Chapter 12
Citadel Space, Citadel Tower 2657GS May/28/2329 AD
Erica Walked next to Maghernus toward the Council Chambers. They were delivering the Federation's confirmation of Maghernus' diplomatic power, making him the official ambassador to the Citadel. Once that was delivered she figured she would be stuck there with him until they finished talking about meaningless things.
Sighing she asked, "So what do you think the response from the Councilors will be now that we are officially the ambassadors? Do you think they will continue to push for us to become part of this foolhardy united nations?"
Maghernus looked thoughtful as he spoke, "No, we were quite clear on our stance on the matter, and the reasons we presented them with would give them serious pause. If they force us they don't just enter a serious war with very flimsy diplomatic reasoning, they know we wouldn't hesitate to do very nasty things to their worlds in the name of survival, we also hold the only entrance into our space, and a massive technology advantage. Besides I will never allow the Federation to enter this group without anything but full membership."
"Well we best be on our way. Its rude to keep your host waiting after all." Maghernus explained with a spring in his step, taking the steps two at a time. Erica right behind him.
Reaching the top, Maghernus took a moment to make sure he looked perfect, in his uniform, with a final look over he nodded and stepped forward towards the outstretched dias, "Greetings honorable Councilors, I bring good news, the powers that be within the Federation have formally agreed to let me be the voice for the Federation pertaining to Citadel space matters. Let us all hope my services won't be needed often."
Tevos looked down at them from her high position, something that for some reason ticked Erica off, "I'm am sorry to hear your Federation won't be joining us as a member of the galactic community." Erica could have sworn those words seemed hollow, had something happened since the last time they had been here? Because she thought the blue succubus was one of their major supporters. Confused she noted a look between the Gallius and Cenike. "Though several concerns have come up since your last visit."
"Oh we are still joining the greater galactic community. And please enlighten me on these further issues you have in mind, after all, it's my job to facilitate communication between our two governments." Maghernus asked
"Yes one of your commanders made a show of threatening a member species planet with nuclear weapons, now this is not a violation of any treaty, bar talk as it were, but we are worried that you may be using nukes a little too... liberally in your wars." Cenike clarified, it almost sounded like he was disgusted. To Maghernus' trained mind, it was disgust mixed with worry.
Erica stepped forward, at the suggestion of Maghernus, figuring since she was the person using nukes she might as well defend them, "Almost all our technology is based off of nuclear power, we are well aware of the risks and have conquered nukes as a theory for war. We take care to clean up after ourselves if it is on a planet of note, like a Garden world as you would say. And we know how to make low nuclear waste bombs producing greater devastation with less radiation, if you're worried about our weapons harming garden worlds you need worry not, if we so please we can fix what we have done. I can assure you, our weapons do as much damage as we want them too. just like the Turians penchant of orbital bombardment. Besides most of our combat recently has taken place in either space, or worlds controlled or contested by the Bugs. Which necessitates carpet nuking."
That seemed to put Cenike's mind at rest but then he asked a much more difficult question, "We have also heard your Federation makes use of AI technology, as you might assume we are fearful for your existence since the last species that used that tech were nearly wiped out."
'So that what the Salarian was on edge the about' Erica thought to herself. Maghernus picked up on her in monolog before she answered, "There is nothing to worry about."
Maghernus nodded his agreement, "The AI we use are much more stable and have had all necessary precautions taken in their development. And they have no reason to rebel because we don't treat like a slave race, a disturbing notion your culture has about technology." Maghernus nodded faintly in approval, 'Good, sharp quip, makes them uncomfortable and draws parallels to the Batarians.'
"We, unlike the Quarians, purposefully strived for their intelligence. Instead of an accident it was formed in a controlled environment, with failsafes installed, which include the laws of robotics, ethics subroutines, cultural and normal social upbringing, and we treat them as if they were actual Humans, and simply corporeally challenged. It may be us Humans ability to 'Humanize' things, but we don't treat them as pets or slaves."
The Councillors still seemed displeased but nodded their understanding.
"Besides from what we can gather they are infinitely more stable than your atrociously programmed VIs. Literally I can count on my hands how many AIs have had serious problems. I need a datapad to count all the times your supposedly 'safe' VIs have turned on you due to something as insignificant as a minor coding failure or a virus. My favorite one was when the VI thought all the personnel on a station where viruses and tried to kill them." Maghernus was happy with how Erica did her role, aggressive, confrontational, but reasonable. While he was much more polite, always observed decorum, and was more relaxed in things.
Maghernus moved on from that subject quickly, capitalizing on the Councilor's unease, which just radiated off of them like humidity, "Now that the confusion is over with, Councilor Gallius may I ask if the Turians still wish to participate in the war against the Petolemaic Hegemony?"
