June 27th 2161. The Citadel. 06:18. Terran standard time. The Council chambers.
"… And so I do not believe that letting the Migrant Fleet continue roaming the galaxy is an option. They are simply too hard to contain". The Asari Councilor, Sadra T'lian, was embroiled in yet another discussion with her fellow council members regarding the future of the Quarian race. It seemed that that was the only thing they were discussing these days.
Markaus Aurelian, the Turian councilor, shook his head forcefully, his mandibles twitched in annoyance.
"No, we cannot allow the Quarians to settle a planet. It would be admittance that our punishment was too harsh. Have you forgotten that they were the ones to unleash the Geth upon our galaxy? Furthermore, I refuse to surrender a perfectly good dextro-amino world to them, they are scarce enough as it is without us having to hand them out to the beggars of the galaxy."
Sadra rubbed her brow. It was always the same with him. He never saw the big picture. The Quarians had become an increasingly frequent topic at the council's sessions. Especially their new ability to simply vanish for weeks at a time, had been a topic that they had discussed at length. They were still searching for a viable solution to the 'Quarian' problem.
"In case you have forgotten, Aurelian, I was there when it all happened. I remember why the Quarians were evicted from the Citadel, I was one of the three to make the decision. And for the last time, I am not suggesting that the Turians surrender one of their worlds. I'm simply stating the need to come up with a new solution."
She looked over at Vedra Inostre, the Salarian councilor, who had remained silent throughout the debate. Withholding anything that he might know from the Salarians extensive spy-network. He was staring at a dataslate on his table, his eyes darting from side to side as he was reading the information scribbled on it.
"Then what are you suggesting, if I may ask?"
Aurelian leaned across his table to look intently at the Asari councilor. He looked at her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to suggest that they give aid or shelter to the Quarians.
"I suggest that we find a system and quarantine them within it. Of course, that system would have to contain a modicum of resources to sustain them, but otherwise it does not need to contain any habitable planets. A blockade, enforced by the Turian fleet, would be put in place. It would be a temporary solution. But it would give us breathing room."
Aurelian leaned back and grabbed his chin, contemplating the suggestion. Sadra had, through her many years as a counselor of the Asari, learned how to read her fellow councilors. She knew when she had them and when she was winning an argument. The Turian councilor liked her suggestion. It spoke to the sense of order and control that all Turians had. They liked to have things in their right places, and everything had a place. Even the Quarians.
Suddenly, Vedra perked up and hid his dataslate in a pocket somewhere in his robes. He cleared his voice before taking the word.
"I do not believe that this is a viable option."
Both of the other councilors looked at him intently. He pulled out another dataslate from another pocket, scrolling through the information.
"The Quarians possess the single largest military capable fleet in the galaxy. To quarantine them in a system would prompt them to make rash and aggressive acts. They would be forced to attack the ships that would guard them out of sheer necessity. We all know that they need a large amount of resources to sustain the fleet and that quarantining them in a system it would simply be a question of time before they would need to break free."
The Turian councilor sprung to his feet.
"They wouldn't dare. And if they did we would put them down. Hard."
There it was, Sadra thought, he knows about the 'Graceful ascendance'. The ship had completely disappeared almost three full cycles ago. She had managed to suppress the news, but sooner or later the two other councilors would become suspicious. It was a Spectre who had captained that ship, and so the entire council would be interested in whatever she had discovered. But since the spectre had been aboard an Asari military vessel she had been able to keep it a secret. But apparently, somehow, Vedra had discovered it. She didn't know how, but then again it didn't matter, she just had to deal with it.
She got to her feet and looked at the Turian councilor before she cleared her throat.
"Indeed councilors, I have some disturbing news to share."
The two other council members looked at her, Aurelian expectantly, and Inostre bored, before she continued.
"The Asari cruiser captained by the spectre Vamara Me'ana, as you know, was sent to assist the Turians monitoring the Quarians and to report to the council."
Aurelian looked up, either expecting the Asari to patronize the Turians for failing to locate the Quarians, or for her to divulge something that he would be very interested in hearing. The failings of the Asari.
"About three cycles ago we lost all contact with the 'Graceful ascendance'. It was sent to a system were resent activity had been detected. Shortly after arriving, it disappeared."
There was silence in the chambers. Aurelian looked shocked. It was one thing for the Quarians to fire upon a military vessel. But a vessel captained by a council spectre. That was almost a declaration of war onto the council itself. It was unheard of! Not since the Krogan had anything like that happened.
"And you believe that the Quarians have turned hostile? That they are actively trying to avoid the Council and citadel space because they are gearing up for war?"
He looked at her eagerly. This was why the Turians were members of the council. They were the single largest military force in the galaxy. If the Quarians had the biggest fleet, the Turians had the one with the most powerful guns. The sheer number of dreadnoughts and cruiser could take on and defeat any enemy they might face.
"I'm saying no such thing Aurelian. It is simply a statement. They might have crashed, they might have had a malfunction, there might be a dozen reasons. It is simply fact. The cruiser has disappeared while searching for the Quarians."
There was silence in the room. Each of them contemplating what to do next. Then Enostre broke the silence.
"The STG are prepared to invest a large amount of resources into finding the Migrant Fleet. We believe that it is of the utmost important for the future security of Citadel space to know the whereabouts of the Quarians. We have already prepared several squads to be deployed and probes to be launched into the area. We are also developing a new device to be planted on the ships so that they won't be able to evade us any longer."
He looked at the others expectantly. Waiting for their approval. No doubt he would go ahead anyway. But it would be good politically if they could all agree, instead of pursuing each their own line of inquiry that would no doubt turn out to be counterproductive.
