The Indian ambassador may have been speaking emphatically, from the heart, but to Alec it was just mere droning. It had all become a simple buzz after the first hour and when everyone in the room eventually got their turn to speak, it was like listening to a broken record. Everyone had the same thing to say and Alec could only give the one answer so many times.
The amphitheater was filled from top to bottom of representatives from all over the globe. Small desks had been set up in front of them to facilitate notes and to display their nation's flag. It didn't really matter, in the grand scheme of things because the countries had no real power. It was no longer an issue of nation against nation anymore. The whole planet was now one unity, but unfortunately, the inhabitants had yet to understand that.
It certainly wasn't making Alec's life any easier. Trying to maintain his composure and mentally screaming at himself not to just walk up the steps and clock the insufferable man on the head, he poured himself a glass of water instead from the pitcher on the table at the bottom of the room, keeping his gaze locked as the man's words failed to reach his ears. Underneath the table, Alec made a gesture to Garrus, who was sitting beside him, if he wanted a glass as well. The turian gave a subtle cock of the head before lowering it once in a nod. Water was the only constant in this room, it seemed. Alec poured another glass and pushed it to Garrus without a word.
"…and so, we feel, that in order to maintain the interests of the nation of India and her people, we must push for a seat on this Citadel Council if what you claim is true…"
Alec's hands shook as he fought for control to keep them from obnoxiously tapping on the table. His fingers were gloved, encased, as well as his entire body. He was wearing his Terminus armor again, minus the helmet, to demonstrate how a human could possibly consider himself apart from the rest on this planet. Garrus was also armored, his blue and grey armor standing in stark contrast to Alec's black and red. The turian's foot was moving up and down, evidently he was just as annoyed as Alec was.
Alec allowed his gaze to sweep across the room. Anthony was sitting down at the bottom, near the American representative. He had not said a word once the ambassadors had started talking, merely remaining in the shadows as a moderator.
He continued to look around in an attempt to clear his mind. He was starting to get a headache, if only he had the equivalent for Advil right about now. Through his frustrated haze, he managed to get a glimpse of the one face he recognized in the crowd. Sitting next to the Japanese ambassador, was Kasumi Goto. She gave a sad smile as their eyes locked across the room. Of all the people in this room, it was her that seemed the most human, ironically.
That damned man was still going! Alec could tolerate no more of this. This was the seventh person to speak so far and they had managed to waste five hours of his time while they constantly bickered and attempted to draw out the negotiating. They had the wrong mindset, this wasn't a negotiation anymore.
Alec raised a hand and the speaker slowly broke off, "I'm going to have to stop you right there, Ambassador Dharma. Because we have been in this room for hours and I am getting the feeling like we are getting absolutely nowhere. Is there anyone else in this room that has a request that is dissimilar from Ambassador Dharma's or the rest of the people who spoke today?"
No hands went up at the question, causing Alec to sigh explosively, "You people are extraordinary. I present to you lenient terms from the Council and all you can think about is representation?"
"Mr. Lee…" the Canadian ambassador began.
"Captain Lee," Alec raised his voice. "It's captain. I'm extending all the courtesy I can muster to all of you people right now so do me the same and address me by my fucking title."
The entire room was shushed at the outburst, everyone looked deathly afraid that the human in the scary armor would suddenly whip out a gun and kill everyone right now on a whim.
"The point I'm trying to make is simple," Alec said loudly. He didn't use a microphone as everyone in the room did, "It is the fact that you have already been given very lenient terms. You have free reign to explore most of the areas of the galaxy, unlimited access to any Council world, and hell, you can have a representative on the Citadel. A single representative."
Alec paused to let that sink in, "I know everyone here is fond of the system of checks and balances, appointing several people to office to take different duties but the Council's motivations are clear. A single representative is allowed more power but is expected to use discretion. Any and all recommendations go through the Council where it will be put to a vote, plain and simple. This makes things easy like battling corruption as there is only one layer to remove. It also prevents ideas in the pipeline from becoming jammed and manipulated along the way. It's an effective system and it has lasted for hundreds of years. Longer than any of the governments in this room today."
