A/N: Hello folks, another update has come! As always, review and comment! A bit more of a political chapter that gives some insight and foreshadowing, but still progressing things along quite well. Next chapter will be focused around the Turians fighting the Forge World.
A hiss escaped Simon's mouth as he settled down into his chair. He was getting old, and it seemed his bones knew it long before he did.
He opened his omnitool and began to peruse the swarm of messages that had come in over the evening and early morning, ignoring most but picking out those that had originated from a list of people that he knew possessed credible information. It had been his job for as long as his childhood friend had been a politician, which was most of his life.
Shaheizy bin Musa was a powerful man, even if he was no longer a member of the Systems Alliance Parliament. His words practically guided the Blues to this day, and as such Simon's network of informants and contacts was still needed.
When he spotted a message from Shaheizy, he blinked in surprise. It wasn't often that he spoke to him through messages. After a brief moment however, he remembered that the politician had left Earth on a cruise. The message made sense. The contents of the message however, had just about sent Simon into a panic.
Shaheizy meant to run for office in Parliament again. A prospect that was backed by Donnel Udina, of all people. That on its own was another cause for surprise; Udina's resignation of the Systems Alliance from the Citadel had caused tremendous waves through the political circles, and the fact that he had secured the Salarian Union's alliance with the Systems Alliance had been the only thing that saved the man's career.
But then again, Udina's acumen for seeing ahead of the times was well-known. It was how he had secured his place as Humanity's Councilor after all, as well as the influence of his… benefactor. While Udina's attitude had never been sociable, he was an intelligent and resourceful politician. Which brought Simon to the question of why the former Councilor would support Shaheizy for another term.
There was that rumor that there were going to be several important figures on the same cruise that Shaheizy had gone on. Perhaps something had happened there.
Shaking his head, Simon got to work. With this new development, he had a late night ahead of him, perhaps several. He would be sure to pay his utmost attention to his wife afterwards. Maybe a vacation was a good idea? He hadn't been on a cruise himself in a very long while.
Garrus Vakarian was many things. A talented sniper. An extraordinary squad leader. A fantastic soldier. Loyal to the people, if not necessarily to those in charge.
But he was not a general. He had a decent head for tactics, but that applied to small-scale engagements. Not entire fleet movements.
"I'm not entirely sure how this is happening, Admiral Balteus."
The Admiral let a low growl of annoyance out from his throat, though Garrus knew it wasn't because of his answer. There were, after all, far more talented minds here that had been asked the same question, and they had the same answer as he did.
"There's something happening here. We're losing entire sections of the fleets, one jump at a time. Can anyone take a guess as to what's happening?"
To Garrus, it seemed rather obvious what was happening, if not how.
"They're whittling us down a fragment at a time. We already know that Nemata is likely their home. With us being unable to make a long jump directly there, they're seeking to take us down little by little. Whatever is happening, every jump we've made has led to pieces of the fleets not arriving on target. If they're being destroyed or not, I'm not sure, but it would be a safe bet to assume that they're not coming back." Beside Garrus, Sidonis nodded in agreement. His second in command was better at large-scale tactics than he, but it seemed that they were of the same mind.
"We need contingency plans." Balteus stated bluntly. "They don't seem to know which ships are flagships, nor which ones contain vital personnel. On the off chance that they manage to whittle off a command vessel, there has to be contingencies in place to ensure the fleet doesn't fall apart. Operative Vakarian, I want your squad to swap over to the Hawkwing at our next stop. You'll have command, but I recommend listening to Captain Coraen's advice. She's seen more naval warfare than you have ground engagements."
That was likely, Garrus admitted to himself silently. He's heard of her actions fighting pirates and rebels in the Terminus Systems since he was barely able to talk. She likely had grandchildren who were his age or older. And the Hawkwing itself was an abnormality within the Turian Navy, having been based off of a Human design. Coraen herself was said to have had it commissioned after fighting in the Relay 314 Incident. Garrus also knew that Coraen's views on Humanity were nearly the polar opposite of Balteus. If the Admiral was shipping Garrus off to her, then he suspected that Balteus may not fully believe that their enemy didn't know which ship was their flagship.
