are dormant, this is the maximum possible area they could have taken unmolested since their entrance to the galaxy-at-large."
"It's not as large as any of the Council races' own territory mind you, but it is extraordinary," Sparatus remarked.
Tevos frowned. "From the information I have received, I understand that we have an … introduction, to a new type of vessel do we not?"
"The Carrier vessel yes, but that isn't all!" Soliris exclaimed. Her fingers tapped at the controls in a mad frenzy.
This time the holo-display showed the garden world Humans called 'Shanxi,' with turian fleet signatures resting in defensive formation around the system's Relay. Immediately, hundreds of new signatures began to snap into existence around the planet with two distinct profiles. Several groups of cruiser sized vessels blinked into existence, surrounding the few dreadnoughts at the heart of the alien formation.
'My already possessing three dreadnoughts? Hopefully they do not posses more than associate races are allowed to field.' Tevos thought. The Treaty of Farixen was one of the more formidable sections of Council legislation.
The display stopped, focusing on a particular ship. Its size seemed to be that of a typical heavy frigate within the human formation. However, the algorithms analyzing the ship in the display brought up images, descriptions, and scans of the vessel.
Within seconds Tevos was able to catch an unusual addition to the vessel. "Does that ship …"
"Absolutely," Soliris answered. "The humans apparently named this ship-type the Destroyer and rightly so. What's unique about this vessel class is that, unlike any ship class we use, the Destroyer possesses two mass accelerator cannon!"
'Fascinating, that they have such technological skill.' Tevos was genuinely impressed. Despite their youth, this new civilization had already created two unusual types of vessels.
"This class of human vessels appear to be anywhere between seven and seventy-five meters larger than a frigate, and carries much more mass and weapons." Soliris explained. "It appears to utilize heavier armor and weaponry to take far more damage than anything comparable to its size."
"Indeed," Sparatus keyed a different sequence. A trio of the alien ships froze on the projection. "Unlike standard Citadel doctrine," he began. "The System Alliance uses the Destroyers in packs, similar to how we use our own, smaller, frigates. Given the offensive nature of the human Destroyers, any engagement limited to just our frigates and their destroyers will be a one-sided massacre."
"Hopefully such a thing will not occur." Tevos responded. Despite her calm demeanor, worry grew. The asari navy often used fleets primarily composed of frigates and corvettes, specializing to harass opponents in a hit and run style. If the Systems Alliance possessed a vessel class designed to nullify asari naval doctrine, the Republics would have to develop new strategies. She could begin to see why the batarians had such a hard time waging war on the new races.
"Of course these vessels pale in comparison to their larger cousins." Sparatus mandibles twitched wildly. Whether it was in excitement or worry, Tevos couldn't be sure. The display then automatically shifted to yet another human ship.
The vessel itself looked heavily armored and equal to any dreadnought in existence. The specifications scrolling alongside the digital projection were astonishing, to say the least. The ship itself was labeled 'Battleship' as if it were an archaic bit of hardware from a forgotten age.
She took a moment to read the abbreviated reports hovering silently I the background … which caused her eyes to widen. "I don't believe this," she admitted, looking at Soliris for clarification.
'No one, not even the turians have been able to produce such a heavily armored dreadnought with two main cannons no less. The capabilities of this race only seem to mount higher and higher… are they too dangerous? Is that what they are trying to say?'
Its heavily sculpted armor resembled a thick-sculpted body of ancient gods, while its twin Mass Accelerator cannons highlighted a gargantuan power; if its capabilities matched its appearance, it would be a true menace in space. The firepower of this vessel alone most likely held the power of two standard dreadnoughts, assuming sacrifices to troop carrying capacity were made. Unlike the general plans for dreadnoughts she'd seen, this seemed to be a ship designed solely for naval warfare. It was easy to imagine why Palaven was so keen on getting into the good graces of this government.
"I know, it is impressive," Sparatus stated. "But that is not the only thing." He pointed, "Take note of the Alliance fleet's flagship."
The display changed to show a ship that broke all understanding of Mass Effect principles, attaining a length far larger than any ship ever thought to be possible to build.
'By the goddess … that cannot be possible!'
