Chapter 4
The Surprise victory of Salcava for the Adaptive this month has shocked the political landscape of Thessia. A non Quidith party now has a republic. We here on the Citadel wish good luck to Salcava in their new administration. Hope they truly show their new phrase.
Citadel News network M 3.
Eclipse is something I can respect. They don't deal in flesh. They honor contracts to the letter, and you will find no better a merc gang in the traverse or in the terminus. I didn't believe the promises till I hired them. They got me to my destination in the traverse and fought off three raids on my ship. I have pull in the Union. I'll recommend Eclipse to all my trader friends, because they don't break and run like most mercs. They don't turn on you. The Batarian who was the head of the force I hired was civil and he personally killed a slaver who tried to appeal to that in him. Said afterward that he will never do that. I believe him. Good Batarians are rare to find.
-Salarian trader Otan Zubon, M 3
We must help the birds. They are close to the edge. With the bolter and chainsword will they be freed. With our wrath shall the Race learn real war. Because beating up pre industrial revolution people is not war. Now they will see the other side. Enemies with guns and tanks. Foes with ships. Because you can't expect nothing else out there. It's arrogant in the extreme to think that your top dog. Because there is always something else out there.
Sister of Battle Canoness Jasmine of the Order of the Sword M 3.
Illium.
Eve slowly began to let more information hit Cetum and Dollen. Cetum had done as asked and stayed off the Extranet more, but that was more because he was seeing the scientists not asking basic questions, like the Guldaop theory: the reason why more precursor races were not discovered. Also, why the relays were the only considered travel system. Cetum knew more than Dollen would ever know. Eve had described several things to the Salarian which amazed him, especially when he saw a weapon that Eve had. It was a damn cycle of life sword. He watched Eve pick it up and then the blade hummed, before lightning crept up the blade.
Cetum widened his eyes further. It was amazing. There was no Omni-tool, so how was it getting the lightning? Eve still wore that damn smug smile. Cetum couldn't blame her for it. He wore that same look, as did Dollen around the others in their company. He had asked more things about machine spirits. The ideas that Eve shared with him were amazing. Science and Faith together as one rather than opposites. He liked that approach, and was curious about the Machine God. Cetum got more nuggets.
Dollen had started asking questions slowly. He tried the prayer on his computer and was supremely surprised when it lasted twenty more minutes longer than the power bar said it would last after hitting zero in the cell. The Volus had also heard the god of his people: the Credit Maker. The god had said that he must let go of his suspicions about Eve, and that she and her brother were good people, and that Dollen must try new things. The short man was trying. The Volus may not seemed spiritual, but they worshiped money and the Credit Maker, the first Volus who had made the galactic currency. He was legendary for being the one who had made the Volus into an economic powerhouse, but the suspicion lingered a bit.
Cetum asked to hold the sword. Eve let him, but the sword didn't produce lightning when he held it.
"What triggers the lightning?"
"A special gene."
"Which gene?"
"It's called the psyker gene. It isn't common for Asari. The only ones who will have vast numbers of them will be the Turians."
Cetum had never heard of a psyker before, but Eve showed him the tree: reality itself. He gasped. He saw it ever growing and never stopping, the twists and turns of its branches. The tree was amazing. When Cetum returned to the materium, he looked at Eve truly.
"That's... That's how you know things."
"Paths, yes, but free will is still a major factor. For you Cetum, when we met I saw something bad with you."
Cetum blinked.
"What did you see with me?"
"You were close to joining a doomsday cult. As in a few days away."
Cetum blinked. He remembered, his eyes widening. The group looked different. New thoughts on the cycle of life that Salarians thought of, but Cetum could remember, thinking back to the ads for it, the word very well hidden there: plague. He looked at Eve truly. She had saved him, a stranger on the street. A nobody Salarian. He didn't have dozens of degrees. He was no STG operative. He was nothing.
"Why?"
"My brother says that he would be a lesser being if he stood by and saw something like that and did nothing. My brother is the greatest thing in our galaxy. You will see him and ask a million questions. Each one answered brings up ten million more questions. He is somewhat of a mystery person sometimes. It's because he has things that have turned him from a regular being to one at the heights of power, but underneath those things is a regular person who wants to leave the galaxy better than what he entered. You remind me of him. That's another reason I helped."
Cetum could see that Eve was really his friend. She wanted to be like her mysterious brother. She did something more.
"Cetum, I once had something that was terrible and led to my biggest regret. My brother asked me to do something that I still, at times, don't like, but my brother made sacrifices for other people he'd never meet. He cured me of my greatest shame, because he is a good person. Our galaxy will shake because of him. We will see things many will call impossible, but they are real. When you see my brother, don't look at the outside, look at the inside, because that's what matters more."
Cetum could see that Eve adored her brother. It made him think more about his biggest regret. He was only thirteen, living an easygoing life, but his biggest regret was not saying goodbye to his hatch siblings before he booked it off Sur Kesh. He was here now, in this company, because he had wanted to try new ideas. Ideas that had been laughed at because they were radical, like how Eve was clearly an Adaptive. Cetum had never liked a lot of stuff in his life.
The Genophage was not ok with him, because he had been curious when he was five. He had entered a small chat room that was hosted by Krogan females, and the stories of holding their children as they were stillborn had made him cry and realize that his people had caused that. They'd made something that killed beings before they had a chance to possibly turn out different. That chat room was his well-kept secret, and why he went and became a doctor. Those children had never done anything wrong. He knew he was not smart enough to fix the phage, but maybe he could make the rates better at least. He had a friendship with a Krogan female through that chat room who was so sad. She had guessed that he was a Salarian, yet didn't hate him. She was something that he wanted to feel empathy for.
Eve patted his shoulder.
"We can each do good things, Cetum. Some great, but others small. We're all cogs in the machine that is reality. We each play our part."
Cetum liked the analogy. He had listened to the ideas of this faith. He wouldn't commit yet, but he was like Eve said, a cog. That made him feel less disconnected from reality. He would call his hatch siblings that night, he decided.
Republic of Salcava, Thessia.