Idly, Garrus wondered how Shepard would have handled the situation. The man was a force of nature, and Garrus had found himself missing the Commander's leadership.
"We'll prepare immediately, Admiral. How long until we can expect to make it to the Hoc system?"
"Two more weeks at our current rate. If this forced attrition continues at its current rate, we can expect under half of both fleets to arrive. We'll have to make up for our losses as soon as we arrive."
Garrus and Sidonis saluted, then turned to attend to their departure.
Kai Leng seethed as he deftly parried the enormous sword that had aimed to take off his head even as he prepared a biotic strike against his assailant. He struck swiftly in an attempt to catch her off guard, yet her elbow had already repositioned to swat his hand to her side.
He flipped backwards to avoid the retaliation of the sword's pommel, only to find himself cursing as that damned helmet's elongated glowing red eye began to illuminate the darkened space of the Cerberus base once more.
"Why won't you just die, dammit!" He growled.
The mission should have been simple. The Illusive Man was aware that most of his facilities had been compromised by this Forge World, due to the capture of Minuteman Station. He had waited to see where they would strike first, and sent Kai Leng there to deliver a message to the Forge World. One that promised violence if they kept attacking Cerberus. When Aite had been deduced to be the Forge World's next target, Kai Leng went to the planet as quickly as possible. He had gone alone, despite advice to take a retinue of troops. It was how he operated.
But he had not expected his opposition to be this… astute. He still wasn't sure how the woman he had selected to be his first target had found him; he had covered his tracks, stuck to the shadows even when he used his invisibility cloak. He knew he had at least snuck up on her successfully, but something had alerted her to his presence mid-strike. A subtle shift that he had noticed at the last moment had allowed her pauldron to catch his blade instead of her neck, sending his weapon sparking down the strange metal's curved surface. Her initial action had been to create space between them, almost desperately, letting him know that she hadn't seen him beforehand. It left him puzzled.
In response to his grumbling, the woman merely began to hum. It was ominously beautiful, and sent a shiver down his spine as whatever she was began to feel even more unnatural. The main reason he had selected her over any of the others was the feeling of unease she gave him, and now that feeling had magnified enough to make his skin crawl.
The bolt that came from the eye forced him to duck. He cursed again as he noticed the great blade's tip swinging up towards where he had been forced down, attempting to block or deflect the blow. He was partially successful, though its tip still caught his cheek deep enough to cut through part of his upper jaw. Only his reflexes saved his left eye as his head jerked upwards and away from the blow.
When he attempted to blink, he realized that his face had gone numb. He dimly remembered the same feeling, much more muted than now, coming from his hands whenever his blade touched hers. A field of electricity, perhaps?
He mentally frowned as her stance and greatblade dropped for a fraction of a second. Why would she-?
Kai Leng felt a soft caress on the back of his neck. His eyes widened, but his body couldn't move fast enough to avoid a blade being plunged into his neck, severing his spine. He dropped immediately, unable to move. No words came as blood filled his throat, but he was at least able to see his killer as they turned his body face-up. Whoever they were, they were also female if their body's significant curvature was to be believed. Black leather covered them in their entirety, and a long slightly curved blade that was still coated in his blood rested in her right hand. A long red ponytail was seen coming from the top of her head and a featureless black mask that covered the rest of her head. He watched in horror as her form began to change, becoming eerily familiar.
Her tall physique shortened considerably, her breasts disappeared into her chest as her shoulders and pectorals broadened. A more muscular arm reached up to the mask, the ponytail now gone, and pulled it off. He was met with his own face.
"I have enough to go off of. I'll make my way to the Illusive Man."
