Oh fuck! It's the Council! *click, hang up*
Meridian Place, Presidium Commons, Upper Ring, Presidium, Citadel, Widow System, Serpent Nebula, June 30, 2183
Author's Note: Welcome to the Citadel. *MY* Citadel. No, you're not stuck on some lack-of-sense map (ME1), or a single Block (ME2). I've expanded. I grew. I even made a map on MSPaint and added about a hundred locations for fun while researching locations on MEwikia, MEFFwikia, CDNwikia, and a few other places to flesh it out.
The Cit isn't a station; it's the center of the known universe.
You're welcome.
Captain Jane Catherine Shepard (SAN, N7, OST) exited the turbolift to find herself at one of the busier markets, one that she recognized going to when she was a teenager with her Aunt Ellen. Beside her was freshly-promoted Petty Officer (Second Class) Sara Elaine Ryder, the young woman smiling at the sight of 'home'. Meridian Place was a popular destination for those who lived on the Presidium Rings, especially for those who could afford to live on the Upper Ring, like the Ryder's had. When Jannie was younger, whenever Mom had to ship-out on deployments, she would live with Aunt Ellen and Uncle Alec, who were stationed on the Cit thanks to Captain Alec Clancy Ryder's job in the Human Embassy's Diplomatic Security Services. When the twins were born, the tradition still continued, Jannie getting a pair of somewhat-siblings in return. The redhead remembered taking little Sara and Scott Ryder to such markets as Meridian Place when they were children, holding their hands and looking at the shops and stores.
Those were fond memories of hers.
"Hasn't changed a bit." Sara commented, her grin practically plastered upon her face as she followed Jannie down the well-lit open-air corridor of Meridian Place, the walls adorned with lightboard advertisements, some trigraphic holograph trideos that seemed to pop out, others merely scrolled images of products and entertainment purposes, ranging from everything from crest gel to sports vessels. Jannie saw one advertisement for LightSpeed, an energy drink. Some of the others considered caffeine the greatest Human contribution to the greater galaxy. Not tech, not innovations, not music, art, science, or philosophy. A fucking bean.
"Didn't get to enjoy it too much last time I was here." Shepard admitted, remembering that Godawful week. Returning from Eden Prime with a constant blinding migraine, dealing with politics, running an investigation that was sadly well too over her head? Jannie had spent every day gathering clues to get Saren's SPECTRE status revoked, to turn the darling boy of the Council of Law into a public monster. It had required her to step outside her comfort zone, asking for the help of others, collecting beings who saw things in the same light she did; that Saren and the Geth were a threat that needed to recognized and actioned upon. Detective Garrus Vakarian had been the biggest boon, being the Investigator-In-Charge initially towards the events on Eden Prime, having clues and leads that ended up garnering Shepard with the evidence she needed, having to verify and prove it to be genuine before going to the Three to have their little shit of a Turian exposed for the motherfucker that he was.
Nihlus' last words from the spaceport still played in her dreams, haunting her.
Now she was set to meet a male that was likely seen as a brother.
They continued down through the corridor and into the open-air atrium of Meridian Place, where the Iolla Water Gardens could be seen over the balconies, the Thessian-oriented meditative gardens with its Serrice-imported beach sand paths and Elcor Unity Statue in the center a popular destination for those with a botanical taste, a view that was worth seeing more than once. Jannie had taken the twins on the stroll when they were younger, Sara elated while Scott was bored looking at flowers, but the memory of it still came to Jannie as she made her way to her scheduled appointment at the Apollo Cafe.
Sitting at one of the open-aired tables was a heavily armored male Turian, the color scheme black framed with red borders and underpanelling.
"That's him." Ryder said softly, her blue eyes finding the one out-of-place sapient within the Cafe, certainly no one else wearing such sophisticated and specially-authorized gear as the SPECTRE MasterGear Armor, said to be made of materials not accessible to the public or even normal manufacturers. As Jannie understood it, the armor was a masterpiece in its own right, a high percentage of it steeped in rare earths and exotic ceramics, blended together in a fashion that required sophisticated armor forge equipment and programs that were specifically written for the user. Rumor was that each SPECTRE had unique armor, custom-fitted and personally-modified to both taste and performance. Honestly, the redhead could completely believe it, having adapted her own armor to suit her needs. The Turian was sitting alone in the Cafe's foyer, and there was an obvious ring of seclusion around him, an unspoken respect of authority and nervousness amongst the citizens nearby. No one dared to approach or garner the attention of the Turian SPECTRE. No one. "Should we Chirp him first or just… surprise visit the Council Agent?" Sara had a twisted smile upon her face, in a good mood.
"Technically, we're co-workers. And he invited us." Jannie surprised, though she understood Sara's worry. As a Galactic Citizen, Sara Ryder was expected to know and obey CitLaw, and there were certain customs involving governmental authorities. Especially that of a SPECTRE. One didn't just approach a SPECTRE, and one never, ever denied a SPECTRE anything they required. Anyone visiting the Citadel (legally) went through a brief on the laws and rules, and that was one of the first ones covered. Jannie walked forward, piercing that invisible bubble first as she approached the table that the SPECTRE sat at, taking a chair across from him, selecting 'Asari' as an orientation for her Human posture. The chair inflated with OmniGel in its cushions for lumbar support and leg configuration for a plantigrade sentient with an Asari/Human/Batarian/Drell/Quarian-styled upper torso. Shepard sat across from the Turian, his hazel ovaloid eyes upon her as she studied his features; dark chocolate plates and white colonial markings depicting the Niminies Colony of Trebin. His mandibles barely twitched at the sight of her in her Alliance Dress Uniform, the talons of his right hand wrapped around a drinking receptacle meant for Turian mouths. She couldn't see his left, probably wrapped around the grip of a pistol.
"Agent Rix." Jannie began simply, remembering some of that brief about SPECTREs from back when she was a kid. Technically, she didn't have to follow it to the letter, being a Council Agent herself. Unfortunately, she didn't know anything else. Really, she didn't know anything at all.
"Agent Shepard." The Turian's flanged, duel-toned voice spoke, nodding his fringed head once in acknowledgment. "You can have your friend join us. A Second is a good thing to have, especially for a beginning Agent." Avitus hadn't even looked behind him to see Sara standing a comfortable distance away, standing Shylock. The redhead beckoned her over with a glance, and Ryder reluctantly joined, a lifetime of rules about Council Agents being pushed to the side as she took to a seat as well. "It is good to see you once more, Sara daughter of Alec. It has been some years, but it good to see that you have found a place worthy of you in this galaxy, Sara Ryder."
"You have my thanks, Agent." The younger woman replied dutifully, nodding her head in acceptance.
"I have invited you to fulfill the obligations that Nihlus would have seen to." Council Agent Avitus Rix informed her, pulling from his lap a small box, contained and sealed. "Inside will be some basic equipment and instructions for you, as well as SPECTRE Access Codes and directions to some of our stores and safehouses should you require them. The main article of choice will be your MasterGear OmniTool, biometrically linked to your… DNA is the term?" Jannie nodded, her mouth going a little dry at such a sophisticated security protocol. Even N's didn't have that level of sophistication. "On it will be many files for you to peruse at your discretion and convenience, helping you in your endeavors for the Office of Special Tactics."
"Do I need a mentor?" Shepard asked, a little unsure. "I got the impression that Nihlus would be holding my hand until at least my induction, teaching me the things I need to know."
"That is true… but that time has come and gone, unfortunately." Rix replied, his tone subdued. "With Saren's actions, my involvement must remain… limited, both for your sakes and my own. I don't want there to be any political backlash that will hamper your investigation or mission, and… it is best I distance myself due to my association with my mentor." Shepard wasn't exactly pleased to hear that, but she at least understood that the Turian was doing his best to give her as little obstacles as possible. If the Systems Alliance or the Human public thought she was being taught by one of Saren's proteges? There would certainly be some political fallout. As Avitus said, she couldn't afford any obstacles. Well, more than what she already had. "The contents of this box will help you set up your network and give you what you need for the upcoming months. As I said, there will be instructions that are the accumulation of what a mentor would teach his protege, though sadly it is mere words instead of parting experience and wisdom. I'm afraid it is the best… I am allowed to do, and beyond that."
