Petroleum Effect
Interlude III - Diplomacy with Ravenna
Council Chamber, the Citadel, Serpent Nebula, 27 June 2083
Grey Lady Ravenna Crown had reached the Citadel in spectacularly quick time. The galaxy wide civil war going on in Citadel space and especially Asari space was a major priority for the Dominion government. Miranda Lawson's report to the Demilady had been received on the 24th of June and actioned that day. Amaoth had appointed Ravenna as the new ambassador and she had arrived at her new post in double quick time. The council, likewise, regarded a discussion with the Terran Dominion ambassador as a priority. They were quite clearly unhappy.
Tevos glared at Ravenna. Ravenna Crown glared right back. The new Terran Dominion ambassador was a spectacular beauty who had taken her name on becoming a Grey Lord based on her resemblance to 21st century actress Charlize Theron, who had portrayed the evil queen in the Snow White series of movies. If she had then used her new powers to slightly ... enhance ... that resemblance, well, it suited her role.
"Ambassador," began the Asari councillor, coldly, "the Council is grateful for the assistance of humans in defeating the terrorist threat on the Citadel. However, it raises a number of difficult questions. Your forces used unknown cloaking technology to bypass C-Sec prohibitions on travel in order to assassinate several Citadel residents without legal authority. These are serious breaches of council law and human personnel will have to be held accountable."
"Councillor Tevos," smiled Ravenna, "we appreciate your concerns. Perhaps you could allow us to share our own concerns and our explanation. We ... regret to admit that we have encountered these creatures, the Eviloids, before. We have encountered their mind control powers but fortunately our forces have a natural ... resistance to it that enabled us to resist. Our operatives on the ground here feared that without experience of their horrifying abilities the Council would be subverted and the whole galaxy fall to the enemy. Now is not the time to divide us by seeking to single out brave human soldiers."
"We read your government's message," growled Sparatus, "such as it was. Perhaps you could enlighten us. These creatures call themselves, 'Care Bears' yet you humans call them a name that means 'Evil Ones' or near enough in Asari. When, exactly, have you encountered them before and why didn't you warn us of the threat before?"
"We first encountered the vile Eviloids on the planet Rainbow-2, in the Rainbow system. We did not tell you about it before, because we thought them extinct."
Valern listened and then raised a hand for a moment to forestall his colleagues as he touched his controls, "Rainbow-2 you say? That system ... has no life-bearing worlds. Rainbow-2 is lifeless. It is a lava world with no atmosphere save gasses released by the molten rock. It is impossible you encountered anything there!"
"It is a lava world *now*." Ravenna's reply was succinct with heavy emphasis on the last word. "We were very thorough."
"You destroyed an entire inhabitable world?!" Tevos was horrified.
"Absolutely. The incident was before we encountered the Citadel but we deemed the Eviloids to be a threat in the same way you had to deal with the Rachni. We only regret that we clearly did not genocide them enough the first time. Imagine if it had been a Rachni outbreak eating Asari children alive instead of Daughters of the Golden Star." Ravenna was adamantly unrepentant.
Sparatus was nonplussed. The normally unproblematic humans had been increasingly militant recently, as with their demand for the removal of Spectre Nihlus Kryik and their bizarre allegations against him. This was unprecedented though. The humans were flat out admitting to a genocide they clearly intended to continue with extreme prejudice. Having said that, the galaxy was in flames. The Asari Republics had been torn almost in two, even some Turian Hierarchy officials had been subverted. They did need help. Even so, the humans needed to be put in their place.
"And what exactly can you offer?" asked Sparatus, "how can your military assist where the council is troubled?"
"I will be blunt," responded Ravenna icily, "we are trading associates not members of the Citadel and we have never signed the Treaty of Farixen except for a non-binding agreement to the spirit of it. We have a large grand fleet to defend ourselves in a dangerous galaxy, including 20 Dreadnaughts and support ships. Because we do not allow entry to our space except for the trade outpost in the Rainbow system, there are no subverted human forces and no Eviloids in our space that we know of. All of our forces are resistant to Eviloid abomination mind control abilities. We will not take advantage of your troubles. We can just sit it out, or we can help you eliminate the subverted. We only have a few conditions."
"How dare you!" began the enraged Turian councillor, before he was stilled by a look from Tevos. The Asari councillor coolly picked up where Sparatus had left off, "What are your conditions?"
"Firstly," said Ravenna, "we insist that you stop regarding the Eviloids as sentient beings deserving of life. They are abominations and should not be given names that are non-objective or misleading. We want you to make it mandatory to call them, 'Eviloids', throughout Citadel space. Any cross-breeds like the Daughters should be called, 'the Tainted'. So should any creature of any species that has had reproductive congress with the Eviloids or the Tainted. That is important to us. Secondly, we want official Citadel policy to be the extermination of the Eviloids, just like the Rachni, along with any cross-breeds, or individuals genetically tainted by them. We want express permission to destroy their worlds, including their apparent new homeworld of Care-a-Lot. Thirdly, we want to be able to bless your military personnel who will be fighting them in accordance with our official state religion, especially leadership. We want to bless your personnel in the name of the Archlord, the Hunger and the Wyrm. That includes the entire Citadel Council."
The room was silent for a moment. Valern, eventually, broke the oppressive quiet, "You want us to agree to genocidal racist propaganda, actual genocide, the destruction of at least one inhabitable world and also to agree to participate in your human religious ceremonies."
"Yes!" beamed Ravenna cheerfully, "Exactly! Just like the way you dealt with the Rachni, really. We thought you would understand because we have always admired the way you handled that conflict!"
The council looked grimly at the undaunted human ambassador. After a moment Tevos said, "If you will indulge us for a moment ambassador, the council needs to deliberate in private."
In their council chambers the three members of the Citadel Council looked grimly at each other.
"This is unfortunate," said Sparatus, "but these humans are a far more serious threat than we had realised."
"Indeed," responded Tevos, "but they are not hostile to us, and their genocidal hatred for the Temple ... the Eviloids as they call them ... is not wholly inexplicable. I went over the pictures in detail. There were Asari children in the facility on the Citadel and their corpses had been gnawed ... before they died."
Valern was cool, calm and clear. "The position is simple. The Terran Dominion is a friendly power offering help and its only wrong has been to jump the gun in defending the Citadel from a decidedly unfriendly power, the Temple of the Golden Star. What would you have us do? Attack a major power for very little reason whilst fighting another very dangerous war? Snub them? Or take the help?"
"They may seek a council seat," remarked Tevos.
"We may need their strength," replied Valern.
Sparatus harrumphed, "we should agree to their offer, but watch them closely."
The chamber was quiet as the three councillors walked back in. Tevos spoke clearly and without emotion.
"We accept your terms, and we would like to invite you to meet with us in private now to resolve the details."