Sadra looked at Aurelian. He nodded, seemingly pleased with the suggestion. She could understand its merits. It was not a direct military action, as the Turians suggested, but neither was it a purely diplomatic move that would allow the Quarians to maneuver around it. It would be a good way to establish control of the rampant fleet.
"It seems that we are all agreed then? Good, then we can continue with the next order of the day. The Hanar wish to establish another colony close to the border of the..."
June 27th 2161. Somewhere in the Attican Traverse. 07:11. Terran standard time. Aboard the MFV "Narshya"
Admiral Mazar Zaron Vas Rvian, admiral of the scientific fleet, was exhausted. The admiralty board had had non-stop meetings the last week. They had constantly been discussing reports from the ships that had been coaming the quadrant for habitual planets. They were becoming desperate. They needed resources, they needed room, and they needed security. But they were on edge of Citadel law.
"We need to turn back. We need to inform the Citadel of our position. If we stay hidden much longer, they might become aggressive. They might punish us."
Admiral Vira Avah Vas Nevya, the admiral of the heavy fleet, had always been a cautious person, always opting for the safe path, the one least likely to cause the death of Quarians. That was part of the reason why she had become the admiral of the heavy fleet. She had been talking against their disappearance, and searching after a colony had been too much for her. She was frantic and on the verge of panic. But she was quickly dismissed by the admiral of the civilian fleet, Hiri Havaroh Vas Tavrain.
"It's too late now. They would punish us no matter what we do. I wouldn't be surprised if they quarantine us to some barren system somewhere near the terminus borders. Our only chance is to find a new planet so that we can prepare for our attack on Rannoch. And I'd like to see the Council try and stop us when we outfit all our ships with weapons."
Mazar could hear her grin through her mask. She had always been the most energetic of the Admirals. Always preaching war with the Geth, and colonizing distant planets to create a powerbase from which to strike. She stood straight and crossed her arms, looking at the gathered admirals.
Mazar had regretted creating the 'Ghost projector' numerous times over the last few months. It was a simple thing really. It would project the signatures of the ships so that the most delicate satellites and sonars would pick up their radiation and heat, thereby believing that the fleet was still there. Even when they had left several hours earlier. With the device, they had been able to avoid the Council patrols and ships, so that they might examine a distant planet. That way they could keep the Council from knowing their true purpose out here, so close to the Attican traverse.
"But we are going against a council edict. They would probably just give us some minor restrictions if we come forward of our own free will. We can avoid a large uncomfortable political episode if we simply surrender ourselves to them."
Mazar had to admit, her suggestion did have some merit. But they had already come this far, and he was beginning to like the idea of finding a new planet to colonize. They could even hide their civilians there, ensuring that they wouldn't be in harm's way when the big confrontation with the Geth came.
"Why should we abide by council law? We aren't even a council species. We aren't even in citadel space. They have no authority over us. I say damn the council! They can lord it over their own species and territory. They don't get to decide what we do anymore."
There was a murmur of agreement from the gathered admirals. Most of them had had enough of the citadel council deciding what they could and couldn't do. They never received any aid from them, no resources, shelter or military support. They only ever received threats and restrictions.
They then went to discuss the planets that they believed had real prospects of a small colonization effort. There were a despairingly small number of dextro-amino planets in the galaxy and most of the known ones were in the possession of the Turians. They had thus far only been able to locate three planets with a dextro-amino based life form, that didn't have bacterial life or such that would immediately kill their people. Even within their suits, they could still be vulnerable if they lived on a planet hostile to them.
Two of them were little more than barren rocks in the same system. They might have some resources on them, but spreading out across to many systems would leave them vulnerable, and open to attack. Which left them only one planet.
"It looks pleasant enough, initial scans show that it could be colonized, no bacteria or other life forms hostile to Quarians. Well nothing out of the ordinary. We need more complete scans before we can establish whether or not it is suitable for mining operations."
Mazar had to agree. The pictures and vids showed a forested green planet. Seemingly teeming with life and suitable for habitation. Of course, the Quarians didn't need it to be habitual since they never left their suits. But if it was in a hostile and hazardous environment, then they would lose people to even the smallest of suit breaches. Mazar was intrigued, but he had to remain calm. The still didn't know if they should invest their very limited resources in colonizing this particular planet.
"I believe that further testing and scans are needed before we can decide whether or not to begin our effort and invest in this planet. But I believe that we should send in more teams to gather the necessary data."
The other admirals agreed. They had to be careful, they had to be smart. This far into unknown space they didn't just have to beware of the Council, but also any other unknown threat from the stars. It could turn out to become quite the disaster if they made a hostile encounter with some Batarian slavers or other such occurrences.
Before returning to discussing the council and how they would remain hidden, they all had one last look at a mysterious report that they had received from one of their ships. It spoke of a Council spectre, sent out to monitor them, disappearing when she examined a system. They had initially believed that it had been an accident, but now some of their researchers said that the scans from the neighboring system indicated that weapons had been fired.. None of them would admit it, but they were fearful of the vindictive wrath of the council. And if there was one thing they didn't need now, it was a large fleet of military ships parked right next to them, threatening them with annihilation. Ancestors knew they were close enough to being a footnote in galactic history as it was.
June 27th 2161. In Earth's orbit. 09:31. Terran standard time. The Emperors personal Cruiser "Benevolence".
Augustus was sitting with his feet on the large, dark mahogany table that was placed near the back of his large, well-furnished room on his personal cruiser. It had been an expensive purchase, funding it out of his own pocket. But he was a rich man, thanks to his grandfather's wise investments, and his father's own purchases during the financial crisis under his reign had secured his position as the single richest man in the Empire.