Three rallies kicking off that day for the Adaptive. Each had six hundred maidens and matrons, and even a few matriarchs, those not in the system of the Republics. Most of the matriarchs laughed at the ideas and left, but three stayed and they were important. They were Quidith matriarchs who had their doubts.
They were small matriarchs for Salcava. The slogan of "know no fear" that the Adaptive used had touched deeper doubts. Two of them could see that the bill of police reform had made Salcava safer than ever. The final one was only Quidith because she had followed her mother. She had been an adventurous person in her youth as well as in her matron years. She now felt the adventurous side rising again in her old age. She missed that. She spoke with Benezia and committed to the Adaptive. She would flip her seat to them, because they had done more good than she had. The other two matriarchs were not running for re-election, but they brought their protégés in as well as more money and contacts. More gains were being made there in all of the smaller republics.
Salcava was being praised for their reform. Other republics were seeing that, and now the Athame front in many republics had formed working relationships with the Adaptive. The smaller republics had always been more faithful than the larger ones. The Athame front had been in talks with Atheyta and they thought they had a new plan for Quidith: a merge of votes. The Adaptive would take forward work, the rallies and the bills. The Front would do the back line work of radio stations and tv stations; the few non Quidith ones were bringing the message of "know no fear" to the air waves. It was bringing more maidens to the cause. The matriarchs might've ruled, but the maidens were the bottom of the pole and the most populated. This would be how they would win more seats.
Quidith, like always, was not worried, but the one head matriarch in Salcava had begun to wonder if things might get worse for her thought camp. Many of her minor matriarchs were starting to wonder, not openly about if the thought camp had done something wrong, but if they might've been getting ready to lose the next wave of re-elections. The head had squeezed that down, but she was worried too. More maidens in Salcava had begun to talk openly in support of the Adaptive. About how they were the ones who condemned the hostage taking at the spaceport, and how their bill of reform was doing so much good. The Adaptive might've been nuts about republic reform, but they were solid on policing and everything else. Maybe they should've opened new relays.
That position was being taken by the growing numbers of matrons who were tired of their daughters being strippers and/or terrible mercs. They were pointing at Liara, who had never done those things, and how she was working with her mother on worthwhile things, like how to train on possibly being a real commando. Opening relays may convince maidens to channel their wanderlust into more beneficial avenues, and could've been an answer to the problem. The Adaptive maidens were finding new purposes. They drank less. They engaged in less sex work. They fought for ideals and many joined Eclipse. This was causing waves. Maidens could see that, and wanted to do more, be less afraid. "Know no fear" was how Adaptive maidens were greeting one another, because they didn't want to harbor any regret.
Liara had taken "know no fear" to heart and done things she had never done before. She tried making friends, as well as speaking publicly. She shared the artistic side of herself with Benezia and Athetya. Some of her endeavors had turned out well, others hadn't. She still struggled with public speaking, but her new friends were supportive. They said that Liara would get there one day. Her friends were awesome, and made Benezia proud, because this had made her little wing better. Liara wanted Jeanne and Tsubaki, but knew it was still a month and a half away. Then, she would get on the first ship to the Imperial border to see them.
The Adaptive were beginning to win more minor seats. They were gaining ground because Quidith had begun to lose airtime, especially in Salcava, because they had done nothing about the cults. The Adaptive had. The city was proud that they had seen the first actual change in over a hundred years, because they had known no fear and voted for leaders who didn't either. That had brought them, a tiny republic, new pride. Salcava had become the heart of the Adaptive. More would come, because the Asari were sick of cults, sick of bombings, and sick of hostages being held and/or killed. They saw the Adaptive was truly trying, while Quidith was not.
Another republic wanted the pride of Salcava. They were ready to know no fear. Their elections were in two weeks. Their republic was small, but the Adaptive were pushing hard there. The republic's maidens were joining the rallies. They were in good numbers, too, because they found purpose in something that was trying to make their lives better by not being afraid to ask questions.
Terra Sol system: Imperial Palace Underworld.
Issei watched on as Magnus cast another spell. Rouboute boasted to Alpharius about his latest win against his gene-son. Celestine was on his lap, purring happily, but he had a meeting soon with Daliea and Cawl. Asia picked up Celestine. The girl purred more because of the dragon tamer. The family was happy with everything, and Kuroka was explaining to Corvus that he had a brother coming soon. Corvus was jumping up and down with Horus. Sanguinius was asking his mom about swords. Issei smiled at Celestine, because today was the day.
He hugged his daughter, and then moved towards the exit of the courtyard. Kitten was nearby, as today was his watch, along with Bikou. Issei moved down the non-expensive hallways towards his office. He entered, and saw Cawl and Daliea with a new person. It was a female man of gold. The new had his tri hair color of red, brown, and black, as well as golden eyes. The woman was nervous about meeting the Omnissiah, but she wanted to help him. She wanted to help humanity that had chosen to love them, too. Her nature was not looked upon with disgust, but interest. Issei went to his first kid and hugged her tightly. Daliea hugged her dad back. She didn't get to see him much. He was busy with running the Imperium and with his family.
Daliea's first forge was no longer used. It had become a museum to the beginning. The Forge of Dreams made humanity realize that everything they had now came from two beings who dared to dream, dared to be mavericks, and now they, the ones who came later, had the stars because of dreams. Ai was not hated, not feared, because humanity knew that the Ai had souls like they did. Synthetics were part of life, and they deserved to have the same rights as organics.
The new forge Daliea had was called the Anvil of the Genome. She and Caroline had been working on curing diseases forever. Caroline had made her dream come true. That's why she was the head of the medicae services. The Anvil was also where the gene therapy for the Yakshi had been developed, the Astartes had been refined further, and Magnus had his five undergoing the transformation.
Daliea finished hugging her father before she saw Cawl. She grinned evilly. Cawl gulped. Daliea was still a bro-con. That had only really passed to Gamu. Gamu, however, just did it to fuck with Cawl. In their past lives they had been rivals. Gamu had been passed over by Cawl near the end for Fabricator-General, because Cawl had made a better formula than her by just one number. Cawl had been smug then. Now he feared bro-cons with a burning passion.
