2165

The Citadel

Human Ambassador's Office

Anita Goyle was anxious. It'd been over a week since she sent the message. Knowing the recipient as she did, there's no way the message had not gotten through. She nursed a watered down glass of bourbon in her hands and followed it up with a heavy sigh. It was all she could motivate herself to do at the moment.

A time wasn't specified. The night cycle had already begun in the Presidium. The human ambassador had almost convinced herself to pack up and retire for the evening. But, She had learned to expect their arrival right when they weren't expected. That's the logic she chose to get behind, anyway. And their methods made sense, she supposed.

Meeting at unpredictable times was more in accordance with their, admittingly unrivaled, aptitude for discretion. On more than one occasion, she'd beckoned that they join up with the Alliance to form a black ops corp similar to the salarian's STG.

Our creed forbids us from assimilating entirely into a single faction.

She could recite their response verbatim at this point. It annoyed her to be shot down so resolutely, by her own race, no less.

Our goals are not the same, but not entirely different. You seek equal standing and representation for humanity, as do we. This is why we've aided the Alliance since its inception. But, we've been aiding humanity long before this. Not so that humanity may conquer or expand, but toward the simple goal of peace. And now, humanity has chosen to integrate with the galaxy. so, the umbrella has gotten a lot bigger and can no longer include humanity alone.

That idea perplexed her. Peace for all the galactic races? Naively idealistic, Anita thought. There were too many races, too many diverging priorities. Humanity's priorities ought to take priority over others. Her would-be guest had argued in the past that those thoughts are not unique, that the same was thought when attempts were made to abolish the systemic racial structure that kept humanity divided in the centuries leading up to the discovery of life beyond Sol. A fair point, she had conceded then. Was there a common enemy, or force, that could do the same for the entire galaxy? She wouldn't make any bets on it. Still, she found the idea intriguing. In the previous meetings with her mysterious guest, The ambassador found herself feeling... ignorant of something. Not that her guest was condescending or sought to impress superiority over the average human; But rather, there was something in or about humanity that the ambassador, and thereby, the majority of humanity itself, was not privy to. Anita couldn't hazard a guess as to whether this was intentional or coincidental ignorance. But she would be a poor ambassador if she didn't know everything there was to know about humanity. Thus, the reason for this peculiar 'partnership' that had formed in the aftermath of the First Contact War, when she first took this position.

Anita wasn't sure what the big secret was supposed to be, or even that there was one. If there was one thing her time as ambassador taught her, it was that she had much to learn about the galaxy. And in dealings with her guest, she learned that that included her own race.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted. Anita became acutely aware that she was not alone. She scanned her office for anything out of place. Her glass of bourbon sat on the table ruined by the ice that had long since melted. There was no one in sight. So why did she have the uncanny feeling that she was being watched? Had her guest…

"Someone of your position should be more aware of their surroundings, Ambassador."

Anita turned towards the voice, just from over her left shoulder. While she was no soldier, the ambassador was ashamed someone had entered through the only door in the room, which was in front of her desk, and had made it all the way around behind her without her noticing. All things considered, however, Anita expected nothing less from the woman before her.

Even standing, gazing out at the view of the wards that the Presidium's location provided, the woman held an aura of power, regality, and respect. Her skin; a deep brown and flawless. Her hair was dread-locked and grey, though it was clear this was due to artificial coloring and not the natural greying that humans portrayed. Strangely, Anita couldn't recall ever seeing her hair before. In every other meeting, the woman was hooded, and all but her eyes were concealed. Now that she thought about it, the ambassador noticed that the hair is dyed to match the color of her eyes.

"Ms. Tatem, I'm glad you came," Anita said, trying to maintain the composure she became infamous for among political circles. Though she should, honestly, be used to not noticing her arrival. It still got the best of her. She hated surprises.

"I figured I kept you waiting long enough," the woman responded, though not turning her attention from the glass wall behind the ambassador's desk.

"Forgive me for taking a second to appreciate this view. I have not been on the Citadel much. I have never been overly fond of space stations. I prefer the more natural beauty of planets. Even so, the view your office provides is quite lovely."

"Yes, I suppose it is very nice." now the ambassador was wary. Even though they had become somewhat well-acquainted over the years, had never known Amara Tatem to be so casual in their meetings. She was a very guarded woman who protected her secrets well. Anita anticipated that she wouldn't even drop her guard around family, let alone friends. And she wasn't sure that they were even that.

"Well, per your request, I am here. What is it that you wish to discuss?"

