Disclaimer: I do no own Mass Effect, I do not claim to own Mass Effect, I am only doing this for fun.
Author Notes: We're continuing the build up to what is an expansion of another side mission (as they adapt well to this canon) with a side of "Battle of the Citadel". Also, Cameos!
Episode 24: Gathering
The Normandy arrived at Arcturus twenty-six hours after they jumped from Grissom. Nihlus had sent a report to the Council just as soon as they hit the Hong system, to notify the Council of the situation. He explained that the Council would not become excessively involved in the matter, as it was within Alliance sovereign space. They could not send in the mostly-turian Citadel fleet to do the job for the Alliance, as doing so would mean taking over internal Alliance security. No one in the Systems Alliance, Parliament or Navy, would allow that. It would stomp on the Alliance Navy's pride, but more than that, it would be a flagrant violation of sovereignty, something that the Council held sacred. All that meant that the Grissom situation would be handled in-house, and that suited everyone just fine.
Shepard transmitted her report to Admiral Hackett at Hong as well. She included all the scan logs, as well as a tactical analysis, calling for the Fifth Fleet to match the geth, ship for ship, and maybe bring a few extra cruisers for added punch. Shepard had no doubt that the Kilimanjaro would be part of this, and so they would need extra cruisers just to protect the lumbering dreadnought's flanks. If the Kilimanjaro was to bring her big gun to bear on the geth cruisers, her safety had to be guaranteed with a screen of friendly ships. Shepard also suggested bringing in a carrier, whose fighter squadrons could perform the double duty of running anti-missile defense in orbit, and provide aerial backup on the ground, but ultimately it would be up to Admiral Hackett to decide what they would need.
As the Normandy approached Arcturus station, Shepard was in the OD, watching the scenery. She was not surprised to see the Kilimanjaro and Tokyo, side by side, as the triumvirate would be the first to gather, however today the dreadnought was the center of a gathering fleet. The Tokyo was shadowed by her three frigates; Shepard knew them as the Sekigahara, Hakata Bay, and Nagashino.
Floating on the Kilimanjaro's left was the SSV Athens and her frigates, the Grecian flotilla, the fierce vanguard of the fleet. Their unique livery made mistaking them impossible. The cruiser bore nose art along with its name, a hoplon shield crossed with a long spear. Its accompanying frigates, the Thermopylae, Salamis, and Platea had the same over their bridges. They were the newest-built and arguably the most eccentric of the four.
The smaller cruiser next in line was undoubtedly the SSV Berlin, accompanied by the frigates Marne, Somme, and Ypres. The four ships were all previous generation models, with slightly older cores and lower speed, but they also had very experienced crews that had worked with the Kilimanjaro since its launch, known collectively as the Great War flotilla, the stalwart rear guard.
The remaining two cruisers were indistinguishable from other current-model ships. Shepard knew one had to be the SSV Paris, with the frigates Leipzig, Borodino, and Austerlitz, making up the Napoleonic flotilla. The other was the SSV Philadelphia, with her escorts, Lexington, Concord, and Yorktown, known as the Independence flotilla.
The intercom scratched, "Commander," EDI called.
"Yes EDI?" Shepard replied as she turned away from the window.
"I received a message from Admiral Hackett. He ordered the Normandy to dock with the Kilimanjaro."
"I see. Thank you EDI, tell Joker to get in touch with the Kili."
"Of course, Commander."
The room was silent once again. This peculiarity of docking to a larger vessel could only mean one thing. Admiral Hackett was not on Arcturus, he was going to take command of the operation in person.
The Normandy changed approach angle, and she got up from her seat and moved toward the OD door, there were appearances to be kept and made.
Forty minutes later, the Normandy was attached to the Kilimanjaro via a long retractable gangway extended from the dreadnought's flank, and Shepard was in her oft-unworn officer's uniform. She made her way across from the elevator to the bridge airlock just in time to see the door open and Captain Shepard step on deck. The duty crew seated at their monitors along the neck between the CIC and the bridge straightened in their seats instantly.
"Permission to come aboard, Commander," the captain greeted, smiling all the same.
"Granted." Shepard replied automatically.
The captain nodded and Shepard fell in step next to her as the woman led the way to the OD. This was the thing with her mother, she had been on the Normandy once before. With a ship this small, there was no way she would not remember the layout. With the formalities out of the way, Hannah Shepard was making herself right at home.
"Admiral Hackett took over the Kili, huh?" Shepard asked.
"Not quite. I am still in command of daily operations. Steven is currently occupied coordinating. I am here to fill you in on what's in the cards." The OD door opened for them and the two women stepped inside. Nihlus, who was seated on the couch, stood up when the two of them entered the room.
"Spectre Kryik, pleasure to see you again," Hannah greeted. "Good, I will not have to repeat myself. Shall we?" She moved deeper into the room.
Nihlus shifted his weight; Shepard spared him an apologetic smile. She did not fail to notice a datapad in his hands, he wanted something too.
"As of ten hours ago, Steven issued orders for the Fifth Fleet to muster for what we are calling Operation Golden Eye. Our forces will include the Kilimanjaro, her four regular groups, and the Tokyo with her flotilla."
"That is only what… twenty-one ships?" Shepard asked.
"Twenty-one gathered right now. We are waiting for eight others, which will bring us up to twenty-nine. Those being the Cairo, Cape Town, Madrid, Emden, Jakarta, Shenyang, Seoul, and Warsaw. The Cape Town and Emden should arrive in the next hour. Jakarta, Shenyang, and Seoul are to follow in the next few. Warsaw will arrive early after midnight, but Cairo and Madrid are coming in from annual maintenance. They can only get here in the morning tomorrow."
"What about the Einstein?" Shepard wondered. Would they have some air cover from the carrier?
Hannah shook her head, "The Einstein is out participating in this year's flight school war games. But the Kilimanjaro's wing is at our disposal."
Shepard nodded; it was easy to overlook that the Kilimanjaro had a flight hangar, as that was not what dreadnought captains prized, and her mother was no exception. Dreadnoughts and Carriers were kilometer-long behemoths, but that was where the similarities ended. The former were prized for their spine-mounted mass accelerator drives. The latter, while similar in shape, were lightly defended and mostly hollow, filled to the gills with F-61 Tridents. Most dreadnoughts, Kilimanjaro included, had just one bay that could support around fifteen fighters. These were used to protect the ship more than to mount attacks. The Kilimanjaro's wing would see a rare bit of action.
