Chapter 11- Revelations
November 8th, 2160
Javik stood before the human senate. He had just given his speech, telling them about the reapers, sparing no detail. The room was silent, all eyes in the room fixed on him. Then, a human senator stood up and spoke. "All in favor of preparing defenses against these reapers, say aye."
The room filled with a chorus of Ayes from every senator in the room. Hundreds of humans began shouting, proposing actions that could be taken, others trying to restore order. Then, the president, an old man of 93, stood. The chamber quieted down.
"Our military is woefully under-manned at the moment to fight enemies in the numbers that our guest here," He indicated Javik, "has claimed the reapers have. We must build more ships, and train more soldiers. We have been enjoying the boon of relative peace, and now we know that said peace is about to be shattered. All in favor of re-activating the Super-Dreadnought Program say Aye."
"Aye" chorused many of the senators in the room, though a few showed concern at the money required.
"In addition, I propose that we offer our Batarian allies full membership of this senate. Once they do so, they will consider themselves full members of the United Earth Alliance, not just allies. Should that succeed, we will grant them representation on this senate, as well as begin refitting their fleet to our technological standard. We cannot win this coming war alone, so we must seek allies.
"Very well. We will re-convene in a week's time to discuss how we will defend against the reaper threat." The president said, before turning, and leaving the room.
Once he had left the senate, president Raymond Deitrich hailed a cab, taking him to his private quarters. Once he arrived, the tipped the cab driver, then went inside. He entered the ground floor bathroom, passing his hand over a seemingly normal tile on the wall.
"DNA Identification Verified. Please enter the password." Chirped an AI.
"You know its me, Gordon, you don't have to ask me that." Deitrich replied.
"Password accepted. Welcome back, Mr. President." Gordon replied, before the panels slid aside, revealing a small, claustrophobic elevator. It rapidly descended into a small, three room complex. Entering the door on his left, the president came before a large terminal.
"Gordon, patch me through to Vesta labs." He said.
"Patching you through, Mr. President."
"Hello? Mr. President, is that you?" A voice asked.
"Yes, Mr. Harper. I want you to activate the following projects: Aegis, Potential, Carnifex, Phalanx, Phantasm, and Unthinkable."
"Unthinkable... dear god, what did that prothean tell you?"
"Horrible things. If what he says is true, we will likely be facing a foe magnitudes above anything else this galaxy can muster against us. I want to be prepared for when it happens."
"But project Unthinkable... when would we ever need to force a star to go supernova?"
"If all else is lost, we must go out with a bang."
"V-very well. I will authorize those projects. I hope you know what you're doing."
"Also, allocate additional funding and resources to projects Manifest Destiny, Andromeda, Mutation, Purge, and Yamato. If you need more money or resources, you only need to ask. This is not a time for petty profits. I would rather die penniless, on my deathbed, having lived a full life, rather than rich and to some ancient machine. We must stand together to overcome the coming storm."
"I see. Will that apply to the council as well?"
"I hope, for their sake, that they will listen to Javik as we have. Otherwise, all is lost for them."
"Very well. Will that be all?"
"Yes. Good day to you, Mr. Harper. Humanity, nay, the entire galaxy, depends on what you can do in those labs of yours." The president cut the transmission, before turning, and walking back to the elevator.
Javik finished telling his tale, once again. However, this time, all the races of the council listened. Salarians, Turians, Asari, Volus, and even Hanar and Elcor. All said races had similar visages of shock on their faces when they heard the truth behind the fall of the protheans. The chamber was silent, then councilor Linron spoke. "That is impossible. There is no way that there could be that many reapers out there. We would have found them by now. Also, why would these reapers give us all these gifts? They could simply starve us out on our worlds while we struggle to escape overpopulation, or poison us with Bioweapons. A race of giant, sentient, immortal machines waiting in dark space coming in to cleanse the galaxy of life every fifty thousand years is nothing but the ravings of a lunatic." The salarian councilor said.
"Are you blind and deaf Linron? We have a prothean, who has first-hand experience of what the reapers can do, and you're dismissing it?" Sparatus said.
"For all we know, this is some genetically engineered abomination that the humans grew in a lab! Besides, this council has faced threats before, and we have prevailed."