Anita rose from her desk and moved to stand next to Amara who had yet to move from her position at the window.

"I know how you operate Amara, so I'll keep this short. Humanity's fighting for its place in the galaxy and we're losing. I think you can help us turn that tide."

"I thought I made it clear that my order would not be joining your Alliance."

"I don't need an order, just a person, a Hidden One."

Amara's steel grey eyes immediately narrowed.

Anita predicted this reaction. But she wouldn't back down. Humanity needed this.

"For what purpose?" Amara asked.

"Humanity needs a seat on the council for the galaxy to take us seriously. But the Council doesn't allow us to show them what we're capable of. We need to gain some ground. We need a human in the Spectres."

"No."

"Amara."

"No, Ms. Goyle. We do not immerse ourselves in political game. That is not our way. Not to mention the fact that it will compromise everything we are."

"How's that?"

"Only those of exemplary military background or something of significant honor and equivalence is invited into the Spectres. they have a resume that's recorded and accessible. If I were to agree that would mean exposing everything. I can't have that."

"Would that really be so bad?" Anita countered.

"From what I've learned from your order, and by your own words, you've been aiding humanity for millennia. How would this be any different?"

"We did it by our code. We are held accountable to no man, but to a creed that has lasted since the dawn of human civilization." Amara proclaimed vehemently.

"That cannot be sacrificed for the sake of some council."

Anita scowled at the outright denial of her request, even though she expected it.

"So is this what your order does, hide and skulk in the shadows championing some minority religion and never giving humanity a practical means of advancing?"

A cool blade pressed against Anita's neck. She hadn't even seen the woman move. She was to processing the new situation she found herself in as Amara, hidden blade at the ready, bore a hole into the human ambassador with her gaze.

"We have given more than you know. Gene therapy? Us. Terraforming technology? Biotic Implants? Those combat simulators that the Alliance love so much? We provided the means to do all of it. The people that have been long forgotten as cities and colonies rise around them like weeds in freshly manicured grass. Who looks out for them? Who provides them with the ability to live out their best life? Some have become doctors, soldiers, educators, politicians...we are no mere order, Ambassador. We are a brotherhood, an idea that has saved humanity from driving itself to extinction countless times over. So don't you dare imply that we've done nothing to service humanity."

"So what really happened on Sidon?" the question broke the tension with a confidence that Anita honestly didn't possess at the moment. But she wouldn't let the uncomfortableness dissuade her. They may hold the name 'Assassins,' but they didn't kill without cause, or so she was told. She would hold that to be the truth for now. Her need for answers outweighing her fear.

Amara hadn't budged at the question, so Anita continued.

"Your husband was working with Dr. Qian, was he not? What were the details of their work? I know you know something."

"And how is it you can know I know anything at all?"

"Your communication is untraceable. It can't be disrupted by the typical communication jammers. Do you expect me to believe he didn't communicate with someone? After his death you became the leader of your order, did you not? You know something."

Amara grabbed her face gently as the blade retracted from the ambassador's neck back to its resting place below her wrist. Anita tensed, assuming she was about to be choked, but the mentor to the Assassin brotherhood made no such moves. She held the ambassadors face between two fingers and a thumb as if she were inspecting it. Upon close inspection, one could see faint gold lines running across the hand and down the arm in intricate patterns. Similarly, Amara's eyes changed from grey to gold before changing back again just as quickly. While it felt like an eternity as Amara garnered the information to confirm her suspicions, Anita was none the wiser. Amara had let go of her face in the next second.

"It is unwise to put so much faith in something you don't understand, ambassador," Amara said cooly, as she headed for the door.

Anita had regained her composure but made no move to stop her. She wanted to respond but found it pointless. She couldn't see it producing anything more than pointless banter. She knew the course she'd have to take now.

Amara paused at the open door.

"The Assassin's are not at the beck and call of humanity, but I do warn you. You're delving into something much bigger than you realize. "

It was Anita's turn to narrow her eyes, she was sure now that there was something to be found, and now Amara knew she was searching for it.

"And so it begins, yet again." Amara chuckled, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Humanity needs to prove itself," Anita said with conviction.

"The galaxy has no idea what we are capable of."

Amara chuckled once more. She turned to face the ambassador. Her eyes, now an illuminating gold and full of mirth gazed back at the baffled ambassador.

"Neither do you," Amara said before she simply vanished before Anita's eyes.

This completes the prologue! Again, Welcome to AoE!

Remember to check here in future chapters for Codex entries!

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til the next chapter, Peace!