But still, a cruiser was a multi-billion purchase, and the furnishing alone had been nearly a quarter of the budget. But he had to admit, it was great PR. Arriving at a colony in the red and gold cruiser, taking meetings and interviews in his press room. Or being updated on current events while he was light-years away, surveying a new colony. But right now, he was using the cruiser for a different purpose.
"And how many cruisers do they have? If our new recruitment push is as extensive as you predict, then we need more ships."
He was in a secret meeting with his 'Personal advisor' Anne Ferdanow, with whom he was discussing the development of the 'Dönitz initiative'. It had originally been started late in his father's reign. But he had expanded on it, improved it. It was top secret, only he and a handful of other outside the organization knew of its existence.
"Counting the two under construction, we now number 12 transports, 8 sub-space frigates and 5 cruisers. That is including the carrier-cruiser. It should be more than enough to transport the number of men employed within the organization at this time next year."
Excellent. He needed the organization up and running as quickly as possible. Not only had they located an alien government with huge fleets and numerous colonies, but he had also lost a good deal of the positive public opinion after his stunt in the senate. But he had prepared for that. Humanity needed an organization which could get their hands dirty. An organization which could work in the dark, under his command, doing what needed to be done.
"Good. Return to your post and inform me when all the recruiters have returned. Until then you are not to contact me through the usual channels. Send a request for a meeting through my secretary, then I will tell you where to meet me"
She bowed and left, leaving him with the gathered reports from all of the operations he had running. Especially the alien technological and linguistics group interested him greatly. He had been visiting their 'guest' repeatedly the last days. Talking with her, getting to know her. He used the translator to hear and understand what she said. It worked wonderfully, but without a receiver of her own, she wouldn't understand a word of what he said. And he preferred that she didn't know that he could understand her. It gave him an advantage.
He looked over one of the reports he had received. It described the progress of the ships under construction. He had personally approved the doubling of the Empires military budget, with the construction of more than a thousand transportation ships and two new capitol ships being the largest contributors to the increase in spending, and he was now looking at the progress made in their planning. The quadrupling of the military construction crews meant that they had severely cut down the construction time of both ships, tanks and weapons.
He switched his attention to the next report. It was about the colonization effort and the number of people relocated to the various colonies and mining stations the empire possessed. He quickly skimmed over the text and halfway through he simply skipped to the summary to see how many people lived on the colonies, and planets were in Imperial possession. He saw with satisfaction, that the 'Alien menace' had not had a negative impact on the colonization effort. The summary read:
- Tier one 'garden worlds': 10
Gathered population: 54.213.982.
- Tier two 'Habitual worlds': 22
Gathered population: 23.112.453
- Tier three ' Terraforming colonies': 31
Personnel operating on T3-T colonies: 1.209.017
- Tier four 'Hazardous and/or resource collection colonies': 66
Personnel operating on T4-RC colonies: 6.981.578.
- Tier five 'Uninhabitable and/or hazardous with ongoing terraforming and/or Resource collection colonies or asteroids: 148
Personnel operating on T5-UH-RC colonies: 4.876.912
Changed in resource yield: + 04,21%
Change in population on colonies: yield: + 03,87%
Augustus couldn't help but feel proud of his people. In such a short time, they had managed to spread out across more than a hundred systems and several hundred planets or asteroids. Millions of people had migrated from Earth to the new frontier, working to advance the species. They trusted him, believed in him. And he would do everything in his power to be worthy of their faith.
He looked down at the draft of the speech which would soon be recorded and sent to the alien government, this so called 'Citadel'. It was a message with the promise of peace and co-existence, but also a hidden threat of retribution if they were indeed hostile. But with all the information they had gathered the past few days it would be safe to assume that they were indeed not hostile.
Their political system was remarkably similar to some of the old ones on Earth, and although they did seem to have a large fleet, exactly how large was still a mystery, they didn't have the overwhelming power or numbers as they had initially feared. He had consulted with the inner council, reaching a consensus had proven difficult.
The Grand admiral and General had both been in favor of a lightning and crippling attack, followed by peace negotiations while they were still on the offensive. The Consul and the prime minister had both spoken favorably of the idea of joining this Citadel, if they were able to obtain a good deal. Initially, none of the two sides were willing to discuss any other options, the military were intent on warfare while the publicly elected officials would allow human supremacy to be discarded in exchange for safety.
In the end they had all agreed on sending a message of peace and see how thing developed from there. If all went well then they might have made the single most important diplomatic move in history, securing trade and technological improvement the likes of which they had not experienced in almost a hundred years.
If things turned out bad? Well they always had a plan B. This one had been formed immediately after the encounter with the Asari. If they attacked us, annihilate them.
Then, there was a slight crackle as the intercom started, and the voice of the captain sounded.
"My lord. We are nearing the landing zone of the detention facility. Do you wish an escort to the cell?"
He tabbed on his multitool to open a direct channel to the Captain.
"No captain, I will find my own way to the cell. I have been here enough times now that I know my way around."
The captain acknowledged, and he got up from his black leather chair as he walked towards the shuttle-hangar. The landing zone was a good five kilometers from the site, for security reasons, so he had to take a shuttle to the facility. That gave him enough time to read through his speech once more. They had already recorded a short draft, but he needed an insider's opinion. He just hoped she would be cooperative.
June 27th 2161. Somewhere on Mars. 10:22 Terran standerd time. Top secret holding facility.
She had long ago stopped counting the hours of her incarceration. The whole ordeal, other than being embarrassing, was also mind numbingly dull. There was nothing to do all day but sit and wait for the 'Human' to visit. It was the only diversity to her time in the cell.