"Captain Lee," the Canadian ambassador attempted again. "We are uncomfortable with this whole notion. Why must we adopt this system when we have used them effectively longer than you have been born?"
"Things change, ambassador," Alec said matter-of-factly. "You have no choice in the matter."
"What we should have a choice in," boomed the German ambassador. "Is whether or not we should receive a seat on the Council! That way we can enhance our own laws more effectively and introduce ourselves to the galaxy!"
Alec gave a disbelieving smirk, "You think it's going to be that easy? There are several races out there that have yet to earn a place on the Council. And suddenly you think you're going to get one because you think you're entitled to it? I'm sure the krogan feel they're entitled to a seat, or the volus, or the elcor, the list goes on, ladies and gentlemen. The races with Council seats hold entire fleets, multiple worlds, they represent an expansive part of the galaxy in which Earth is only a tiny speck. Compared to, say, the turians, their holdings dwarf the area of this planet a thousandfold."
The American ambassador cleared his throat, "And how exactly did the turians gain their place on the Council? What is the template for such a thing?"
Garrus now straightened as he spoke, "Over a thousand years ago, my people were part of a war with the krogan, the Krogan Rebellions. We assisted the ruling Council races at the time, the asari and the salarians in creating and dispersing a genophage that severely reduced krogan sterility, effectively ending the Rebellions. My people's part in that war was cause enough for them to earn a seat on the Council."
The ambassador sputtered, "But…but there hasn't been anything like that on our scale! Surely one can procure a seat another way…"
"You can't, ambassador," Alec said grimly. "The only way you're going to get a seat on that podium is by humans proving to the galaxy their worth. At this point, that's a pretty tall order."
The American ambassador was fuming, "You forget your place, Captain Lee. I should hardly remind you that you yourself are a human. Born from the same planet that you now spit upon. Why are you being difficult with us? We are not your enemies."
Alec cocked his head, "Are you really, ambassador?" He waited to see if a response could be elicited from the fat man sitting across from him before continuing, "Humanity left me out to dry, at the moment when it was most important to me. Now you expect me to come here, with open arms, and expect me to roll over and play nice? No, ambassadors, it isn't just me. I am the voice of the Citadel Council and I was tasked to give you these terms verbatim. Nothing altered in your favor, not one word."
The British ambassador stood from his desk, appalled, "You? Your friends left us out to dry! Over twenty years! We had just embraced the notion of extraterrestrial life when suddenly they all disappeared from this world. To see you standing there with the gall to blame us is astounding when the fault clearly lies on your shoulders!"
Alec stood so suddenly that the entire table shifted and the glasses of water tipped over and splashed the floor, causing Garrus to throw up his hands in frustration.
"Do…not…dare…to put this on me when you are not in full possession of the facts!" Alec growled. "Did you even wonder why…why everyone left this planet? Huh? Wonder why no aliens decided to contact you for over twenty years?" He looked at each one of them, watching their terrified faces, only Kasumi appeared to be intrigued. "I did not think so."
"We…" the American ambassador stuttered. "Had a few hypotheses on that…"
"Hypotheses?" Alec laughed. "I can do you one better."
Alec gestured to Garrus to stand beside him as he activated his omni-tool. Selecting a prerecorded broadcast dated 2026, Alec clicked on the file as it formed into a projection in the middle of the floor. The footage showed the interior of a large station, bigger than anything humans had ever built. The camera was currently lingering on what was happening on the balconies overlooking a pristine lake.