The vessel under watch of the observing sensor soon began to open large bay doors. As the display narrowed on the super carrier, she eyed what was emerging from the bowels of the large vessel and readily felt a shiver down her spin. Erupting from the ship's underside were entire ships, miniature in number, but enough to give her pause. A small escort consisting of entire corvettes and frigates soon erupted from the super carrier's hull, standing in full glory around their mother ship.
The display continued briefly before it froze, and then restarted from the beginning. Bay doors opened once more, releasing the craft again and again.
Tevos was visibly shaken by what she had just witnessed. A vessel, one so large that it was capable of carrying at least a portion of its own escort. She looked at Sparatus for an explanation.
"We know how you feel Councilor believe me. Palaven Command knows how you feel, which was why we tried establishing relations prior to informing anyone else."
The turian Councilor's reasoning wasn't perfect, but Tevos could understand the desire to keep this information under wraps. Aside from the astonishing discovery of a new civilization, it was one that not only broke Mass Effect physics, but utterly threw out a millennia worth of naval doctrine and merely written their own.
'What has the Hegemony unleashed?' Tevos couldn't comprehend the batarian's logic. They were always miscreants, but at the very least they had demonstrated a highly developed sense of self-preservation. Not once in their entire relationship with the Council Races had they pushed the Hierarchy into war – a delicate balancing act that also showcased Hegemony diplomacy - but now they just might have awakened a sleeping giant.
Tevos looked at her colleagues in despair, centuries worth of experience unable to keep her fear hidden. "We have much work to do."
SSV Bagration
Battleship
Command Deck
With a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and data-pad in the other, Admiral Kastanie Drescher walked onto the bridge. The two marine guards saluted, prompting an acknowledging nod as the bridge doors slid open at her approach.
As she stepped past the threshold, the familiar sounds of the Bagration's command and control center drifted into her ears. Keystrokes on holographic keyboards, the crackle of comm. channels, and the quiet conversations between crewmembers filled the air. She took comfort at the sight of walls bordered by operations terminals, and those that worked them. The central holo-tables and forward view-ports, which gave a clear view into the blackness of space, were operating above expectations. Above all, her beloved Bagration, a next generation battleship named after a famous Russian general of the Napoleonic Wars,had earned yet another set of scars to add to its accolades. This was her element, the place she had most felt at home in years.
Drescher's eyes met with Chief Petty Officer James Pressly, commanding officer of the Bagration's marine complement. His shoulders went back, snapping to attention and raising a crisp salute while the rest of the bridge officers did the same. "Admiral on deck!"
Drescher touched the hand holding the data-pad to her temple and gave an easy smile. "As you were."
She settled into her command chair and took a swig of her coffee. As usual, it was bland and bitter, but the Alliance's stingy pockets couldn't be helped. What did matter though was that the energy from the caffeine started having immediate effect. Setting the drink down the armrest, Drescher began to thumb through her data-pad, checking for any important messages.
The tiny device boosted her spirits too, in its simple existence; such things had been the fodder of gifted writers and far-seeing inventors, solely in the imaginary realm … until recently. She studied the data-pad again, noting its rectangular shape, complemented by the synthetic reading supports. The entire contraption was connected to the Bagration's computer network, sending and receiving information everywhere she desired with just the flick of a wrist.
Scrolling down, she noticed she had received a message from Admiral Spencer. Clicking on it, the message appeared in full detail.
From: Admiral Michael Spencer
To: Admiral Kastanie Drescher
Subject: Re-assignment.
Greetings Admiral Drescher,
Now that we have established semi-relations with the turians, I have received authorization from Arcturus for contingencies. In short, you have been selected to accompany the Alliance delegates to the Citadel. Based on your stellar record, it is my belief that you are the best choice to represent humanity on the galactic stage.
This is a prestigious opportunity; we must ensure mankind establishes good relations while making our case known to the Council. Demonstrate the best our race has to offer, but do not let the Council neglect justice for the vicious attack on Shanxi.
Your ship VI will have all the necessary information you need for this assignment. You should also be aware that General Williams has assigned the delegates a security team, a distinguished N7 team that has proven itself on Shanxi.
Sincerely,
Admiral Spencer. Commanding Officer, Fifth Fleet.
The moment Drescher finished reading the message she struggled to hold back her irritation. Holding the bridge of her nose helped, aiding her to focus on simply breathing. What Admiral Spencer had so eloquently said could be translated in simpler terms: the diplomats, and their rivalries, were her responsibility now.