She guessed that at least three days had passed since she had been captured. In that time she had thought out half a dozen different escape plans. But she had elected to see out her initial plan of creating a diplomatic bond between her and her captives. The Human called Augustus had been visiting her at least twice every cycle. They communicated easily and she felt confident that she could, in time, secure a deal with him.
The doors to her cell opened to admit the heavily armed guards. They grabbed her and, in their usual fashion, transported her to the interview room where Augustus was waiting. She was glad to see him, he seemed civilized enough and he was the only one of these Humans with whom she could communicate.
She was chained to her chair and waited for Augustus to speak. But instead of pointing to different object and naming them, or name different persons, as had been their custom these last few days, he placed a spherical object on the table, while another human guard shoved a small bead into her ear.
Then a few seconds passed as Augustus touched some dials on the device before he looked at her. He spoke and she was shocked when she found that she understood him.
"Can you hear me? Do you understand what I am saying?"
By the goddess! They have made a translation device in just three days? But how?
She was quite shaken. Nobody had been able to complete such a feat of scientific creation since the Salariens initially created the universal translator back when they and the Asari had made first contact. But that had taken more than a month of close cooperation with the Asari and numerous lingual experts of both races. But these humans had managed to make one alone and without assistance from any other species.
"Yes. I understand you."
Augustus smiled at her, apparently pleased that the device worked both ways. He then handed her a dataslate to read. On it was a picture of her along with a lot of information. How have they been able to get that?
"You are Vamara Me'ana, a council spectre and an Asari. You were threatening a Human colony. We wish to know why. Do you wish war upon my species? Are you a military unit? What was your purpose?"
She contemplated telling him the truth, but chose not to. Apparently they had been able to dig out a lot of information about her and the Council. Any information they did not have was valuable. He was obviously afraid of what she might represent. She didn't blame him, first contacts could be very difficult, and she had already managed to mess this one up by pointing her ships guns at a Human colony.
"Yes. I am Spectre Vamara Me'ana. I was sent to investigate activity in the system. When I and my crew discovered a settlement on the planet we assumed that it was a pirate base or something similar."
It was a bad lie. But she wasn't thinking straight yet. She was still reeling from the fact that the Humans had created a translator, and she was scrambling to prepare herself for the torrent of questions.
"But I assure you, we had no idea that it was a colony of a new species. I and the Asari have no quarrel with you or your race. We did not know of your existence."
This seemed to calm the Human a good deal. Apparently they were afraid of an imminent reprisal or a large scale attack. She could use this to her advantage. The human interrupted her train of thought when he spoke again.
"What is your capacity within this 'Citadel council'. We have reason to believe that you are an officer or special agent under the command of this Council."
They knew about the council? They had indeed been industrious.
"I Am a council spectre, I guess you could call me a special agent. I act as a sort of peace maker or law enforcement. It is considered a very prestigious and honorable occupation."
He looked at her intently.
"So your voice carries weight within the council?"
This seemed important. He was staring at her with his piercing eyes, waiting for her answer. She found this quite unsettling. Is he going to ransom me? Use me as leverage of some kind?
"Yes. As a council spectre my word carries great weight within the Council. May I ask what your assignment is? What is your position within your race's government? I admit that you have me at a disadvantage here."
She needed to know who she was talking to, although she knew that his name was Augustus and that he was a politician or another form of leader, she had no idea what his position really was. They had been talking together for many hours these past few days, so she was not overly uncomfortable being able to communicate with him. It was actually quite a relief. To finally be able to communicate properly with him, to be able to discuss matters of importance. She could now begin to actually understand who she was talking to.
"I am Augustus Tiberius. I am one of the highest ranking members of the human government. I am afraid that, for the time being, that is all I wish to divulge. But rest assured that I speak for the human race. Am I to understand that you are able to speak on the behalf of your government?"
She understood his reluctance in giving her any information that was not strictly necessary. But she was pleased to discover that he was indeed a high ranking official. Then she could start negotiating.
"May I ask what happened to my crew? What is the status of my ship?"
Augustus looked slightly uncomfortable with this question. She knew that the Humans had attacked with brutal efficiency and used lethal force. She had, after all, been fighting them herself. But she hoped that a large group had been captured.
"I'm afraid that most of your crew was killed in action. We managed to take six of your crewmen captive. They have been given the best medical aid possible to make sure that they survived the ordeal. I would like to apologize on behalf of my species for this unfortunate incident. But I assure you that this was all the result of a grievous misunderstanding and that the human species only wish to live peacefully with its galactic neighbors."
By the goddess! They had killed almost all her crew, there had only seven survivors. Her entire crew was gone.
Although it was a hard blow to her personally, she had to keep her mind in the present. Her crew was dead, but she could still save the last of them. She might even establish some ties with the Humans. They were obviously looking for a diplomatic way out of their predicament. She could understand why. Whit all the knowledge they had managed to dig out, it was quite possible that they would also be aware of how ridiculously outgunned they were by the Citadel fleets. A new space faring species like the humans could not possibly hope to challenge the might of the gathered Turian, Asari and Salarian fleets.
If the Humans wished for peaceful negotiations, it was her duty as a Council spectre to give them every opportunity and chance to pursue that goal.
"Sir, as a council spectre I can carry a message back to my government and tell them of your existence. I can see that you have created efficient and powerful technology, you are clearly an enigmatic and clever species. But I assure you that it is nothing compared to the wonders and splendors possessed by the species of the Citadel. Your race is young, and alone in a large galaxy. The Citadel Council would be pleased to help you find your place within its fold. Together the species of the Citadel will help you grow and prosper."