"Vrack." Sara muttered, obviously getting the implication that Jannie herself realized. There was only one organization that could approve/disprove of a SPECTRE's actions. Someone had limited Avitus Rix from helping Jane Shepard, and he had exceeded that authority.
"I do have one question, sister." Rix spoke again, looking towards the Iolla Water Gardens that were behind Shepard, looking… nostalgic. "How did my brother die? Reports are mere words. I want to know."
"It will be a hard thing for you to hear, Avitus. It was hard for me to witness, and I only knew Kryik for a week at best." Jannie replied softly, doing her best to prepare the Agent for the tale on the demise of a man he just called brother and completely meant it. Jannie looked to Sara, and the younger woman got the unspoken message, stepping away for a moment. The N7 looked to the SPECTRE, guessing that Rix was likely former Blackwatch, possibly even a 314 Vet. Shepard respected N's above others, but acknowledge that dedication in other species, Special Forces-qualified personnel that pushed themselves above and beyond the normal rank-and-file. "He didn't go well, not as he deserved."
"I still want to know."
"Okay." Jannie sighed, brushing back her hair with a hand out of nervousness. "We landed on Eden Prime after receiving the emergency beacon set up by the 2-12 Infantry. Nihlus dropped off first to recon the situation while I was tasked with retrieval of the Beacon. We learned later on that the assailants were Geth, and we only had sparse radio contact with Kryik, feeding each other updates but nothing else. About an hour or so in… I found his body." Jannie could still see it in her mind's eye, a hard way to go. "Nihlus… Nihlus was still alive when we reached him, we must have been mere moments behind." She could remember seeing the wound, the gunshot to the back of the skull, blowing off a portion of the top of his skull and taking a fraction of his faceplates off. When she had flipped him over to check for a pulse she knew she wouldn't find, he had gurgled to life. "He had… words. God, I could see in his remaining eye that he knew he was going to die, but he named his killer to me." Rix's mandibles twitched quickly and violently, but only once. "He was betrayed and shot in the back of the head by a man he trusted, a man he called brother and mentor. That… that I saw in his eye, Avitus. That look of… soul-crushing hurt." Jannie just shook her head, wishing she could shake the memory. "I promised that I would find him and kill him, Rix. And I aim to be a woman of my word."
"Saren… hates Humanity." Avitus spoke softly, looking disturbed. "He had three proteges, and only Nihlus was not a Vet of the Incident. We… all shared the same sentiment; a disdain for your species. I suspect that was a contributing factor for his search for SPECTRES, all of us Turians with a grudge against Human Beings. I would go against Council edict to aid you to right the wrong that Saren has committed, as it is written in the Book of Valluvius, but… I fear that recusing myself would give you better aid than including myself."
"I get that. I'm not exactly a fan of Turians, though I am trying." Shepard nodded. Avitus had a huge conflict-of-interest, knowing his personal view was aligned with Saren's', if not the action. He feared his actions would taint her efforts. She understood. "Nihlus didn't like Humans? I wouldn't have guessed. When he selected me, he told me he didn't care what species I was. He was more interested in what I could do for my species, to lead the way towards a better future for Humanity."
"Yes, that sounds like Nihlus. A fit remembrance for the male I knew." The Turian nodded his head. "He selected well, sister. He did not pick you based upon Turian values or what the galaxy would want. He picked you because he saw a path to a better tomorrow, one worth fighting for and dying for. Saren may have selected him for his views on Humanity at the time, but Nihlus… matured. In that, he was better than the rest of us."
"You said that Saren had three proteges? Where's the third?"
"Tibevius Victonius." Avitus Rix's mandibles quivered slightly. "I… do not know. And that disturbs me."
"With him?" Jannie wasn't accusing, but it seemed a likely scenario.
"It's a possibility, and a strong one at that." The Turian gave off a heavy sigh. "Saren didn't get to be the best taking foolish chances. He is Academy-educated, very intelligent, very cunning, and creates scenarios to drag his enemies into meeting him on his terms. Having a SPECTRE or two still in the Office of Special Tactics to feed him updates is an all-too real possibility, I'm afraid. The Council has deemed this Saren affair your responsibility and your responsibility alone. If another identifies themselves as a SPECTRE sent to assist you?
"Kill them. Immediately."
There was a nice comet of ice in Shepard's guts with that.
"Your Second? You trust her?" Avitus asked.
"Absolutely. I owe her my life. Twice, actually." Jannie replied immediately, looking to the standing form of Sara Ryder, giving it a smile as she stood sentinel, her eyes everywhere. "Known her since the day she was born. And… she's the best there is at what she does."
"I remember hearing of the young Human hatchling on a Skybulance, learning later on that she was the Angel of Illyeria. Academy Alumni, yes?" Jannie could only nod. "Good. She is a wise selection. A SPECTRE's Second is allowed near-total access, expected to continue on if an Agent cannot, knowing the mission and having access to the same weaponry and equipment. She cannot use SPECTRE Access Codes, but almost everything else is authorized. I have listed what is allowed, along with the necessary licenses and authorizations for the both of you to be armed and armored on the Citadel. That should be your first course of action, sister. You are likely a hunted woman."
"Yeah, I certainly got that impression." There had already been a couple attempts on her life during her investigation of Saren. She doubted that would stop with his SPECTRE status revoked. "I'll see to that first."
"I wish you luck, Agent Shepard. Believe me, you're going to need to stockpile as much of it as you can against the Bloody Talon."
Petty Officer Sara Ryder exited the Citadel Public Transit Authority X3M Contragravity Rental Vessel after parking in the CPTA Lot, disembarking from the pilots' seat after paying the Creds for her end-of-use agreement with the short-term rental, glad that her CitPL was still good. It was certainly more expedient to be able to fly to her actual destination instead of going to one of the Common CPTA Lots and having to walk anywhere from a kilometer to five to get where she needed. The gullwing doors closed behind her two passengers, Tali'Zorah nar Reyya and Niki'Raan nar Tombay exiting as well as both Quarian Pilgrims more than agreed to come to the appointment that Sara had set up with the Lady of the Chamber. Having arrived in the Regency District, where the Embassies were located, not to mention the Tower Access Turbolift that shuttled those authorized towards the Citadel Tower, where the Judiciary Circuit, the Chamber of Governance, and the Council of Law. Anyone that was anyone in galactic politics and business wanted to be seen in the Regency District, to do business in the Regency District. One simply just walk on one of the most prestigious paths in the shadows of the mighty a pauper, after all.
Sara was currently wearing a Human-oriented business robe designed for a female, one of taste and expense. The Quarians she had to make do by decon'ing and deep-cleaning their EnviroSuits, having them polish and 'beautifying' their components and parts to an acceptable level. Thankfully, the suggestion had gone over well at the thought of them being presentable for the Lady Eloa'Varis. Well, that didn't hurt, either.
"Stay close." Ryder told the Pilgrims, probably unnecessarily, but she looked to their visors to make sure they understood. "Quarians are a very rare sight in the Regency District, and Humans aren't seen much more, either. Best behavior, C-SEC doesn't vrack around, and their sick-sticks are faster than our explanations. Understand me?" Both helmets nodded quickly and efficiently. Sara rather liked the Quarians, and she would see to it that they were looked after. "Alright, let's go make our appointment." The Corpsman led them from the CPTA Lot and onto the expansive inner-tract boulevard of the Regency District, lined on one side with representatives of governments, mega-corporations, and institutions. Sara felt like she was home, wearing a robe instead of a uniform, walking the streets of her youth, seeing the familiar signs and sights of the Cit. The boulevard was populated with a variety of species, those traveling to and from the Regency District and is sites, the well-dressed and very well-to-do visiting the District for business or pleasure.