His own voice, even. Tone and inflections perfectly imitated. A perfect assassin. Even as his vision began to dim, he couldn't help but to admire the resourcefulness of this Forge World. But it was the second voice he heard, or rather the words that came from its arrogant tone, that shocked him the most.
"You're certain you can pull it off, Shepard?"
"Positive, Grand Master. I've seen enough of his files to get to where I need to be."
It couldn't be Shepard himself, Kai Leng knew. Lawson was still patching him together. But she hadn't been able to expunge the clone. If he were still capable of laughing, he would have. Instead, all that was heard was his gargling on his blood.
"Then you have your task. Get it done, Shepard."
Arcturus watched as the Assassin bowed deeply, then reached for the Cerberus agent's corpse. Shepard would need his equipment.
When Lexus had approached Arcturus to inform him that the clone's physiology was extremely malleable, he had allowed the Magos to perform his experiments. Whatever Cerberus had done to create the clone, they had done so in a way that the Magos had never seen. It had only taken Lexus a few days to figure out that the clone could be safely utilized with polymorphine without prior conditioning, and that with a small amount of tampering, only a small amount of the drug was needed for full-body morphs. A boon to be sure, as they had only a handful of prospective Callidus Assassins that had so far successfully undergone the gene therapy they had developed for Arcturus's current task, and who had also undergone the pod imprinting.
Shepard's mind being a blank slate had been a blessing for the imprinting process. He had effectively installed a veteran Assassin within the clone's flesh, one that Arcturus had utilized quite often in the past. Of the Clades, the Callidus Clade was the one he was the most familiar with, having used their agents for the entirety of the duration that they had existed. He knew their limitations, but also their strengths, intimately. Shepard was a boon that he had not thought to have on his side for a number of years. That the clone had settled for taking Raven's form more often than the former Spectre did not matter to him, so long as it performed its duties when required.
Raven herself had been annoyed to find an overly cheerful version of herself on the Orion when they had departed Nemata. While he wouldn't admit it aloud, he found amusement in watching her debate with her doppelganger, and the cringe of annoyance when her voice echoed through the halls of the Orion. Even though she knew that she was not breaking her oaths, he could tell that hearing her own voice made her conscious of them.
It reminded him of times past.
He shook his head clear from times gone, refocusing himself on the present. The Archer brothers had been detained, with David being taken in by one of the tech-thralls for conditioning. The man's mind was perfect for a potential tech-priest. Gavin fit the criteria as well, yet the man was too independent in his thoughts. He would have to go through a more thorough conditioning that couldn't be done on board the Orion. Without a tech-priest to oversee the thralls, it would be more likely the man would break altogether. A waste of resources if that happened.
The rest of the personnel had been deemed expendable, and the Geth platforms had been exterminated with prejudice. The Geth ship had been targeted by the Orion; there was nothing left to be identified. The actual objective had been accomplished with Shepard's infiltration.
Once they were in the void once more, Arcturus let himself take a deep breath as he glanced at the pods in the bay. Seven pods in total, and four of them were now empty. One of them wouldn't be opened unless sheer carnage was needed, and the other two both contained the last of the Assassin Clades that he had set about re-creating; the Vindicare Clade. Granted, one had already been deployed before coming to Aite. Of the Clades, the Vindicare Clade had been the second least utilized by himself during his time in the Imperium due to the spontaneity of his plans. He wasn't certain that he needed to bring more than one, but he couldn't be certain he wouldn't need them either. They were the most plentiful of the Assassins that he and Lexus had managed to create, but they were lesser than their Imperial counterparts unlike the Eversor and Callidus Assassins. They would be the most helpful in the defense of Nemata at the very least once the xenos made landfall.
And they would. Lexus was adamant that they do, so as to bring forth a display of power that they couldn't hope to face against. Arcturus doubted that it would work, but if they were dead then he didn't care.
"Lord Arcturus, a message has been routed to us through Lexus's probes. It seems to originate from a Salarian voidship within Systems Alliance territory."
The Custodian glanced at Sheela, who stood nearby alongside Raven.