It was a bad pitch. She wasn't used to doing this, no one had been in an actual first contact scenarios for more than a millennia. She might have said something offensive, but this was perhaps her only chance of intriguing the Human into helping her.
But despite her lacking abilities, Augustus looked interested. His eyes gleaming and his mouth twisted upwards in a small smile.
"We wish to pursue peaceful relations with the Citadel Council. I, and other representatives of the human race, have together decided to extend the hand of friendship to the Asari people and the other species of the Citadel. Will the citadel extend a hand in return?"
Goddess, she could hardly believe it. He had actually taken her offer. Although she had meant every word of her pitch she had no illusions of her abilities as an orator. But it seemed that she would get away with it. Maybe she and her crew would make it out alive after all.
"I would be pleased to plead your case in front of the gathered council. If you would let me and my crew leave for the citadel, I assure you that we can form diplomatic bonds between the elected officials of your race, and the Citadel council and avert a potential catastrophy."
For some reason she could not comprehend, Augustus eyes furrowed and his mouth turned into an angry snarl. He shot to his feet and in a low, threatening voice he said.
"I assure you miss. If you intend to threaten us, or take hostile actions against us, then I must say this. Humanity will do everything in our power to defend ourselves."
She could not understand this sudden turn of events. Her reply had been pleasant and friendly. She had not threatened them in the least.
"I am sorry if I have offended you sir. The Council species have no intention of attacking the human race. I merely meant that an investigation would perhaps be launched. If we could talk to my seniors and tell them what happened, perhaps the unpleasantries could be avoided and positive relations could be established."
Immediately his mood turned. He smiled once more and he looked pleased with her answer. Whatever she had done to offend him had apparently been remedied by her words. He sat back down on his chair before they resumed their discussion.
They talked at some length. Vamara felt that she was gaining the upper hand. The human seemed eager for her to go to the Citadel and talk to the Council. And in truth, she was eager to leave the holding facility herself. But they needed to make sure that they were on the same page. Vamara was promised that she, and the remainder of her crew, would be transported to the Citadel, as long as they announced the human presence and their willingness to engage in diplomatic negotiations.
When the meeting ended the guards came for her. But instead of escorting her to her cell, they removed her restraints and led her to an elevator. She was then shown to a room, furnished with a proper bed, a large well-crafted table and other luxurious furniture. She was informed that, since she was now recognized as a diplomat, she would receive a larger amount of freedom. She could use all the rooms and facilities on the floor she currently occupied. She would not be restrained and that her belongings, bar her weapons and communication device, would be returned.
When the guards left, Vamara could still hardly believe the rapid improvement of her position. She had received proper clothing, proper facilities and freedom of movement. Her and her crew were even going home to the citadel in a matter of days. These humans are an interesting species. I look forward to seeing how they will handle their time as a Citadel protectorate.
June 27th 2161. In Earth's orbit. 17:31. Terran standard time. The Emperors personal Cruiser "Benevolence".
Augustus was quite pleased with the encounter. It seemed that the captive Asari and himself shared the same goals. Of course, he suspected that she was lying, or at least was only telling half-truths, but they needed time and knowledge. If they could make a peaceful encounter with the alien government, then perhaps they could take it from there. One step at a time. Besides, he hadn't been too honest himself.
He poured himself a generous amount of watered down wine before he sat down in his most comfortable, leather covered chair. That was another one of the benefits of traveling with his own cruiser. The military ones, of course, had been lavishly furnished whenever he used them. But it wasn't ever really pleasant.
A servant walking in and placed a big golden tray with an assortment of sweets and other delicacies on the large table. He dismissed the servant immediately, he desired to be alone at the moment.
Once the servant had left, he took a sip of his glass and ate a piece of one of the strawberry and chocolate pieces. He rarely had time to just sit and relax. With his conversation with the alien, he had felt a great weight being removed from his shoulders. But the alien problem, for the time being, had been dealt with. And the next meeting wasn't scheduled for another two hours, so he had a short respite before his royal duties would once again occupy him.
For the first hour he simply sat, enjoying his wine and his food. But then, his curiosity got the better of him. Fishing out his dataslate, he looked at the newest update on the reports from the various task-groups. He was pleased to see the extensive progress that had been made on the "Plan B" project. Although he hoped that the encounter with the alien government would progress peacefully, he had no illusion as to what would happen if they turned hostile. He planned on making sure that they would not live long if they were.
He then decided to commence the next phase of his plan to regain his standing in the senate. He had tailored an ingenious plan to assure that the Senate would not become too unruly while he secured peace with the aliens. Humans needed to establish a presence in the galaxy. Shoving a united front to this 'Citadel council' would be a big step in that direction.
He uploaded the recording of the interview with the Asari spectre. The black spherical object on the table had been a recording device which had been able to record and file every word the Asari had said, and change the tone in which she said it. And the senate would just love what he had to show them when he was done doing a little editing.
June 27th 2161. Empire City. 18:39. Terran standard time. The Senate chambers.
"No! I will not tolerate any such votes taking place in these hallowed halls. I cannot allow anti imperial behavior to seep into this assembly."
The speakers head was completely red. He was yelling at the top of his ancient lungs. His ire was directed at an unfortunate senator who had suggested that they rule that the emperor should be deprived of all his official and senatorial power.
Leo Nemak had intended to support the proposition. What the emperor had done defiled the true meaning of the Empire. He had made the Senate redundant, silenced the voice of the people, only to take emergency power for himself. He had made many enemies on that day.