There was the Emporium ran by Opold, with an even dozen kiosks of businesses that vied for those dozen slots for the high-end business and investment purposes. Next to it was the Irune Financial Corporation, the largest banking institution in the galaxy, with a glittering neon tri-dimensional holographic projection of its logo. Further down was the Forum, the hub of the Galactic Stock Exchange, where traders and brokers bid and traded upon anything from stock, information, mineral rights, colonization investments, exchange rates, and futures. In front of it was a Starbuck's Kiosk, serving caffeine in both levo and dextro-chiliary, everything from coffee-oriented drinks to soda beverages. Humanity's galactic contribution, Sara thought with a snort. The line of businesses not only went down the length of the District, but upward as well, the first five levels devoted to commercial businesses, while the next twenty-five levels represented the most expensive real estate in the known galaxy, each domicile a palatal penthouse, many of them timeshares for some of the wealthier families, clans, and businesses that could afford their luxurious accommodations. Lightboards and sonic advertisements assailed the senses as light ribbons played above the walkways, streamers meant to attract attention of the consumer towards specific businesses while statistically-proved Muzak played sub-harmoniously to promote the purchasing of goods.
It was quite literally the very heart of galactic civilization, the center of the known universe.
Sara led the Pilgrims to an arching high-rise where an interior arcade dominated the lower floor, a variety of businesses and representative kiosks arrayed along the interior much like an Earth Bazaar, where one could find salespersons from almost every species there waiting and willing to serve. Sara merely walked by the businesses, coolly ignoring the questions and inquiries of the Asari, Salarian, Turian, Human, and even a Krogan shopkeeper as she led the Quarians towards the main entrance set deep within the building. Sara opened the entrance door for the Quarians, letting them inside as she followed in afterwards to see an exquisite lobby she hadn't seen in two years, manned by a Drell attendant and an Asari maitre'd; the Drell was new, the Maiden not.
"Good Light, Seras Ryder." The Maiden said upon Sara's entrance, her tone perfectly joyful as she bowed to an appropriate degree. "The Lady has informed that you would be arriving with guest, and wishes for you to meet with her at your earliest convenience."
"Thank you, Seras Vayena." Sara bowed in return, knowing the proper etiquette for the Asari, having known the Maiden for years. "May you walk with the Goddess's grace." Sara moved through the small yet opulent lobby, passing by reliefs and caryatid statuses of Athame supporting the roof above them to reach the turbolift bay where half-a-dozen transporters were available. Sara smiled as she went to the last one, pressing the palm of her hand upon the biometric reader, letting it scan her DNA. The scanner chimed its acceptance as the turbolift door opened and Sara let the Pilgrims in first, entering afterwards to let the doors slide shut while Sara imputed the top floor as the destination.
"Now I must warn you," Ryder began, looking to the Quarians, who were practically bouncing on their toes in excitement, "Lady Varis is very well-protected and guarded with extreme prejudice. The Twins are literally the scariest people I've ever met in my life." That was putting it mildly. Rahe and Jora'Tarrem were a rarity amongst Quarians; fraternal twins, much like herself and Scott. Supposedly, after their Pilgrimage, they had begun crafting mechanical advancements on their suits and had been selected to protect the most important person in their entire species, impressing the Migrant Fleet Admiralty Board. After having seen them and their many weapons and defenses, Sara completely agreed. "Not only are they Migrant Fleet Marines, but they are Tech Warriors of the Special Vessel Services, augmented with ExoSuits, weapons, defenses… you name it. I think they're pretty awesome."
"Is that why you are carrying… gift bags?" Niki asked, seeing the two small parcels in Sara's hands, OmniGel-crafted gift bags containing items inside.
"They protect my friend, the least I could do would be to give them something to help them." The Corpsman reasoned as the turbolift reached the thirtieth floor of the high-rise, the entirety of it owned by the Lady of the Chamber. It was her manse, her place of business, where the fate of the Quarian Nation was upheld with honor and acumen. The door slid open and Sara was greeted by the sight to two rather monstrous-looking Quarian females with matching colored EnviroSuits, burnt orange with lime green tones for the borders of their rielks. Ryder could hear Tali suck in a breath through her vocalizer at the sight of the Twins; no real surprise there. "Rahe. Jora." Sara nodded to the appropriate Quarian in question in greeting.
"I'm Rahe. She's Jora." The one on the left insisted.
"No, she's Rahe," Sara jerked her head to the one on the right, "and you're Jora."
"How do you always tell, Sara'Ryder nar Citadel vas Skybulance-37?" Jora'Tarrem vas Sofis asked, folding her cybernetically-augmented arms over her torso, the servos of her EnviroSuit's WarFrame whirring slightly with the motion.
"Rahe's prettier." Ryder winked towards the Quarian in question, Rahe'Tarrem chuckling as her twin sister's orange-colored visor looked sharply to her older-by-four minutes sister. Truth of the matter was that it was a twin thing; she could always tell despite their identical suits. She just liked teasing them, giving them a different response every time. Even after years of service to the Lady of the Chamber, even when Eloa was but a small girl learning at her father's side, the Twins had always protected their charge. By the heavily augmented suits that they wore, the DuraFrame ExoSkeletons that practically encased their bodies as a means of both attack and defense, along with the many defensive and offensive capabilities, one needed only to look once to see how seriously they took their position. In their minds, they were guarding the most valuable person for their entire species, whose untimely death would likely bring ruin to Fleet and Nation. Both would die on top of a mountain of enemy corpses before letting their charge suffer a single harm. Two mountains, honestly. "With me are Tali'Zorah nar Reyya and Niki'Raan nar Tombay, both Pilgrims that have accompanied the SSV Normandy in its endeavors to erase the Geth from existence."
"It is a pleasure to meet you." Tali'Zorah tilted her helmeted head forward, clasping her hands in front of her. Niki'Raan echoed the words and gesture as well.
"I see our little Human healer has brought us more gifts." Rahe's silvery eyes spied the two gift-bags. "What is it this time? Too small to be a plasma caster."
"Melee weapons, for that up-close-and-personal touch." Sara winked at the bodyguards, handing a bag to each on of them. "I figured you could really intimidate the s'kak out of some bosh'tet with a pair of these. They're pretty much the second-most iconic weapon in Human history. Everyone's got guns and swords, but these?" The Corpsman let off a big grin. "Any Human would recognize them on sight. Everyone else will just learn the hard way."
Jora had already pulled hers out, finding it to be a wrist sheath as Rahe watched her younger twin sister close her fist… and a triple set of vertical blades extended an Imperial foot beyond her knuckles with an audible 'snikt', long and slightly curved. While originally designed for a five-fingered person in a comic book, Sara had figured out how to work it with a person with only two non-opposable fingers quite easily and keeping the same effect.
"I think I'm going to like these." Jora commented, on the left. Rahe had pulled out a digital comic book, and swiped to the cover, pointing out the main character in question that the comic book was named after to her twin. His codename said it all. "The… Wolverine?"
"If someone gets handsie with you? You can always teach them respect with the hands-on approach with those babies." Sara pointed out as Jora put on the second wrist sheath, 'snikt'ing out the second set of wolverine claws, and stood in a rather similar facsimile of the legendary mutant anti-hero.
"Now you know what to get me on my Suit Day, cousin." Niki told her purple-clad companion, bumping shoulders with her. "So karsh!"
"Movies, comic books, and weapons. You sure you don't want to link suit, Sara?" Rahe'Tarrem asked, her humor bleeding through her vox. "You certainly know a way to a Serahs' heart." Ryder coughed uncomfortably, knowing that Rahe was half-kidding. Problem was? One half of her wasn't.
