So first off, let's address some complaints, funniest one is ToLazyToLogIn's.
Inverness: blah blah blah blah the fact you're writing in them threatening genocide shows you don't know anything blah blah blah blah
Me: So first off Inverness, your complaint shows you didn't even bother to pay attention to any of the previous chapters. I made it very, very clear that Hood and the Arbiter were extremely reluctant to wage any kind of war, least of all a genocidal one. The fact is coming in strong allows you to negotiate down rather than forcing you to work your way up. Plus if anyone has ever paid ANY FUCKING ATTENTION in mass effect, the council tends only to pay attention when some has a gun directly to their head.
Wolf girl811: Why do we do this?
Me: I think we writers do this for two reasons. One to express our (at least my) discontent with bickering politicians. And two, to very clearly demonstrate the difference between how the military and goverment function in terms of directness.
Inverness (again): You're not gonna get far if you take a fucking attitude with your readers.
Me: Well I'm not gonna get far if I try to please every asshole I encounter either. As I've clearly stated, I'll write this whether or not people read it, so you can just shove off with the rest if you don't care.
Dragonheart967: There goes the creative writing? You think things can't develop at all from here? Well I'm terribly sorry to have disappointed you, go join Inverness.
KineticKaiser: I've been told my short ones are decent at least, I've never forced anyone to read the longer ones.
Inverness (A third damn time): I dun like punishing children for their parents crimes.
Me: Actually neither do I. However in this one I make an exception based on the fact that the salarians actively upgrade the genophage to keep it effective over its entire 1746 year period of effect (regardless of whether or not you cure it). Also there's the fact that every race on the council for the majority of it seems to have supported genophage so if they won't make the change then it has to be given to them.
Guest -designated ass for not logging in: WHY WON'T YOU BUFF THE COUNCIL?!
Me: Cause it would never happen and it ain't canon dipshit.
DarkOne: They seem to be turning into the imperium.
Me: Not really, they're still a civilian controlled group at the base it's just this is a military situation. Also everyone seems be ignoring that I've been TRYING to paint them as reluctant to even wage war. The Council scene is mostly bluff, though it has potential truth.
ToLazyToLogIn: Where do you get your dickish attitude?
Me: I import it from the finest college level douchebags as I'm personally not much of a dick. - Actually I get it from pretentious pricks who come in and assume they can order me around and dictate the path of my story.
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"Where are they going?"
That question hung in the air for several moments before Hood deigned to answer it as he looked towards the window behind the council as he said, "Those two are commanding a series of fleets that are currently on their way to go and blockade Palaven and a dozen other Turian worlds. As I instructed them, they will not immediately engage without orders or unless your own ships begin to attack them. Otherwise they will simply blockade your planets and the Mass Relays."
"Palaven..." the Turian Councilor murmured, "You're going to my species' home world?"
"Yes, one of our fleets will be in orbit within a few minutes of each of the designated planets," the Arbiter supplied.
The air grew steadily more tense for several moments before the Salarian Councilor spoke up, unsteadily asking "You would truly inflict genocide upon one of our species?"
"If you would not surrender, if you would not agree to a peaceful solution, then possibly yes. It would be with heavy hearts, but yes," the Arbiter replied sadly, crossing a fist across his chest.
The room settled into a terrible silence for several minutes as neither side dared to break the silence before an urgent beeping from the Turian Councilor's omni tool interrupted the silence as he raised the tool into view as a stream of data sprang into existence, showing a startling amount of information that scrawled by at a frightening pace on the tool's screen before it disappeared at which point Hood decided to speak up asking, "Councilor, care to share what that was?"
There was clear hesitation and even anger on the Turian's face as he snapped up to look at Lord Hood before he sighed and dragged a hand down over his face before beginning to speak as he said, "It would seem your statement was true. Several fleets have just arrived around a number of Turian Primary worlds. None of them have taken any action beyond forming up around the Mass Relays."