Humans wearing white body armor were gunning down civilians and security officers, anyone who got caught in the crossfire. They were merciless in their slaughter, some even going out of the way to make every death as painful as possible. A grenade caught a quarian in the middle, ripping it in half and smearing guts along the wall, a salarian was riddled with bullets and vomited green blood as its internal organs started shutting down, a volus was whimpering as a stray bullet nicked its protective suit, a sudden burst of blood and flesh spewing out as the volus' skin split open from the depressurization. The ambassadors watched the carnage in horror, their mouths gaping open in shock.
Alec, satisfied, ended the broadcast, ignoring the dull throb in his head, "This took place twenty-one years ago. It has been called the Assault on the Citadel by historians and will remain a black mark in humanity's ledger. That is why they left, ambassadors. Would the Council seriously risk the lives of its people after such a demonstration like that? Humans gunning down innocent civilians in their bloodlust? To them, we looked like animals and they judged at the time to leave us on our planet. To be cut off from the civilized galaxy until they had determined that we could integrate peacefully."
The British ambassador's mouth was hanging, "But…this is…we were never told…"
"Told of what? That humans had just committed an atrocity in a different solar system? Or that aliens would begin to leave the planet because of an intergalactic incident? Either way, it wouldn't have mattered because the Council wouldn't trust you again. They still don't trust you now, for that matter."
The Israeli ambassador raised a hand, her voice trembling, "But who? Who did this?"
"An ultra-religious sect that was convinced that aliens were the spawn of Satan or something along those lines. That was also the reason for the Danbury Incident five years prior. Both times people with crazy beliefs went and screwed up the biggest gift humanity has ever received. Shocked, ambassadors? Don't be. This is ancient history now." His pose, combined with his armor, made him look all the more menacing, "I was present for both events. I survived both events, I participated in both events. I fought my fellow humans because what they did was morally wrong. I fought them because they were…"
About to kill someone I care deeply about.
"…murdering everyone in sight. Do not look me in the eye and call me a liar when you have no proof, ambassadors. It only weakens your position."
"Even so," the Indian ambassador said. "A seat on the Council could prevent any-"
"STOP!" Alec yelled. "Do you not get it? There will be no Council seat for you. Not right away. Maybe in fifty years, maybe a hundred, maybe never. You had your shot and you blew it, it's only miraculous that you're getting another bite at the apple. You should be thankful that we're here at all." Alec's headache was now in full force, his head felt like it was about to split. "You have no bargaining power here, ladies and gentlemen. It was a mistake to allow you to foolishly state any concessions you had about this offer. Nothing is up for debate here. You can either accept, or walk away. You may even try to take a seat by force, like the krogan tried to, like the zealots tried to. But know this, I have a fleet of over twenty starships in orbit around this planet, each one providing capable warriors like Garrus here," he gestured at his friend. "I can rain down hell with a single word. I can personally ensure that no life will exist on this planet if you try my patience any more. People have tried in the past," Alec paused for dramatic effect.
"They all ended up dead."
Alec ignored Garrus' stiffened posture as he breathed furiously out of his nose. All of the faces he could discern were staring at him, each and every one utterly speechless. He needed a glass of water right now but he had knocked over the nearest pitcher earlier. There had to be some way of relieving this fucking pain.
Alec's voice amounted to a hushed tone as he spoke, "You have a decision to make, ambassadors. We're done here." Turning around, he pushed past the guards as he headed for the door, Garrus right behind.
After stomping off the elevator, Alec hurriedly walked straight down the hallway to his room. Shouldering the door open, he could hear Garrus yelp as he once again smacked into his own door. Once inside, Alec, hissing in anger, began tearing off pieces of his armor, throwing them in a pile in the side of the room. Tali wasn't there yet, she must be still occupied with her own talks.
Alec swore as he wretched a particularly difficult piece off his shoulder. He fumbled at the clasps as he desperately tried to extricate himself from his suit. Stumbling backwards, he kicked off his boots until he was finally free of the constricting form. It still was not good enough, he needed to get rid of this headache.