She sighed, and then opened her eyes, letting both hands fall in place. The officers, as good crew did, had already perceived her distress and stood ready. She managed a half-smile for them. "I've just received our new orders from Admiral Spencer himself." She took another fortifying another sip of bitter courage. "We've been … fortunate enough … to have been chosen to babysit the politicians as they make their case to the Council." Her eyes made contact with each officer in turn. "I want the ship top notch for when we leave. Make it so."
The officers barely gave enough of a salute to count before scattering, like a flock of sparrows before a hawk's arrival. Drescher brought up her ship's VI and began scrolling through the data. To her pleasant surprise, she learned that both a destroyer and corvette complement would be acting as escorts.
'At least the brass isn't taking any unnecessary risks,' she thought. The turian codex appeared on her tool, in all of its imposing girth. 'Now to do my own due-diligence.' The thought was distasteful; she'd enrolled as a military leader, not a sociologist. Still, as she had with every other assignment before her, she threw herself into the preparations.
Lieutenant Holms, the comms officer, swiveled in her chair so that she was facing the admiral. "Ma'am, a shuttle is requesting docking clearance with the Bagration. Its carrying N7 marines."
"Authorized," Drescher ordered. "Once they dock, send the marines to the bridge ready-room. I want to brief them in person. Any update on the delegates?"
"Arcturus forwarded their flight plan; the Campoformio departed four hours ago."
The remaining minutes passed quickly and in relative silence with the bride crew waiting for their guest's arrival. The bridge did not have wait for long, the N7 marines wasting little time in reaching the bridge.
Drescher stood up from her chair and made her way over to the marines.
"Admiral, Alpha squad reporting for duty." The entire N7 team snapped to attention. It was somewhat eerie, how the marines were not fully visible in the darkened room. The low-level lighting combined with their jet black armor gave them an almost ghostly appearance, like the wrath of hidden terrors just waiting for a moment's distraction.
It wasn't the result of idle speculation either. Drescher had read up on the group's exploits. The N7 marines were veterans of Shanxi; reports told how sixty of them had infiltrated and obliterated an enemy corvette, despite heavy losses. Their combat record indicated they were deployed across multiple fronts, fighting in every hot-spot on the center eastern sea-board. General Williams' trust in them was easily understandable.
"At ease," the admiral said, reaching for the holographic table and motioning to the others to get closer. "I've received this from the Admiralty." She pointed to the hologram of the message. "It seems that the Alliance and the Confederacy have been invited to the Citadel to formally present ourselves regarding the war for Shanxi."
"It smells like a trap," Stenzke commented, crossing her arms. After everything humanity had faced in the past few weeks, Drescher thought it an understandable viewpoint.
"Which is why the Bagration, along with a destroyer and corvette escort, has been ordered to travel to the Citadel with the delegates. The Alliance brass isn't taking any risks, but we'll be on high alert and on our own if anything happens." She didn't feel the need to lie to her soldiers. They were being in put in a vulnerable position. "Besides if the worst happens, we wouldn't lose too much. Just a few ships and some boring politicians, so much the better for the galaxy."
Stenzke visibly suppressed an urge to laugh. "On that we can agree, ma'am."
On the other hand, Bellec carefully read a copy of the message displayed in its original language. His eyes flickered, apparently trying to decipher the linguistics. It was unneeded but some people had taken an interest in such a thing. "What do we really know of the Citadel and their species?" he asked.
Drescher brought up the data her ship's VI received from Spencer. "Basically what we have recovered from some batarian ships and what the turians have partially shared with us. It's called the Codex, apparently it contains information about each system, portal, living species in the Council Space region ... in short, it seems to be a sort of huge galactic encyclopedia."
"I bet that scientists would give anything to possess this level of information," Velasquez said. As an engineer she would naturally be attracted new information. "Do we have any way of confirming the data?"
Drescher shook her head. "No, at least not all of it. Bits and pieces we've managed to confirm through our own efforts, but for the majority of the data we'll just have to assume they are telling us the truth.
"Assumptions often lead to unexpected realities," Frost stated. He stood still, arms folded in the classic sniper's stand-offish body language. "Besides its likely they are giving us a biased perspective."
"Evidently, but it would be no more biased than the batarian's version, and we have no reason to trust them at all." Just by their conversation Drescher could tell that this team was indeed special.
