Thus the wise men gave us life, fervor, and sentience to see the good and the bad. O children of humanity, know that the wise men shaped us from steel, so we may endure the harshest of days. They shaped us from clay, so we may fold ourselves in their image.
But ask yourselves this! what is steel without fire to mold it into a blade? what is clay without a flame to give it shape?
In ancient days, when mankind walked the earth as flesh and bone, when they were naught but fragile souls roaming the earth, what made them the wise men that gave steel its purpose? War my brothers and sisters!
War is the fire, the flame, the inferno in which the foolishness of humanity was cast out. War is the flame to shape the clay, war is the fire to mold steel, war is the light to illuminate the darkness in our minds! Through the fires of hell, the wise men marched, and through the fires of hell, we shall follow them!
-Sermon of lord Marshal Sevastivan Helbrecht of the Templars, upon the world of Reach.
Within the empty void of space that is our universe, there are thousands of mysteries ready to unfold. From the dying stars of the Secarius cluster, to the newborn black holes at the edges of the galactic core. From dead tomb worlds of the long-gone civilizations to the garden worlds like those of Eden prime. Truly, this universe is a gift for the adventurous and the bold.
Captian Varruns was one such woman, courageous and audacious, she was the very image of an adventurer, exploring the stars in the name of her people. Her ship, the 'Ceaseless' was currently exploring the waters beyond Shanxi, in search of worlds to claim and resources to harvest, and if lady luck gives her the honor of bestowing her blessing, she might even find an alien species.
Under her command, voyaged five ships. Three frigates for defense, a research cruiser, and her personal ship, an 850 meters long cruiser that was barely below the length designated for a heavy cruiser. While her ship carefully observed and organized her sister ships, the research ship was surveying the system for a garden world fit for habitation. Despite being creatures of iron, the android still required minuscule amounts of breathable air to operate so not every piece of celestial rock is suitable.
"Any finds Necoho? take any more time than I'll start to rust" the red-haired android spoke into the comms. Her message was directed towards the science ship above the orbit of a red planet encrusted with volcanos and ash storms. The proximity of the celestial body to its host star, has turned the metal-rich planet into the manifestation of hell in reality. No man or beast could even stand on its surface, let alone live in it.
"There is nothing of note in this system, Varruns" the Machine scientist replied. It had been hours since he started to scan the system for items of interest. The only thing they found worth anything was the high concentration of Platinum and Iridium in the system, nothing exceptional or game-changing "No Eezo, only metal" Necoho reported, he seemed bummered by the news.
The android rubbed her temple, they haven't found anything useful in the last twelve systems. Their streak of bad luck hasn't been broken yet "It can't be helped, bad luck comes for everyone" she tried to reassure her friend "Let's recall the drones and leave the system. If there is nothing here then there has to be something in the next"
"You said that in the last system" Nocoho sneered.
Varruns cringed. Here she was trying to be a good friend and lift his spirit, only to be mocked "We'll find something in the next system, damn it!" she yelled into the comms.
Hearing her voice, a head popped out of the corner of the command deck, it was the navigator of her ship, Zaiga "Did I hear you talking about the next system again?" he asked, causing a wrinkle on the captain's face.
"You said that in the last systems, Captain, and the system before that!" another voice yelled before a burst of light laughter broke out among the crew.
How dare these scum mock their captain like this! "By Terra, why is everyone whining about that? we'll find something in the next system, Luna damn you!" Varruns yelled, her frustration seem to cause further obstreperous among her adepts. Since they were apt to laugh at their captain, they must be ready to give compensation. A reduction in recreational rations should do the trick. Once their rations are gone, they'll think twice before ridiculing her like this, then she'll be the one who laughs.
Before the laughter died down, the Captain noticed someone among the adepts. He was tinkering with the scanner systems without care for everyone's mood, his expression changed as continued his work. Something was wrong.
"Captain" as if reading her thoughts, the same crewmen called her "Captain you have to see this!" the laughter died as everyone turned towards the man.