He practically ran over to the bathroom as his undershirt was torn off along the way. He turned the faucet knob and plunged his face into the sink, desperate for the cool feel of the liquid running down his throat. He left his face hanging in that position, drinking until he could barely stand. His knees gave out and he collapsed on the hard tile, water running down his chin and onto his chest.
The pounding was still present but the ache had subsided, although not completely. He groaned at the slight relief as he reclined his back against the wall, savoring the quiet of the moment after that disastrous encounter.
After some time, he crawled out of the bathroom back towards the bed. Noticing the flat screen for the first time, Alec found a remote and switched it on, hoping for something to take his mind off today.
Flipping past the channels, he became more frustrated with every movement of his thumb. There was a commentary about a civil war in Sierra Leone, a long haired Brit was now driving a car into a piano, a cartoonish sponge was talking in a high pitched voice, and a rerun of a basketball game was playing from the past spring.
Surfing through all of the available channels, Alec finally settled on the basketball game. Golden State Warriors against Dallas Mavericks. He recognized none of the players on the roster, each team had even updated their logos. This was at least mundane enough for him to lose a couple brain cells over. He sat himself down on the bed and relaxed as he watched the players fight over a bouncy ball in the middle of a court with thousands of people watching. Such a national pastime now seemed so strange, so different. What happened to him? How did he come to hate his own people so much?
The answers slipped away from him as his eyes shut, despite the obnoxious roaring of the crowd, but it only felt like he had been away for ten minutes when he felt something shaking his arm.
"Alec?"
Groggy, Alec opened his eyes and they immediately widened when he saw the time. He had apparently been asleep for almost five hours, yet he did not feel rested at all.
In compensation, the one person in the galaxy that he wanted to see at the moment was sitting right next to him, an arm gently gliding up and down his own with concern.
"T-Tali?" he yawned.
She gave a nod, an exaggerated one as she was still trapped within her enviro-suit. Any subtle movements would be swallowed up in the restrictive movements that the suit did allow to transpire. A pang of irritation flashed through Alec at this.
"How did it go?" Tali whispered. "What happened?"
Alec's headache had come back in force during his nap, there was that mindless, incessant pounding once again. He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, hoping the concentration would break the sensation, "It…it went…"
Tali's helmet tilted as she did not understand what was going through Alec's head. It was obvious that something was bothering him, she just couldn't tell what.
"What's wrong, Alec? What do-"
Alec, peering through his haze now, lifted his arms to meet Tali's helmet. Fingers scrambling, he brushed all over, searching for the clamps to her visor, heart pounding so hard he thought it would explode.
"What are you doing?" Tali recoiled.
"You've…been in this…thing…long enough," Alec grimaced, finally depressing the catches as a familiar hiss of air was heard. "Enough time for you to adapt."
Cutting off any future word of protest, he tossed the mask aside as he savagely brought his head in to meet Tali's lips. She murmured in surprise but quickly relaxed her body posture as he kissed her with a hunger she never known before. The moments ticked by as Alec furiously continued, his tongue outlining Tali's pointed canines as his world turned red.
Their mashed lips opened simultaneously for both of them to allow their tongues some wiggle room, both running across the other as they experienced each other's familiar taste. It wasn't enough for Alec, though. He physically needed more.
His arms, wrapped around Tali, started to reach for the familiar zips and clasps that kept her bodysuit in place. She gave no indication to him that he should stop and he energetically worked, his movements quick and precise brought on by years of practice. As Tali started to get the top of her suit off, Alec immediately made for her boots, yanking each one off and throwing them next to his discarded armor on the floor.
Grabbing the legs of her suit, he gave a fierce pull and the whole thing gave, sliding out to reveal Tali's form to Alec. She was still in perfect shape, her body containing not a trace of fat on her. Her grey skin was still as smooth as a polished stone, unsullied by all the adventures they shared together. Her muscles were accentuated by her alien build, solid built atop a slim form. As close to perfection as anyone could ever dream.