"Its contents?" He asked.
"It looks to be a formal offer of introduction between several members of the Systems Alliance Parliament and military, higher ranked members of the STG, and several Dalatrasses. The message comes from a Commander Tesh."
"Ah. The Salarian from Virmire and Minuteman Station. Send a response that we will meet them in the Pranas system."
"When?"
He moved towards the bridge of the Orion even as he answered.
"Now."
Sheela blinked and glanced at Raven. The younger woman merely shrugged and followed Arcturus onto the bridge.
Keelah, just let me into the damned building! Tali thought to herself. It had taken over two weeks to get to Palaven, but she did make it. Admiral Garrel had been a stickler, though. Ultimately, it had been her father that convinced Han to allow her to leave the Fleet once more. And this time, she hadn't gone alone.
A group of Marines had accompanied her, led by Kal'Reegar. Officially, she was on Palaven to obtain some equipment from an old contact her father knew from his own Pilgrimage. In reality, he had merely put the equipment on the ship she had been tasked to acquire and told her to do what she needed to do.
If the other members of the Admiralty Board found out, he'd be court martialed for such a frivolous use of resources. It was here that Tali had requested specific members of the Marines to be her protection. All of them were people she knew either wanted to get away from the Flotilla for a while, or otherwise supported her in her task of reaching her friend's father. Those she didn't select, were selected by Kal.
Now her biggest problem was being allowed into the administrative building that Castis Vakarian had settled into. Kal and Praza waited patiently outside the entrance for the last two hours, yet Tali herself had a hard time sitting down to do the same. Eventually, her patience had run its course as she approached the security guards again. Even in her impatience, she could see the one she had talked to before seem to sigh as she approached again.
"Look lady, I can't just let you in. You have to have an appointment, or you have to be invited in. Vakarian hasn't said anything about expecting you, so you'd be best served going elsewhere for whatever it is you need."
"Go- no, this is about his son. He needs to be informed about something important."
The guard glanced at the one on the opposite side of the large door, who merely shrugged.
"It's time for you to go, miss."
As he spoke, the Turian's eyes glanced behind Tali and widened slightly. Curious, she turned around as well and was met with a tall female Turian that looked vaguely familiar.
"Did you say Vakarian, Quistus?"
"Er, yes, Miss Vakarian. The Quarian and her two guards claim to need to see your father in regards to an update on your brother."
The female Turian's mandibles twitched, though from excitement or from concern, Tali couldn't tell.
"Then they can accompany me up to my father."
"Yes, Miss Vakarian. Up you go lady, but mind your fingers on your way through."
Beneath her helmet, Tali couldn't help but to blink at the insult. Before she could retort, she felt Kal's hand on her shoulder.
"We'll keep everything in sight at all times, sir. Let's go Tali, your new friend is leaving us behind."
She bit her tongue, but still gave the guard a rude gesture and quickly followed the woman inside the opened door. As they walked, the Turian turned her head to look at Tali.
"So, what's so important that it has Quarians coming to Palaven with news about Garrus? Did he do something stupid, or is he getting married?"
"Um… nothing quite that exciting, I don't think. The news might not be good, but I'd rather wait until we meet with Castis first before we talk about it."
"Before you talk about it, Miss. Prazza and I are just around to keep you out of trouble." Kal stated.
A sigh escaped Tali, earning a chuckle from the Turian. They rounded a few more corners before they came up to a door labeled 'VAKARIAN', which opened as they approached. Seated inside the room was a middle-aged Turian man who also looked familiar. Tali nearly faulted when she realized it was the facial markings that both of the Turians wore that made them familiar to her. Garrus possessed the same markings.
The man looked up from his terminal and nodded to the female Turian. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly as he caught sight of the trio of Quarians.
"I was told that some Quarians were on their way up here. Didn't expect you to be the one to let them in, Solana."
The female Turian shrugged.
"They claimed to have information on Garrus, Dad. If Quarian Marines are involved, then he's probably done something stupid."