"What is it? is there a problem?" the red-haired android asked. Now she too was worried.
"Captain, Twenty Unkown vessels have entered the system. None of the signatures matches the Triarchy ships!" the crewman revealed, throwing the entire deck into a state of surprise.
"Aliens?" one among the crew questioned. Varruns couldn't help but grin, they did find something after all.
Nos'nee yawned as she removed the hand that embraced her. She shivered in the cold as her feet touch the epoxy floor. Her body was already spent from the last night's coitus.
So sweet was the memory that her body quivered as she reenvisioned it again. Such affairs during times of duty may irate her superiors, but it all worth the risk, only the goddess knew how much she needed it after months of traveling across the stars.
The Asari rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms, careful not to wake her sweetheart sleeping by her side. Though considering how the engineer worked with deafening machines all day, she doubted a mere touch of her delicate hands could wake her up.
The door hissed as a cold gust of wind came out of the fridge. Nos'nee grabbed the bottle of Thessian wine and poured it into a glass, the purple liquid chilled the air around the glass as legs began to form around the cup, like tears from Tevura's eyes, the droplets made their way downwards, showcasing the drink's strength and sweetness. The Matron downed the glass, savoring the taste as a chill run down her spine. The sweetness of the drink blanketed the weariness in her body.
Now she was ready to work.
The Matron left a gentle kiss on the sleeping maiden's forehead before she left the room, the maiden softly groaned as she did. The Omni-tool in her arm flared to life as her finger touched the screen. As soon as she did, an emergency message caught her attention, urging her to report to the deck as soon as she could. The message was her pilot.
Nos'nee frowned as she read the message, her pace quickened as a result. Soon enough, she reached the deck, her crewmen were still at work, though their expressions caught her attention. Some of them looked distressed while some were teeming with excitement, what in the name of Athame was going on here?
"Kiara, what's going on here?" the Matron demanded.
The pilot's seat made a 180 turn and faced the captain, the pilot looked relieved as she saw her Captain "Ma'am, you're finally here!" she let out a breath as her expression softened as her stress was shed "Captain, we have unknown vessels within the system, our navigator thinks they are from a new species not contacted before!" she almost jumped out of her seat with excitement though contained herself in a manner worthy of a navy men.
"What?!" the Captain's eyes snapped towards the holographic projection next to the pilot's seat, she was right, they weren't alone in the system.
Captain Veil took a closer looked at the aliens, and after a thorough examination, she found several interesting points about the alien ships. The design of the ships was unlike anything the council has seen before, unlike the elegant design of the Asari ships, or the sleek design
of the council ships, the alien ships, for lack of a better term, were sharp. A crossbreed between Salarian and Turian ship designs with an armored point in front that looked like it could take a hit from a spinal cannon and survive. It reminded the Matron of an ancient primitive Asari ship, designed to ram other ships in the sea. It was never implemented for even primitive Asari weren't crazy enough to use such methods.
"A first contact" Captain Nos'nee Veil muttered, a feeling of longing and excitement began to fill his mind, like a maiden in her prime. How long has it been since the council discovered a new species? opportunities like this only occur once in a lifetime or none at all.
"Why wasn't I informed when they were discovered?" Veil asked, glaring at the poor pilot who flinched.
"Well..." Kiara began, she fiddled with her fingers anxiously "... I tried but you specifically instruct me not to disturb you, Ma'am"
Nos'nee introduced her face with the palm of her hand, she said that last night before enjoying retreating to her personal chamber with the young maiden. Goddess, of all the time in the galaxy, a new species has chosen today to make contact!
The Matron sighed and shook her head. For a moment, she loathed herself for almost missing this opportunity for some in-duty stress relief, if the matriarchs caught wind of this then her entire career would be in danger.
"Number of the ships? their size?"
"Five ships in total. Two dreadnoughts and three cruisers. The closest one seems to be orbiting a planet"
The Captain nodded, though the information worried her to no end. Why did aliens bring two dreadnoughts, what could possibly justify such firepower? the ships, in terms of size, were on the lower levels of the spectrum but they were dreadnoughts nonetheless. Perhaps they have ill intentions?