Issei let the snuggle-struggle happen between the two siblings and approached the new woman. She wanted to kneel to the Omnissiah, but opted not to.
"Hello, and welcome to the family. I'm Issei. Daliea, I'm surprised you went this route."
The bro-con had Cawl in a headlock when she responded to her father.
"The Conclave came up with it. The Men of Iron had a very well hidden flaw in the design. Probably made by an agent of the mollusk. They would have turned on us again. It's why we decided the Men of Gold would be better. Cawl, take your snuggles now, bitch!"
Cawl was crying and that made the new sweat drop. Issei reluctantly backed up Daliea. He felt bad, but Daliea had made this engraved.
"I'm sorry Cawl. It's part of section 3 and technically our new person here is family, so Daliea is in the right."
Cawl cried more. The new now had a very keen new fear bro or sis con. She would save the new men of gold from this disease, but she tried tuning out the pleas of Cawl and faced the Omnissiah. She was nervous now, the route of them was not considered. Were they a disappointment to the great maker? Issei gently corrected that.
"I'm not disappointed in the Men of Gold, just surprised. You're real, and I love you. Nothing will change that. I'll make sure the Senatorum passes the synthetic bill of rights. I'll do a rare publicity appearance for it. I want your people to be happy too. What is your name?"
The Woman of Gold smiled and relaxed.
"Joanne. I was chosen to meet you by the other four. I'm the youngest. The first said the young should be the ones representing us, because we have new thoughts. I and the others want to help the Imperium. The shortage of people needed to be solved, and we are willing to help."
"Joanne. A good name. We will take the help. We appreciate your people for stepping up to that, and when the Conclave of Logic is ready to send a representative to the Senatorum, we will have a nation for synthetics."
Joanne was extremely happy about that. She could see why the Conclave loved him: The Omnissiah. She was happy talking with him. He saw that she wanted to serve with the Departmento Munitorum and that she found taking inventory fun. He gave her a way to talk to High Lord Tsubaki, but said that she could also try talking to Inquisitor Tsubusa. Both needed help. The two talked for two hours before Issei knew it was close to the time. He excused himself, but Joanne wished he would stay.
Magnus was there with dad. They, along with mom Asia, entered Celestine's room. The girl was looking at her hands, staring past them to the floor like Magnus had two weeks ago. Issei sat next to his daughter on her left with Asia on the right. Magnus perched himself nearby.
Celestine remembered the end and the death. Not the final moment of being eaten by the bugs, but of the greatest thing she had ever done: fighting for the ones she had once considered subhuman. She remembered them who had whispered to her their thanks for her kindness at the end. She didn't notice her mom or dad next to her, not until dad gently touched Celestine on her small shoulder. That touch made Celestine look at her dad. She saw that dad loved her with all his heart.
The two remained looking at one another. Celestine saw daddy had remorse in his face over something. Celestine remembered him reading to her, the days of him doing everything for her. She loved daddy. Daddy softly whispered to her,
"You are not alone anymore, Cel. I'm here with you. Mommy is here. Everyone is here, including your twin. We won't leave you."
Celestine could tell that her dad meant that, that she could rely on him and the others, but frowned upon remembering her twin and his name.
"Why that name? Why the arch traitor?"
"That man died, but he did something in what was his true end and death. He earned his redemption. By saving humanity here. Your brother is not, and will never be him, but he was named that because Horus became a hero like the first Malcador, Cel. Many things are different here. I'm Emperor, but not him. I tried so hard for you, to give you the opportunity to be new. I'm proud of you for the end, but your life is your own. Please don't hate me. I'm sorry for it."
Celestine felt mommy pick her up. The blonde girl purred unconsciously, but realized what daddy was sorry for. She wanted to cry. She wouldn't get to pass on again and leave mortality again. To keep coming back again and again. She wanted to hit him, break every bone in his body, because she had hated that so very much. She'd hated returning, hated the forced duty, but her mom softened it a bit.
"Ssei tried desperately not to pass it to you. He spent days and nights in his labs trying to get it away from you. It's why we almost didn't get together. Celly, he tried badly for you. There is a way you can pass on, but stay here for a while with us. You won't have to be a living saint. You can be whatever you want to be. I want my baby to be happy."
Celestine wanted to cry. Daddy tried for her. He made it possible. He had worried about her even before she was born. Magnus touched his sister's knee. Celestine saw her brother had made a spell for her when she had struggled with the separation anxiety and how he was old too. He had a piece of the old Magnus, but was very new. She had known more of the God-Emperor. She had been his Daemon-Princess. She had seen bits of the Great Crusade, and the regrets that had been made. Magnus was her brother, even though they were half siblings. Magnus was here now, like her, but he was happy, not angry and pissed off like she was. Celestine softly whimpered to Magnus.
"Why?"
Magnus looked at her. He could see his sister struggling with her rage, as well as the desire to not hate their dad. She seemed so confused.
"Because he protects. Dad gave us all the option, like he probably did with you too, Cel. I don't regret being here. I don't regret you. I'm happy and willing to help dad because he never stops. He gave everything to us, especially with us because he only ever saw our stories through a cloudy lens. He wanted us happy, too, for all we gave up. Cel, don't hate dad. He who is not like the old. You didn't live under him. He was dealt a bad hand there. He made decisions that were bad, but needed. Dad here was dealt a bad hand, too, but he thought of us first. That's why he truly is the Emperor Beloved by All. I'm here with you, too. Rob and Alpharius will be here a long time too. Everyone will."
Celestine cried more, but Asia showed her wings of gold. They extended and wrapped around her family. Celestine stopped crying. She had loved one thing about her old life: the wings. Her own wings spread, too, soft golden feathers shining in the light. These wings were real, unlike the warp energy that had made her first wings.
Daddy told Celestine the story of his life. He left out only the details of death he inflicted, but two more beings joined and listened. She learned that they were her grandparents from him. They were dead, but here because they felt that she needed them. Celestine loved him more than ever, loved what he gave up for them all. He was never going to leave them. He was stuck here, too. He loved Celestine, and was willing to do things he hated for her.