The man nodded, then gestured towards the seat opposite him at his desk.
"Don't be a stranger, take a seat. Who are you, and what has my son done now?"
Tali moved for it immediately, seeing neither Kal nor Prazza move from their spots by the door. It was rather soft, she would admit as she sat.
"Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Rayya of the scientific discovery division, and these two are Kal'Reegar and Prazza of the Quarian Marines. Well, that is to say, he didn't do anything outwardly stupid. Not to the Flotilla at least. Garrus is a friend of mine from our time on board the SSV Normandy, more like a brother really. So when the Normandy was destroyed, we kept in contact, along with a couple of other crew members. When was the last time you spoke to him?"
Castis blinked in thought, glancing at his terminal for a brief moment. "Before he left his job at the Citadel. We had a rather heated argument. Solana has a better relationship with Garrus than I do."
Tali glanced at the female Turian, who nodded.
"I do, but not by much. Don't get me wrong, I love my brother, but he's too impulsive. At least he helps try to take care of our mother. Last time we spoke, he had gone to Omega with a team of people. He didn't explain why, or what they were doing, but it was probably something that Dad wouldn't approve of." The man in question let out a grumble, but didn't speak up.
"I… see. Well, he's possibly in trouble. He was recalled and put into service by the Turian 12th Fleet's admiral, along with his team. That's where the trouble begins."
Castis glanced up quizzically.
"How? The 12th Fleet is engaged in containment patrols around the Dark Zone. That's safer than the Terminus Systems."
"That would be true if that's what they were actually doing. But the Admiral in charge of them sent the 12th Fleet and the 26th Flotilla into the Dark Zone in an attempt to occupy the new faction's homeworld, as best as I can tell. I'll bring up the last message I got from him, I have no problems sharing it with you."
She opened her omnitool and shared the message with the two Turians, who read it closely. Solana frowned, but it was Castis that had surprised Tali with his reaction.
The Turian's hands clenched into fists, and his mandibles moved rapidly as he digested what was inside the message.
"Dammit, this isn't right. This was sent before the Citadel Council lost two memberships, and something tells me that this is the reason why the Humans and the Salarians left. Garrus is right, the Hierarchy has breached our pact with the Citadel. But, if they haven't reacted… then the Asari must be in on it too. Tensions were always strained between Human and Turian veterans, but I had hoped that the newer generations that admired one another would take their seats in politics before the old warhawks destroyed everything."
"You admire them?" Tali asked, surprised.
"I appreciate our differences and our similarities. I don't hate Humans, but I don't care for them all that much either. They're better than Batarians at least." Castis answered as he turned to his terminal. His fingers moved rapidly over the interface as he glanced at Solana. "Did you find what we were looking for before? I have a feeling we'll need it sooner than I anticipated."
Solana held up a small drive and smiled.
"All of his dirty little secrets are here, Dad. Garrus had better appreciate what I went through to get the blackmail material to keep him out of trouble with the law."
Castis narrowed his eyes, but held out his hand for the drive regardless.
"Don't you start too, Solana. I did my damndest to make sure you both followed the law and neither of you listened. At least you put your talents to use for the Hierarchy."
Tali cleared her throat, drawing their attention.
"So, uh… you both think Garrus will be fine?"
Castis grumbled again, but his answer came shortly after.
"I'd put my faith in Garrus to survive anything, so long as he has someone relying on him to do so. He bends the laws enough to snap them completely in some cases, but the boy has a good head on his shoulders. He's Spectre material, and his adventure with Spectre Shepard to kill Saren and destroy the Geth flagship has only honed the talents he possesses. He'll come out alive, even if it might not be how we expect him to. What is it?"
The last question was asked when he noticed that Tali's head had cocked slightly at the mention of the Geth ship.
"Oh, Keelah. You don't know. That wasn't a Geth ship, it was something much worse."
Castis laced his hands together and leaned forward expectantly. "Worse? How?"