"War games?" Nihlus asked.
"Simulation runs. The year's flight school graduates take on the veteran pilots of a carrier in mock engagements. It is one part final test, one part opportunity, and one part reward. Mostly though, it is a tradition." Shepard explained.
The participating carrier was decided by draw at the end of the previous year's games. The Einstein was a decorated carrier, having responded to Mindoir and a number of other relatively large slaver attacks. Its selection meant the junior pilots knew they had to work extra hard in their final year, if they wanted to show off against the Einstein's fliers.
"I see. Well I suppose this segues into certain other matter," Nihlus spoke, flicking the pad in his hands. "The Salarian Union is sending a Special Tasks Group unit to collect technology, and the Council is sending another Spectre, as you say- to be their eyes and ears."
"The more the merrier," Hannah smiled diplomatically.
Shepard noted that her mother was not surprised at all. "Command was notified?" Shepard asked.
"Of course." Hannah replied.
Shepard hummed, of course they would, and her mother would be one of the first to be told. She turned to the Spectre in the room, "And who is this other Spectre?"
"Does not say, but I imagine they will travel with the STG. Their frigate will meet us at Hong."
Shepard stared Nihlus down; did he know who the Spectre was? He was not acting as cagey now as he did before Noveria, but he was also quite the actor when necessary. She hoped the Council would not double down, the last thing she needed was another job with Saren, especially with both Captain Anderson and her mother anywhere near. Shepard knew that the only reason her mother was not asking about Noveria was because Admiral Hackett had not told her, as this mess was more important.
"As I said. The more, the merrier. Steven plans to hold a strategy meeting on the Kilimanjaro with STG present." Hannah went on. "In the meantime, there is a certain other matter. Skunkworks sent their latest toys, new model shuttles, the UT-47As."
"New Kodiaks?" Shepard repeated.
"Indeed. I thought Spectre Kryik might be interested," Hannah spoke smoothly, but the way she looked at Nihlus was unmistakable. "These two should have been deployed with the Normandy, but there were some delays… they are an improvement over what the Normandy has, with mass accelerator cannons mounted beside the front drive thrusters..."
Nihlus broke into a grin; Shepard could not help but follow, even though she knew her mother had meant to hook the Spectre's interest like that.
"And a miniaturized IES system," Hannah finished.
"Stealthy, armed Kodiaks?" Shepard repeated, stunned.
"They were designed in part because Kodiak field tests proved the lack of armament problematic."
"The lack of armament is problematic." Nihlus repeated, "But for the Normandy specifically, its shuttles having no stealth capability is the bigger concern." Nihlus said.
Hannah nodded, "As I said, they were meant to be deployed with the Normandy, but there was a delay. We need to complete the transfer while we are here."
Shepard glanced at Nihlus; he had a smile on his face that just would not go away. Like a little boy on Christmas morning, eager to rush out of bed and get his hands on the neatly wrapped boxes under the tree.
Half an hour later a pair of pilots from the Kilimanjaro arrived to take their current shuttles to the station; they were to be re-assigned to other ships. The arrival caused an outbreak of interest, which drew a number of Shepard's crew down to the bay, including the security staff, even if they were more curious than on guard.
The marines, especially Jenkins, gave Hannah full formal salutes and all due respect. Then Hannah met Wrex. Shepard watched as the krogan actually tried to intimidate her mother with a glowering look, but Hannah held it as if it was not there. Wrex laughed and declared he could respect this Shepard too. Shepard explained to her mother that she promised Wrex a role in the ground attack. Hannah replied with 'the more, the merrier', which made Wrex laugh again. The krogan made a comment about the Shepard clan being in good hands and went back to working on his gun.
It was then that Hannah noticed Tali, who stood off to the side, trying to go unnoticed. When greeted, the quarian lapsed right into her shell, becoming very nervous and flustered. In what was probably Quarian fashion, when she could not compliment the person due to unfamiliarity, she began to lavish compliments on the Kilimanjaro. Hannah smiled and returned in kind by thanking Tali for her hard work. Tali's eyes widened, visible past her face shield, she stammered her 'of course, of course', but Shepard caught the fact that the young genius was basking in the praise and implied approval.
The elevator door opened, and Shepard glanced back. Garrus stepped out and stopped cold.
The sound was loud enough for Hannah to turn around. "Ah, you must be Officer Vakarian." She greeted.
The former detective nodded.
"This is Captain Hannah Shepard, the commanding officer of the dreadnought outside, and… my mother," Shepard noted.
Garrus straightened to full formality quickly, "It is a pleasure, Captain."
"Vakarian, this is not a disciplinary hearing." Nihlus muttered from his place, leaning on the armory table, arms crossed over his chest.
Garrus sent him a look of absolute loathing. Nihlus grinned back.
Shepard blinked; in all likelihood she had just missed something sub-vocal, something that only Nihlus would hear, and he never missed the opportunity to take a dig at Garrus.
"Well, the Normandy crew certainly does not lack character," Hannah noted.
There was a scratch over the intercom, "Captain, Commander, the new shuttles are arriving." EDI said.
Shepard smiled up, hoping EDI would see it and realize the gesture was a sort of silent thanks. She turned to face the maw of the shuttle bay and it was as EDI said. The new Kodiaks slid past the atmosphere-retaining mass effect field one at a time and moved into their positions under the docking gantries.
These shuttles were still glossy from the yard, colored proudly Alliance sky-blue, with a white band across the back and sides, with a blue Alliance logo. It was not difficult to spot their differences. The MACs stuck out right over the forward drive thrusters. The backside was a little different, the upper cowl rose a little higher. Still, underneath all the new bells and whistles, these were still Kodiaks in all their cockroach-like glory.
The side door of the closest shuttle opened and out stepped a man dressed in charcoal-black fatigues. He was tall, with close-buzzed dark hair, a neat goatee, deeply tanned skin, and surprisingly bright blue eyes. He turned to Hannah and saluted, "Captain, we finalized the transfer. These UT-47As now belong to the Normandy."
"Very good." Hannah replied. Then she turned, "Lieutenant, at ease. Here, let me introduce you to my daughter, Commander Shepard."
The pilot snapped another salute, and then smiled.
"This is Lieutenant Steve Cortez, he helped field test the A-models." Hannah went on.
"It is a pleasure, Commander."
"Likewise." Shepard replied.