"I am in a very satisfying relationship with a Matriarch who treats me with love and respect, Rahe'Tarrem." She wasn't exactly thrilled with blurbing that one out, but honestly she'd have less issues with Quarians seeing a Human with a relationship with a non-Human than she would with someone of her own kind. Really, it was just Humans and Asari who'd interject.
"Well, good. Good for her, good for you." The Tech Marine on the right replied, her tone pleased. "Tell her if she slips and breaks your heart? I'll burn that tuho into plasmic goop. Like that one game you gave me." Ryder had completely forgotten that Rahe and Jora had adored her gift of the Fallout 4 game a few years back. So much so that they tried reinventing some of the fictional weapons on it; looks and mechanics. Telling a Quarian that she wasn't allowed to create a direct energy weapon (or worse, a plasmic-slurry acceleration weapon) was like trying to drown fire with Heavy Helium; it made them FTL the concept. As far as Sara was aware, they were still trying to make the T-60 Power Armor Suit.
"Hey." Jora slapped her sister's shoulder playfully, her gauntlet-encased hand ringing against her older twin sister's ExoFrame. "You promised sharing."
"Please save me." Sara turned to Tali and dead-panned, completely serious. "If one of them comes with an autoinjector to take my bacteria for acclimation purposes? Pull the power core from their ExoSuits and run like hell. I'll pretend I can catch up." Niki only giggled at that.
Sha'ma Tali'Zorah nar Reyya found herself walking into a palatal room that was oriented for business and visitors, dominated by the large duraglass transparent wall that let one see not only the Upper Presidium Ring curving upward through the view, seeing its circular plane extending from bottom to top of view, but also… she was guessing it was the Bachjret Arm perpendicular to the vista, extending to port, as well as the Citadel Tower; that one could see no matter where in the Cit they were. To starboard she could see Mid-Ring and Lower Ring of the Presidium, and if she craned her head to look at the upper and lower portions of the view to port, she knew she would see the Kithoi and Zakera Arms… or was it Shalta/Aroch and Tayseri? She would have to ask Sara'Ryder. Being Cit-born, she could probably identify a sub-Block instantly by sight like Tali could a Flotilla vessel. The view was beyond impressive, and Tali didn't need to be told that when the owner of the room sat in her seat with that at her back, it displayed a very powerful message to the visitor.
To say that the room was opulent was a misnomer; the daughter of Rael wasn't looking at the trappings of wealth of someone who was obviously very, very rich. She didn't look upon the Thessian rosewood desk, the miniature auto-waterfall that graced one of the walls, the thick Calabsan cotton carpeting, the gilding of the faux-support columns. No, what caught her eye were the absolute priceless artifacts and treasures that graced the walls and shelves set about in the room, many of them set in stasis for preservation and longevity. She looked upon one tapestry upon the wall and sucked in a shuttering breath at the scene, a hand-stitched motif woven into fabric of a vista of a low-plains desert with a small domicile and a family standing in front of it.
Ancestors… Rannochian artifacts. The largest depository she had ever seen.
"I see that you find things to your liking, Sha'ma's."
Tali squeaked a little as she turned quickly and bowed to the speaker in question, her limbs nervous as her heart thumped to a faster beat, knowing exactly who the speaker was. Just the sight of an unsuited Quarian was indication enough, but only a blind fool wouldn't know of the face of the Race's last living noble line, their staunchest defender, their guardian, their Savior.
Lady Eloa'Varis nar Thessia vas Armali, the Lady of the Chamber, and the last Scion of the Rannochian Monarchy.
"Mi'lady!" Both Tali'Zorah and Niki'Raan bowed and spoke at the same time at the sight of the AntiQuarian, slipping into the room through one of the side doors, walking with the grace of one who had likely been taught by Asari, as regal as any Matriarch. Just to see her? Tali knew she would never, ever forget this moment.
"Arise, daughters of Rannoch." Tali gulped a little as she stood, looking upon the figure of Lady Eloa'Varis, her breath taken away. She had only seen a Quarian outside of their suit but a few times her entire life, but to see one living without the need? That alone was a breathtaking event. But it wasn't just the sight of a rare unsuited Quarian, in which there were less than a thousand for a variety of reasons. Seeing the bluish tint of the Lady's skin? This wasn't one of the few who never returned to their people, eking out an existence in a outlaw sort of fashion, or one of the Exiles who had been voted for dismissal for a variety of reasons. No, this noblewoman came from a long line of those born on Thessia, the past nineteen generations calling the Asari homeworld home in name alone. Such length of time had changed them, evolved them.
Like the Asari, all AntiQuarians were Biotic.
Tali was nervous, of course. Lady Eloa'Varis represented the last living representative of their kinds' noble line, the Fifty Families having been killed fighting in the uprising, including that of the Monarch and his family. Quarian Nobility had died fighting the Geth to buy their people time to escape the slaughter, fathers and sons leading troops and House Guard to defend evacuees upon their personally-owned spacecraft, mothers and daughters giving guidance to refugees as they provided the final line of defense. Of the Fifty Families, only the Varis family was off-planet at the time, and only seven noble members had escaped death, too young to fight, babes handed to commoners by the grieving hands of their mothers. Those babes had been given to the Varis family for protection and education, the last of their lines, tied inexorably to the line of Gaulis Varis. For three hundred years, the Varis family had defended that what was most precious; Quarian people, Quarian legacy, and Quarian hope. They were their past, their present, their future.
And she was standing in front of their greatest champion.
Tali'Zorah remembered the news when Lady Eloa'Varis became the Lady of the Chamber, an act began by the Turians, but duplicitously enacted by the Human's Systems Alliance. Chamberlain Vian Torvan had 'bought' the seat that was to be Eloa's, pushing forth the need for a tie-breaker vote, but a tie-breaker only. Supposedly, he had threatened the Lady with political pressure from the Hierarchy if she did not align her vote with what the Turians wanted; the Chamberlain wanted the tie-breaker in his robepocket, so to speak. Yet the Turian Chamberlain had come too late, armed with a stick and not… what was the Human expression? Honey? Ambassador Anita Goyle had surmised what the Turians were going to do and had visited first, holding an hours-long conversation with the Lady Varis, having an offer that was too hard to pass up on; three dextro-chiliary worlds in Systems Alliance control. Fleet scuttlebutt said that Goyle hadn't even asked for AntiQuarian assistance, instead giving them the right to choose their own minds, but was willing to trade and compromise by letting the Quarians having access to the worlds Humans had little use for. When the vote for colonial right came and the vote tied once more, as it had six times prior, the Lady of the Chamber had abstained her vote and told the entirety of the Chambers to (quote) quit acting like a bunch of hatchlings with their first fangs poking out. The vote had eventually gone to the Systems Alliance for the colonization of another planet, and the Quarians gained not only the use of three dextro worlds… but a seat in the Chamber of Governance itself.
Ever since then, the Quarian Nation and the Systems Alliance have had a rather interesting partnership in trading. Vrack what the Hierarchy thought.
"I bid you all welcome to my home." Lady Varis smiled, her lips pulling upward to show small canine fangs dimpling her lower lip. "Come, sit and enjoy my hospitality. It has been too long since I have had the pleasure of honest company." A blue-tinged three-finger hand picked up a bell from the rosewood desk and rang it gently. Tali gently sat upon an available plush seat only to realize that it was a Quarian divan, and almost jumped out in fright. "You have no reason to be afraid, Sha'me Tali'Zorah, daughter of Rael. That is actually a modern seat made by a small group of Quarians who are recreating Rannochian furniture so that they can pass the skills on for the day we can return home."
"It is lovely, and comfortable!" Tali exclaimed, more use to the benches of the Flotilla, to maximize on space while minimizing on resources. Comfort was not a word used much in the Flotilla. The thought that there were Quarian furniture-makers touched her deeply. Her hands stroked the fabric, a touch regretful that she couldn't feel the quality or the soothing feel of it. Still, she got to see something she never thought she'd see. "Wait… you know my name, mi'lady?"