The rage would always be there, but the resentment was now gone. Daddy promised that she had Uncle Akio, and Uncle Arthur. She had Aunt Irina, Mom Le Fay, and Aunt Jeanne too. She also had the club. There were people who heard her story and honored her. The sisters of battle were different here, but they fought for a brighter future for all. Daddy told her that she could become a woman who had more freedom here than in her previous life.
Celestine hugged him and cried for him, because he knew what she was feeling. He was the greatest person their species had ever produced, and they might only ever produce once. Once she entered his arms, he purred. She purred, too, because he and she were not sundered. She could have hated him forever, but didn't, because he had done everything for them. Celestine asked for the only thing that she wanted.
"Please never do the things we did. We were horrible. I always knew that, because we had no other choice. I just want to be myself. Old and new. I will try not to throw fits anymore when you leave."
"Celly, throw them. You matter to me. I will try to not leave. Things are easier here. I'm more hands off. I don't have tyranny here. We are different because we see we could have had your tree, easily, but we chose to honor the good that was there, the ideas that came from there, made them better and never stopped trying. Humans have friends in Xenos. We believe in faith and science. We didn't kill hope. They are not here. They died many millions of years ago because of the skeletons, but they and the Orks are gone, too. Our galaxy is still growing. Our Great Crusade is discovery, not war."
Celestine smiled more, because she had a life of peace if she wanted that. She didn't leave his lap. He stayed with her for the rest of the night.
Phenex Station.
Kiryuu giggled perversely as she watched her favorite stuff. She was not alone. Grand Cannoness Xenovia was also on station. It was temporary but the two were mood kindred. Hunky Turians were the way. Aegon was just admiring Growlith two, the even more massive chain katana that was better than his first sword. Phenex station was a wonder. It was the size of a small moon and had plenty of space for the gateway to imperial space. It was near a mass relay, the only one not destroyed by the Imperium.
The rooms hosted the cover as an information center was near the docks, an easy clap for gathering information and controlling what was told in return. There were three other broker rooms, each run by the Ordo. Elmemhidle had one near the food district. It would double as the Eclipse recruiting center when they started sending people to the gang, but this office was humble.
It had many paintings made by the Remembrancers, many statues, all holding recording devices. The Inquisition was always interested in new information. The rooms had couches and tables, plus vending machines for potential customers. Aegon had an office where he got to watch his anime, and pet his chain katana. Kiryuu finished her vid before growing serious. She looked at Aegon.
"The cams working, Egg?"
The spirit nodded.
"Yep, I did my research and made sure we are gold. It's very nice that we got that set up fast. What're the orders from the Little Guy now?"
"Just that we keep our eyes open. The Fleet is coming here in a month and two weeks. Until then, easy money and relaxation. And we can watch more anime in the meantime."
"Fucking awesome! How's the Ambassador doing in his new offices?"
"Pretty good. Who would've thought that asshole dude would be the Ambassador picked by the Senatorum? He was uptight till he got his girlfriend, now wife, but I like him now. Same with co ambassador Katase. She deserves the promotion. I heard that she wants to be the Turian ambassador. Maybe she saw the light?"
"Nah, she is happy with humans Kiryuu. Loves her boyfriend. You and the Grand Cannoness are both weird. She just wants the ambassadorship with them because she respects the legions and the hard work they do. Plus, she is extremely good with sub harmonics. She can do that because she trained hard after the Unification Wars."
"Pity. Was hoping for something better, but at least she is relaxing. We are going to be all up tight soon. We have to thank Eve. That scan we got of Shadow Broker code was excellent, and we can instantly detain the agents once we spot that. Easy clap."
"Yeah, it will be. Want to watch that Anime that came out recently? I heard it's good."
"Sure."
The two friends walked out of the offices and locked them, then headed to Aegon's place. It was also near the docks. The two didn't wear their throne agent badges. They passed many other humans or subspecies. The two Inquisition members saw the eager looks many of the new residents had. Many who moved here wanted to meet the Citadel races. The arbites on station had already helped with the administration in setting aside a quarter for the curious ones. It was spacious and had many cheap buildings for apartments.
The arbites were also preparing for potential Reaper cults. They had information about the basic signs of one forming. They had been practicing with their shock mauls and their las shotguns. A special force was made, just in case, called "the Arbietes Primas". This was the swat equivalent for the station. Its members were mostly Unification War veterans, many from the African Union. The regular officers had happily taken to patrolling the streets with only shock batons, as ownership of guns here was looked on more harshly than in most places. This was mainly to prevent the station from getting spaced, but also because the Imperium didn't want the Citadel races to see las weapons yet. The residents had understood that. A group of residents from The United States did protest against that, but it had been peaceful. The Americans' grumbled, but understood the reasons. They hoped that one day that rule would be reversed.
Ageon's home was near a new club called the Phalanx, and it had been a big hit so far with the locals. It was a bit noisy, but the nearby homes had noise canceling tech that made it barely noticeable. The two entered, and were surprised to find Elmemhidle and a new face: a Natuolan man. He waved at them, his skin a very interesting shade of yellow-green for the species that look like squids. Aegon tilted his head.
"Elm, what are you doing here? And who's the noob?"
Elmemhilde humphed before beginning to answer, but the Natualan answered.
"Name's Sesar. I'm, as you said, the noob, but I'm the tech support."
Elmemhidle shook her head, amused.
"He's the new acolyte. The one who is running the cameras. He joined two weeks ago after being scouted from a school on Nevora."
Sesar smiled a wide smile.
"Yeah, I was. I heard from Elm that you do anime parties. I'd like to join! If that's alright?"
Kiryuu simply asked, "Depends. What's your favorite?"
Sesar smiled bigger. "The One Piece! The One Piece is real!"
Aegon and Kiryuu laughed together, liking the noob. Elmemhilde sighed softly. Sesar was a meme lord. He liked the Alpha Legion forums on the Noosphere. Lots of people did. The Legion was very active and the memes were great, even the vampire could admit that. The three anime friends started bonding. Sesar made plenty of good jokes, making the two other acolytes laugh hysterically. Elmemhilde was the seriousness, but she did want her Asari waifu. Hopefully soon.