"If all the lizard-people are all this stupid, we should just leave them for the reapers. With any luck, it would make the reapers too stupid to continue living." Javik said, scorn clear in his voice. "I am surprised that your kind evolved at all. Back in my cycle, your people used to eat flies, and your raw liver was considered a delicacy."
"Please, let us be reasonable. We may be able to negotiate with these reapers." Tevos said.
"We attempted to. They ignored us. As soon as they entered through the citadel relay, they just opened fire. Our emperor was dead before we even knew we were under attack!"
"Aha! That proves you're a fake! The protheans were a democracy, this council is even modeled after it! I have no reason to listen to anything you say, lab rat." Linron crowed.
"You are an utter fool. The reapers are coming, and you salarians have your heads stuck so far up your cloacas that you can't see the evidence directly in front of you! You salarians may do what you want, but we turians will begin preparations." Sparatus shouted.
"The asari will begin as well. Production of the destiny class dreadnoughts has been approved." Tevos said.
"You people are fools. The salarian people do not wish to be a part of a council of utter morons, willing to listen to the ravings of a test tube creation! As of now, we no longer wish to be a part of this council!" Linron thundered, before storming out of the room. The occupants were shocked. The salarians, one of the founding council races, were gone. The chamber devolved into chaos, with officials and dignitaries all shouting at each other, at the councilors. A decorative statuette was even thrown at Javik by one of the Salarians in the crowd, only for several hanar to pin him to the floor shortly after. Chaos reigned in the council chambers, as the different races' councilors made their exit. Javik left at the same time. A human transport was waiting for him, ready to take him away from the madness that was the council.
November 10th, 2160, Shanxi system
The hanar vessel 'Glory of the Enkindlers,' the first hanar dreadnought, entered the system. It approached the human spacedock, transmitting diplomatic codes. Once verified, a docking cradle opened, and the dreadnought slipped in, dwarfed by the freighters moving around it. Speaks with Eloquent Light, the Hanar ambassador, floated out. A small contingent of human soldiers met him and his group just outside.
"This one extends its humble greetings to the saviors of the last of the Enkindlers." Speaks with Eloquent Light said.
"It is a pleasure to meet you. Ambassador Rozhenko will see you now." One of the marines answered, before beckoning the hanar delegation to a skycar. Along the way, they drank a small amount of alcohol, as per the human custom. They were, however, careful not to get drunk. As the skycar landed, they were met by several humans, and one prothean, in black suits. Ambassador Rozhenko spoke first. "Shall we proceed to negotiations?" He asked Speaks with Eloquent Light.
"This one believes so. There is nothing gained by waiting, if what the glorious Enkindler says is true." Speaks with Eloquent Light answered.
"Very well." The delegation made its way to a small room, a single table inside. The humans and prothean sat down, while the hanar floated over their respective seats.
"So what brings you here today?" Ambassador Rozhenko asked.
"This one humbly asks, on behalf of the Hanar illuminated primacy, if this one's kind is allowed to join your kind's council equivalent, like the Batarians have."
"I do not see the problem with that. Humanity is always eager for new allies, and would gladly welcome you into the alliance Senate. However, I must ask why. Why join us, when you already have a place with the council?"
"This one was present when the glorious Enkindler delivered his warning, and this one witnessed the blasphemous response. The Hanar Illuminated Primacy wishes to join the ones who saved the last of the Enkindlers, and this one's people wish to protect themselves against the ancient demons that destroyed the Enkindlers. Your people offer the best hope of survival, and this one's people wish to join with the last of the Enkindlers in destroying the demons that continue to plague this galaxy." Speaks with Eloquent Light replied.
"Very well. You may join. I must now notify my government about this development." Alexander Rozhenko said, as he exited the room. The UEA would be gaining yet another member race soon.
A/N- Here you go! Javik's storyline is now complete. The Quarians will come next, however, I am still not sure about whether to include Shepard and the Normandy in this fic. I already have a vague idea about what to do should that happen, but I don't know whether or not to include him. I will be posting another codex entry, this time about Vesta Labs Research projects, while you people vote on whether or not to include our old pal Shepard in this. Tomorrow, I will read the reviews about this chapter, and based on them, I will decide whether or not to include Shepard.