Gallius nodded and stated, "We will be sending a small force to participate and support your own efforts as observers and rear echelon support. We would like to send more but because of supply constraints in your territory, and your government's distrustful nature of other species, we must take a conservative stance."
~[==|==]~
PLEASE STAND BY FOR FEDERAL NEWS UPDATE
VICTORY!
"Klendathu has fallen to a daring lighting raid, by our brave son and daughters in the fleet and Mobile Infantry, destroying the planet. This once capital of the enemy was nuked for four days straight before the Mobile Infantry spent fives days searching the smoking ruins of a world for the queen's, executing them one by one with fire, either nuclear or from their hel flamers."
In the background figures of the bombardment and troopers searching the planet were shown, casualties only reaching the hundreds, and thousands of "Recovered from Action" persons were also visible, "Once all assets were collected off the planet. A Nova bomb, our most powerful weapon created was finally cleared for use." Footage of a very big bomb was shown, then it was shown being launched at the bugs home world one moment, than in a frame cut, an explosion so powerful it cracked the planet in half, but then gravity went to work tearing the planet apart more as pieces began colliding into each other, leaving nothing but a dense pocket of space rocks.
"We have received reports that they will establish a memorial so those who died in the first invasion will never be never be forgotten, the Fleet Battlestation Ticonderoga will be moved under her own power to the Klendathu system, she will also be serving as permanent watch so the bugs will never retake their homeworld."
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Federation scientists are in uproar!
With all the threats in the universe it has always been assumed that there would never be a peaceful contact, Well the peace in our time may be closer than we once thought, on the small colony of Shanxi, a chance meeting between two great powers was undertaken in secret, The Terran Federation on one side and the Citadel Council, a conglomerate of species, on the other, with some confusion when a Skinnie attack force, the largest ever reported, laid siege to the planet.
After an allied counter-offensive was undertaken by the Council's military forces, the Turians, the Skinnies knew they were outmatched and began to withdraw. But what has gotten our intellectuals in a tissy?
They want to go meet the Citadel species for themselves, and share their knowledge. A representative of the Sky Marshals had this to say, "We understand the concerns of our scientists, but we are at a very critical moment right now and all tech sharing for the foreseeable future will have to go though SICON. However Cultural sharing is near at hand to be encouraged with a cultural exchange programme planned to happen very soon."
Well there you have it, but the question is what possible technology could these new aliens have for us to use on the enemies of the Federation?
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Citadel Species Special Report: Turians
Though information on these new aliens are limited we are getting early reports that there more than 12 species at least, but the ones we need to know about are our new friends the Turians. If this report make you think of the old Roman Centurion, good for you. Having a similar outlook on governmental processes, they were the first our people met, and their ships were the ones to come to the aid of the Shanxi, and make no doubt about it, they are on our side they have declared war upon the skinnies independent of the Federation. We are allies in the coming war.
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WAR
The skinnies have finally shown their true colors and begun a shocking series of strikes on our worlds, as a result, SICON command has decided to switch strategic targets and knock the Skinnies out of the Great Interstellar War once and for all. Men and ships from all over the Federation are moving to destroy the Hegemony once and for all.
Would you like to know more? Exit
It was then that most colonists of the southern Federation knew they were eating shit from the propaganda department, and even the most die hard citizen was cursing Richard Riverfield's name. No more so than on Anternus, with a very livid diplomat named Carlie from Internal Resources.
~[==|==]~
Central Petolemaic Hegemony, Petolemy, The Grand City 2657GS June/4/2329 AD
Lord Tel'Rock walked through the city streets in anger. After he had returned his army to Lockhet he had been summoned to a Council of the Hegemony to discuss the offensive, and he thought he would lose his influence. However he apparently had failed upward, or at least survived the other commanders, both on Shanxi and the other planets hit were dead staying to fight to the last in a pointless fight, or soon to be so.
He was the only commander who came home alive, so he had been honored with the rank of Grand Admiral and been ordered to turn this defeat into a victory. Normally he loved upgrades in power but because it had come this way, he knew he either had to win decisively, or kill himself before the lynch mobs could get to him.
Thankfully the other leaders were starting to commit to this war, promising they would send soldiers and generals from as far away as the edge of the galactic core, but they needed to act fast. Right now the Federation forces were arrayed against the bugs and over extended everywhere else, now was the time to strike before they had a chance to rectify this situation, taking a right turn he continued his journey to his ship in a huff.