"These Kodiaks are beauties. Though nowhere as maneuverable as a Trident, they can take the worst you can throw at them and then some. I heard you damaged the armor on yours with thresher maw acid?" He asked.
"Yea… that happened." Shepard admitted.
Cortez nodded, "The bottom plates of these were coated with an acid-resistant glaze that should prevent the majority of such damage in the future."
"Do not get ideas, Shepard." Nihlus rumbled from his position.
Shepard glanced toward Nihlus and raised an eyebrow. "Need I remind you who was flying it at the time?" Sure the idea to go thresher maw fishing had been hers, but that was all the credit she took.
Nihlus had the gall to give her one of his puckish smiles.
Cortez cleared his throat and offered a datapad to the Spectre, "The manual for the A-model. You will need to look over the new systems to get the best out of them. The weight distribution on this model is different. It has a slight effect on handling at above one tenth of a standard g; I suggest you take a few flights to get a feel for the difference."
Nihlus took the pad without saying another word, but Shepard caught something in his expression. Did the Lieutenant just intentionally hint the Spectre needed additional flying lessons? Or was it just the way Nihlus took it?
"I am surprised that the Normandy was not assigned a pilot for her Kodiaks," Cortez went on.
Hannah hummed, but Nihlus looked less amused than before, and Shepard knew he was definitely taking that as a dig at his skill.
"Well thank you for the shuttles and the information, Lieutenant." Shepard ventured.
"Just doing my duty, ma'am." He replied.
The action group for Operation Golden Eye was assembled by seven in the morning the next day. From there, all the ships made the relay jumps to Hong. Once clear of the three million kilometer drift zone around the relay, the ships settled to wait. Two hours later the relay lit up and two more frigate-sized ships arrived. One bore a transponder signal identifying it as Salarian Union, and thus STG. The other was identification dark, but EDI did not need a transponder to recognize the Impera, not after being berthed next to it on Noveria. When Shepard heard, she could only groan. Of course the Council would send their best. Things just got about ten times more fun, and not in the good way.
Shepard would have shaken Nihlus down for information, but then she got a message from the Kilimanjaro. Admiral Hackett had called a general meeting in the big conference room aboard. It was the only room large enough for the number of people attending. Thus Shepard had to forego grilling Nihlus, and go up to her quarters to crawl into her officer's uniform.
Half an hour later the Normandy was docked with the Kilimanjaro and Shepard made her way toward the airlock. Once there, she was surprised to see two people waiting for her. Nihlus was in his armor, looking ready for come-what-may, but standing next to him was Legion.
"Shepard-Commander." The geth greeted plainly.
"Something wrong, Legion?" Shepard asked.
"Negative. We request permission to accompany you. We have a new consensus. We deem it necessary to present information at this meeting on the Dreadnought-Kilimanjaro. The Earth Systems Alliance must know the enemies they face are Heretics, not Geth."
Shepard blinked, surprised, Legion wanted to talk about the Heretics at the general meeting? This could either go brilliantly, or about as well as a lead balloon. Still, this was something. Legion and the Geth were reclusive for a reason, but maybe some of the animosity could be eliminated, if they could see there was a way for them to interact with organics. Assuming of course, no one there pulled out a gun and started shooting.
"Alright Legion, but let me introduce you first. No offense, but if you waltz in there without some sort of introduction, people might get nervous."
"Such a response would be within expected parameters," Legion replied.
Shepard began to wonder what defined these so-called 'expected parameters'. Asking probably would not work. She led the way into the airlock with the Spectre and the geth at her sides.
When the airlock cycled, the three of them made their way across the gangway. Once on the other side of the Kilimanjaro's own airlock, Shepard was not surprised to see a familiar lieutenant. Theresa Carrere snapped a formal salute, "Commander Shepard. Spectre Kryik, and… guest. Please follow me."
"How many have already gathered?" Shepard wondered.
"The captains are already present. The Salarian STG ship has docked on the opposite side; the Spectre is coming aboard via runabout." Carrere explained as she led them down the hallway.
Shepard noted that as they passed, many enlisted men and women snapped salutes, but their eyes followed the glimmering geth trailing behind her.
Carrere led them onto the dreadnought's third deck. There was a marked increase of armed personnel. Shepard thought some of the captains must have brought a lieutenant or two with them, because why else would the passages be this jam-packed? A number of them recognized her and cleared out of the way, allowing Shepard easy passage.
The conference room was a brilliantly lit space, with a large wood-topped table spanning practically the room's whole length. One foot in the door Shepard spotted Admiral Hackett, Captain Anderson, and her mother at the head. Scattered around the room were the captains of the other ships, a sea of blue and gold as far as she could see.
Her arrival killed the conversations of those closest to the door, and from there passed a cascade of dying whispers, all carrying a single word, 'geth'. Shepard honestly wished people would not wear their surprise on their sleeves like that.
"Commander, punctual as ever." Admiral Hackett greeted.
Shepard nodded and tried her best to ignore the fact that the hair on the back of her neck was upright already. The biggest surprise of the day had not even arrived. This was going great already.
The door at the opposite side of the room opened and two salarians stepped into the room. One was green-tinged, wearing white and black armor with red stripes over the arms and shoulders. The other was brown, clad in grey armor with lime green stripes.
Hackett made his way across the room to greet the newcomers, "On behalf of the Alliance, welcome to the Kilimanjaro, I am Admiral Steven Hackett. We talked."
"Ah. Yes. Pleasure to be here, Admiral. I am Captain Kirrahe, and this is my second, Commander Rentola."
"Make yourselves at home while we wait for one last arrival."
Kirrahe moved deeper into the room, but not toward the last remaining unoccupied seats. His second-in-command remained by the door. Shepard glanced at Nihlus and raised an eyebrow. His mandibles were drawn up against his jaw, a sign that he was becoming tense. Shepard glanced toward the head of the room where Captain Anderson was conversing with Hannah.
"Commander Shepard, yes?"
Shepard was surprised to see Captain Kirrahe standing a polite distance away.
"Yes, that's me." She replied.
"It is true then, what I read in a report. You keep a geth?"
Shepard was not even going to ask where STG got reports of her crew's makeup. They were the STG, one part troops and one part intelligence-gathering agents of the Salarian Union's military. Their work for the Council was an indication that Councilor Valern was indeed very interested in the matter at hand.
"This is Legion."
"Fascinating." Kirrahe noted. "I also heard the candidate for human Spectre having a mixed-species crew... Is it true that you employ a krogan and a quarian?"