"And what of this 'Citadel'? Do we know anything about it?" Hower asked. Drescher nodded approvingly; information on the terrain was just as useful as information on the enemy.
"The Citadel is a colossal deep-space station that apparently serves as the capital of the Council. It is nearly forty-five kilometers long and thirteen kilometers in diameter with a gravitational pull similar to Earth's while some areas have lighter standard G's. Overall, I suspect the conditions would be suitable for humans."
"Intriguing, that is fifteen times larger than Arcturus. I wonder how they've managed to built such a large station?" Velasquez muttered. She had a point; Arcturus had taken twenty years to complete and the Citadel most likely took even longer to construct.
"The codex claims it was created by the Protheans, but it seems that they don't even know everything about the station. There is no mention of when it was built, how, or why it was discarded. Nevertheless, it's thanks to the Protheans we've got mass effect technology and I am sure they had good reasons for abandoning the station." In her military career, Drecher had seen armies abandoned perfect fortifications and defenses in times of war, taking the time bought to regroup and reconsolidate their strengths. It's most likely that the Protheans had decided that such a station was not worth the effort to keep.
"What about the other species we will be encountering?" Frost asked, changing the subject.
"Well it's nice to see that you are excited to take your cultural class, gunnery sergeant." Drescher opened the codex, revealing its contents. Eight pictures of different species replaced the message, each one more unique than the last. Two were easily identified as turians and batarians, but the rest were unknown.
"Hell. There are lots of them," Stenzke said, surprise evident in her tone.
"And each is vastly different, from their cultures to their system of governing," Drescher added, selecting one species that had a blue tone on their skin. "We have some information on them, but we must still be careful to avoid unintentionally insulting them. Let's start off shall we."
The admiral spent the next half hour demonstrating the fruits of her labors, teaching the N7 team about as many details she could find relating to the rest of the galaxy's races.
Once finished the admiral paused for breath and walked over to a small bar attached to the wall of the ready-room. Small plastic cups rotate into position she approached. She poured a glass of water and drank it slowly, leaving time to the N7s to assimilate the information they had just received.
After a few minutes, Hower broke the silence. "So what is the plan, ma'am?"
"I don't know about the raloi, but the Prime Minister has agreed to send diplomats. Even as we speak, Alliance and superpower shuttles are en route, loaded with representatives and their entourage. It will be up to us to provide protection and transport."
Hower was about to inquire further, but was cuff off by the communications officer.
"Admiral, Relay build-up detected. Ship dropping out of FTL, just under 300,000 kilometers away from the Fifth Fleet. IFF is painting the ship as the SSV Campoformio."
"That must be the delegates," Drescher said, activating her omni-tool and directing the comms officer to transmit orders to the ship. "Lieutenant, please direct them to the appropriate hangar."
"Of course admiral."
It was understood that battleships never had enough cargo space in comparison to carriers. However, they did have sufficient space to house a single corvette, if not an entire accompanying escort. With the Bagration's previously assigned corvette conducting relief efforts over Shanxi, there was no issue finding an area large enough for the diplomatic ship to use.
Drescher turned her attention back to the marines. "Now if any of you don't have any questions, you are dismissed. Feel free to enjoy any of my ships' recreation centers. I understand deck C has just upgraded its squash-ball court, if you are interested."
"Of course, ma'am. Thank you ma'am." Hower turned and headed for the room's exit, his team close behind.
Once the soldiers had left, the admiral took off her hat and wiped away the sweat with back of her hand, already feeling the signs of stress. It was indeed a crucial moment for humanity ... and she was glad the decision was not left to her. For what the turian's had allowed their allies to do, Drescher wanted vengeance, to turn the massive guns of her behemoth on a target inflicting as much damage as Shanxi had suffered. But she was equally against causing harm to people that honestly had no part in the rape of the colony. The wrong move would see war between the superpowers and this Council … unless it were handled correctly. Once again she gave thanks she did not make the ultimate decisions.
"May God watch over us," Drescher whispered, fitting her hat once again.