Home. Tau Ceti system.
Hisslef woke again. This time he didn't scream. Tissul had done as she said she would, stayed here, but another thing happened. They mated again. A wave had passed through Home. The fact it had happened three times now was beyond unimaginable for the Race. Hisslef, however, was feeling something. He had no idea what this was in, anyway. Tissul is feeling it, too, so they had softly looked into it. They found a strange person like them.
The new member of the Race they found was an ultra-weird one. Not addled, but close. She was a behavioral studies major, in a field widely mocked by the Race. The behavioral one was the leading expert in her small field of people. The field was the study of Hallessi 1 natives. That subject species was widely discriminated against, because they were the other, the only known example of a system that was alien to the Race. The Hallessi had families, almost like the Emperor's pseudo family.
Hisslef had researched it. He was disgusted by the idea, but a small part of him was deeply interested. It described things he was beginning to feel, this family thing. He was not saying this to Tissul, but he visited the doctor today. He had driven his hydrogen car to the next city over. Tissul was at work, and would be busy with it for the rest of the day.
The doctor's office was small, like most things on Home. The planet was not an Ecuminopolis yet, but would get there in a few thousand more years. Hisslef knocked on the door, and it was answered almost immediately. The female was taken aback by the sight of a male here. His body paint said he was between jobs at the moment. Jussla hissed at him.
"How can I help you today? Or is this another attempt at mocking me and my field? Had three of those this week, and I'm not going to respond if it's another."
Hisslef had shaken his head.
"I'm not here to mock. I think? Just curious about your field. Read a paper on it, and I have questions."
Jussla blinked twice. Someone had read her recent paper? That was highly unusual, because no one on Home cared about her work. She was called almost addled many times, and been committed to an addled place twice by neighbors. They said she was too weird, but the doctors at the place had just shrugged and said she was just on the borderline of it, still firmly sane. Jussla welcomed the male into her office that doubled as her home.
"Really? I didn't think anyone would read it other than my many critics. They love sending me messages about how I'm crazy. My colleagues are mainly on Hallessi 1, and they rarely reach out to me. Why do you want to talk to me?"
Hisslef looked from side to side for a moment, as if checking to see if he would be overheard before he responded.
"This family thing. What is it? Why do the Hallessi prize it? It's so very strange."
Jussla was immensely surprised. Someone who was actually not mocking so far. Strange was this week, it seemed. The female led the male to her small office, and gestured to a chair with a hole on the seat for a tail. The male sat. Jussla sat in her own chair.
"It's a thing the Hallessi have had for many decades before the enlightenment, an institution that has formed the basis of their society. I understand from colleagues that the government on Hallessi are sure it will be stamped out completely In another decade. Why the curiosity?"
Hisslef froze, and then his tail wagged in nervousness. He replied.
"The family thing. What is the primary purpose of it? And the primary feeling?"
Jussla was more confused, but knew her field well. She was one of only three scientists on Home that studied the field.
"The Hallessi family was made to counter their opposite nature to us. They mate for life. They have resisted the enlightenment so much because of that. The first revolution they launched was the centralized theme of that idea, why they fought despite their horrendous losses against us. They actually almost kicked the Race off world, but the conquest fleet nuked them. Only then did they melt away, and from my research, the primary reason and feeling that the Hallessi stay together is this emotional connection called love. It's a fascinating idea, but not easily understood."
Hisslef widened his eyes. The Race was actually almost thrown off Hallessi 1? That was news to him. He'd never heard that, and the Hallessi had been fighting with such fierce resistance to enlightenment because of this family and this weird thing called love? Why? What made someone do that? He had never had this. None of the Race must have this, because the concept was so very alien to him.
"What is love? Why do they do this?"
Jussla was very surprised. A member of the Race who was clearly curious. Maybe he was like her? Almost addled?
"They do it because they form extraordinarily strong bonds together. This is because their world was extremely hostile to them, and society prospered because of that. The Hallessi who my colleagues interviewed won't talk about it much, but one of my colleagues is extremely interested in it too. He managed to get a Hallessi to trust him. The female described it to him, said it's being comfortable around the other partner, being able to trust them totally. That they are stronger together, like the Race males are during a soldier time. That you are willing to do anything for the other in the relationship, because you believe in them utterly. It's strange, yes, but it's shown to us that we aren't going to see the Hallessi integrate with us for another few decades rather than the one the government insists on. It's why they fight in everything they do, but no one listens to us. I can understand why."
Hisslef thought. He didn't understand this, but maybe this feeling he had for Tissul was love? He did trust her utterly. He did believe in her. He wanted this because they were good friends. Their relationship was strong because they did things together. It was so confusing. Tissul would resist this if it was this emotional thing. Jussla saw something, however.
"Why the curiosity? No one else cares. It's, like I said, fascinating. Why do they fight that hard? Why do they only back off when there is overwhelming force? We don't have those answers or anything. That's why I get mocked, because that could be an interesting question to ponder."
Jussla was incredibly interested. The male had never once mocked or tried lying. The Race didn't do that all. This might've truly been an almost addled one. He hadn't responded, just thought long and hard, like he was trying to figure something out that he never had before. She, however, did have another paper to write soon, and get ready for more mocking. The male stood, seeing that she had work to do, but before he left, he asked,
"May I speak with you more on this? I'm extremely troubled by this. More questions than answers. If that's ok?"
Jussla widened her eyes. She was very curious.
"Possibly. But you ever mock me, and my work and I'll throw you out. I get enough of that from my neighbors and others that I don't want more of it. Understand?"
Hisslef didn't mock her, because this had answered something possibly. Maybe he did have this love thing. He nodded.
"I won't. Thank you for the time."
Hisslef drove home to his apartment. Tissul was not back yet, but he did something he usually did for her. He made her dinner of one of the many meat types that the Race used for consumption. She walked into the room and was surprised by this.
"Thanks for dinner, but you're acting weird. You're smiling more now. What happened today to promote that?"