"I know the names of every Pilgrim who ventures the stars, so far from home yet never far from our hearts." Eloa replied as a suited male came in, Tali seeing a light-blue scheme to his livery-oriented EnviroSuit. A servant, she knew immediately. Quarians vied to serve the Varis family, and any Pilgrim worth their parts hoped their gift was good enough to be recommended by their Captain to serve the Varis family. It was beyond an honor. "Rase? Two cups of Thessian Mint for Sara'Ryder and myself, and two sealed bottles of quamish for our Pilgrims, please."
"That's… a Rannochian tea!" Niki'Raan exclaimed with a squeak, shocking Tali as well. They were about to drink tea from Rannoch!
"It was not just paintings and literature that my family was able to preserve, Sha'me's." Lady Varis said with a knowing smile. "It pleases me to serve our people what they have been missing, to remind them of a home they have never known, of what we have lost." The smile was one of sadness, Tali knew. If they somehow won back Rannoch tomorrow… the AntiQuarians would not be able to live there. Their biologies had adapted to Thessia, the microorganisms in their bodies had changed. It would likely take a generation for Quarians to adapt back to their native home, but for the AntiQuarians? Thessia was home. "Come! Let us talk of the present." The servant, Rase, returned quickly with two Thessian-styled cup and two sealed drink apparatuses, serving each of them. Tali took her sealed container with a word of gratitude, and waited to insert her umbilical fluid transfer tube until after Lady Eloa'Varis had begun sipping her own out of polite etiquette. "You have come seeking means in which to fight the Geth." It wasn't a question.
"That's correct." Petty Officer Sara Ryder spoke, taking a polite sip of her own tea. "I'm under no illusion that the Geth are only active in either Earth Space or Council Space. Two very public attacks occurred upon Prothean sites; one involved a recently unearthed Prothean Beacon, and another a Protheantologist. Since the Geth are not going to involve dialog like most nations even in the grips of war, the best we can surmise is that whatever the Geth want will involve ProTech. That's… scary."
"Indeed." The Lady of the Chamber replied, her silvery eyes looking thoughtful. "Most every species wishes to get their hands on ProTech, be it technology, information, or advanced research for obvious reasons. Yet the fear that the Council of Law invoke with the use of the Citadel Fleet limit most actions into the more covert kind; espionage, infiltration, theft. The last time a species or group acted so brazenly was perhaps a century ago, when Turian Separatists broke into a Hierarchy research facility, killed its employees, and absconded with megaCredits worth of artifacts and research. The response… was quite brutal." Tali didn't doubt that meant that SPECTREs had been sent to obliterate not only anyone and everyone involved, but likely anyone that might had even had some form of contact, no matter how benign. "The Treaty of Farixen and the Citadel Conventions are quite clear on the level of response when an individual or group were to partake ProTech in such a matter. What disturbs me is that the Council and the Chambers have left it in the hands of the Systems Alliance. This is clearly in the jurisdiction of the Council. Sending a brand-new SPECTRE and leaving it at that is a very telling tale."
"Do… do they wish to have Humanity prove themselves in some fashion, mi'lady?" Niki'Raan asked, her tone a little nervous. It was the same thing that Tali had been thinking, honestly.
"No. Something else is afoot." The AntiQuarian replied, shaking her head. "The impression you have seems to be the lie the Council wishes the galaxy at large to believe, as if the First Contact War and the Skyllian Blitz weren't enough to show that Humanity will not back down from a fight, finding creative methods in success. The Geth were nearly responsible for the obliteration of a Garden World with the use of an Anti-Matter device, are wholly responsible for the unsanctioned removal of Prothean data from the Beacon, and are likely responsible for the destruction of the Beacon to prevent us from gleaning their motivations. That the Council would just… pass this off?" Eloa frowned. "Something is amiss. If such an action occurred upon a Hierarchy world, a Union world, or a Republican world? Even the Volus and the Drell would be pulled in to wipe the Geth out of existence. It is the Council's obligation to maintain the galactic status quo… and they are completely failing in that. Geth ships appearing in Council territory with no known routes? Bypassing patrols and defenses to attack deep into the heart of Council Space? Everyone show be screaming for the Councilors' heads. Instead… CNN reports that the attack on Eden Prime as a rogue actor leading non-Council forces to damage Human interests. Most in the galaxy are not even aware that it was the Bloody Talon that was implicated, nor that it was the Geth that assaulted your colony. As for Therum? Not a word at all."
"That is fucking bullshit." The Corpsman replied harshly, Tali noting that her body language went very hostile very quickly. "Their vaulted pretty boy goes and courts a mistake the Council has made three hundred years and counting and they're going to sweep it under a rug? What is the Council going to say when the Geth deploy ten thousand units on an Asari colony? Or another 'minor' species?" There was no mistaking the scorn in the tone of her voice at the word minor. The Pilgrim didn't abuse Sara'Ryder her Human-centric view; everyone felt the same, after all. The Human woman took a deep breath to collect her emotions, a moments' pause to compose herself. "The Asari and the Salarians are going to do what they've always done; they're going to get someone else to do the bleeding for them. I wouldn't have lost my Marines if they had taken an active stance, done more than shove their crests straight up their midnights." Niki guffawed at that.
"I… had not heard that you lost your men, Sara. In that, you have my more heart-felt apologies." The Lady replied, her face genuinely sympathetic. "I doubt you are under any illusion that I have not followed your career. I was quite happy for you that you achieved what you wished for in your life. Our proud little Human Paramedic, as brave and as bold as any Frontline Barber-Surgeon or Special Vessel Services Tech Marine." There was a smile on the AntiQuarians' face for her friend. Tali reminded herself that they had gone to the Presidium Academy of Education together, where they had supposedly been friends. Likely, Sara'Ryder had been Eloa'Varis' only real friend; the only Human and Quarian standing together against the rest. "I cannot fault you for your logic upon the Asari and the Salarians. The Republic rarely fields their fleets outside Republican Space, and sends a few specialized Commando or Huntress units to clean up whatever bothers them discretely. The Union usually handles things before they are messes, knowing they are less likely to succeed when the real fighting begins. The Turians surprise me, though. War is practically their religious duty. To avoid a fight is unlike them, even if it involves a species they are not particularly fond of. This seems an almost exact reenactment of the Skyllian Blitz. You remember those days."
"The Chamber practically hoping we'd get grounded by the Batarians so someone could move in and make us a client-state?" The Engineer practically choked on her quamish with that declaration. "We all know why the Council kept the Batarians around, even when they practiced an illegal way of life under the Conventions. The public might not know it, but the Batarians were their goon squad, taking care of the trash and enslaving any that dared defy them. With the Batarians pulling stakes and the Systems Alliance not willing to play the thug, the Council is punishing us. We lose more colonies or more vessels, we're going to have a hard time recovering, and the Hierarchy is just itching for an excuse." Ancestors! Now that it had been spelled out for her, Tali could see why Sara thought that way. What was worse? Lady Varis wasn't arguing with her or correcting her, either.
"Which is why you're here."
"Which is why we're here." Sara agreed, taking another sip of her tea. "The Council deemed the Geth a publicae calamitate three hundred years ago, willing to have a ticking time bomb in their back yard. Honestly, the Geth could act and control much of the Terminus without anyone knowing if they desire. Instead of solving it, the Three ignored it, much like they ignored the plight of the Quarian people. Burying one's head in the sand doesn't mean the problem goes away just because one can't see it. Now the Council has deemed it a Human problem, washing their hands of involvement once more." That Tali knew. "But that doesn't mean we can't seek help in other ways. Like intelligence and anti-Geth weaponry.
"We're going to need Q-Tech, Eloa. Anything and everything pertaining to fighting the Geth."