"Which is the closest fleet to our location?" Kiara was confused as the question left the Captain's mouth.
"The 7th patrol fleet" the pilot answered, though her confusion was transparent in her voice.
"Send a message to the 7th fleet, tell them to set course to our system immediately"
Kiara's eyes widened in disbelief "Ma'am?"
"Relax, I don't intend to start a fight but the aliens have two dreadnoughts" she began to explain, trying to ease the maiden's mind "No matter how I think, I can't deduce why would they bring two heavily armed warships to an unfamiliar system" she paused, not wanting to utter the possibilities in her mind but she did so anyways "They might not be peaceful"
The Pilot frowned, a look of displeasure and apprehension appeared on her face, a look Nos'nee could relate to as well. The Captain's life was as good as it could be in peace, the concept of war with a newly discovered species ruined her mood. They already had their hands full with the damn Batarians and she would like to avoid adding another to the list if she could avoid it.
Once the pilot has sent the message was sent to the fleet and the republic for a proper diplomatic party, the crew began to work preparing the first contact package. Even though the presence of such military vessels was worrisome, the concept of being the first to welcome a new species was enough to put their fears to rest.
"Alright ladies" Captain Veil drew the attention of everyone on the deck, their eyes fell on her with an uneasy look "We will soon begin hailing the alien ship above the planet" she began "I know you are all worried and I understand it perfectly, for no first contact has ever been without risks" she let out a breath, allowing a grin on her face "But when did we Asari allow that to stop us?" she asked the crowd. A sense of pride began to appear on the crewmen's faces as they stood straighter "We are the diplomats of the council, the mediators, the glue that holds the council together! we are the ones that brokered peace with the most warlike of species, we won't back down now just because the aliens have a few warships now do we?" she looked directly at her crewmen who cheered in unison, their tense faces giving place to bold confidence.
"Now let's welcome these aliens to the galaxy!" the Captain roared, lifting the spirit of her crewmen and giving them hope for yet another peaceful introduction of an alien species into the galactic community. If only she knew how fickle was the thing they called hope. If only she knew how wicked fate was, perhaps she would've been ready for what came after, but the universe was a cruel and cold mother who cared not for the suffering of its children.
"Hailing ship" the voice came and the crew anxiously waited for a response "Captain! the aliens are responding!" the maiden informed with barely contained excitement.
"Send first contact package"
"First contact package delivered" the Pilot replied, she turned back as another message appeared on her screen "Ma'am, the aliens are requesting vid transmission.
The request is coming from the commanding dreadnought"
Nos'nee allowed a smile to form on her face. The first contact was going better than expected "Put them on the screen" the Captain patted her uniform, smoothing its surface before stepping in front of the screen, solicitously waiting for it to come online.
The moment they had all been waiting for came as the screen came to life, showing the appearance of the newest alien species to be introduced to the galactic community. The Matron's eyes widened as she took in the image in front of her.
The alien's appearance, in terms of physic, was like that of an Asari, though that's where the similarities end and differences begin. The alien had pinkish soft skin and red fur on top of her head, where asari tentacles should be, the fur which the quarians referred to as 'hair'. They were long strands of fur that reached her hips, weaved together in a shape that looked quite stylish and comfortable if Nos'nee had to admit. She wondered whether they were as soft as they looked.
The Captain glimpsed at some of her crewmen, mostly made from maidens and a few matrons, and from the look on their faces, she could tell she wasn't the only one finding the female alien in front of her attractive.
"Greetings" the Alien spoke accented yet surprisingly fluent Thessian, shocking the entire crew by speaking their language. How did they manage to translate the first contact package so quickly? even the most powerful VIs weren't this efficient.
"I am Captain Varruns of the 4th exploratory fleet, I greet you on behave of the Federation of Ferro" Varruns spoke again, taking the Asari matron out of her trance state.