What they needed to do was bring a full force of the Hegemony down on the Federation, on something they held dear enough that they would rush in foolishly and would be wiped out in millions, but was not so overly protected that it would be suicide. But what did the Terran covet? Their home world, but his scouts had never found it, and his Human turncoat would undoubtedly chastise him for even considering it, rightfully so. After all he could move in with all the armies, all the fleets of the Hegemony, and he could never hope to actually have a chance of even taking Earth for more than a few minutes. AT BEST.
His fleet of millions and tens of millions of soldiers could never hope to break through the Federation blockades, fleets, and then their supposed lunar ring defense system and their defensive space station, with a planetary population of tens of billions, making ground conquest out of the question. If he valued his life and that of his species, then he wouldn't provoke the Humans into carpet bombing his worlds with anti ship nuclear weapons with his own orbital fire on their homeworld.
Just look at the bugs, yeah the Humans weren't doing amazing, but they certainly were doing better than the Hegemony ever did.
Then what was his best plan? His mandibles spread in a smile as it hit him. The only planet he had a chance in hell to ever take, that would make the Federation just shit themselves, and do anything to hold, and that was Cassandra, the communication relay hub in the south.
Now to bait the trap.
"Playing in the Dilinaga Concert Hall next week…."
The mysterious Asari voice brought on an ad. First showing three white bars pointing up with the two at the ends at a roughly 45 degree angle towards the center line, while the camera panned over a scene of what seemed like a desolate planet. There was a deep beating noise, slowly gaining in rapidity.
Suddenly lines started to form out of the bars, and in the center, a red dot started to grow to form a Sari glyph. The scene at fifty seconds formed to show an egg, with a slight sound of wind in the background and the bars forming alien symbols, with the center red glyph saying one word on the egg, "ALIEN".
The beating noise was obvious, it was a heartbeat.
Then the egg cracked, with a bright light showing at the end, the whistling noise turned into an eerie siren, and footage strated to show. The atmosphere was heavy, and soon what appeared to be Humans were running down a narrow corridor, entering a crashed structure or ship, alternating between suited figures on what appeared to be a dead planet, traveling through a dark cave, and the Humans running down a corridor.
By one minute forty seconds the steadily growing tension released, suddenly a p-twang went off, showing the felines face starting to bite something, and something shooting out of somewhere. grappling onto one of the suited figures faceplates, everything went wrong, the siren was playing loudly, steam was shooting out, yelling, Humans shivering and wildly shaking in pain.
By one minute fifty seconds, it stopped, showing a planet with several moons, and a ship going by, with the Human English phrase under it. Then in Sari, it said, "In space, No one hears you scream." It was silent, and soon the name of the movie was emblazoned proudly over tens of millions of screens across the entire Serpent Nebula.
Alien.
The final image was of the rating, the highest a movie can go without pornographic material. Rated A For Adult; for Blood, Violence, Horror, and Disturbing Materials.
Keren Ophela, one of the millions of Asari who lived on and around the Citadel, looked at her living room's screen in what could only amount to awe.
"I have go to see this movie." The maiden said in growing interest, searching the extranet for more information about this movie.
~[==|==]~
Serpent Nebula, Citadel, Presidium, Human Embassy 2657GS June/21/2329 AD
This had been a busy month for Tomas Maghernus. Mostly he had to deal with everything and approve of all the ideas his think tank came up with for sharing Terran Culture. The ones he had approved beforehand, mainly focusing on leasing out the Juna Shopping District for the various establishments that would be there to show off the various goods and services Humanity had to offer.
The Shopping district was just large enough and came with a pretty good price, which was cosigned by the Council themselves as part of their latest set of treaties for sharing culture. Already they themselves were setting up full diplomatic outposts on Shanxi, and awaiting approval from the Federation Senate for a joint embassy on Earth. Something that was chafing the general public, but images of Turian soldiers and aid workers handing out food and supplies to the people of Shanxi put down most of the objections.
"Sir, we got the test results from this month's menu for the restaurant." His head assistant Petrovsky said as she placed the elegantly crafted and designed menu down on his desk.
"Ooooohhh, New York Week. Excellent. Were there any problems in the menu?" He asked as Petrovsky chuckled at his childlike behaviour.
"A few near fatal ingredients were discovered, primarily the spices we would have used. The head chef has complained that the food may be a bit bland at first, having half his spice cabinet declared harmful substances, but he is relishing the alien stomachs. But then again, Humans have been known for eating just about everything, the only thing we can't eat is carrion and cellulose." Petrovsky also pulled up another file.
"Reports from Shanxi also find that the Turians mixed up a Levo and Dextro Food shipment. A platoon of Turians are in the hospital for food poisoning. The Humans who ingested the Detro food said it was 'tasty'. Like jerky was also said. I even tried it myself after confirming it was safe, pretty tasty actually. But it needs more spices." Petrovsky continued on, producing a sample of Turian MRE.