A murmur ran through the gathered senators. The speaker did not have the authority to ban a vote, but he had made the others nervous. The past few years had seen the newly established Republican Party grow from a small unknown party, into the second most supported party in the Senate. While the Republicans outside the Senate were widely regarded as terrorists and dissidents, there was nothing outright illegal in being a republican. As long as one didn't promote anti Imperial activity.
There were some theories that said that the terrorist organizations were supporting the Party. But no link had been found by any investigations. So the ideas had been dropped. But Leo still suspected that they received their funding from the small groups of republicans on the colonies, or funded them themselves.
"I'm doing no such thing! I'm simply stating the need in restricting the Emperors power to a more... Reasonable level."
The Consul, Kiel, was sitting on his seat, silently watching the whole affair. The last few days had been hard on him. He was torn between following his instincts and support the senator, and following his own sense of self preservation. While the young emperor was not considered either a cruel or power hungry man, he had changed a great deal since the discovery of the aliens. They had all sensed it. And they didn't like it.
But the speaker would have none of it. He was a stout imperialist, and he was a firm supporter of the Tiberius line.
"The Emperor had the senate's mandate to accumulate power behind his hallowed position, for our own protection. He received emergency power after a unanimous vote."
The mood in the senate chamber immediately turned sour. They all felt betrayed, ridiculed even. The Emperor had cheated them all, had used his knowledge to gain power. And there was nothing the senate could do. The consul was powerless, the senate was powerless, the only one who had any sway with the emperor was the inner council, but without the senate, the people didn't have a voice in the political debate.
"We are all well aware of how the emperor received his powers. But most of the senate was not present. Surely a vote taken without the majority of the senators, and without the consul, present, cannot be ratified by the assembly. I am sure that he had only the most noble intentions, but now, with the immediate threat seemingly gone, we can return to normal conditions. Surely it's for the best of the people."
There was some agreement from the assembly. They would all like to see thing returned to normal. But the speaker shook his head. He was the most senior member of the assembly, with decades spent on the benches of the senate. He knew every rule, every trick, every loophole in the laws. He knew the rules, and he knew when the senate was beaten.
"Emergency conditions were in place, so the "Dead hand" protocol was in effect. The Emperor can, with those senators present and alive, vote to give emergency power to a single individual. For the emergency power to be returned, the emperor has to agree, or two years has to pass before the senate can vote to remove it from him. It is stated so clearly in the constitution."
They continued for hours. Someone would come with a suggestion of how they might restraint the emperor and his power, only to find out that the emperor would need to agree to the law for it to work.
Leo had lost all interest in the proceedings when he felt a gentle brush against his right shoulder. He looked over and saw a senator, Mrs. Brylia Anderson if he was not mistaken, lean close to him.
"Interesting is it not? All of these votes and suggestions of how to decrease the emperors power."
Leo knew what she wanted. So he played along.
"One could say that the emperor has too much sway over the senate. Is that what you're suggesting?"
She smiled at him, pleased that he would skip all the formalities of secret agreements and go right to the core.
"Yes one might say that. If one was to suggest that the emperor has become to power hungry. Maybe it is time to restrict the powers of the old Tiberius line."
This was new. He had already been approached by numerous senators asking that he and his party support a proposition limiting the powers of the emperor. But now, it seemed that the Republicans had grown bold enough to actually limit the powers of the Tiberius line.
"One would suggest that it is perhaps dangerous."
He didn't exactly dislike the idea. Augustus had proven that they had far too much power over the senate. The emperors had always been powerful, but none of them had been quite as bold as young Augustus, it had been a wakeup call.
"But one would be favorable to the idea. It is perhaps time for changes in the government of the Empire. If one was to receive some small compensation."
Mrs. Anderson smiled. Pleased that they had arrived at an understanding so quickly.
"Oh indeed. One would receive the support of a rather large party."
With that she shuffled back to her seat, making an effort not to look like she was an anti-Imperial. Leo drew a deep breath. This was dangerous, but necessary work. The emperor was becoming more and more dangerous. In just three days he had single handedly taken absolute power over the empire, making every decision alone, often without counseling. He might bring the empire to its knees. They had to do something.
Then the doors to the hall opened. Striding in, looking confident and regal, was the emperor. He walked directly to his throne, overlooking the gathered senators, and motioned for the speaker.
"Speaker! I request the floor!"
The speaker looked at the emperor, then to the gathered assembly.
"The floor recognizes the Emperor, Augustus Tiberius, the fourth emperor of mankind."
Augustus straightened and looked at the gathered men and women of the senate. His steely eyes piercing every one of the present officials.
"I have just returned from a meeting with the leader of the alien force we encountered on the verge of our holdings."
A holo-recording of Augustus, sitting across from a beautiful blue woman, with hair that resembled tentacles, shot out from the back of the throne. Every senator gasped. This was the first time that they had actually seen the aliens. They looked so human.
The emperor and the alien were talking. It seemed pleasant enough. Somehow, they were able to understand what the alien said. Apparently, they had some kind of translator in the room. He had already heard that the scientists had created such a device and was pleased to see it in use.
"I and the alien leader engaged in a discussion, I wished to remedy the damage done and assured her that we would like to form a friendship with their race."
In the recording they heard the alien affirm that she was a powerful person within her government.
"As a council spectre my word carries great weight within the Council I act as a peace maker and law enforcement. It is a very prestigious and honorable occupation."
He was surprised. They had captured such a high ranking member of the alien government. Then Augustus spoke, his voice grooving angry as he said his next words.
"But after some time, she threatened us, grieving for her crew, she assured me that they would retaliate."
On the recording, they could see the female alien, staring at Augustus.