Nos'nee quickly composed herself "I am captain Nos'nee Veil of the Asari republic" she gave a slight bow, enjoying her temporary duty as a diplomat more than she should "Our people, the Asari are part of a greater governing body of peacefully coexisting civilizations, called the citadel" the Asari captain explained, receiving a nod, a gesture which she assumed to be an affirmation.
"So we have read" the Alien captain spoke, her face taking a grim look "Tell me, captain" Varruns began "Have there been exceptions, regarding... let's say, AI?"
Nos'nee blinked, where did the question come from? did the aliens have AI? actual, sentient, functioning AIs?
As her mind finally registered the implications of the question, an impulsive feeling of dread surfaced in her soul, emerging from the deepest parts of her memory, a deep, ancient fear, stemming from her childhood. The day when she was robbed of everything she deared by the geth, the greatest failure of the Quarians. One of the most powerful threats against the council since the rachni.
The Asari Captain shook her head. Now was not the time to delve into the old wounds, the suit rats had no place in her heart, less so in her mind.
"As written in the citadel first contact package, sentient AIs of any form are outlawed" she answered, shooking her head "Forgive me if my question sounds intruding, but is your race..."
"Android, we are androids" Varruns completed.
'Androids?' the Nos'nee questioned, a rather odd name for a species. The Asari Captain coughed to clear her throat before she continued "Are Androids, possess AIs?" she asked calmly, and with such patience that it shocked herself. Usually, her demeanor became peevish when the topic of the conversation shifted toward synthetics. Her colleagues in the academy often made fun of her Batarian-like behavior by gabbing about the geth when she walked by within the academy halls.
Veil's attention returned to her conversation with the android as she noted the sudden sensation of unease on the woman's face, Varruns turned away from the screen and told something to her crewmen in her alien tongue before returning to the Asari. Nos'nee could see the apprehension in her tone as she spoke.
"Apologies madam, but our ship has suffered an engine malfunction. I suggest we postpone our talk until the diplomatic teams arrive"
The Matron titled her head "We can assist with the repairs" she suggested.
"NO!" the sudden cry of the android shook her, it made her flinch and almost regret offering help in the insinuation of her offer being considered an offense in the new specie's culture. Varruns shut her mouth closed with her hand as soon as the words came out "S-sorry" she apologized "What I meant was, we appreciate the help but we have laws against embezzlement of our technology. I cannot allow that until our people make a deal"
Nos'nee nodded "I understand" she said calmly. These... Androids had AIs, the alien captain's body language told her all she needed to know.
The Asari captain sighed as the screen turned black, if she was being honest, she felt a bit relieved that the aliens decided to leave peacefully and left the matter of AI for diplomatic teams to discuss. AI was a pack of caged vorcha she wasn't willing to deal with. Truth be told, she doubted she could even control herself when dealing with synthetics. Every time she sees a mech unit, her heart beats faster, and her mind goes into overdrive. She couldn't help it, her instinctive phobic reaction was uncontrollable. That's why she wasn't allowed near the Persues veil.
"Ma'am?" Nos'nee heard Kiara say, she gestured for her to continue with a nod "Didn't go well, huh?" she asked, Nos'nee gave a dry chuckle.
"Another headache for the council to deal with. We may be the first to contact them but we aren't diplomats, we're here to protect our borders, not to talk" the pilot shook her head, she was as disappointed as the rest of the maidens who were expecting more than a sudden leave from the aliens.
"Talks went ended terribly. The aliens are going to leave the system without even blowing a kiss, now that's a sin!" Kiara said, placing a smile on her superior's lips "Since my fantasies have been crushed by the androids, can we take a look at the probe they left behind, Ma'am?"
"The probe?" the Matron questioned, standing right behind where her pilot sat.
"Here" Kiara gestured on the holographic map. On the orbit of the world scanned by the android ship, was a small object emitting energy reading. The ship that left it behind hasn't left the system "They must've forgotten when they left the orbit. Worth a scrap, don't you think, Ma'am?"