Brought on by an unquenchable longing, he climbed over the bed, forcing her legs apart as he lowered his body between them. His face was at chest level and his hands gave each of her round breasts a firm squeeze. Noticing a quickening in her breathing, he lowered his head down between her breasts as he gave thick kisses to her body, using his tongue to occasionally trace a line on her skin.
She was sighing in pleasure, but Alec could tell that this was not enough for her. She was glad to be finally free of that damned suit, even she had only been in it for a few days, but she wanted to experience her normal range of sights, sounds, and touches again. Trapped in the suit, she was cut off from all that, and her husband was the only one who could ever overload them all at once.
Boiling from the persistent ache in his head, Alec gave a feral growl and grabbed Tali by her haunches, causing her to squeal softly as he lifted her up and carried her over to the desk. She shuddered as she sat down on top of the cold wood, her warm skin starting to get goose bumps from the perception.
Alec kicked the chair at the desk away as he lowered himself on his knees. Tali glanced down, knowing was about to occur and spread her legs slightly for easier access. Her hands were ruffling his hair as his head moved closer to her body. Once Alec's lips had made contact, she jolted as if she had just been shot, mouth open as she strongly reacted to his movements.
Still maintained in her sitting position, she continued to play with his hair as Alec continued his work fervently. Her eyes were tightly shut through ragged breaths, mouth still agape in a pleasured expression. Alec's hands were clutching her lower back, digging in a quick tempo as she rocked back and forth atop the desk. Her legs contracted, trapping him in his position, unwilling to give until he'd finished.
She could feel herself approaching the end. His pace was quicker than normal and she tilted her head back in the wake of his mouth on her. She moaned and Alec seemed to go even faster. She clutched his head and started to cry out. There was nothing that could hold her back at this point, she was committed. As she released, she started to pant as the nerves in her body did not seem to respond any more. She slumped in her position, completely wiped out.
Alec rose from the ground, hands groping at his belt buckle and snapping to the side as his pants came off a second later. Without giving her any time to react, he brought himself into her bubble again as he kissed her, a little more gently than last time, but there was still some animal behind the gesture.
To further drive that point home, she cried as she felt his presence inside her, wasting no time to allow her to come down from her high after the first orgasm. Alec gradually built up his speed through the now blackness that was starting to permeate his vision. He could see nothing beyond, just a wave of desire and lust. Concentrating on what he was doing, he started to drive his full force against the hapless quarian, causing the desk to bang loudly against the wall each time, creating a racket. He didn't care at how much noise they were causing at the moment, and nor did Tali. In fact, Tali was incapable of even sounding a coherent word outside of the occasional "yes" or Khellish equivalent.
The pleasurable friction and boldness of Alec's movements was overwhelming Tali. She had never seen this side of him before, never in her life. She could feel herself approaching her apex already and she let out yet another moan as her body climaxed.
Alec was surprised at how quickly he felt the rush of warmth from his partner. He had only just begun his work and she had already strongly reacted. He briefly considered stopping to let Tali rest but decided against it and kept pushing even harder. A snarl was coming from the back of his throat, bodily grunts escaping as he continued to thrust. His headache was now becoming unbearable, he needed to be done with this quickly.
Starting to yell, Alec grabbed Tali in a fierce embrace as he threw himself against her with all his might, again and again and again. She was starting to scream softly as she wrapped her arms around him so tightly he thought his ribs might break. He could finally feel the conclusion approaching and let out a roar, desk clamoring against the wall in a hellish cacophony of noise.
The blackness was constricting, contracting as he moved, slowly creeping. All of a sudden, it cleared as Alec saw a flash of white, as if a lightbulb had exploded within his head. He gasped as his mind was cleansed, the pain suddenly gone. Fully coming to his senses, he was now aware of where he was, and that there was a listless quarian wrapped around him. He lifted a hand up to her face but she didn't move. Alec bent down to look at her when he realized that she had fainted during his homestretch. Alec, surprised, patted the unconscious Tali as he started to discern his whereabouts.