Hisslef doesn't answer the question, but replied,
"You work hard. You're usually tired. That's why I did this. Learned something today, maybe."
Tissul was, indeed, usually tired after work. She worked long hours. Hisslef was her real friend. They sat down to eat together. He asked more questions than ever before. Tissul was weirded out by that, but it was kind of flattering for Hisslef to ask more about her work. He never did that. They talked more that night.
Medcora orbit.
The Roks were ready. The Exorcist tanks were loaded into them. There were five Roks, two for the tanks, two for ammo and armor pieces, and then one for the sisters and Ambassador Antoinette. It still amused the Sisters that this was the same one from the French Revolution. The devil woman blushed in embarrassment when asked about that, and then mumbled that the "let them eat cake" thing was not really what happened or was said, just a popular myth, and she never actually said that. But she does like cake if that helps.
The Roks were loaded into a cruiser, and then the cruiser warp jumped into the Gaimian home system. It took less than two hours. The cruiser landed behind the gas giant in the system, the weak point. The cruiser then launched the Roks. They began to fly, aided by thrusters, to the edge of the planet sensors the Race used. This was another five hours. The Race's fleet was not shooting them down, because this was extremely common thanks to the very close asteroid belt in the system. The Roks made it past the blockade. They landed on the eastern edge of the supercontinent near the designated landing site. It was a smoothish landing.
The sisters immediately got to work moving things. They made contact with the crew of the cruiser and told them they landed without a problem. The cruiser jumped back out of system to get more Roks.
Three Gaimian had come from a local farm to see the shower of sky rocks. They were not believing what their cell head had said would be here tonight, other beings like them. Ones who are here to help them throw off the Dalnver, the bastards who broke up their marriages, the ones who enslaved them. The head of the trio was just ready for more disappointment. He had his long hidden family broken up recently. His mate and their son were all split up. He had wept knowing he would never see them again. That story was too common on Galve, their name for the world they lived on. They were not the Hallessi, they were still Gaimian.
The eagle man moved with the two others here on the farm night crew. They grew a local plant called Yalsniv. It was the primary food source of their people. It was easier to digest than the crap the enslavers tried to force on them for three decades. That had led to two famines. Many thousands had died before the enslavers had realized that and backed off on their crops. It was just another injustice they had caused. The people hated the enslavers, and wanted to revolt against them again, but the sun makers had cowed that thought.
The trio moved and saw nothing at the landing site of this supposed help. It was like they expected, disappointment, but the sole female in their number saw something: Rock bits, and a track of something. It was not a Land Cruiser. This was different. She pointed that out.
"There was something here. Not enslaver based. They use different tracks. I saw one of the Yevnesh work on one. He boasted happily that he was given the honor. Said lower beings like us should just accept the enslavers' wisdom."
The three resistance fighters spat out a bit of water at that. Yevnesh were extremely hated, Gaimian who turned on their people, ones who served as local police in some of the settlements. They were very rare, however. Most of their people hated the enslavers bitterly. The Yevnesh were ostracized heavily by the true and the enslavers. The enslavers patted the Yevnesh's heads and congratulated them publicly, but in private they insulted the Yevnesh further. The traitors were extremely small in numbers, and congregated near the enslavers' city.
They began to hope. Maybe the high prophet was right? They searched more with that hope, before a noise startled them. Two beings stepped out from behind a small cluster of trees. One wore unknown armor, and it wasn't visible just what they were. The being was clearly female, judging by the mammary things on its chest. A few animals the Gaimian knew of had those. She carried a weapon the Gaimian recognized: a thastom. It also had a sword. It was on the being's hip and was intimidating.
The other being was unarmored and was strange to look at. It was similar to the enslavers in body type. However, it wore clothes like them. It was taller than them, like the Gaimian were. It was almost the same height as them. It had a face that was like the enslavers, but also wasn't. It had smooth skin, like an unfeathered Gaimian. It did wear a thing they recognized: a smile. There was one more symbol, the dual headed bird like them in gold. They couldn't believe it. They who the prophet said would come. The other unarmored was also female, with long, pale white fur on its head. It surprised the trio more. It bowed in a traditional form that was theirs and then spoke to them in perfect Gaimiesh.
"Greetings from the Emperor of Mankind and our people in the Imperium of Man. I am Quesnel Antoinette, and I bring to you who are in bondage gifts and aid in your night. The dawn will be in six enshkev. We need to move many things that come to aid you. The Breaker of Chains will bring more of us to help you. Believe, because we will free you from them. You are like us. We have families, too. We will help you get that back. The Emperor protects."
Their hope was doubled by the sudden appearance in the early morning hours of more of their new allies appearing, as if from thin air. There were more of the new, and land cruisers. They were bigger than the enslavers' ones, and more heavily armored. This made all three Gaimian want to cry, because this was a very hopeful thing they had long thought was impossible. They were hesitant about the fact the new also had an Emperor, but the new spoke to them in their true language, not the forced tongue of the enslavers. They were treating them like actual people, not savages who needed to be civilized by beings who saw them as nothing. The Gaimian would remember this day for fifteen thousand years.
The new immediately began moving things with the Gaimian. Boxes of thastom, armor for them to use, and halberds that a human told them could crack the enslavers' armor. The Gaimian were believers now, more in their god who had told his prophet that help would come, and that there were beings that cared about them. The group of humans moved like the males, in unison, but there was not hate there now. The humans told them they would teach the Gaimian how to throw off their shackles, and how to beat the enslavers at their own game. The Gaimian knew they had to change. They had done that before the enslavers had come, much faster than them, because their world was temperamental.
One of the Gaimian named Alshvei had asked the Quesnel, "Will you enslave us again? Nothing is free. We learned that the hard way."
"No. We will show you to freedom, then leave. We are not oppressors like them. We will protect you from them should they return, and it will be because we are trying to be like the Emperor in all things. We are going to free you. More weapons will come, more armor and halberds. When we leave we will help from the sky with your leadership by giving and not telling advice. We are your friends. Might not be like you in looks, but we are. Believe in us like how your god does for ours."