"I'll be honest, Sara. This is not a fight one ship can win." The Lady of the Chamber began, setting her tea down. It was quite obvious that the Lady of the Chamber knew more than most, as was her job. "All of Humanity's ships combined will not succeed against the Geth Armada. Even we do not know their exact number, but at the very least, we suspect at least a dozen full Fleets with a likely dozen smaller actionable mini-fleets for screenlines and opportunistic attacks. And you speak of vessels that have no living components on the inside. No need for atmosphere, pressurization, gravity, organic supplies. The entirety of a Geth ship can be devoted to war. Creating a hull breech serves nothing; one must either cause catastrophic systems damage, score a mobility kill, or obliterate the vessel in question. Holing a hull or tearing out some decking will not render them ineffective."
"I know, but then who if not us?" The Human woman asked, shrugging her shoulders. "Our Fleets are trying to protect our colonies. The Big Three are going to sit on their hands, and the minor species are likely seeing the same issues we are, and know they aren't ready. We don't go forth, the Geth succeed, and whatever it is that they want frightens me."
"Which is why I will help." Eloa'Varis replied with a nod. "Not just because you happen to be fighting the enemies of the Race, but because for once we now have a chance to ascertain and understand what the Geth are truly capable of, something more than small raids and acquisitions. You will face the Geth, and I will make sure that you and your crew are more than adequately armed and armored with potent weaponry that we have invented to use against the Geth. It will give us a chance to see how well it works." There was a hint of a smile there. "But I know you, Sara'Ryder. That brain of yours wants science as a weapon, creating and crafting something to aid you in your endeavors. You never settled for anything less than the best, after all."
"I have a list of materials and ideas." The Corpsman looked to Tali, who remembered that she had a datapad to give. The Pilgrim shyly pulled the datapad from one of her EnviroSuit pouches and meekly handed it over to the Scion of the Varis Family. Lady Eloa thanked her with a smile, and Tali was glad her blush was covered by her mask as she sat back down while the AntiQuarian began reading over the contents.
"I guess I know how you are aware of our ionization weaponry." Eloa looked to the Pilgrims with a smile. "Much of it is in prototype phase, though we are crafting more every day. I see you wish to purchase some. That is easily done. Magnetic ammunition, though? That is a strange request… I do not think we have ever contemplated that. Seeking rounds?" The AntiQuarian asked, looking up.
"Actually, I'm thinking more along the lines of interference rounds against Alpha Primes." The Corpsman replied, making Tali wonder if that would actually work! "We know that connectivity is going to be their strong suit. We knock out their ability to communicate, they will suffer more than an organic will. I'm looking at highly-ferrous ammunition blocks that get magnetized with the use of Eezo and magnetic rails, creating static interference when they come into an electrical field. The math is sound, but I fully intend to test it out to see if it works. I also have the template for a Faraday Grenade that we cobbled together on Therum to shut down Geth communications. Tali wrote the script." That had the Engineer blushing again as the noblewoman looked upon her.
"She is her father's daughter." Eloa commented, getting Sara to look at her contemplatively, a knowing smile on her Quarian-like lips. "Most of these items I can have delivered to your vessel with relative ease. The intelligence part? I will need some form of secured contact so that we can send and receive data."
"It might have to be e-mnemonic couriers." Sara replied thoughtfully, mulling it over. "The Geth are in the ExtraNet, so we have to be careful what we store on servers. One-time-datapads are sufficient, as are physical storage devices. Hell, we can go old-school and start using pen-and-paper. But if we need protection, then we need to look into couriers we can trust."
"Agreed, and I already have some on hand." The AntiQuarian replied with a nod. "I will of course need somewhere to send such intelligence."
"Admiral David Anderson." Ryder immediately replied, Tali knowing of the name from the Normandy. He was originally the Normandy's Captain, and the Pilgrim had seen him once or twice, a huge Human Being with skin the color of wampa bark. "He's currently in charge of SPECTRE Operations through the Human Embassy. Him… and nobody else. Anyone else asks? Ignore them."
"Captain David Anderson, of the Human Embassy's Diplomatic Security Services? I know of him. A man of honor and integrity." Lady Varis nodded thoughtfully. "If I remember correctly, he is the… adopted sire of your Aunt Jane, yes?"
"He adopted her as his daughter, yes." Ryder nodded, only a slight correction. "I would trust him with more than just my life, my friend, as I trust you."
"I would expect no less, Sara'Ryder." The Lady of the Chamber stood, Tali and Niki standing as well as Sara raised herself from her chair, and much to the Quarian's shock, embraced the Lady of the Chamber! It was a strange sight to see, an AntiQuarian and a Human so… close. And yet Tali'Zorah thought she understood. Against the adversity of the galaxy, they had stood together, forging a friendship under the most unlikely of circumstances. A Quarian noblewoman and the daughter of a Pathfinder, a strange sort of kindred spirits, an appointed rebel and a killer angel. "Look after yours, Angel of Illyeria, and may your enemies worry at the sound of your tread."
"And may your search lead to desert plains and walled gardens under the light of Tikkun."
Not in a million years did she ever think she'd earn her 'seven'. She decided to take a three-hour pass to celebrate in a nicer sort of fashion by going to a club; a real one. It had taken her about twenty minutes of looking through the CitNet to find an ideal location that would suit what she really wanted, figuring that someplace like the Cit would have what she wanted. Drinking was all well and good, but that wasn't what Sergeant First Class Ashley Madeline Williams wanted to do in order to congratulate herself. Sometimes hitting the bar hard was appropriate, but not for this. So instead she decided to indulge herself with something a little more cultural and classy, so she treated herself to something she hadn't been able to do in several years.
A poetry club.
It was Late Light on the Cit, what they called nighttime on the massive Prothean space station when Ash walked into Alshar, a multicultural club that was oriented towards open-mic poetry and readings, a sort of fusion between a beatnik bar and a Human coffee shop where (no surprise) Starbuck's Coffee was indeed on the menu. The colonial woman walked in to see that the club was about half-full, a comfortable number that showed that it was lively enough not to be crowded or filled with shitheads, and that suited Ash just fine. She wanted a real evening of relaxation and enjoyment that didn't involve obliterating liver cells with alcohol, enjoying a love of literature along with something nice, perhaps a glass of wine or brandy, being able to actually sit down and relax without being hit upon by every man in the bar who somehow didn't have their Gaydars functional, or thought that scoring with a lesbian was even more of a challenge and conquest. So when she walked into the club wearing a plain t-shirt and slacks, Ash knew that she had more-or-less dressed… differently for the occasion, seeing that most of the Humans in the club (and on the Cit, in fact) wore those suit robes that were semi-familiar with the Turians, Salarians, and Asari. Now she understood why some Plex advertisement pop-ups shot out robe deals from clothing manufactures when no one on a colony would be caught dead in one. Great, she looked like some colonial rube who just fell off a John Deere.
Williams found an available table to sit at, blissfully empty as she took to an available chair, amused that it queued up a selection at her table lightboard menu to orient itself for her posture for comfort. Ash winced at the fact that 'Human' wasn't an actual option, seeing 'Digitigrade' and 'Plantigrade' for the lower torso, and then 'Asari', 'Salarian', 'Turian', and 'Volus' as options. Well, she was none of those things, she thought darkly as a Chirp on her Aldrin Labs' Bluewire OmniTool came up. Ash looked at it, surprised to see that Petty Officer Sara Ryder had Chirped her.
SaraRyder
#AngelIllyeria
Pick 'Asari'.
SaraRyder
#AngelIllyeria
Thessian-centric, I know. Welcome to the bottom of the barrel!
That had Williams snort as she picked 'Plantigrade' and 'Asari', and felt the chair conform to her posture and… okay, damn, it did feel right with its lumbar support and straight shins. How had the Angel known? Ash looked up from her table's digital surface menu and scanned the club to see that Sara Ryder was indeed in the same location, sitting at a more secluded table… with company. The Soldier recognized Professor Irissa T'vara, the Prothean expert that they had rescued off of Therum, sitting beside Sara like… well, like they were on a date. Ash never would have guess that the Angel of Illyeria was an Asariphile. She had… mixed feelings about that one as she saw both Ryder and T'vara give her a pleasant wave of acknowledgment. Williams returned the wave in a semi-subtle manner, respecting their want for privacy on their… date. It couldn't be anything but.