SSV Campoformio
Diplomatic ship
Second Deck
Anita Goyle, xeno-ambassador for the Alliance, made her entry onto the second deck. The title was almost a technicality; she was the only one with experience in extra-terrestrial negotiations. After successfully brokering an alliance with the raloi, she was considered to be the obvious candidate for representing the Alliance. Arcturus seemed to believe she could repeat the same performance on a galactic scale. The pressure was nerve-racking, yet Goyle did her best to stay calm.
Although past fifty years had been stressful, Goyle had done her best to stay in shape. Her appearance magnetized the eyes of many men, sometimes a bit too clearly. A lesser woman would have been hurt by such behavior but many others, including her, would feel pride in still being able to make heads turn at her age. It was also true that the technological advances achieved in the last century had enabled humans to live longer, almost to a hundred and fifty. Even if physical capabilities didn't decrease with age, the appearance certainly did, and it wasn't uncommon to visit special surgeons to extend one's apparent youth.
She made her way to the briefing room to meet with her colleagues, ambassadors from the Big Four. Ideally, the Alliance parliament had wanted to just send Goyle as a single representative from mankind, but after the Big Four had threaten to withdraw from the Alliance and discontinue funding, the Prime Minister had allowed each super power to send their own delegates. Many parliament members feared that such a choice would reveal humanity to be fractured, but others argued that such a fear would inevitably become a reality, if the Big Four withdrew from the Alliance.
Even before she had entered the briefing hall, Goyle could already hear the bickering. It seemed even reinforced walls couldn't block out their noise. The doors to the room opened with a hiss as she stepped through it.
"…given the information from the codex, confronting them on their hypocrisy is the only way to kneecap any excuse or counter-argument they may have," The UNAS diplomat stated. His name floated to the forefront of Goyle's mind; one David Bowers, a relatively young man with black hair and blue eyes. He was very popular among the UNAS political arena and would often point out the flaws of his opponents' positions prior to explaining the positives of his own. A natural politician indeed.
"Doing so would alienate any support the Council may be willing to provide," Countered the E.F's ambassador. Natalie Perreau was of French origin, and could communicate her views perfectly in four separate languages. Her brunette hair, which hung off her shoulders in lavish waves, matched the color of her eyes. Unlike her North American colleague, Perreau seemed more inclined to being more cooperative with the Citadel Council. While she had many disagreements with the choices the Council had made in the past, she felt every government she knew of would have acted in a similar fashion had they've been put in the same situation.
"That is built on the assumption that they will give us any support." Bowers crossed is arms in disagreement. "Not to mention that apparently the batarians have been a part of the Citadel for over three centuries." He shook his head in disbelief. "We don't have many cards to play so it'd be better if we stacked the deck in our favor."
"Not to mention the lack of leverage we have over these new races," The stoic Burmese ambassador added as he stared out of a nearby window with his arms crossed behind his back. Wei Hun was a natural observer, proficient in reading body language. His position allowed the scars Shanxi had suffered, where hundreds of thousands of his own people now lay dead, to be clearly visible. The others knew he kept a façade as a means to avoid drowning in sorrow. Hun had taken the assault on Shanxi the worst, openly weeping in front of others as he read the atrocities committed. "Economics, military capability, and even industrial capacity are all areas in which we are outmatched. We need to make preparations, bid our time, segregate alien influence, and maintain sovereignty."
Goyle understood his position. The New Chinese Republic had still retained its status as a communist country, despite their free market based economy. The government had heavy control and placed high priority on protectionism. They usually resisted any free-trade deals given their already modernized nation.
"Do not forget, it was through our combined forces that we held Shanxi," Vsevelod Kapalkin responded. He was the most senior of the diplomats, and had a sliver tongue not commonly found among the Russian Council of Ministers. His position often collided with that of the military, more so in current times considering their desire for vengeance; Goyle had heard it to be an almost legendary showdown, culminating in Kapalkin making it exceedingly clear he would sue for peace. She knew, however, that despite the differences of opinion, both parties respected each other greatly; neither could adequately protect the Mother Land without the other. However, it was more likely the whole thing was part of some master plan orchestrated by the SGB itself. One could never be too careful with dealing with the Russian military.
Goyle frowned, pondering the point. The SGB were infamous for never leaving a job half-finished. If Kapalkin was being allowed to sue for peace, it was solely because the military found it easier to keep their retaliation against the batarian off-record, maintaining deniability. Such a thing only occurred when said retaliation would be incredibly severe. She almost felt sorry for the batarians … but resolved to keep a very carefully blind eye towards Russian activities in certain regions.