"I do no discriminate when it comes to skill."
"Of course. Working with all the people of the galaxy is a necessity for a Spectre. Recognition of talent is a mark of leadership as well. I am aware of your career history. Good to finally meet the person, though data was most detailed."
"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Captain. I can't say I had quite the same thorough briefing."
"Understandable," Kirrahe nodded with a smile. "I am looking forward to working with you."
Salarians always put her on edge, because they always knew more than they let on. The Turians fought a war with overwhelming force and no holds barred, even bombarding targets from orbit if they had to. She could understand that brutal efficiency. Salarians on the other hand loved their wars won before the first shots were even fired. They sought out weaknesses and key targets for a decisive opening strike. They had a colossal intelligence-gathering apparatus, and more agents, analysts, spies, saboteurs, and assassins than any other military in the galaxy.
The door opened again and all whispers died as Saren stepped into the room.
Shepard glanced toward Captain Anderson and was wholly unsurprised to see he had instantly turned a glare set to vaporize on the white-clad Spectre.
"What is that your people say? If looks could kill?" Nihlus murmured, almost right into her ear.
Shepard shook her head. She watched as Hackett made his introduction, only to get Saren's sunny side, complete with a glare down from his full height. Saren Arterius was not happy to be in a room surrounded by humans, on a human ship. She had to give it to Admiral Hackett though; he took the brush-off without breaking a stride, or rolling his eyes. She would have definitely rolled her eyes. It was just a good thing no one expected her to be a diplomat.
"Seeing as we are all here now, we can bring this meeting to order." Hackett announced, voice carrying over the room without the need for any sort of amplification.
The captains obeyed the implicit orders to take their seats. Shepard opted to stand between Nihlus and Legion at the foot of the room, though on the opposite side from Saren.
"Admiral, I do believe the first order of the day should be addressing the elephant in the room. Commander Shepard brought with her what I assume is a geth." One of the older captains spoke up.
"Yes, how are we to discuss strategy to defeat the geth, when there is one in the room?" a woman two seats over wondered.
"Commander, I admit it is a curious choice," Hackett said, but Shepard caught just a faint hint of amusement. Hackett, of course, knew about Legion beforehand.
Shepard let her arms drop to her sides and stepped forward, "One that I can explain, Admiral. Captains. Legion works for me as a hired outside contractor, it follows my orders, and I trust it with my life. Yes, it is a geth, but it is not an enemy. The geth in Grissom are what they call Heretics, a minority faction. Legion represents the majority, the Geth, those who have never left the Perseus Veil, and hold no animosity toward the Alliance."
"We request permission to address this gathering." Legion spoke up.
Absolute silence reigned in the room.
"Very well," Hackett said from his seat between Hannah and Captain Anderson.
Legion stepped forward and launched into an explanation of the information Shepard had already submitted in her reports to Admiral Hackett, quickly glossing over the basics to reach the topic of factions. Shepard watched and measured the reactions carefully. Captain Kirrahe and Commander Rentola wore their interest on their sleeves. Saren listened, but his eyes continuously roamed about the room, like he did not trust anyone there, which was highly likely to be fact. The Alliance captains had reactions ranging from interest to incredulity.
When Legion finally reached the topic of the black unit and the ghost animating the machine, Shepard noted very clear change in the room. All the captains sat up straight at the mention of an ancient AI that ruled the Heretics as their god-king. Yet it was Saren's reaction that was perhaps the most curious. His arms dropped to his sides and his eyes stopped roaming over the room. Nihlus shifted his weight at her side; she could hear the creaking of his armor.
"… We do not seek to alter consensus. The Heretics terminated twenty human units on Colony-Eden Prime, and another forty-seven in their attack on Frigate-Cajamarca and Frigate-Mukden. As the Heretics are likely to perpetrate further acts of aggression against the Earth Systems Alliance, the Earth Systems Alliance is within their right to retaliate. Our duty, as a terminal of the Geth, is to inform, so that consensus achieved during this meeting will not associate the actions of the Heretics with the Geth." Legion finished.
The silence continued undisturbed.
"Fascinating." Captain Kirrahe murmured.
"Interesting story. I'll give it points for creativity, but I'm not sure I believe it," Said a short man from the right side of the table.
"I do have physical evidence in the Normandy's cargo bay, Captain." Shepard spoke up.
"We have other samples, from the units seized on Eden Prime." Hackett said. "The reports and data I received from the Normandy corroborate what Alliance researchers ascertained. There is something controlling the black unit."
"But nothing links that something to a Prothean AI." The captain argued back. "The only one here who purports this AI's existence, or indeed the existence of Prothean AIs in general, is that geth. For all we know, it is nothing more than agent sent here to mislead us."
Shepard should have known that someone would raise that argument. Whispers went around the room in a rising volume, so she could make out only bits and pieces, but it seemed like many people there chose to have doubts. Legion's face-light narrowed and its flaps drew into a facsimile of a pensive look, Shepard knew it could probably hear every disparate whisper and was well on its way to cataloguing every tone.
"Enough." Hannah spoke up, and though she did not raise her voice, it still cut across the room. A silence settled and Hannah placed her hands on the table before her, one on top of the other and cast her gaze around the room, meeting everyone's eyes for a split second, just long enough to ensure she had undivided attention. "We are not here to argue whether or not Protheans made AIs." She continued in a tone that demanded total obedience. "We are gathered here to devise a strategy, in joint with STG and the Spectres, to combat and eliminate the threat from Grissom. I suggest we limit our arguments to tactics and strategy."
Shepard could see that a whole number of people were less than pleased.
"We understand the concern for secrecy." Legion spoke up, in seeming reply. "If our departure will help-"
"No, Legion." Shepard cut in and turned to face the geth. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a number of heads snap in her direction. She intentionally put on the airs of someone entirely unbothered by the scrutiny. "The Normandy will play a major role in the ground operations, an all-hands-on-deck situation. As such, I would have to fill you in on the details of the plan regardless."
Legion's head flaps twitched up and down a little.
Hannah was smiling a faint Mona Lisa smile, and Shepard knew why. Shepard had just boxed the captains in. They would have to discuss strategy with Legion in the room, whether they liked it or not. She would not let them ostracize Legion because they refused to believe it. She knew Legion well enough to see that underneath that sometimes menacing appearance was a surprisingly sensitive being. Legion could be a little eerie when it talked of expected parameters, but that only said it was aware of how it came across to others. It was more sensitive to organics than some organics were toward each other.