"I see that some of us do have some more refined tastes."
Ash was a little startled to see Doctor Liara T'soni show up at her table, holding a glass of what she assumed was wine.
"Mind if I sit here? I do love literature, and being able to converse about it with a fellow connoisseur is more agreeable, do you believe?"
"I… yeah, sure." Williams replied a little haughtily, not really sure what to do. The young Thessian Doctor sat at a chair across from her, quickly picking the posture options on the table's electronic menu as Ash noted something. "I take it you lived on the Cit before? You did that without even looking." Ash pointed out, looking at the digital menu in front of her with its Standard Alliance English translation, obviously having interacted with her OmniTool for language preference, while Liara's had been in Thessian script, what they called logogrammatics, as Williams understood it.
"I in fact went to the Presidium Academy of Education for five years, living on the Citadel for that time. The Matriarch felt it wise that I receive the best education possible." There was no mistaking the acidic scorn in the Doctor's voice when she had said 'Matriarch'. Ash knew that Liara meant her mother, Lady Benezia T'soni. During the After Action Review of the rescue mission on Therum, the ground team had learned of Doctor T'soni's rejection of her mother (and family) decades before, some sort of falling out that had the Maiden disowned from both the family and her entitled inheritance. As Ash understood it, the decision was shared equally, Liara accepting the act fully and renouncing her claims personally as well. It was public record in fact, showing up on the Artarva Network if one looked it up on happened must have been quite bad, though Liara didn't speak of it at all. Williams assumed that the Skipper knew the basic facts, enough to prove that Liara's claims were true and had nothing to do with her mother or the actions that occurred on Eden Prime or Therum. Then again, Krogan had been sent to kidnap her, after all.
"The way Sara and the Skipper talk about it, the Academy sounds about as equal as a prestigious college, but meant for teenagers." Agent Zevin Raeka and Detective Garrus Vakarian had gone to the same school, and were in rather lofty positions themselves, as Williams understood it. Hell, Saren Arterius went as well, and had been the youngest nominated Turian Council Agent. It seemed to be the equivalent of going to Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, or Pierre and Marie Curie but at a Secondary Gymnasium level. What had XO Vanderloo called it? The School of Unsolvable Questions? Crew scuttlebutt was that Sara Ryder, while working as a paramedic, solved Boolian Theory. Ash had to look that up, fumbled understanding what the question actually meant, and finally realized that Doc had answered a two-hundred year old question that stumped everyone else before… at seventeen. Holy fucking shit didn't begin to describe just how smart the Angel had to be when she cracked a question confounding some of the greatest Human minds for two centuries while at High School. Doctor Liara T'soni was a full Doctor at like… a hundred, when most Asari normally didn't steep into such things during their Maiden years, as Ash had been told by both Sara Ryder and Detective Vakarian. That meant the Protheantologist had her shit together instead of stripping at bars for Creds like the rest of her age group.
"That is an accurate assessment." Liara nodded. "Are you not going to order yourself a drink? I did not wish to interrupt you, but when I saw you…" The Asarikin went quiet for a moment, her eyes shifting over to the table that contained the Corpsman and the Professor. "I saw your face when you saw Professor T'vara and Chief Ryder together. You do not approve?"
"It's… complicated." Williams winced as she finally looked at the digital menu showing on the table's surface, finally ordering herself a glass of moscato after a moment or two looking at the wines. "Mind you, you'll probably hate my explanation considering that, being an Asari, you'll be targeted." Ash's smile was slightly twisted with sourness.
"I did ask, and I will listen."
"Do you know how hard it is to be a Human woman when you fling yourselves at anything and everything?" Williams asked, taking Liara slightly aback. "The Asari claim so much, how melding is not sex, you are not women, that you're so advanced. And then you can find Maidens at every bar revealing practically every decimeter of their bodies, flaunting it, melding with everything under the stars, stripping and whoring their way through the galaxy while smugly reminding us all that you're somehow the most superiorly-evolved race in the galaxy." Fuck, that had turned into a mini-rant. "Sorry, Doc. That… doesn't actually include you. You have a great profession and you act with respect and knowledge. I'm just… tired of seeing Asari coaxing men and women with their charms and smiles, turning Humans into pets or worse." Her eyes flashed over to where Sara and Irissa sat. The way they were conversing and looking to one another? No, it didn't look to be the case that Ash thought.
"I wish I could say that your opinion was the only one voice as such, but I am afraid it is not. Not you as a person, or even you as a species." Liara replied sadly. "I was… aware that the Professor and the Chief were enjoying each others' company on Therum within a week or so of Sara's arrival on planet. I can confirm that your… fear of Professor T'vara treating Ryder in such a fashion is quite far off the mark. Amongst our culture, it is considered… unseemly for a Matriarch to be seen with anyone not of our species, Sergeant. Many Asari would see that scene," the Asarikin nodded her crested head towards the Matriarch and the Corpsman, "as quite scandalous on Irissa's part. The Professor obvious cares little of current thought and convention of our species. I approve for much of the same reasons you have mentioned, Sergeant."
"That's… huh." So Liara wasn't a hypocrite. "I know that everyone's got their less-than shiny points when it comes to species and whatnot; Humanity's far from perfect. But I just…" The colonist tried to find the right words to say to make her point without sounding like some racist bitch. "I guess that the Asari are like a line ender, you know?"
"Line… ender?" T'soni's head tilted to one side in curiosity, needing an explanation.
"Sara's with Irissa, that much is obvious." Williams explained. "It seems genuine, and… well… I have a hard time accepting it, but she seems happy so I keep a lid on it." Liara nodded, getting that much, at least. "I imagine that sooner or later things will get a little more intimate and there'll be wedding bells and babies involved. Blue babies."
"Not a Human child." The Protheantologist realized. She got it.
"I can tell that Doc is smart as hell, and probably a good deal more than I realize." Ash continued. "She was the first Human born on the Citadel, got a Gold Ribbon at thirteen, went to the toughest school in the galaxy, became like the first Human Paramedic for the CitEMS. She's exemplary! She's one of those few in a generation whose light outshines the rest of us, pushes us forward and becomes someone of note for others in the future to follow."
"But…" Liara slowly interjected, looking to the couple in question, "that will be passed onto an Asari daughter is what you are implying."
"Yes."
That had the Doctor sit back thoughtfully as a waitress, a Human woman, came by with Ash's wine. The Sergeant First Class took a sip, enjoying the apricot wine's flavor as Liara thought over what she had said. And Williams knew that Liara was smart as hell, too. While she wasn't worried about saying the wrong thing, per se, she was more worried that the point she was trying to make would be misinterpreted.
"It does make me wonder, how many Asari have had sires of different species?" The Doctor said out loud, still thinking. "You may not be aware of this, but there is a serious taboo about being pureborn; a daughter of two Asari." A cyan-colored hand waved at herself, indicating that Liara T'soni was the child of two Asari. "I grew up with this stigma, fellow students chiding me of my parentage, making me feel ashamed that… well, for tens of thousands of years of proper propagation. As if I had done something wrong."
"Yeah, that's pretty fucked." Ash snorted, not getting that at all. Well, it use to be a bad thing to be in a relationship with a person of different ethnic backgrounds, using words to suppress whoever was the minority while the majority oppressed said minority with laws and violence. "We use to do that, too. With cultural heritage; people of different color based on geography. We've moved on from that, thankfully."