"I will carry a message back to my government and tell them of your existence. I see that you have created efficient technology, you are clearly an clever species. But I assure you that it is nothing compared to the wonders and splendors possessed by the species of the Citadel. Your race is young, and alone in a large galaxy. The Citadel Council would be pleased to find you a place within its fold. The Citadel will grow and prosper
Suddenly, the Augustus in the recording shot to his feet, looking angry yet firm, before the recording stopped.
"While most of the discussion progressed peacefully, she assured me that they would retaliate if we would not submit to the rule of this 'Citadel'. I refused and after a long negotiation I was able to talk her into leading us to her leaders. There we will make ourselves known and solidify our position as a strong independent race who only wish to live in peace with their people."
There was a stunned silence in the hall. Gone were the voices of dissidence and anger. The Emperor had fought for their rights against the aliens. He had negotiated a half-peace with the alien leader and would lead them to the alien government.
Someone began to cheer. Then the cheer was picked up by other senators. Soon, the entire room reverberated with the shouts of the senators.
Leo couldn't help but feel awed. He had assumed that the emperor had simply taken emergency power in a bid to solidify his position as the ruler of the human race. But he had actually needed it to secure peace. He had saved the human race.
He got to his feet and cheered with his fellow senators. Perhaps it was not such a bad thing that he possessed absolute power after all. Maybe he really did have humanity's best interests at heart. But just to be sure, he would make sure to contribute to the Republican coffers. No reason in being unprepared.
June 29th 2161. The Widow system. 08:23. Terran standard time. Aboard the Imperial frigate 'Wolfblade'.
Vamara drew a deep breath. She was finally back. She hadn't realized that she had been so stressed. While she had only been in captivity for five days, it felt like an eternity. But now, so close to home, she could feel all those worries she had carried with her fall from her shoulders. And it felt wonderful.
"Arriving in the system in a few minutes ma'am. What are your order?"
She and her remaining crew had received a frigate as their personal transportation. They carried with them a message from the Humans. But she did not have access to it. They had agreed to escort a human envoy to the council, he would then present them with the message. She was once again quite pleased with herself. She had managed to not only save her few remaining crewmembers and get safe passage to the Citadel, but also to get the humans to come along, and present themselves to the council.
Indeed, this was all changing from an enormous disaster, to quite the success.
They suddenly decelerated violently, and she was almost sick, but she was able to contain herself and walked up to the cockpit to have a better view of the surroundings. In front of her, looking out of the foremost windows, she could see the citadel. She wasted no time in sending the appropriate codes through every channel that she was able to detect, ordering the crew to power down every weapon and all of their shields. She only had a few seconds before every single ship in the system would point their guns at her and fire. An unidentified intruder near the Citadel would not be kindly received.
The frigate was a standard human design, or so she had been told, and they had started the trip only a few hours ago. The speed with which they traveled was astonishing. She did not know how they were able to travel with such speed, as far as she was aware they had not been near any mass relays. But of course, that was impossible. Nothing could travel at such speeds without the use of the Prothean technology that all races of the citadel used. Perhaps she was closer to home than she had initially thought and they had merely been a long FTL jump away. But then why hadn't they discovered the humans before?. She had used her free time before her departure trying to dig up anything she could about the humans. Their military, their fleet, their technology and the positions of their planets. But her access to any information had been severly restricted. She couldn't find anything. And that annoyed her greatly.
"This is Council spectre Vamara Me'ana, code 2572384/232-A-H-L. Returning from council mission. I am onboard an undesignated frigate heading towards the Citadel. Please respond."
She waited anxiously. For her to come this far, only to be shot down by a security vessel would just be too much. She was sweating, she was so close now, so close, but only one shot from ending everything.
Then the radio crackled.
"This is Captain Markus Anilius of the Turian dreadnought 'Armored fury'. Code is confirmed. Go to doc number 21C. We will be escorting you into doc. Follow this route precisely, if you diverge from it we will assume that you have hostile intent. Anilius out."
They received the data which they followed precisely. She knew that if they strayed, then the Turian would shoot them out of the sky.
They docked without incident. The human crew was very efficient, following every instruction without complaint. They would make a good addition to the Citadel Council she thought. She and her remaining crew stood ready at the airlock, waiting for the all clear to sound, and all of them feeling a little anxious about what would come next. After all, they did travel on a ship from a previously unknown species, and they would soon report to the Council about what had transpired the last five days. Then, with a hiss of air escaping, the door opened.
On the other side stood two full squads of C-sec officers, fully armed and armored. Waiting for them, with their guns pointing strait into the room beyond the airlock.
"Stand down men, I know who she is, i can verify her security clearance."
An Asari, walking out of the group, came up to her. She did recognize her. It was Miana Le'Vian. A lieutenant in C-sec. She had helped her with a few cases before, mostly drug related, and she knew her to be a reliable and honest officer. The look of shock on her face was almost comical.
"Vamara! I heard that your ship was lost. What happened?"
She couldn't help but smile. She was back on the Citadel. And by the goddess did she have a report to make.
"Miana, I have something of the greatest importance to show the council. I need an escort to the Presidium, as fast as possible."
Lore: The Emperors of Terra.
Emperor Arthur Tiberius. 1st emperor. Reign: 9th of April 2058 - October 26th 2069. Cause of Death: Heart failure and other stress related disseases. Age: 73.
Emperor Arthur Tiberius, the founder of the Empire, started his career as the chairman of the Euro-Asian gathering. During the negotiations considering the implementation of a gathered government, he was the first to suggest a figurehead to lead the new nation. The man would not receive any real power, but he would become a powerful symbol who could unify the populace. It was a popular idea, but they were unable to decide who would be that person.