None of the captains said a word, but Shepard knew they were not happy. They would probably give Admiral Hackett an earful on their own time, and they would have a leg to stand on too. Still, Shepard was not about to bow down now, not over this.
Admiral Hackett took over the meeting after that, dimming the lights and projecting the data map the Normandy gathered over the big conference table. Shepard stood back and listened as plans were made, formations were discussed, and orders were issued. In the end, Admiral Hackett wanted the Normandy to shadow the Kilimanjaro. Shepard knew why, STG and Saren could not know about their Thanix system. The Normandy's moment to shine would be during the ground attack.
When Admiral Hackett shifted the topic to the matter of a ground attack, Shepard was quick to step in and take over. "My team has a functional plan for phase one." She shifted the projection to the topographical map of the base vicinity that EDI made. "My Operations Officer was able to collate this map for us. As you can see, the installation is on a hill, with multiple sniper towers, surrounded by three concentric circles of anti-air towers with a radius of five kilometers. Inserting troops or attacking from the air is a no go. Not even with a whole fleet of Kodiaks."
"Then how do you suggest we get through?" one of the captains muttered.
"With a classical combined arms ground assault," Shepard replied. "The Normandy's cybernetic warfare capabilities can shut down a few of the turrets at a time, long enough for Makos to move in and destroy them. We will carve an approach path through their anti-air defenses. My ordnance expert also raised the possibility of minefields amidst the concentric rings, which would not register on the passive imagery. To that end, ground penetrating radars will be invaluable. Once a path is carved, there will be a blind spot in the anti-air coverage. Fighters can perform high speed strafing runs on the fortress to soften its defenses before we launch an infantry attack."
"Simple enough," Hannah murmured approvingly.
"The approach up the base is a slope. So we will need the Makos to insert boots into the compound. We do not know how many platforms are there, but I expect fierce resistance. They would not keep a large fleet in orbit without ground troops to back it up. This is not a small installation. I believe it is a forward base from which they intend to mount more attacks within Alliance space." Shepard went on.
"Seems excessive to use fighters against sniper towers," one of the Captains noted.
"Not excessive at all, Captain. Legion is a sniper, and it uses an anti-materiel caliber rifle. I assume there are other units with similar armament. I am looking out for the ground troops. I do not want anyone to die to a sniper's bullet if we can nullify that threat outright."
"The sentiment is appreciated, Commander." Kirrahe stepped forward. "I appreciate your attention to detail. My team and I will assist you."
Shepard nodded and smiled, she would take allies where she could get them. At the very least if a salarian thought the plan was a workable, it probably was.
"It is a good thing we have at least twenty-four hours in FTL to iron out the details. This will require considerable coordination between the Kilimanjaro marines and fighters," Hannah said, and glanced at Hackett.
The Admiral nodded his consent wordlessly, and Shepard could not help but smile a little; she knew she could count on her mother to come through. If the others did not have much faith in her, at least she would always have her mother.
"Now there is only the matter of the underground portion left to discuss," one of the captains went on.
"Spectre Arterius, Commander Shepard, and I will handle the geth inside the compound." Nihlus said without an instant of hesitation or a flicker of doubt in his voice. "As that would make it a Spectre-level operation, there is no need to discuss the details. We execute our operations on our own terms."
Shepard hummed as a whole bunch of people exchanged less that subtle looks and absolute silence returned to the room. She idly wondered if Nihlus' confidence was a little misplaced in this instance. Still, it was not her place to second-guess him in front of so many people. There would be time to talk through things. She would have to remind Nihlus that they could not tell how many geth might be inside. Spectre confidence was one thing, but overconfidence got people killed.
When she glanced toward the head of the table, she saw that her mother had a rather piercing owlish glare aimed right at Saren. Captain Anderson had a similar look aimed at Nihlus, and it did not take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Her mother was wary of Saren, but too professional to speak up, and Captain Anderson probably still expected Nihlus to help Saren make her life a living hell.
"Well, we have the workings of a plan," Hackett stepped in.
Shepard thought it was nothing more than an effort to steer the meeting away from where it might go. No one there needed, or wanted to see the Spectre situation come to a boil.
"Unless there is more input," Hackett paused, but the silence in the room continued. "Good. Take two Terran hours to prepare whatever you need; we will be hitting FTL as a single body, our speed matched to the slowest ship in the fleet, the Kilimanjaro. Our arrival at Grissom is to be thirty hours from now. You're all dismissed."
Shepard looked at Saren from the corner of her eye, his look was the picture of annoyed boredom, arms crossed over his chest. He was probably perfectly fine with Nihlus' rash idea. Hell, knowing him, it would suit him. Shepard was perfectly aware of the fact that he had a frigate-sized ship, but no one ever mentioned anything about the Impera's crew. Were they nothing more than the proverbial household servants?
Shepard met her mother's eyes and mouthed 'I will handle this.' To which Hannah nodded and smiled.
Thus the meeting broke up with ninety percent of the plan hashed out. Saren was the first to breeze out, showing everyone his disdain in the process. The captains broke up into little groups as they drifted out. When Nihlus and Legion showed intent to leave, Shepard let them go and hung back, she knew that her mother and Captain Anderson would want to have a word with her. Thus she was not surprised that the two made their way toward her just as soon as Admiral Hackett departed the room.
She felt bad for the Admiral, as because of her he would probably hear every shade of complaint the captains could come up with. They had a point too, she was asking them to risk their crews and lives to her word. Even she could entertain some doubts, despite the fact that she thought she knew Legion pretty well. The best she could offer, as pathetic as it was, was the old Shepard gut, an irrational sense that Legion was honest and truthful.
"Shepard," Anderson greeted. "Are you sure going in there with only Arterius and Kryik is a good idea?"
"It is not." Shepard replied. "But not explicitly because it's them." Shepard thought she could talk some sense into Nihlus, but she knew that Spectres routinely pulled just this sort of borderline suicide. "I trust Nihlus, but I do have my reservations about the odds inside. Still, this is kind of in the job description for a Spectre."
"Just be careful," Anderson offered. "Saren will take whatever opportunity he can get to sabotage you."
Shepard nodded; she knew Captain Anderson was right to be very suspicious of the white-clad Spectre. Saren probably wanted her to lose her candidacy. On Noveria he might have let it go because of the more pressing threat, but after what happened there, outing her might become a pressing concern. This operation also created a better opportunity. Being an observer he would have more leeway to warp the truth. Shepard knew from personal experience that any situation could be turned, manipulated, the details stretched until they were still technically true but painted a different picture. She was good at playing that game herself.