He blinked. He finally took a look at himself mentally. He was standing next to a desk upon which was seated his lover, his wife, in the NSA headquarters on a potentially hostile planet. And he had just screwed her right in the middle of it all, without so much as a second thought. What had he been thinking?
Giving a huff of frustration, he gingerly scooped Tali up and laid her on the bed. He lowered himself beside her as she started to come to.
"What…what happened?" she asked in a daze.
Alec folded his arms across his chest as he sighed, "Something that shouldn't have happened."
"What do you mean?" Tali said, now fully awake, confused.
"I mean, what I did was completely uncalled for. I should have exhibited more control."
Tali frowned, "Why, then? What compelled you to do this?"
Alec shut his eyes, "I just…I was so frustrated with today. I was not thinking rationally when you showed up. I couldn't control myself."
Tali leaned over to kiss his shoulder, "You don't have to apologize for it."
"Yes," Alec hissed. "Yes I do. I selfishly risked your life tonight when I pulled that visor off you. How was I supposed to know that you were completely ready to do that? I had no idea and I never bothered to ask. You might think it turned out well for you but I am disgusted at myself for even putting you in such a position when the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you."
"But you didn't hurt me," Tali pleaded. "Please don't beat yourself up over this. It's over now and I'm fine. Probably even better than fine now," she added with a small laugh, unable to control her blushing.
Alec smiled in return, "I appreciate you trying to calm me down, Tali. But that still doesn't change the fact at my stupid reactions all over the squabbling of petty politicians in a cozy boardroom."
"What did happen there?"
"They…" Alec grimaced. "They were not listening to anything we had to say. They kept pushing for a right to a Council seat when I repeatedly told them no."
"But…" Tali said, eyes wide with apprehension. "That's insane! No race has ever gained a seat on the Council so quickly, and…and for not contributing anything to the galaxy as a whole!"
"My words exactly, but they failed to understand…until I told them why you guys left them all those years ago."
"They never knew?"
"Apparently not," Alec nodded. "It stands to reason that their arrogance was tempered by my argument but I don't think that they'll ever let go of the Council issue that easily."
"What are you going to do?"
"I've already done it, I'm afraid."
"Done? Done what?"
Alec paused as he closed his eyes shut in regret, "I…threatened to use force on them if…if they would not drop the issue and come to a consensus."
"You…what?"
"It was the only way, Tali," Alec said sadly. "I had to shock them into submission."
"You…idiot. Why would you do such a thing?" There was no humor in her voice, "Why in the name of the Ancestors would you threaten them with annihilation?"
"Because I was impatient!" Alec shouted. "I was annoyed, irritated, and pissed that these morons could force themselves onto the scene after what humans did to us. I needed to shut them up and used the fleet as an excuse."
"But you were bluffing, right?" Tali asked. "Please, Alec…tell me you were bluffing."
Alec looked at Tali with a long face, saddened at his own thoughts, "We can't afford for them to run roughshod over us anymore. They needed to learn who is in control here. I just can't take that risk anymore. If it makes you feel any better, I never intended to-"
"But…they're your people! You can't just wipe them out because…" she paused as a thought came to her. "You don't even want them to be part of the Council, do you? You're trying to sabotage this entire thing so that you won't have to deal with it anymore!"
"Tali, please, listen…"
"I cannot believe you! You lied to me! You said that you believed that humanity was capable of earning their place and yet you are scheming to undermine everything they've tried to accomplish-"
"I did no such thing!" Alec said loudly. "And I don't even know why you're taking their side. They're not your people, they're mine, so why stick up for them?"
Tears were starting to form around Tali's eyes, "That exactly the point, Alec. They're my people too…"
Realizing his mistake, Alec reached for her, "Tali…I'm sorry, I completely-"
Tali abruptly stood, her hands covering her breasts as she folded them across her chest, "You…are an asshole, Alec." Starting to sob, she fled to the other room of the suite, closing the door behind her as she wept.