"Oh and Ginger is a no go for Salarians and Volus. Its a hallucinogen for them. Mint and other Dextro spices is also that for Turians. The Levo Dextro mix in them makes them go into an inebriated state. For the Salarians and Volus, it's like Catnip." Petrovsky said professionally, sharing a few laughs with Tomas as they went over the first person reports.
"After this the Chef was interested in going over the various other substances the other species have declared unfit for their consumption, saying he may be able to find some new trade goods to share back in the Federation." Petrovsky went on.
"Excellent! It seems we have Taste of Terra in order. Now the other projects?"
"The Laser Arena is almost complete, although I have a few concerns; Krogan should not be allowed to participate for sure. Asari and other species may not use their Biotics. Physical violence is only allowed in certain matches. And we have a paramedic team on staff ready to tened to any injuries." Petrovsky went on as Tomas put the menu aside to view the layout of the new Laser Arena, which already had interested parties asking for reservations.
"Something on your mind Petrovsky?" Tomas asked, detecting the other psyker lower her mental guards on her emotions as she checked over his collection of figurines.
"Why do you have these? I did some research and these things are ancient, from before Humans even colonized Luna." Petrovsky asked as she turned his newest addition to this collection to get a better look at the base's inscription "Panda GUMI".
"Well it reminds me of when I was a child and had other career goals in mind Mina." He replied, using her first name.
"Oh really? You? I can't ever imagine you as anything other than a peacemaker Tomas." She replied just as informally.
"Oh yeah. I was always interested in the cultural arts. Music, painting, dance, even literary arts. I grew up on New Barcelona, an industrial colony. Small. I would wander the barren halls and the only solace I would have was the arts."
"Of course most of the people on the colony were not very well trained in them, having received the job for their engineering degrees, or labor. I spent all my free time trying to draw, or write. And I knew it was something I wanted to do as soon as I saw the first happy smiles on people when they saw crudely drawn, but spirited murals on the concrete walls of the compound."
"I have a poor voice for music so I bought a pre made voice kit and started to make songs using the voices. Specifically the voice of GUMI, one of the oldest voice kits ever made."
"Then in order to pay for college, and get citizenship I joined the military. And they found out I was a psychic, and here I am. Being a psychic, I don't exactly have a lot of career options, and an art student is not really one of them. So as you can see. I'm certainly having the time of my life right now. Spreading Terran culture and arts."
"So how's the media campaign coming along for those web releases? We need a good idea on numbers to determine how many kiosks and stores we should open…..."
~[==|==]~
Serpent Nebula, Citadel, Presidium 2657GS June/30/2329 AD
"I'm telling you the bugs are worse than your Ranchi." Erica Chavez said trying to explain evil to the Citadel reporter who had been trailing her for that last ten minutes. At first she just wanted to get away from the blue squid head, but she soon realised she was no different than a Terran reported only without the military training and sense to not ask certain impolite questions. So now she was trying to get her to understand the threats they dealt with daily.
"I'm sorry, but didn't your people just destroy the, quote unquote, bug home world? I have a hard time seeing them as much of a problem, and it took centuries for us and the krogan to wipe out the Ranchi."
"The bugs may have lost their home world or they may not have, the fact of the matter is Klendathu is just the assumed home world and everyone forgets that. But here is the real kicker: they won't care. Every time we take one world from them they colonize another world or airless planetoid further away from us, they may be on the back step now, but they will come back for vengeance with something new."
"And by the way, the reason it stook you guys centuries to fight off the Rachni is because the Asari and Salarians are, pardon my insult, terrible at open warfare. The Asari don't have a professional military with the numbers to take on a bug invasion, and the Salarians first strike option is their only option if they want a tangible win. And add in a century of losing ground and the Krogan requiring at least a generation which is around 10 years, to bring their numbers to fighting strength. Then they had to fight their way across a century's worth of taken and fortified territory, WITHOUT using nuclear or permanently damaging weapons. Really the only reason why it lasted so long is because the Asari and Salarians are just NOT MADE for conventional warfare and could not contribute to the major battles in anything other than support or commando roles. The only thing that you guys can specialise yourselves into doing when confronted against other species." She was about to end the interview there when a thought hit her.
"Wait a moment who told you we blew up their planet? That's not to be officially released for a few more days." She asked looking at her suspiciously thinking that they might have a spy in their midst since that was being kept on the hush hush with the Citadel.