"David, I do not think he would do something overt with witnesses present," Hannah mused. "He is a snake in the grass. But that bite is only deadly if it is unexpected and unprepared for."
Shepard nodded. "The trick was in knowing there is a snake in the grass. He did not survive that job for nearly two and a half decades by being impulsive. It makes him all the more dangerous, but… I should think somewhat predictable."
Captain Anderson shook his head, "Like mother like daughter." He muttered.
Hannah smiled, but the expression vanished quickly. "Now I just have to ask. How true is what Legion said, really?" She asked.
"I believe Legion." Shepard replied. "Tali looked at the geth we got, she discovered that the black unit is remote controlled, like a marionette on very long strings. It also behaves differently. To put it into perspective, Legion is one of the only geth units that can talk, and even then, you heard it, its syntax is awkward. The black one is a miserable arrogant bastard, but it does have a better grasp of vocal communication. Wrex also told me they've been active out in the Terminus for nineteen years. Would an organic be able to keep control of them for two decades? That's all circumstantial, I know, but it fits."
"If Tali and Wrex said that before you met Legion, then yes… it is circumstantial, but it's there," Anderson noted.
"I talk with Legion, they always press the point that the Geth want to be left alone. I want to believe them, innocent until proven guilty, right?"
"Trust until someone proves untrustworthy." Anderson mused.
"It's the best way I know to live, sir." Shepard admitted.
"Good. Well, you know what works for you. Just be careful. Now, I need to get back to the Tokyo and begin arranging things on my end. We will talk later, Hannah."
"Of course," Hannah replied.
Captain Anderson walked off, leaving Shepard alone with her mother in the empty conference room. When the doors closed, Hannah turned and motioned for her to follow. Shepard followed mutely as her mother exited the room and took a left turn toward the elevators.
Dreadnoughts were the most eccentric ships in existence. In most ships the decks ran parallel to the axis of thrust. But dreadnoughts were different. Because of their spine-mounted main gun, they had to deal with the structural weakness created by the open space of the accelerator rail channel running the ship's whole length, and when fired, the gun's recoil. Having additional kilometer-long corridors would only create further weakness, which might split the ship under extreme stress. So these were eliminated by making the decks perpendicular to the axis of the gun and thrust. This made a dreadnought have many decks, with the only fly-through spaces being tiny elevator shafts deep inside.
As Hannah led the way to the elevator, Shepard noted that the level was now nearly abandoned. There were still some servicemen here and there, who snapped a salute to their captain, which Hannah had to acknowledge with a nod of her head. No one was waiting for the elevator. Hannah tugged her uniform jacket down and straightened her toggles, even though they were not askew, "David is concerned about how much trust you seem to place in Spectre Kryik."
Shepard hummed quietly, "Why shouldn't I trust him?" As far as she was concerned the difference lay in how much one knew a person. She knew Nihlus could be quite sneaky, but she also knew he would not stab her in the back. Blind trust was all thinking the best of someone, without acknowledging their propensities and flaws. Shepard never gave anyone blind trust, it was something only the truly naïve and idealistic could give.
"I told him that you could handle things," Hannah said. "But you know David. When he found out your mentor had a connection to Saren…"
"Yea," Shepard sighed. This was one of those times when Captain Anderson acted like the father Shepard never actually had. Long familiarity with Hannah and slightly less responsibility than Admiral Hackett meant that Captain Anderson was there to be the stern voice of paternal reason on the rare occasion when a dressing-down from her mother had not been enough.
The elevator cabin arrived and the two of them stepped inside. Hannah pressed a button for deck twenty and the doors closed. Shepard could only stand there and wonder what her mother had planned. Shepard had never spent enough time on the Kilimanjaro to learn its layout. She had entered Alliance service before her mother even became the dreadnought's executive officer.
The cabin moved and Hannah turned to face her, "So. Tell me, how is he really?"
"How's who?" Shepard asked.
"Spectre Kryik." Hannah replied blandly, "How's whom, you ask."
Shepard spared her mother a side-long glance, wondering just where this was going. "He's hardly all that different from any other career military type. He has his pride, but out in the field he's professional. At liberty… well, you've seen that. He enjoys making snarky commentary, especially toward Garrus… Give him a meter, he'll go a kilometer."
"Well, I should think that's given. After all, put a Spectre in the same room with a Citadel Security officer… and friction is bound to happen."
"Oh it happens alright," Shepard sighed.
Hannah chuckled, "I bet it does. You collected quite the colorful crew. Turians, a quarian, a krogan, and now a geth! Now you're just missing a batarian."
Shepard shook her head, a batarian, right. "If I meet one with a skill set that I need, who does not deserve a bullet to the head for slaving and does not want to kill me… I'll consider it." She was not so petty as to hold hate toward all of them automatically, but some were either the sort she wanted nothing to do with, or they wanted her dead, and often a combination of both.
"Alright. Onto the more pleasant things," Hannah shifted topic like a train switched tracks, "I do get the feeling that Spectre Kryik is fond of you. He is always around you."
"Mom, really?" Shepard asked, stunned.
"He is certainly a looker," Hannah went on in the same tone. "Striking even. Those eyes!"
"Mom!" Shepard blanched, this was not happening! Her mother was not discussing her crew in that context. "It's definitely not like that. But really, I'm pretty sure the suggestion alone would scandalize."
"Let them be scandalized, just shows how narrow-minded they are. We may have fought them, but that was decades ago. I can appreciate their dedication, determination, and discipline." Hannah smiled, "If it was to go like that… you wouldn't hear a peep from me. I just want you to be happy. If you find someone, even a non-human someone, who makes you happy, that is all I want."
"I thought you wanted grandkids," Shepard noted.
"I do, but do remember how I had you, dear."
"Thanks, mom." Shepard sighed. She might as well give up now. First, protesting that there was nothing there would be moot, and was likely to work against her. Second, Shepard would not come out and say that there had been someone else. Her mother did not know about Arthur, and it would stay that way. Third, well it made perfect sense that Hannah would not be concerned by the limits of biology. Shepard never met her biological father. She was conceived in a petri dish, using a carefully-chosen donation. She had known about that since she was old enough to wonder. When her mother decided she wanted a child, she chose DNA with traits in mind. In many ways that attitude was Asari, and Hannah had it even before humanity knew there were Asari.