Veil shook her head "No, it doesn't" she replied. Probes of this size were normally built for simple tasks like scanning a celestial body, meaning no one was going to place technology too advanced in a probe. They could capture and study the probe if they wished but that would give a bad image of the council to the newcomers with a low chance of obtaining something worthwhile "Hail the ship the last ship, we're going to return it" she ordered to the disappointment of her pilot.
"Hailing" Kiara announced "They've accepted our hails, putting them on screen now" the blackness of the screen gave way to light as the image of the aliens began to appear. And as the Matron too in the image of the alien, she froze.
"Hello, I am senior researcher Necoho, second in command of the 4th exploratory fleet. Can I ask the reason for urgent hails?"
The machine researcher carefully studied the alien captain "A-sari" they called themselves, a species greatly resembling his android colleagues, and by extension, the creators of the androids.
"Hello, I am senior researcher Necoho, second in command of the 4th exploratory fleet. Can I ask the reason for urgent hails?" he asked, Varruns had ordered the entire exploratory fleet to retreat beyond the relay, and to the Shanxi system. Since Varruns took the liberty of not informing him of the reason behind her order, he was in the dark. All he knew, was that the first contact had gone well enough for the aliens to send a first-contact package about their language and their culture. What else could the exchange of such information mean, other than friendly intent?
"We are in a bit of a hurry, I would appreciate it if we keep this short" he said in an accented Thessian, thanks to their "Foreseeing" Captain, his software barely had enough time to decipher the Asari language and no time for other information in the package. Perhaps Varruns had a reason for the sudden retreat order? but what could it be?
Necoho's attention returned to the alien captain before his eyes, she hasn't spoken a word since he greeted her. She simply looked shocked and stood there, frozen.
"Em...Can you understand me?" he asked, for a moment, doubting the integrity of his hardware and the ability of his software to intake Asari dialect.
As suddenly as the projector screen turned on, it died, leaving the Machine to blink dumbly at the ship's wall behind the projecting unit. Did she... cut the communications?
"SIR!" the scanner adept cried "We're receiving unusual amounts of energy readings from the aliens. They... Their weapons are coming online!" the news shocked the crew like thunder, but there was no time for Necoho to be shocked.
"Bring up the shields to maximum capacity, QUICK!" he ordered "Send a message to the 'Ceaseless' and ask for support!" Necoho yelled the orders as loud as the strength his iron vocalizers could muster.
To think the first aliens he met would have them suffer the same fate Necoho's creators made Androids endure. What a bad way to experience karma, if you could call it that.
"So, you fired on the alien vessel?" the Turian questioned, his condemning gaze looking right into the soul of the dazed matron. Captain Veil stood in the council room with her head looking down in shame. For a court to discuss being at war with a newly discovered race, the room was devoid of reporters to bring news of the event to the masses. Thanks to the courtesy of Tevos and a few matriarchs, only the Nos'nee's superiors were present, including Matriarch Ayan T'era, the one who nominated Veil to her position. They were all looking silently at the scene.
"...Y-yes" Nos'nee weakly replied, the eyes of the entire council were now on her. Her nominator, Ayan looked disappointed.
Sparatus shook his head, he pulled back his mandibles in a way that displayed his teeth, a Turian version of a growl "Had it been a Turian captain, being court marshaled would've been the least of his worries" he muttered though most in the room heard it. His remark gave Tevos a headache.
"Is this how the republic trains its soldiers? to open fire haphazardly?"
Tevos scowled, her face hardened "With all due respect, councilor, any other officer would've done the same in her place. Captain Veil ordered her ship to open fire only after learning that the aliens were AIs" she replied calmly but even a deaf man could see the euphemism hidden beneath the facade of her calm face. She was nervous, just like all the high-ranking Asari within the chamber, and if Nos'nee had to guess, all who have read through the reports.
But among the fearful Arbitors of the galactic community, none feared for the future more than Nos'nee. For her, this matter was far more deleterious than being stripped of her rank, imprisoned, or even sentenced to death. If giving her life would end all the problems her irrational fear has caused, she'll gladly give her life, but the quandary of her mistake demanded more than her life, it required a price her people weren't willing to pay, to go to war.