Alec sat on the bed, completely dumbfounded. He was not sure how he had come to have such bad luck today. First the talks with the ambassadors, now this. It was a literal day from hell in his case. He considered following Tali, but he reasoned that she did not want to talk to him at all, that she would do nothing but spitefully curse at him for his behavior, no matter how hard he tried to explain.
Perhaps things would be better in the morning, he mused. As he made to turn off the light, he shook his head in a gesture of self-depreciation.
"I can't even begin to tell you how much you fucked up, Alec."
Both men entered the deserted conference room as they stole away from the main group. The lights were dimmed and both men took their seats to address one another.
"What do you think?" Speaker of the House Anthony Wyatt asked.
"What do I think?" Director of the NSA Palmquist replied. "I think that your friend just threatened us with an alien invasion, is what I think."
"I know Alec," Anthony defended. "He's never been the type to utilize force. I've been with this guy since high school."
"And were you with him for the last twenty-odd years?" Anthony did not respond at that, causing Palmquist to smirk. "People change, Mr. Speaker. And your friend? He's changed."
Anthony leaned forward, "What do you suggest we do?"
Palmquist tilted his head, "What I'd suggest that you'd do is enact the Tertiary Protocol tomorrow."
"What is the significance of tomorrow?"
"From 1000 to 1700 hours tomorrow, both Air Force One and Two will be departing from the summit in Dubai, leaving you plenty of time to act how you see fit."
"And how do you think I should rectify the problem now? Ask them to nicely leave the planet? You know as well as I do that these talks are not going to get us, Earth, anywhere. No matter how hard we are going to pull, it's akin to shooting a BB gun at a moving freight train in an attempt to slow it down. We're not going to make a fucking difference, now what do you suggest we do?"
Palmquist leaned back in his chair, "We could…always use the Gen Vs."
Anthony scrunched his face in confusion, "You told me the Gen Vs were not ready."
"That was two months ago, this is now. They are fully operational and await only a scramble order at a moment's notice."
Anthony let out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, "This is a heavy burden, what you're putting on me."
"I'm giving you the option, Mr. Speaker. All you have to do is push the button."
"Even though there might be severe repercussion on the other side? Suppose they choose to attack in retaliation?"
Palmquist was talking in an excited whisper, "Were you not listening to what that traitor was saying? He said that when confronted with a rogue human force, they merely blockaded our planet. When humans killed the quarians in Danbury, they simply left. Why come to us now and break their blockade? Especially since our population has been growing at a steady pace which means that we might need to repopulate elsewhere in the next century, and also the fact that we have hit the national record for largest stockpile of munitions recorded for all time, both here and in other countries such as the United Kingdom, Russia, and Saudi Arabia. And they conveniently show up now, what does that tell you?"
Anthony's eyes widened, "They're afraid of us."
"Exactly, Mr. Speaker."
Anthony turned in his chair. So many thoughts were rushing through his head. He was rattling off his options one at a time, thinking of the best possible option to what could resolve this conflict in the making. Having achieved that objective, he slowly faced Palmquist again.
"Okay…here's what we're going to do," Anthony swallowed before opening his mouth. "At 1100 hours you will initiate the Tertiary Protocol. With them in the dark I will be the one to give the executive order. It will be lost in the scramble so it will never get back to me, or anyone associated with me. I'll be safe and secure."
"You do know you can't take them here in the headquarters. You have to move them to another area, make it more feasible for-"
"I have a plan for that," Anthony grinned. "It'll be taken care of. For right now, just make sure that the order is followed to the letter, and I'm going to need your G5 access, for when the time comes."
"Of course, Mr. Speaker." Palmquist said as he stood. "I'll be sure to get that to you right away."
The intrigue only continues to build.
Don't go yet, the fun's about to begin!