Shepard sighed and began to count her lucky stars that Nihlus was not present to hear this. She could just picture the grin he would have sported. He would have kept it for days. Hell, she would be lucky if he ever forgot. The thought was positively mortifying.
The elevator door opened and Hannah stepped out as if absolutely nothing had happened. Shepard followed, still a little numb. On the one side, it was just like her mother, the picture of open-mindedness, and on another, it was still rather awkward. At least Hannah had timed the talk for the elevator ride. The crew did not need a new source of scuttlebutt. Shepard would thank her mother for small mercies, but she still would have preferred if the topic had not come up at all.
They were far in the belly of the ship, where the decks were slightly wider. Labels on the doors announced this to be the marine quarters and training rooms. Shepard followed her mother mutely, wondering what was going on, but knowing there was no real point in asking.
Hannah led the way to the armory on the deck and just breezed in. Shepard's eyebrow met her hairline.
"Captain on deck!" someone shouted as soon as they stepped in.
It was like a watching a wave ripple through the room, every single marine stopped and snapped to attention. Hannah nodded in recognition, "As you were."
A second wave passed as the men and women went right back to their tasks. Hannah moved deeper into the room, toward the weapons bench where a group was working on their rifles.
"Lieutenant Vega?" Hannah said.
One of the marines straightened and turned around. "Ma'am?"
To say he was physically large would be an understatement. Lieutenant Vega stood at what must have been just short of two meters tall, and built like a reinforced brick wall. He had deeply tanned skin, dark eyes, and short dark hair swept up into quills, matched with week-old stubble, and a number of visible tattoos peeking from underneath a grey tee shirt that looked ready to burst at any moment. Then his eyes landed on her and snapped to the line of white in her hair, Shepard knew recognition when she saw it.
"This is Lieutenant James Vega; he is second in command in one of the ground units." Hannah explained as she glanced at Shepard. "Lieutenant, this Commander Shepard."
"Ma'am!" the lieutenant snapped a sharp salute.
Shepard returned it, "At ease, lieutenant."
"Yes, ma'am." He relaxed a little, but a split second later turned around. "Hey jugheads! Where's your respect? This is Commander Shepard! The White Death of Elysium! The only current human candidate for Spectre!"
Heads popped up to stare, and a few actually got to their feet and snapped to attention when they realized their lapse. Hannah laughed.
"As you were." Shepard waved her hand.
"Aye, aye, ma'am!" the marines chorused as one and went right back to their tasks.
The lieutenant turned right back to her, beaming. "It is an honor to meet you, ma'am!"
"Lieutenant Vega here is a huge fan," Hannah added.
"Yes, ma'am. I tried to get a transfer onto the Normandy, but it was refused."
"Oh?" Shepard asked. Well that was curious, was it not? Shepard was not sure why Admiral Hackett would refuse a volunteer body when the ship was under-staffed.
"I was able to get a transfer to serve under Captain Shepard. Also a huge honor, ma'am." James glanced toward her mother.
"Better be, Lieutenant." Hannah said in a voice of calmness. Shepard though could hear the note of amusement in her mother's voice. "I figured I let you two meet now, so that Lieutenant Vega could get it out of his system before the operation."
"Appreciate that, ma'am," he replied with a giant smile.
Shepard was not sure what to make of this little meeting. Her mother was quite possibly using it as cover up for the elevator talk. "Well, Lieutenant, I expect the best from everyone."
"I will not disappoint! We'll give those geth a beating-down they will never forget." Vega replied as he slammed a fist into the open palm of his other hand.
Shepard would give him some credit for the confidence, but that would be only partial credit. Confidence was only part of the battle; they would need the best everyone there could afford, and then some. She was under no delusions, they would not get past that fleet and the ground forces without losses. This only reminded her that she still needed to take care of things on her own end. "I really need to return to the Normandy. I have my own preparations to take care of." It was abrupt, but technically not a lie. It would have to do.
"I understand," Hannah replied.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Lieutenant."
"It was all mine, ma'am!" he replied.
"Well if you excuse me," she turned around and walked off. There was a long list of things to be done, and she had slightly over an hour left to do them. A long FTL jump like the one they were doing meant the ship would be out of comm range the entire time, and once they were out of FTL, the fleet would broadcast its presence at light speed. They would have minutes before the geth came running. The end of the jump would be the beginning of the operation.
Shepard returned to the Normandy, and once past the airlock bulkhead, a glance to her left confirmed that Joker was his post.
"Welcome back, Commander." He called. "You know, we were beginning to think Captain Shepard decided to keep you."
Shepard grinned, but the expression faded quickly, "How are our preparations?"
Joker straightened instantly, "I got our telemetry, course, and speed. It's unusual for us not to go the full thirteen. Ten light years a day seems slow."
"Blame the Kili," Shepard replied.
"Blame the Kili, hah! Do I want a structurally superfluous new behind? I've seen what Kili can do, and how much restraint Captain Shepard has in ordering it done." Joker grumbled as he pulled the bill of his hat over his eyes.
Shepard grinned; trust Joker to find something to complain about, even when there was nothing to complain about. "As you were, Flight Lieutenant," she said.
"Yea, yea, I get it. I'll be here."
Shepard turned around and moved down the neck toward the nerve-center of the CIC. The duty crew was on their best behavior, with not a single cup of coffee or snack tucked anywhere. Normally she was quite liberal with food on duty, but now it seemed like everyone had too much anxiety to be thinking about snacking. It was a good sign, they were taking things seriously.
"Ma'am," Kaidan greeted from his post at the XO's station.
"How are things up here?" Shepard asked.
"We're ready for the jump. I issued a warning that if anyone wants to download anything; they got to do it now, because we will be off buoy for at least three days."
"Good," Shepard nodded. That was one thing off her list of things to do.
"What of the meeting?" Kaidan wondered.
"We can discuss that once we're in FTL. We will have thirty hours in FTL because of the Kili."
"I thought that'd be the case." Kaidan nodded. "Now if I may, ma'am. This will not be a typical mission. Everyone on board is more than a little nervous. I was thinking about what we could do."
"What do you have in mind?"
"Matthews could make something special. Or popcorn movie night in the mess tomorrow."
"Both of those are good ideas, yea, tell Matthews to make dinner extra fancy." Shepard really hoped that it would not prove to be the last meal, but if it was, at least it would be a very good one.
"Will do, ma'am." Kaidan nodded.