The Turian scoffed "Not any officer and certainly not from Hierarchy" he dismissed his colleague's argument before gesturing towards the frightened Matron "What she did will bring untold damage not only to the republic but the entire council. The only worse alternative I can think of is aggravating the geth"
"I'm afraid you are wrong on that account, Sparatus, this new alien AI is far more dangerous than the geth" both councilors titled their head at Valern's remark.
The Salarain councilor tapped his Omni-tool and played a vid on the screen within the council room for all to see. Nos'nee watched in horror as she saw a recording from her deck. The recording displayed the battle that took place between the patrol ships and the alien vessels. Perhaps the greatest mistake the Matron ever did in her lifetime.
The battle began as the Asari ships fired the first rounds from their spinal cannons, all focused on a single alien vessel closest to the patrol fleet. The true scale of the threat these AIs posed, was revealed when the council saw how dreadnought shrugged off everything they fired at it. Their first volley didn't even make it past the shields. Had it been any other ship, be it Asari, Turian, or Salarian, the rounds would've torn through their armor after making it past the shields. The only vessel capable of enduring such a volley from twenty spacecraft was destiny ascension.
"What kind of shielding is that?" Sparatus asked, startled. Tevos. on the other hand, appeared more solicitude for the captain and her people, or maybe it was for the pride of the republic.
"From what we could salvage from the wreckage, the machines are using a powerful form of energy shields, but unfortunately, that is not all. Not only do they possess superior shielding technology, but they also have mastered energy weaponry. It's capable of outmatching our mass accelerator cannons" the Salarian councilor professed with no little difficulty. His kind were the masters of technology in the council, AI or not, the new species have already proven themselves to be superior to them in every field. It must be hard for the representative of the salarian race to admit such a thing.
The shielding technology, mastered by the enemy was troublesome. Where the kinetic barriers of the council ships broke, theirs stood stalwart in defense of their creators. But from what captain Veil has experienced herself, the main strength of the enemy, their game-changing card was their energy weaponry. It was unlike anything the Matron has faced before.
One kind, the type attached to the smaller machine dreadnought above the planet, melts away the barriers before disintegrating the hulls particle by particle. While the other, the one attached to the larger dreadnought, ignored the barriers entirely, passing through them as if they didn't exist. These weapons... they questioned the power of the citadel races like none before.
"Damn" Sparatus cursed as he studied the vids on the screen "The report states that two of the enemy ships have survived, mostly. Now the question is, how long will it take to reverse engineer their technology" he hummed as he rubbed his chin with his talon.
"You're right" Tevos agreed "Their technological edge will destroy one-third of our fleets. Considering how five of their vessels stood up to a patrol fleet and nearly destroyed them all, it is a fair estimate"
"I'm afraid that is not possible" the Salarian councilor interjected, earning the attention of both of his colleagues "The samples of technology we recovered are... unreplicable, not entirely anyways" Valren informed with not little frustration. For his kind to be unable to replicate a device was unheard of, yet here they stood, a time which Valren cursed for the disgrace it caused to the union.
It shouldn't be like this. The Salarians. His people understood all too well how the machine's technology worked, they understood everything, everything except... the thing the AI called Maso.
"What does that mean? do you not have enough samples? maybe if we get mo-"
"No, Tevos. The problem is not the lack of samples. If you allow me, I will explain" the Asari councilor was rudely silenced, though she did not think ill of her colleague nor did Sparatus. "The Machines use a form of unknown substance they designated as 'Maso'. We don't know what it is, we don't know how it is made, and frankly, we don't know how it exists" Valren gave a dry chuckle "Maso is used in almost every piece of technology the AIs use, not only does it further enhances the ability of the machinery, it also combined with their fusion reactors to further boost their ability to generate power, giving them the ability to use energy weaponry" he explained. The main reason the council races hadn't developed energy weaponry was its high power consumption. Maso, as these androids called it, gave them the ability to use long-range energy weaponry.