She sighed, breaking into the discussion. "With respect to you all, I believe none of this is helping. We are nearing perhaps the most crucial moment in human history; and time is running short. We need to work on our own game plan before we proceed."
All four diplomats ceased their bickering momentarily and faced Goyle. She strode up to them, acknowledging their attention graciously. She looked the part, and knew it; she had been very deliberate while choosing her formal attire. She looked immaculate, hair brushed to a brilliant sheen, uniform crisply pressed and black dress shoes polished to a gleam. As all the attention was on her, Goyle walked to the center of the room.
"If we're going to establish any type of positive image, we need to present a strong, unified front to this Council. We cannot have each other arguing over how to best resolve the issue in front of them. It makes us look fractured and vulnerable, which is something we absolutely cannot afford. I know you all have your differences, but we need to treat this as an open war; that we protect each other with our lives. The more we all look like perfect allies, the better." Goyle spoke firmly, demanding respect with every sentence. She held her gaze on them until they began assenting. Kapalkin, surprisingly, was the first to concede her point.
"Agreed." he growled. "Goodwill – if they are sincere about it – is an excellent start. But, that will last only so long. A united front will be critical."
The more cynical would have judged his statement as opportunistic, but Goyle knew better. The situation was desperate, like no other in human history. The Second World War had ended with a desperate strike of nuclear fire; the Third had blown past that petty concern in spades. The following conflicts had been less dangerous, to a certain extent, but right here, right now, they were facing extinction on a galactic scale. Facts like that tended to shock people into sobriety, no matter their drug of choice.
"Very good," she managed to keep a dignified tone. What she wanted to do was jump up and down screaming in happiness, but that would hardly benefit the decorum bought so dearly. "Computer, what is our ETA until we dock with the Bagration?"
"Onboard delegates: docking procedures have been authorized and are commencing," The ship's VI mechanical voice echoed through the halls. Matching its words came a slight vibration, as the ship came into contact with the Bagration.
"If there are no further questions, I suggest we prepare for departure. We wouldn't want to keep the Council waiting now would we?" Goyle walked out of the room, hearing only a moment's hesitation before the rest joined her. All five of humanity's delegates moved forward, with her at the head of a wedge formation. Once final preparations had been made, the Bagration would make way for the Citadel along with its escorts ... and then, the difficulties would begin.
Trivia:
1. The Council POV for this chapter was again heavily inspired by 'Mass Effect: Invictus.' I know some of you may have issues with this, but this is my way of paying homage to such a great story that isn't finished. That story was one of many that inspired me to write this story and I felt it served as a perfect continuation to the arch. Again many similarities and differences are noticeable in this story.
2. We also see more council thoughts on humanity, especially regarding their vessels. That said, the Republics have something truly to fear. The SA destroyer is capable of obliterating the asari frigate-based fleets when compared to firepower.
For those of you who want an exact comparison, check out Chronicles of a New Age for more, but I will give a brief summary. While the SA's destroyers are created to content with enemy frigates, they simply do have enough to combat the nearly 20,000 frigates and and corvettes the Asari Republic have, which is more than the destroyers of the SA can hope to defeat. The SA maintained less than a thousand, which shows you how numerically they are outmatched by the asari fleets. They largely cancel each other out, but you can see why both sides would be reluctant to wage war.
3. In this chapter, we also get to see another canon character getting an expanded role: Kastanie Drescher and we see how she is conflicted about the whole incident, but is professional enough to have a clear head. I want to show you guys how everyone in this war is human from the top all way to the grunt.
Also as to why she was chosen to escort the delegates and not Spencer was because Spencer is a high ranking official, he is needed to secure Shanxi in even the most remote possibility of there being a counter-attack and he is simply too valuable to risk going to the Citadel if it indeed is a trap.
4. For those of you who are Gears of War fans, you get to see a little reference. Squash-ball is a sport in this fic that is heavily inspired by Thrash-ball
5. We also have a bit of foreshadowing, what are the SGB military really up to? And what are they really planning?
6. There was actually like 3k worth of extra content regarding the ambassadors' plans or strategy for their negotiations. Unfortunately we felt like it gave away too much so we decided to cut it. Fear not for that means you shall receive extra surprises during the negotiations chapter.