Shepard spared the lieutenant a smile and drifted toward the OD. As the door opened she was not surprised to see Nihlus on the couch, though he had changed out of his armor. Shepard made her way toward him and perched on the extension as close as was professionally sound.
"Shepard," he greeted.
"Nihlus," she echoed automatically. When he grinned, Hannah's euphemistic allusion crossed her mind. Did her mother see something she could not? Shepard shook her head and brushed it off; it would not do her good to be distracted now. Especially not with what loomed ahead of them. "We need to talk," she breached.
"I knew that was coming," he admitted.
"As much as I believe in Spectre skills, going in there, just the three of us might be pushing it."
Nihlus sighed, "Saren will not tolerate a big unit."
Shepard was not going to back down just because Saren wanted to be the king of the galaxy. There was a difference between knowing one's skill and what could be done, and being reckless. "Saren can be intolerant on his own time. This is Alliance time; we do this how it would work best for us. I am not into taking unnecessary risks."
"I know, I considered that," Nihlus admitted as he leaned back in his seat. "What is your plan?"
Shepard glanced outside the viewport at the collection of ships gathered around them. "If my instincts are correct, I expect Legion might want to come along."
"Legion?"
Shepard turned away from the viewport and caught his gaze, "I have a few reasons to think that. First, there is the curious note of timing, why are the Geth sending this one unit out of the veil now? Then, you had to have realized how odd it was that Legion asked to talk at that meeting. I think it's not being a hundred percent honest regarding why it was sent outside the veil. My bet is that it has something to do with this god-king. The black unit and Legion also have physical similarities. Then the obvious part, Legion spoke at that meeting like it represents the Geth in some fashion."
"You think it is some sort of leader of theirs?" Nihlus asked.
"Yes… and no. I do not think it is a leader in the same sense as the god-king. But it is awfully knowledgeable and authoritative. I think it was appointed, like an ambassador, or perhaps a prime minister. They function by consensus, right? So it is not a monarch like the god-king, but more an elected official."
Nihlus hummed thoughtfully. "That is a very interesting possibility. If you are right and Legion decides to come along... Saren will definitely have both our heads. But I see your point. If it is some elected representative, it will want to come along."
"I think it is important we afford Legion all the respect we can. They could very well be the Geth ambassador to the organics as a whole," Shepard went on, tacking slightly along a differed line. "They admitted that the geth observe us via extranet chatter. They're curious at least, perhaps even interested in making contact. It is important that they do not take away the idea that all organics hate them just because they are synthetic."
"Spirits. You are right; we cannot afford to insult them." Nihlus mumbled. "If they decide that organics pose a threat… well. We have no idea how big their fleet is, though the Hierarchy official line is that they have parity. But the Geth are not signatories to the Treaty of Farixen. How many dreadnoughts do they have?"
"Indeed," Shepard murmured. Trust a Turian to automatically seek to slap a power rating on a potential enemy. Still, he was entirely correct. The Geth were not signatories to a whole bunch of Citadel laws. Farixen was just the obvious; there were other conventions that defined the rules of conduct in wartime. One in particular mattered more to her than Farixen. The Council passed a law to prevent war-time damage to garden-class worlds. Part the reason they had even stepped in during the First Contact War was because the Turians had contemplated dropping asteroids on Shanxi.
The Geth did not have to conduct war with those limits. They certainly did not hold back during their war with the Quarians. Ninety-nine percent of the species was exterminated. From that, it was safe to assume that any major conflict started with the Geth would quickly escalate to a total war with absolutely nothing deemed sacred. No one would win if the galaxy had to wage that war.
"At least Legion ended up meeting someone who would give it, and the Geth, a genuine chance." Nihlus rumbled. "If there is any chance for some sort of peace, it being on the Normandy is as good as it gets."
Shepard hoped he was right. She hoped she would have the ability to show Legion, and the Geth by proxy, that there were organics out there who were willing to try, even if so many would panic and run for the hills at the mere thought. Then there were the others who would baulk; call people like her simple-minded, and go on to revel in their own bigotry. She had to keep perspective though; this would not be just up to her. She was no world leader, nor diplomatically savvy. The mere thought of having to deal with politicians gave her hives.
She would only take credit for one thing, her ability to empathize. She tried to see the picture through the eyes of the other person, to understand where they came from, good or bad. The Geth were unlike anyone she had ever met. Still, she would give them a chance. Yes they had done horrible things to the Quarians, but people had done horrible things to other people for thousands of years. Genocide was not a Geth invention. Situations changed, people changed. She would not linger in the past, assuming that nothing ever changed, or should change.
"I hope you realize why we cannot let Saren have his way." She said after a long moment of silence.
"Yes." Nihlus nodded. His mandibles drew up tighter against his jaw.
Shepard could see the increasing defensiveness in her mentor. It told her enough about the situation. "Well, for all I know I'm wrong. So let us keep all of this on the down low."
Nihlus nodded.
Shepard turned back to the viewport. At the end of it all she only knew this much, the next couple of days would change things no matter what. They were in for a quite a ride. Why was it that the galaxy seemed to throw her head-long into the deep end of messes?
Author Notes: This episode is probably the one where I dithered over the details the most. I did go all out to name all the ships that would take part in the battle, which led to my own sort of "Homeric Catalogue".
General Notes:
My View of the Council – I want to think that I understood why the Council acted as they did in the games. It was perhaps a slight fault that their reasons were not even touched upon (though I understand why). I strive to deal with the realpolitik considerations. The Council is mandated to maintain a status quo, but in a way they are also its slaves as well. If they wanted to act, if it broke the status quo, they couldn't.
Chapter Notes:
Ship List – You'll have to pardon my resorting to a "Homeric catalogue" here. In my defense, at least it's brief. Homer's catalogue of ships in the Iliad is infamous. After much dithering, and realizing the explanation was simply too long and would not even fit into the AO3 field for notes, I decided to forgo it. If anyone does want to see it, I am willing to private message or email, but these battles are so famous a cursory Wikipedia search will tell you enough.
The Treaty of Farixen – This treaty limits the number of dreadnoughts a fleet can have. Dreadnoughts are those with main guns that can hit with the force of a nuke. They would be considered "planet-busters", as repeated bombardment from orbit can severely damage planetary ecosystems, like repeated atomic blasts. The treaty stipulates a ratio of 5:3:1. For every 5 dreadnoughts the Turians build, the Asari and Salarians can build 3, and the other associate races 1!