At some point, when it seemed that none of the sides were able to reach an agreement, Arthur Calaghan suggested that he receive the position. But the African union and the American League were against the idea, the Euro-Asian gathering was already the most powerful union on Earth, if their chairman received the role of figurehead then what was to stop them from using the power to take over the world?
The solution was to create a three part government. The Emperor, the senate, and the ministry. While the Imperial crown would be hereditary, going from father to son, the senators and minister would be selected from the most able members of the species. While Arthur Calaghan would be crowned Emperor, the leader of the African Union, Obeno Moraman, would elected as the first Consul of the senate, and the leader of the American League, Michal O'leary, would become the first prime minister. That way, two of them could restrict the power of the third.
He was crowned on the 9th of April 2058. His first act, in cooperation with Moraman and O'leary, was the "Midnight protocol". But the role Moraman and O'leary was mostly forgotten. What followed was a large campaign of public relations and stunts to firmly place Arthur Calaghan, now Arthur Tiberius, as the leader of all men and woman.
While he was not universally liked by his subjects, his continued public appearances and speeches made him a very public figure. In time, he became the face of human scientific and economic endeavor. When the masses started feeling the benefits of a global cooperation between all the human states, he was the one who received the praise. And so, the emperor became a symbol of progress, wealth and prosperity.
During his reign, he started many movements and spearheaded many votes and initiatives for the improvement of living conditions for the vast majority of the residents of Earth. Universal healthcare, cheap medicine, food for the masses, restoration of nature reserves, improvements to housing and water supply, and access to information and higher education for all citizens.
After only a short reign, Arthur Calaghan had fortified the position of Emperor as the most well-known and powerful position on Earth. With the support of the masses, the Tiberius line became the most influential family in human space.
Emperor Temos Tiberius. 2nd Emperor. Reign: November 3rd 2069 - August 17th 2099. Cause of death: Heart failure due to stress. Age: 88.
Temos Tiberius reign carried on the legacy of his father. Promoting focus on internal and humanitarian progress, but now he also looked outwards, to the stars and the vast emptiness of space. Wishing to fortify the sol-system, he quadrupled military spending, with focus on research and ship construction. It was also under his rule that the Imperial legions were formed.
To sustain the increased military spending, and to acquire enough resources to build their ships, he started the mining of the neighboring planets, especially the mines on Mars.
Using the knowledge from the Prothean beacon, and the knowledge gained from their counter research, he improved the efficiency of construction of buildings and ships and machines, and transportation of everything from people, to resources and arms. The infrastructure became very quick and reliable. Production became extremely efficient, the output from the factories tripled, and all of this was contributed to the Emperor, due to a large PR campaign funded by the Emperor himself.
Using the booming economy, he commenced the building of the Imperial city. Taking almost a full twenty years to build, the city would be the Diamond amongst human cities. It would collect all the human politicians, officials and the officers of the army and the navy within a fifty kilometer radius. Thereby making the decision making more efficient and quick.
It was to be a cultural, esthetical and technological marvel.
At its completion, it had almost devastated the human economy. But it was deemed to be a complete and utter success. "The most beautiful city ever built" they said. It secured Temos Tiberius as one of the most loved Dictators of all times.
His death signaled the end of an era for humanity. The population boom that humanity had experienced during the first forty years of Imperial rule meant that most people alive now were born during the rule of the Tiberius line. This was to change the mindset of the populace completely.
Emperor Markus Tiberius. 3rd Emperor. Reign: August 24th 2099 - April 3rd 2158. Cause of death: Heart failure. Age: 91
Born and raised under imperial rule, Markus was the very image of his generation. Used to the technology that humanity had mastered and improved during his forbears, and with a booming economy and the respect and love of his people born of four decades of Imperial propaganda ensured that he had almost unlimited power.
He used this power extensively to secure his place within the senate. Extending his influence and removing many of the old restrictions of the Imperial crown. He created the Inner council, which could bypass many of the long senatorial votes and elections, and he assumed the position of Commander-in-chief of the armed forces after a small rewriting of the constitution.
He quadrupled the spending limit of the military, leading to an economic crisis due to the lack of funds in the state's coffers. But he refused to cut down on the spending. The fleet and the armies grew to an enormous size, prompting him to propose that the "midnight protocol" be repealed due to the economic problems, and the size of the army which he believed would be able to protect human interests.
When the suggestion was shot down, he devoted his next twenty years of rule to expand the human economy and to bring it back to past levels. The increase in the mining operations on the planets in the sol-system, and the numerous state-owned enterprises selling and developing new technology for the masses saved the failing economy and brought back stability.
The repeal of the "Midnight protocol" and the increase of the size of the fleet and army became what defined his rule. Continuing to prepare and fortify the home-system and the economy for a large scale interstellar conflict.
His broad influence and his enormous power and strenght left a power vacuum after his death. Now, all the citizens of Earth are asking the same question. Will his son be strong enough to lift the crown? Or will the Tiberius line finally falter?
Author note:
Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, a lot going on right now. I will try to update a little more often the next week, since i'll be going on a vacation the week after and therefor will be unable to write for about eight days from Monday next week.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, a lot of it was writen in-between different arangments and other apointments, so it might have been e a bit more sloppy than usual.
I would also like to give thanks to Brodur, my Beta-reader, who has been a big help in making sure that this chapter contains a lot fewer spelling errors, gramatical errors and large plot-holes :)
Remeber, review and help me improve the story. Next chapter coming soon ;) How will humanity react to the council? And how will the Council react to humanity?