"Asari philosophy states that a union of two Asari that brings a daughter into the galaxy is… ill-advised due to the fact that nothing is gained from the relationship; no traits, no genetic diversity." Liara continued. "Obviously, this viewpoint was created after our First Contact with the Salarians. But it makes me wonder; who was the first to try? And why was it so readily accepted? This was only less than three thousand years ago, after all." That had Williams snort, until she realized that was… well, probably only six or seven generations for an Asari, as oppose to about two hundred or so for Humanity. First Contact for the Asari could still be passed by word of mouth, a story told from grandmother to granddaughter… and then that granddaughter telling her own child, living today. Ash herself was born right before the First Contact War, and knew of it from her grandfather. What would she tell her own children of an experience she had lived through at a year or two of age? "I wonder if there is more to this philosophy that we realize."
"It's victory through procreation." Williams pointed out. "Catholics on Earth did that for centuries. Made contraceptives against their religion so they would have more kids than Protestants did… outpopulating them. To this day, you still see the effects of it, where there are much more South Americans and other Catholic-heavy populations than most European counties and Protestant-heavy countries. If you can't win through war or politics? You drown them in bodies."
"That… is a stark point-of-view. Not necessarily incorrect." The Xenopaeleosociologist pondered. "I believe I have read somewhere of the Hierarchy feeling much the same way when they first joined the Council, an Asari-written opinion that suggested that the Turians were short-sighted at such a viewpoint. Yet… I think you realized something we as Asarikin have done. We have all but committed an act of silent war by pulling persons from their species, denying them a chance to propagate and add to their species while adding to our own. We take those traits and genetic diversity from a native species and incorporate it into our own instead. It is… genetic theft."
"Okay. Damn. That's what I said, but a whole hell of a lot smarter." Genetic theft was a phrase that had Ash shivering slightly. But Liara had nailed it right in the head, hadn't she? "To think I had come here to enjoy a bit of poetry and an open-mic night. Instead? Philosophy. Who knew?"
"I did not suspect that you enjoyed poetry, Sergeant. It shows that beneath the surface of what we see lies something deeper, something worth investigating." The Doctor surmised, bringing her wine to her turquoise lips. "I guess it would be no surprise to know that I am a lover of literature myself. I have read more than a few classical works over a variety of species. Have you?"
"Mostly Human literature. Wouldn't even know where to start with the others." That seemed to be the polite thing to say. Ash wasn't about to bone herself up on Turian classical literature.
"I would actually suggest Salarianime." The Asarikin recommended, looking slightly amused as Williams' jaw dropped slightly at… Salarian Anime? "I must confess that there is this wonderful show about a Turian who finds an OmniTool on his school grounds, in which whenever he inputs a name and thinks of that person, they die. It is called Death Chirp, and I am rather addicted to it." Ash watch Liara's cheeks grow… bluer. Oh, that was how Asari blushed!
"Death Chirp?" Williams felt her sense of humor sparking up. "And here I thought you were all refined and cultured, Doc. But underneath that Protheantologist exterior lies a little otaku." Surprisingly, that word translated despite being Japanese, the Thessian blushing again. "Tell you what, Doctor. You pick a movie, then I pick a movie and we'll call it cultural studies."
"Oh? And what would you pick, Ashley?" That… was the first time Doctor T'soni called her by her first name. Had she ever called the Asarikin Liara?
"Something right up your alley, Doc." Williams winked and smiled. "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark."
Author's Notes: Welcome to the Cit. As it was a rather big deal in the Trilogy, I wanted to make an exclusive ARC involving the Cit, to show off a little, but also to bring some pieces, characters, and ideas into play. Because they will matter later. There is, after all, a rather big battle somewhere near the end.
Meridian Place is a Canon location; seen in Mass Effect 3, it is known as the Presidium Commons as a destination, but its named over one of the shops as Meridian Place. It is home to some shops, the Apollo Cafe, and a C-SEC Station.
I made a big change with Nihlus' death; he didn't immediately die. I went with the mentor/student death scene you see in movies, where someone gets that last 60 seconds of sage advise while a bullet buries itself in their guts (thanks, Qui'gon, for telling Obi-wan to fuck it all up for the galaxy!). So Nihlus gets to name his killer to Shepard, instead of some lazy smuggler.
Avitus Rix was a Turian SPECTRE who… 'retired' because of Saren's actions in 2183. He felt tainted by the ordeal, and quit. Instead of a bitch move, I came up with something a little more… personal. Avitus knows he is tainted, and thinks that anything he does will stop/prevent Shepard's mission. I think this makes more sense, though I tried to convey that the decision wasn't entirely his own.
I wonder if the Council has a 'one riot, one Ranger' policy where multiple SPECTREs aren't on a singular mission. The idea of a Second makes sense though; despite Hollywood's depiction of such movies like John Wick plowing through guys like so much wheat, one man cannot do everything. Time, calories, bullets… you would just run out or get mobbed.
Starbuck's in space? I've been toying with the idea of this; if Humanity were to be dropped in the middle of a galactic empire surrounded by species more technologically-advanced than they, what would be seen as a positive? So I thought (as a joke) making 'caffeine' a unique item of Earth, and the caffeinated drink the most popular Human item. So Starbuck's and energy drinks (so fucking popular in our day) are now galactically popular items, and you'll see it referenced in the Cit a good deal. Strangely enough, I've been doing this running joke since 2015 with Mass Effect vs. Aliens: The Siege Of Hadley's Hope. Why so serious?
I stole a line from 'Serenity'. Because twins do this. Fanti's cuter, btw.
The second most iconic Human weapon, the Wolverine Claws? Well, yeah? #1? Lightsaber. Who wouldn't want to see Sara try to make a lightsaber. I already showed her making Tech Armor. And who wouldn't want a suit of T-60 Power Armor?
Suit Day? Birthday for a Quarian… except it's the day they leave their natal bubble and wear their EnviroSuit for the first time, going from child to young adult.
Shalta/Aroch Controversy - There are five Wards/Arms of the Citadel… but six names. Doctor Chakwas tells you in ME3 that she was working research in the Shalta Wards, while later on after the Cerberus Coup Citadel News Network reports disturbances in all five wards and names them… one of them being Aroch. CDN wikia claims that this is a historical quirk lost to the passage of time. I'm going with another explanation; the Asari and Salarians initially landed on Shalta/Aroch, and both named it before meeting one another for First Contact. Thus it gets both names thanks to the diplomatic skills of the Asari deciding to share.
For the name of the poetry club (Alshar), this is in fact the Romanized spelling of 'poetry' in Arabic, the only other real language I know well-enough besides English. Yes, I'm a white male non-Muslim American that knows a fair deal of several dialects of Arabic, mostly Iraqi with a little Dari and Pashto mixed in. Care to guess why?
Plex - The semi-Canon Google Search Engine. To 'plex' is a verb. It means to get a clue.
Asariphile - Someone into Asari or Asari culture. Surprisingly, actor Samuel L. Jackson is a noted Anglophile (very in love with all things British) as a reference, not merely someone who just 'dates' Asari.
Yes, Salarianime! Stolen completely from Daia's Asari Wikia on Apricity-wikia. Good for a lot of add-on's and extra info on a great range of subjects. Semi- to non-Canon.
Death Chirp does in fact share the same basic premise as Death Note. No, I don't watch either of them. ;-) Still stolen from Daia's Asari Wikia, though it's Death Omni there.
Otaku - Japanese. It has a few meanings. I believe it means 'home' or 'inside' literally, but current culture means 'nerd' or 'fanboy'. Originally associated for anime-viewers back in the 80s for the original RoboTech series or Macross series, now 'otakus' are everywhere, and it is now a positive word as oppose to its original negative connotation.
ME3 joked with Liara being a 'dinosaur hunter' with Garrus commenting on this… like a Turian would know what a dinosaur is. On the other hand, Liara is an archaeologist who specializes in cultures (technically a paleontologist)… and I've nicknamed her 'Indy' for years now, since Mass Effect vs. Aliens 2: Valkyrie Rising. A fedora and a bull whip may be involved.