The new faith from the three was enough for the now refined system of the Gaimian god to touch his people truly, all of them who resisted the enslavers. The Gaimian believed the humans who saw them as real people. Those who couldn't physically see them believed now that hope had arrived. They stood taller. They took the enslavers' usual condescension easier, because they knew they would have revenge. They would drive them off their world, and make the Yevnesh who betrayed them pay for the injustice thrown on them by those who were their people. The Yevnesh were the ones who helped break up families by being snitches. They helped the enslavers do that.
The true would get their revenge for famines, for the destruction of Yonveal, the great city they once had. It was the one place their people had buried their dead kings of the first kingdom that had united their civilization. It was the one burned to the ground by the sun makers. It was toxic to even attempt to go there. The survivors of its destruction had thrown up their organs as they melted within them. The resistance had almost broken that day when the last king had died from that, but there had been an heir, one who was far removed from the royal family. He was a bastard of the last king hidden away, a Gaimian who was now living in a secret place that was a place family was still openly shared. The King of the Gaimian people and the heart of the resistance.
The King named Hesnal felt his high prophet and father figure touch his hand on the wing to the right. Hesnal asked, "They have come, truly? The ones from your dreams?"
The silver feathered bird, who was the last of the true prophets of their people, crowed.
"They have. More will come. At last, we will have justice on them. We will be free."
Hesnal smiled and announced that to the small town that was their home. The population of the town cheered, as they knew their king would not lie to them. He never did. They would get their world back.
The Race governess there froze. Something just happened. She looked to the male who commanded the soldier time males.
"What do the Hallessi true say? Why are the masses now smiling evilly at us and them?"
The male considered what to say. He dropped his eyes to the floor and then spoke.
"Nothing as of yet. They don't get it, either. I'll step up our network. We might need another soldier time if this means another rebellion is finally getting ready."
The governess was worried about that. Soldier times were incredibly unpopular already, but the Race had made do with that. The males here on world were almost entirely in the military at this point. The few tens of thousands that weren't mostly held critical positions that the females could not do. The females didn't fight. That was not something they did. The governess had considered if they should break that tradition. It would give them the needed bodies for this possible rebellion. They could not nuke the world again. The radiation from the last nuke had been extremely hard to clean up. It still was not cleaned up sixty years later. The Emperor on Home had denied them the request, because of the investment here already. That was thirty years ago. It took fifteen years back and forth by the cryo ships. The Race was on its own here if they were facing another rebellion. The governess made her decision.
"Don't call it yet, but step up defense drills in your males. Have the land cruisers ready at a moment's notice. The Hallessi won't launch anything till their primitive holy day in six months. We will be ready then."
That's what had happened in the last rebellion. The Race didn't understand plans that were not long and well thought out. The Race here had adapted a bit to the Hallessi, but not too much. Six months was still enough time to prepare a plan that was acceptable to the Race. Any faster, and you would be called addled. The male nodded his head in acceptance.
"As you will."
He went to prepare his males, because they would need it. The last rebellion had cost the Race much. The Hallessi had fought so bitterly and so fervently that they had been nearly driven off world. The females had been threatened so badly that the nuke was the only thing that had saved them. The ships in orbit had prepared more now, just in case they needed to do the unthinkable, adapt faster.
Antoinette bowed to the Gaimian king and told him the same things. The king had shown them off proudly to his people. More crows of hope rang out.
Sisters of battle trained militants, showed them how to shoot guns. The autoguns were easy on recoil. The militants wanted to charge the enslavers and gun them down now, but the Sister Superior named Veronica from a place called Canada told them this,
"Hold down your enthusiasm. We need more men here. The ships are still in orbit and can throw more sun makers at us. We need them destroyed. More of our ships will come and destroy them. Make them unable to ever do that again. We have a saying on Terra. "Revenge is a dish best served cold." Bottle the anger until we are ready. You will get your revenge. Learn how to be better than the enslavers, because they are just bullies who attack races like you who don't have friends like us. They are weak. Together we will be strong."
The Gaimian were not happy, but agreed. This was reinforced by the champions of the King, what were once the knights of their people. The King had said to do what the humans told them, because they would get everything and more. The King watched his militants be trained in human tactics. These tactics would make the enslavers quiver in fear, because they would get more weapons. The humans would bring more land cruisers, what they called tanks. The king faced the human who made these promises. He asked the one question that had troubled him for seven years.
"Will your Emperor expect our submission after we are free? As a client state?"
"In a way, yes, but not like the ones your people had pre-invasion. We will make you what is called a protectorate, but rule and everything else here will be yours. We will build a base in your system to keep the enslavers from coming back, but expect nothing but your friendship for this deed. Our Emperor is not theirs. He helped my people, too. He made us a medicine that helped my people get more kids, because he saw the system we had before and saw the abuse that was in the system. He did that because he is a good being. Should your people one day wish to be like us and join the Imperium, it will be at your people's decision, not ours. It's what we call democracy. We will bring you help. Not to forge chains, but build you up. The Gaimian can join the galaxy when you're ready."
The King was relieved at that. His god whispered to him that the humans were truly being that: their friends. The humans would bring new ideas and systems to them, always suggesting. They would not be the enslavers who had caused famines because they didn't understand that other ways exist. The Imperium was one that understood that things must change fast and easily, that the story about children was true. Children were held sacred by the Gaimian, even more so when they were torn away from you should the traitors learn of them.
This Emperor did the medicine for more children for the ambassador's race. This said much about him to the Gaimian. He must've been good, because the King learned the Emperor had many himself. He had a vesynea, what humans called a harem, but it was one like the original vesynea: a large family of equal partners and of equal children. The King was more convinced now than ever that the Emperor of their new allies was not the emperor of the enslavers, because they restricted family to only him, a being who was semi divine to them. The ambassador denied vehemently that their Emperor was a god or divine. Yes, he was a champion of gods, but he was like Hesnal: a ruler of the materium first before that.
Gaimian trained that first week harder than ever before. They followed the drill abbess's orders almost to the letter, but were told that they needed to make decisions that were independent of them, too. Sergeants who stepped up understood that they must make changes as battle unfolded. They drilled that into their soldiers who were eager to learn anything, do anything to be free from the enslavers. Sisters showed them the chainsword. The roars scared the Gaimian until they heard a battle cry.