His sincerity took Tali by surprise. Whenever she had brought up the Reapers before, she had been brushed aside by anyone that wasn't part of the Normandy's crew.
"It… this is going to sound crazy, but it was a Reaper."
Castis frowned. "A Reaper? And you're positive about this? I need proof, or your best explanation, Miss Zorah."
She felt her heart beat in excitement. Here was somebody who wasn't immediately dismissing her claims. Shepard's claims. Here was somebody who might even be able to help.
"I… I'll start at the beginning."
After the next several hours had passed with Tali detailing Shepard's mission to both of the Turians, she finally fell silent after she had explained the destruction of Sovereign. In that whole time, Castis had listened intently, his hands moving over his terminal's keys to take notes. Solana had moved to sit on the desk itself, much to Castis's displeasure and the visual enjoyment of Prazza.
Castis read over his notes, nodding to himself over the next few minutes before his gaze turned to meet Tali's.
"And this is the truth as you know it?" He finally asked. Tali merely nodded, keeping her eyes on his. "I see. Then it seems like I have my work cut out for me. I don't carry the influence I once did, but I'm not powerless. Even someone who is as low as 87th in line for being Primarch has a certain amount of clout to throw around."
"You believe me?" Tali asked, hopeful.
"I do. But I won't lie Miss Zorah, if Garrus wasn't also certain about this, then I'd wash my hands clean of it and write it off as fanciful delusions. I know my son. I can't promise anything immediately, but I'll start working on some others, getting things put into motion. I have no doubt that the Forge World must have some inkling of what's going on, or they wouldn't be building their own forces as aggressively as they have been. I can start getting cogs of the grand scheme put into place using the Forge World as an excuse for why we should be mustering our martial strength. The trick will be getting the Primarch to turn his eyes to the Reapers when they do come."
Castis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He slowly let it out, grimacing as he did so. "I hate to say it, but… It'll cost a lot of Turian lives. I'm thinking the best way to do it is if this Forge World can somehow demonstrate their strength, and demand the Hierarchy's submission until the threat of the Reapers is gone. Fedorian isn't one to allow his enemies to submit, so it would have to be the Hierarchy unless the Primarch is replaced."
Kal'Reegar cleared his throat.
"That's some mighty dangerous speculation, sir."
Solana waved her hand as if dismissing Kal's words.
"Don't worry too much about it. We've soundproofed this room as best we can without reconstructing it altogether, and I do irregular sweeps for listening devices to offset his own regular sweeps. We're clean. There's a lot that is said in this office that could be taken for treason without sufficient information."
Kal nodded, then glanced at Tali.
"If you say so, Miss. Tali, we need to be getting back to the ship. The others are going to be getting rather worried, we're an hour over when we told them we'd be back."
The Quarian girl nodded and stood.
"If there's anything you need from us, let me know. My crew and I don't intend on going back to the Flotilla just yet, not until Garrus is safe."
Castis nodded, glanced at his terminal, then stood and offered his hand.
"It might happen sooner than you'd think."
Outside the office and across the street inside another building, a Human adjusted his partially covered scope as he peered through it to settle upon Castis. Every word spoken had been recorded and archived. He waited for the Quarian to leave, then lowered the scope once it was clear there was little more to be said inside the office. He reattached it to his Exitus Rifle, then began to compile his report.
Commander Tesh fiddled with one of his fingers as he waited for his ship to exit FTL. Any minute now, he'd arrive at the meeting point given by the Lord Custodian where even now, most of the officials who were coming to meet him had arrived.
Dalatrass Linron had come herself, as well as a number of other Dalatrasses. He had heard rumors of Doctor Solus being reactivated as well for this rendezvous, which was a surprise. The last time Tesh had spoken to the Doctor, he had seemed so worn and finished with STG work. Of course, this wasn't the typical operation given to the STG; they were acting as the defensive body for the Union, something that they typically didn't do. They operated in the shadows, not as bodyguards.