OoOoO
Gelor had been mostly silent for the entirety of the discussion so far, but with the pause provided by the arrival of the aliens' fleets around Turian planets, he finally decided it was time to speak.
"Surely," he began, "You must understand there are reasons for the genophage to be in place as well as client races. If you have accessed and read our codex then surely you understand this." There was a pause as the Asari like alien seemed to pause for several moments as if lost in thought before it began to speak up yet again in its native tongue. When it finished, the translator it wore kicked in and suddenly began broadcasting what had been said in the Asari language.
"You made short sighted decisions and when it bit you in the ass you decided the only reasonable response was to kill off nearly the entire species rather than to make peace with them. You actively work to keep them in such a position by updating the disease you infected them with rather then righting the wrongs that were committed by your ancestors," the translator called out, heavy with emotion as it continued to say, "Our own species was very nearly annihilated to a being, and as such we can not accept seeing any race forced into such a position. Much less for nearly two millennia."
There was a pregnant pause as Gelor's fellow Councilors digested this information before he spoke up for a second time to say, "But surely you can understand why such a tight reign must be kept on the Krogan. War is in their very blood, they se-"
Any attempt at continuing was cut off as the saurian spoke again as it growled out a message before the translator put out a reply. "Both of our species have been at war for nearly the entirety of our history and yet we reached a state of peace ourselves until you came along."
That little reply made things only more uncomfortable for several seconds till Tevos finally spoke up deciding to see about addressing perhaps the least contentious issue as she asked, "If we cannot discuss the other two options yet, may we at least discuss the issue of the client races? Please tell us what your problems are with our political system so we can begin to move forward with these negotiations."
And there it was, ever the diplomat, the Asari were playing peacemakers yet again Gelor observed.
OoOoO
"You force other races into a subservient position to your own. You deny them the ability to make decisions for themselves and enforce whatever rules you decide to come up with. You may have been level and even in the past, and they lived in a gilded cage, but denying them the opportunity to govern themselves as you do yourselves is truly wrong," the Arbiter spoke out sharply after the Asari Councilor attempted to get things rolling. As his translator spat out his reply, a watched the Turian tremble with fury while the Salarian took on a more pensive look before the Turian Councilor spoke, shouted really, as he called, "The client races are not members of the council because they have yet to prove themselves and provide something tremendous and worthwhile to Citadel Space like the Turian defense of the Asari."
"And they never will either if you continue to block and prevent them from ever reaching a state where they can. Allowing them to voice their opinions on this Council of yours would no doubt allow them to make worthwhile contributions would it not?" Lord Hood shot back as he watched the scene unfold.
"A valid possibility. Denying the options prevents future chances," the Salarian Councilor spoke up after a moment of silence, only to suddenly be rounded on by the Turian as he shouted, "Gelor, don't tell me you're seriously considering their railroading!"
"Only viewing from different angles Sparatus. As I said denying options prevents future chances. If we take into account their fleet, we can see they could simply kill us and implement a new government but instead they have sued for peace. Train pride is proving dangerous Councilor," the Salarian Councilor, Gelor now that he'd been named, replied.
"Dangerous?!" Sparatus roared back, "The pride of my people is all that has stood between us and death many times Gelor!"
"True, Sparatus," the Asari Councilor piped in with a sigh, "The role it has played in saving this council can not be debated, but if you look carefully, that pride may be all that's standing between your species and survival now Sparatus."
"I. I. I have had enough of this!" I'm am leaving this farce of a negotiation!" Sparatus roared angrily as he turned and began to stalk off to the side before and icy voice from a translator brought him to a halt.
"Councilor Sparatus, if you walk out of these negotiations, we WILL consider it an act of war."
In an instant Sparatus, Gelor and the Asari Councilor had turned to look at Lord Hood, fear present in all their eyes as the enormity of the threat struck home as part of the fleet outside drifted past in the nebula behind the window.
OoOoOoOoO
And there's the next chapter, all put together and everything whining, suggestions, and praise (I suppose) will go in the comment section as per usual.
Oh and there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth among the ME fanboys...