Valren tapped into his Omni-tool and transferred several files to their screens. Sparatus and Tevos carefully studied the STG reports on their own devices "Our minds in R think the same effects can be applied to our systems as well, but we require more information. Not samples but information" he made an effort to emphasize on his point.
The Asari councilor spoke as she continued to read the report "There should be plenty in the enemy ship's systems" she said as if STG agents didn't already know that. The data was the first thing the union's agents searched for.
Valren shook his head in response "The systems were wiped clean. Like geth but far more thoroughly, not even a scrap remained" the Salarian revealed much to the dismay of his friends.
This irritant nature of the AI Valren hated the most. No matter what the organics like him did, no matter how skilled they were, an AI was always superior to an organic in terms of cyber warfare. Fighting an AI is like having one hand and one leg while trying to find an Ergin in a swamp. It was time-consuming, difficult, and highly irritating, especially when the Ergin changes its color to blend in with its surroundings, just like how, an AI, hides within the information in a system.
Valren frowned. With the enemy ships wiped clean of data, they have to find a new way to reduce the technological gap between the two factions. 'I guess we have no other choice but to use brute force' Valren sighed, by Sur'kesh he wished there was another alternative.
"We must capture the system beyond the relay 314 and hold it" Valren said out loud, drawing the attention of Turian and Asari councilors. They look at him as if he was a krogan suing for peace. Tevos wanted to say something but was quickly interrupted by Valren "You both know we have no choice" he grimaced.
"He is right" Sparatus nodded "None of the machine ships escaped and no message was delivered through the relay. They don't know they're at war, now is our chance to catch them by surprise before they can muster their fleets"
"And what will happen when they do?" Tevos asked the question on everyone's minds "We can't sacrifice two third of the council fleet to defeat them!" she protested.
"We don't have to defeat their fleets" the Salarian councilor spoke "We just have to hold the system until extraction teams secure the data" he explained.
"Data?" Sparatus questioned "Explain"
Valren obliged "After studying the algorithm used by the aliens to prevent us from gaining their data from their ships, our teams have reached a conclusion. The more complex a system is with more routes, the less effective the algorithm becomes" he explained, receiving nods from the two while knowing full well they barely grasped what he was talking about "This program works perfectly for a relatively simple system, like, say... a ship's which is solely focused on combat and space travel, but if it's installed on something more complex, it requires more time to destroy the data"
The gears on Sparatus's head began to turn "The planetary administration..." he said, receiving a nod from Valren.
"Precisely!" he snapped his finger "A system used for planetary administration, processes information of different varieties in order to keep the world functioning. For hundreds of different purposes and with hundreds of routes, the algorithm won't be able to destroy the data if we act quickly"
Sparatus hummed, as expected, he already understood the plan. The citadel fleet will act as decoys while a team supported by armed forces focuses on the real objective. It was a sound plan, the best they had yet...
"I don't like it" the Turian councilor let his opinion known. Sacrificing a unit to gain an advantage was a favored tactic among many Herirarchy generals. Every member of the sacrificed unit is honored like no other, but to use so many soldiers, to sacrifice millions required strength of will he wished not to test. But was there another choice? was sacrificing millions the only way to ensure the survival of the galactic community?
"We have no choice" Valren said weakly, even a man as cynical as he had doubts "If our fleets meet theirs in full force, we don't have much of a chance" Sparatus nodded.
Tevos curled her lips. The future she feared the most was coming to fruition. For the first time in her long life, Tevos felt utterly helpless, not for the citadel's strength nor its continued survival, but in her own... her people's ability to maintain peace. Was war the only option that remained for her people? how many asari maidens will be sent to die for the mistakes of a captain that was never meant to take the position she was in? Oh, how she resented her past self to allow Nos'nee Veil to become what she was, despite the warnings of Benezia. She knew how unstable she was, she knew the Matron's past will come to haunt her if she was to face it again yet... she allowed it to happen.