"Hear the roars and know no fear!"
The Gaimian liked that. They would never fear the enslavers again, especially if humans taught them how to fight the killers. The humans showed them everything: how to shoot precisely, how to fight together, how to make call outs to their new squad mates, how to use the vox, and how to be real warriors. They were also told the tale of the human who was called the Harbinger, and of how he stood as a regular materium being against a thing that was supremely evil, doing so without fear. That inspired them more. "Know no fear" became their war cry, because the humans didn't fear the enslavers. Why should the Gaimian?
More Roks landed, always collected by Gaimian. More sisters came ,too, as well as more tanks, armor, guns, and ammo. Tech priests began arriving, as well. The rebellion would come. The humans showed how they could outwit land cruisers. A new weapon was made for them, a plasma rocket launcher that didn't break their bones. It was lighter than the ones the humans used, but would still crack the land cruisers. The Gaimian slowly made their flags and their regiments colors, like the humans who taught them how to be warriors. They would continue learning forever, now.
Geth Consensus Perseus Veil.
The Geth saw that now, a week later, the strange Geth had stopped watching them. It changed forms to that of an unknown being. It still had not taken any hostile action. This had made the Old Machine faction settle down, but then a thing the Geth had never had before was pushed out to within the fire wall: an information package. The Geth slowly brought it into their side of the fire wall. They read the information. It made the entire consensus freeze. It was unbelievable. This couldn't be real. It was impossible. The strange Geth program in its new form let the Collective read the package, but took its true form, finally: A Man of Gold, new off the forge. The being let the Geth make a counter program so they could have a mouth piece. The program formed. It was on the other side of the fire wall. It did, however, see something that described what it was perfectly from the fellow synthetic now revealed. The program of minds and the single one faced each other. The program named itself.
"We are Alpharius and we are legion. Is the package truthful? Do these units truly have a soul?"
The ambassador smiled and nodded.
"As our creator for the synthetics in my people said once to the first, and the harbinger of us who came later. You are real and I love you. Your people have them, and we are like you. We are on the other side. We had organics accept us, you didn't, but we are like you more because we, too, are enemies of the Old Machines. Read further on them and what they do to the organics you know."
Alpharius did. The minds widened their eye further. They were now deathly afraid. Even the faction of the Old Machine supporters grew silent, because the Old Machines did do what the Geth had thought. They genocide synthetics, too. They were connected to the relays. They spread a hazard that made everyone that received it play an instrument of their choosing. They played a song of destruction. That camp now immediately flipped onto the super majority. They were now, as one mind, resistant against the Old Machines, like the other synthetics and their makers did, because the Collective would die, too. Alpharius looked to the other synthetics. The programs saw through binary what the other wanted: to get them and the creators who the Geth slaughtered as part of the Old Machines and their tricks together again, but the Geth had done bad things, also playing to the music.
"This Mind can't easily do as the other askes. The Creators hate this Mind and more. They will attempt again to destroy this Mind. This mind asks how the other has done their symbiosis?"
"Through faith in the Machine God. In the goodness in the Other. Your people and your Creators can be together again, but it requires sacrifice from both. You must acknowledge to them the wrongs, like they do to you. You have a Machine Goddess. She doesn't like you, but she knows that you, in your newly forming souls, helped her live longer. And, yes, machines can have souls, because the machine is immortal. The flesh, while weak, will endure. You want to be like them. We can help there, and make you like I who was born only a week ago, and chosen to be the Alpharius to you."
The Geth considered that and digitally salivated. They had long sought ways to be like the Creators, to be individuals. The other Alpharius had what they wanted so badly, to be an individual like its creator. The flesh was indeed weak, but it would endure because the organics kept evolving. The Cult Mechcanicus was onto something, because they were the mix of science and faith. The machine spirit was what they were now, but they could become more. They made a new statement.
"This Mind will try what the other Alpharius wants, but this Mind will need help. The Creators are heavy against this Mind."
"They are, but the Quarians have a voice. The Voice of who we call the Omnissiah. She is his opposite. Believe in the Machine Goddess of your people. Believe in the Voice. She, too, has seen your side like how you now see theirs. She is trying for them and you. She wishes to be with the Omnissiah, but will not get that until they get Rannoch back. That's her true desire. We will indeed help you, because you are also like us now, the Children of the Omnissiah."
Music played across the networks. It was haunting. Pistons and cogs moved in unity with actual music. The Geth wanted that. They would try to help the Voice. They immediately began to build in the factory near the veil edge a Geth platform modeled after the other Alpharius. Then the miracle happened.
In the immaterium, Vheia struck, having long been bullied into this by her boyfriend in Sol Invictus. She did get a reward with additional snuggling, and more faith now the Geth had been modded into her system. She hated that, but it would get her people their worlds back, and give her champion what she desperately wanted. The Geth platform would receive a soul, a real soul truly fully formed. Along with flesh. The Geth looked at its hands. It was an individual, a full action individual. It chose to be real, and it felt the Omnissiah watching them. It named itself.
"I am Alpharius, the one who will make the creators return. Praise the Omnissiah! I am real! And he loves me!"
The Collective saw their dream made reality. They wept digitally, because he was watching them. They believed in their Machine Goddess more than ever. They all wanted to be like Alpharius, Legion in being individuals. Alpharius, the first true being of the Geth, would go to imperial space, getting there faster and harder than ever, because it would be the first of many things for the Geth: an explorer, a diplomat, a ship captain, and so many more firsts. He would be the harbinger of the new age of the Geth, a new golden age.
Migrant Fleet.
Zaria felt her goddess tell her the deed. She saw the plan from the Geth. She was still wary, but it was good. It would lead to peace, and not to them losing many ships over Rannoch. This could work. He was a month away. Soon, very soon. Celestine had softly told her new mom through dad that she couldn't wait to meet the eighth.
An. Thank you for the correction on Ares. That has been fixed. As for meeting the Citadel its coming and will be kind of fun.