"Sir? You seem abnormally nervous." Renloa stated, glancing back at his commanding officer. Tesh nodded, agreeing with his old companion's observation.
"Yes. And we all have every right to be nervous. We've been selected to be part of Dalatrass Linron's personal protection detail, which means we'll be in the same room as the Custodian again. If he decides we're better off dead, then we're dead. We have nothing that can stop him. And I don't quite think that the Dalatrass is aware of this. Our lives hinge upon her ability to keep things civil, and recognize when to give in to the Custodian."
"Then shouldn't we be worried more about the Humans upsetting the Custodian?" Renloa asked. Tesh shook his head.
"I don't believe so. Admiral Steven Hackett is an extraordinarily keen man, as is Captain David Anderson. Those two are taking the helm in negotiations, though several members of the Systems Alliance Parliament are to be present as well. Interestingly, one of them is no longer a member, but has been allowed entrance to the talks by the former Human Councilor. Shaheizy bin Musa, an advocate for Earth relying on its own resources. He's highly respected among the Parliament."
After a few moments, Renloa nodded.
"I've heard some things lately. An agent on Aite made a report about an unknown facility that was assaulted and a new crater was made shortly afterwards. Apparently a Geth ship was also present at one of the facilities' operation zones."
"Yes, I read it as well. The facility was suspected to be a Cerberus laboratory, though we never devoted enough resources to confirm it. If it was, then we can safely say that our Forge World acquaintances are not aligned with Cerberus. Potentially the exact opposite, in fact."
Before Tesh could continue, Inuka spoke from the pilot's seat.
"Sir, exiting FTL in ten seconds."
"Confirmed. Prepare our scanners, I want information the moment we drop out."
"Understood sir."
When they dropped out of FTL, Tesh blinked as he took in the information. The order to meet the Lord Custodian at these coordinates by Dalatrass Linron had come less than half a day ago. Despite that, it seems that the Systems Alliance had plenty of time to dedicate not only the protection force of Admiral Hackett, but half of the entire Fifth Fleet, despite its depleted status from the defense of the Citadel only a bit over a year prior. The Dalatrasses' own ships were surrounded by a combination of Human ships and their own cruisers, while the only ship present that wasn't part of the Salarian Union nor the Systems Alliance was the very same ship that Tesh had been aboard before.
"Rather confident that this won't devolve into bloodshed, aren't they?" Inuka muttered quietly.
"Either that, or the Lord Custodian is positive that we pose no threat. I'm not sure which I would prefer, to be honest." Tesh stated. "Merge us into the formation. Renloa, you have the helm while I'm with the Dalatrass."
"Yes sir."
Mordin Solus was a number of things. Doctor. Scientist. Soldier. Operative. Entertainer. Mentor. He couldn't say he had been an advisor before, but that was the role he now found himself in as he followed Dalatrass Linron through the hallways of her ship and into the bay where her personal shuttle waited for them.
He wouldn't have accepted this recall back into service of not for one thing. The opportunity to study this infamous Custodian, Arcturus Magnus. His clinic on Omega could wait for him while he took this once in a lifetime opportunity. Mordin only wished that he wouldn't be tethered to the Dalatrass' side the entire time. No matter, he would do what he could with what was presented to him.
The shuttle ride over to the SSV Orizaba was short; Admiral Hackett's flagship had allowed the Salarian ships bearing ambassadors to come close by. Leaving the shuttle, Mordin was impressed by what he saw.
Four ranks of Alliance Marines, all N7s, stood at attention on the left side of the hanger. Admiral Hackett himself stood next to Captain Anderson, as well as a number of other Humans that he didn't immediately recognize. Off to the side stood two more Humans; Former Councilor Donnel Udina, and Shaheizy bin Musa, a man whom Mordin had taken interest in upon learning he would be attending this hastily thrown together summit.