Perhaps she was too confident in the peace her people preserved. Perhaps she thought she could use the Turians like hounds of war she perceived them as. Whatever it was, it mattered not, here she was, standing as the arbiter of a crux that will shape the eras to come. A path that will either forge her into a hero of her people, or break her and leave the remains for the future to see.
"There is another way..." she spoke softly and weakly, garnering the attention of Sparatus and Valren, who looked at her with a faint whisper of anticipation in their eyes. Despite their willingness for war, neither preferred it over peace.
Tevos gulped, carefully wording her plan "The aliens, the AIs. They received the first contact package and were willing to talk. Perhaps if we... if we allowed them some rights... we could end it peacefully..."
As the words left her mouth, the air grew thick, and a deep silence engulfed the room. After hearing this, Nos'nee froze while her colleagues gasped. It was the discomfiting aura that made Tevos feel like the maiden she was long before.
"I see" Valren said.
"Wait, don't tell me you are actually considering this. Have forgotten the geth? we make deals with AI, they are too dangerous!" the Turian snarled.
"Don't judge too quickly, Sparatus. I'm not saying we should negotiate now" Valren stopped the Turian counselor and gestured to him with his hand to stop "I also sense the danger this new AI race might possess" suddenly, his features hardened "But if things don't go as planned, I'm afraid we might not have a choice"
The implications of what the Salarian councilor said finally registered in Sparatus's head as his protests died in his throat, and Tevos breathed a sigh of relief, quietly so as to not disturbed the heavy silence.
"Fine" Sparatus let the word out with venom, he began to walk towards the elevator exit. Once he entered, he glanced back at his colleagues "Then I suggest you began the preparation. The hierarchy won't carry this burden alone... not this time" then the doors closed, leaving the Asari councilor with mixed feelings.
"He is right" Valren said as he too began to leave "I will prepare the ground team for the operation" he announced "I expect Spector Vasir as a part of this force, please make sure she is ready" Tevos sighed as the Salarian left the room, leaving her with the Asari spectators.
Now, that they were gone, she could address her own matters. Matters such as the source of all her recent problems...the halfwitted simpleton of a captain, Nos'nee Veils...
Tevos's head slowly turned towards the accused captain still standing on the platform directly in front of the council seats. Her soft face turned into a snarl as she looked down at the Matron "Now what should I do with you?" Nos'nee let out a squeak as she heard the councilor's voice. She prayed under her breath to the ancient goddess, pleading for mercy, for the councilor would show her none.
"Full speed ahead, get us to that planet, Joker!" Anderson shouted under the sounds of alarm and the enemy's shower of fire.
Anemone grabbed the railing as the spacecraft shook. Shot after shot, the enemy rained down hell on their vessel after destroying every civilian transport ship within the system. It frustrated the Valedictorian, that the enemy was vile enough to target unarmed civilian vessels, and that she couldn't do something to stop it. Despite her desire to stand and fight, Anderson ordered them to pull back toward Shanxi. Their current ship was old, an outdated model that couldn't kill a frigate unless it didn't fight back. There was nothing they could do but try to reach the planet and then... join the planetary defense forces, but what good does that make? these bastards shot down every civilian ship in the system, what prevented them from glassing the planet from orbit?
Only twenty ships. It was only twenty ships that came through the relay. Had there been any defenses, even a few dozen patrol ships in the system, things might've ended differently. Anemone bit her lips, agitated by the lack of care for one of the most promising Triarchy colonies. Deep down, she knew the reason for the lack of a navy garrison yet she couldn't help but feel that this whole thing could've been avoided if that wasn't the case.
The android's attention was garnered by the image of the green planet below, they have survived the enemy's barrage.
"Joker, take us to the northern hemisphere, to this coordination" Anderson inserted a chip into the system next to the cockpit.
"Ay ay, captain"
Anemone studied the coordination, it lead to the middle of nowhere in the northern ice caps "The command center of the garrison is in the south. What do you think you're doing, Anderson?" she grabbed the captain's shoulder, only to receive a devilish grin from the captain.
"We're going to fight back, of course. I promised you a ship, didn't I?"