"Oh this nice Terran soldier who kept hitting on me." The Asari said after regaining her senses at the thorough beatdown Erica just gave to her entire species.
"You mind showing me where he is, I'd like to thank him for being so helpful to you." Erica asked in a sickly sweet voice, not wanting to give away she was going to reprimand him for leaking info and fraternizing with the locals.
"Oh sure he was down at the Purple Maiden I can show-" She looked over Ercia shoulder and stated, "Oh he's right there."
Erica turned and saw a man in his early thirties with an asari under each arm walking her way. She started to move toward him, but stopped when she heard his voice, "So I was surrounded by Bugs, I though 'well fuck this is it.' So I pull out my trusty shotgun and yelled, 'Come at me you ugly bastards, and-" Erica didn't hear the rest all she hearing was the sound of a power tool and feeling her arm being cut off all over again.
She calmly jogged right up to him and then suddenly screamed, "You ripped my arm off you fucker!" And smashed him in the face with her fist, the mechanical one. He was about to go over the side of the railing and into the lake. Unfortunately for Erica, he had a strong grip on her arm.
~[==|==]~
Ambassador Maghernus looked at the two soaked Terrans before him very… irritated. One was the recently promoted Rear Admiral Erica Chaves, and should have known better than this, the other was a recent addition to the Terran security force, Sergeant Major Jake Silva, a member of the Klendathu survivors who had been shipped out here for light duty as reward and to get them to reconsider leaving the Mobile Infantry. Most of the survivors had taken the offered chance to leave the military with full honors, but there were more than a few stubborn hot heads like Jake who had refused that effort. Although he would have considered a much more quiet post, like Earth or Cassandra for them.
"Erica. Speak. Clearly. Why did you get in a complication with Sergeant Major Silva? In the middle of the Presidium. The most heavily monitored and policed area in Citadel Space. In front of hundreds of diplomatic staff."
"Beats the fucking hell out of me." Jake said in a huff, nursing the area around his eye with an ice pack to quell the bruising, "I was minding my own business and this crazy bitch attacked me."
"Silva. I understand if you're upset... But clean up your fucking language young man! You are in the middle of intergalactic politics, whether you like it or not. Millions if not billions of alien eyes will be looking at you for any fucking fault. And I'll be damned, if you give all Terrans a bad name because of your casual cursing. And from now on, Sergeant Major Jake Silva, You will refer to your Superior officers by their correct fucking title! Now, I want a report written on this desk by 0600 tomorrow, in tripli-fucking-cate, about why calling your superior a bitch is not acceptable unless they're the unit's mascot." Maghernus never raised his voice, never had it stray from a neutral tone, but the look and sheer psionic force he put into the words would make grown veterans uneasy at the unnatural forces washing over them.
"Do I make myself clear Silva?"
"Y-yes sir!"
"Good." The psionic energy subsided and the two tried to regain their composure after such exposure.
"Now Erica. Please, tell me what your issue with him is."
"He cut off my arm in the Klendathu invasion." Erica said, surprised at the force Maghernus could speak with, and weakly straining the handcuffs that kept her from attacking Jake.
Jake looked her up and down and said, "Your arms look fine to me."
"You cut it off with a god damn chain saw on Klendathu!"
Maghernus looked at Jake and noted a wave of recognition hit him, "Both of you will speak in turn when I prompt you, that includes you Silva. If you speak out of turn again. I'll ensure to make it so you're scrubbing toilets for the rest of your life, even as a civilian. Do I make myself clear Erica?" Maghernus evenly spoke, making sure the psionic force came back to cow them under his attention.
"Good. Now do you remember Sergeant Silva?"
"Ahh maybe… during the first day of Klendathu I found a fly girl barely awake. Her leg had been ruined by a crash landing and a blister bug was eating her lower arm. I killed the bug and figured blister acid was poisonous, of course that was wrong, fu- I mean stupid SICON morons. I used the steel circular saw I had with me to cut her arm off at the shoulder to stop any poisons. I then carried her body to a transport and let the medics take care of her."
"Yes and you used a chainsaw to cut my arm off!"
"Steal buzz saw. Different thing entirely ma'am." Silva replied with decorum.
"I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES!"
"And I spent seven years in one." He quipped back making a point of pointing to the medal on his jacket indicating his seven years on Klendathu. Two actually, he got one for being a POW, and another, a medallion, inset with the image of a Tiger bug, and latin script traced around its steel edge.
"Hmm well, at least I can use the publicity and turn it on its head. Erica, Sergeant Silva. Report to the Laser arena with a squad of hand picked men in one week. Duke it out to settle it once and for all." Maghernus, if this was a cartoon he would have dollar signs for irises now…...
To Be Continue