To the right of the N7s stood a number of Salarians, all of whom were either Dalatrasses or STG operatives. He was pleased to see Kirrahe among them, though he looked fairly out of place. It took Mordin a moment to figure out why; the Salarian had somewhat isolated himself from his peers, though most wouldn't notice it unless they knew him personally.
Mordin looked at his omnitool, reading the message. A glance at the Dalatrass confirmed she had seen it as well; Commander Tesh would be boarding momentarily.
Thinking of the young Salarian gave Mordin several thoughts. On one hand, the Commander had come far in his relatively short service in the STG. On the other, his report was rather worrisome. He and his crew seemed to view this Custodian with some form of reverence, though he couldn't say why. Tesh would forever be a changed creature, and Mordin couldn't truly say that he could blame Tesh. What the Commander had seen would change anyone one way or another. Two encounters with a Custodian however, was absolutely unheard of. As much as Mordin may not like it, Tesh and his crew were the most knowledgeable on this subject.
The Doctor blinked as he realized his mind had wandered. The Dalatrass was thankfully still nearby, but Tesh's shuttle had landed and departed, leaving the Commander to stand on his own. Strangely, Kirrahe had broken away from the others and stopped next to Tesh in amicable silence. Mordin would keep an eye on them, but didn't blame them. Both had been through more than any of the other STG agents that had gathered here.
Another blink, and Mordin had the realization that he was the eldest Salarian present, even among the Dalatrasses. That in itself was strange he noted, as most of the ones gathered here besides Linron were actually fairly young. Perhaps a gathering of those who had sided with parting from the Citadel and joining Humanity in an alliance?
A voice next to him caught Mordin by surprise.
"You're thinking it's rather strange that most of the Dalatrasses gathered here are quite young, are you not?"
Mordin turned slightly, finding that he had been joined by the former Councilor Bensin Valern. Unlike the formal robes he had worn previously, the Salarian was now strapped in black armor bearing the sigil of Clan Bensin. A Dalatrass had followed him close behind, one that Mordin recognized as Dalatrass Bensin Konal. She too was among the younger Dalatrasses.
"You would likely be correct in assuming that these are the most influential of the Dalatrasses that agreed to severing our ties with the Citadel to join the Humans, once the insult had been made public. It was by their decision that we have crossed arms with Humanity, and it will be they who speak with the Humans and the Forge World to determine what will come."
Mordin smiled as he heard Valern.
"Ah! Assumed as much. Fortunate that a wave of progressive Dalatrasses occupy the seats of the Drinum Vada, else this would never have happened. Linron is outvoted, but speaks for the Union. Has she made friends?"
He watched as Valern held in a snort while shaking his head.
"Friends? No, I'm afraid not. That is why I am here, to speak in her stead. An honor I suppose, though I do find myself none to pleased with it. I brought Captain Kirrahe along to keep Tesh company, perhaps try to ascertain where his allegiance lies. You've seen the reports much as I have. I would think-"
Valern's omnitool blinked, halting what he was saying. A quick look had him nodding towards Mordin.
"The Custodian's ship is approaching. We'd best get ourselves organized."
It didn't take them long to do so. The N7s hardly moved, though Admiral Hackett and Captain Anderson had taken a few steps forward and found themselves joined by Udina and Shaheizy. Every STG operative had moved aside to allow the Dalatrasses to take their places in front as well, with Linron at their head and Valern at her side. Tesh stood only a foot behind them.
The Custodian's ship stopped a fair distance away from the hanger. While they couldn't make out too much from the distance, they did notice that its bay had opened, and a small figure possessing a teal aura had departed from it. After another minute, it had arrived in front of the hanger, phasing through the oxygen barrier. Small insectoid wings kept it aloft as it flew down and landed in the center of the hanger, a strange long and thin device in its talons. It seemed to turn one end of it, causing it blink blue, then tossed it off to its side and slightly ahead of it. And then it spoke.
"Cover your eyes."
Mordin did exactly that, though it almost didn't help as his darkened vision was enveloped in golden light.