Hannah Shepard was standing on one of the landing pads of the newly constructed Forum Building, looking out at the morning cityscape of New Washington, with dozens of quarian ships hanging above it, casting colossal shadows below, some falling across her like the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders.
Finally, everyone had arrived. Soon, representatives from every power attending this summit would land in shuttle after shuttle. And the culmination of her entire journey would finally begin.
Around her, recorder drones were humming and flashing. Countless reporters were chattering, recording everything live, broadcasting it all over the Sol System and beyond, thanks to quarian technology. Their eagerness was almost predatory. And how could she blame them?
Undoubtedly, this was the most important meeting in human history. All of humanity would be invested in its outcome. And she would do everything she could to ensure they embraced the alliance and were ready for whatever conflicts were to come.
Rael stepped beside her, then cleared his throat, clasping his hands behind his back. Even through his suit and mask, the quarian seemed energized, excited.
She smiled. "Well, you seem happy."
Rael chuckled. "Why wouldn't I? It is only a matter of time until my people will finally have a secure home, and…"
"And?"
"My lifemate is a member of the Conclave," Rael said, "so she will be attending the summit as well. We talked yesterday, and she has incredible news for you."
A warm, soothing sensation bloomed within her. What news could she possibly have for her? Something related to Mark and her boys? She smiled. "For me?"
"Yes," Rael said, "that yourmate and your little ones accompanied her to this system. Right now, they are in orbit, aboard the Rayya, along with my daughter and a trusted caregiver, watching everything."
Her eyes watered, and she let out a joyful sob. It had only been weeks since she last saw them, but to her, those weeks had felt like a lifetime. I'll make you proud. I promise.
Suddenly, everyone was looking up at a host of quarian shuttles about to land. Descending silently, sunlight gleamed off their purplish blue hulls, and they came to a stop, arranged in a semi-circle, hovering just inches above the ground.
Silently, she held her breath as their rear doors opened, and dozens of quarians stepped outside. Each was clad in shimmering, scaled robes like woven starlight, adorned with intricate patterns. Unlike military quarians like Rael or Khairun, their robes seemed far more flashy and extravagant, as though they were trying to flex their status amongst quarian society.
"Are they the Conclave?" she asked.
Meanwhile, Rael was watching them closely, no doubt looking for his lifemate. Already, throngs of Alliance officials were greeting them, with every reporter capturing holo-picts and holo-vids for the ages.
"They are," Rael continued. "Every Clan Master and their circle of Elders will be attending today, along with the Prime Speaker and his retinue."
Just then, a quarian woman in golden robes stopped, then looked directly at Rael. Rael froze as well, staring at the woman as though she was a ghost.
Maeru? Was that her? From this distance, it was hard to tell.
Without warning, the quarian woman bolted toward Rael, her peers voicing their complaints in Khelish. Rael did the same.
Soon, Maeru ran into Rael's arms, and Rael embraced his beloved in a warm, tight hug. Her heart melted at the sight. Rael and Maeru then rested their foreheads against one another. And she couldn't help but smile, practically ear to ear. Those two were made for each other.
Zhoru cleared his throat, and the two lovers reluctantly pulled away from each other and looked at them.
"It's great to see you again, Maeru," she said. "I hear my husband and my boys came along with you?"
"Indeed, they did," Maeru said. "Your huzbend could not resist the opportunity and neither could your little ones." She laughed. "I must say, Khanah, it has been an honor spending so much time with them. And you little one, Yahn…it is so adorable how fond he's grown of my own child, Tali."
She laughed. Briefly, she recalled the way John looked at Tali for the first time. Undoubtedly, Tali had enraptured her little boy, and she had a strong feeling the two would grow inseparable as they grew up. "Really now?"
Suddenly, Rael looked up at something in the sky. "It seems the Prime Speaker and his retinue have finally arrived."
She tilted her head. "The Prime Speaker?"
Just then, another shuttle descended silently onto the landing pad. And when its rear door opened, a tall, regal quarian stepped out, along with the quarian Admirals, and a few quarians and Malukors she couldn't recognize.
Meanwhile, the reporters went into a frenzy, snapping holo-pict after holo-pict. Looking at the Prime Speaker, she couldn't help but feel taken aback at the way he was carrying himself with such authority, his chin high, his posture straight. His robes and mask were a resplendent shade of gold. And behind him, his entourage were dressed in similar but more modest attire.
"What's his name?" she asked.
"Ekharys'Valaen," Maeru said, as Ekharys shook hands with Chancellor Nganu, surrounded by practically rabid reporters. "Keelah, if the Conclave hadn't elected him, then none of this would have been possible."
"We might have already destroyed ourselves in a civil war," Rael agreed, "with every clan bickering and fighting over how to 'save our people'."
"When really they just want power and influence?" she asked.
"Precisely," said a deep, familiar voice behind her. She turned, only to spot Zhoru, towering over her. "Keelah, there you are. I've been looking for you. All is well?"
She smiled. Even now, after Zhoru had shared his deepest vulnerability, she couldn't help but marvel at how someone so large and intimidating had such an endearing soft side underneath his facade as a stoic, professional soldier.
"Perfect, Zhoru. Perfect. But tell me…" She pointed toward the Prime Speaker and his retinue. "Who are those quarians and Malukors accompanying the Prime Speaker and the Admirals? I take it they're friends of yours?"
Zhoru chuckled. "A few. One you have already seen before — in my quarters."
"I have?"
"The one with the pattern of Clan Zorah on his cloak," Zhoru said, pointing at him. "General Haarun'Zorah."
Suddenly, the memory came back to her, of Haarun's hologram in Zhoru's ready room. Like Admiral Koron and the other Malukors beside him, he was an armored giant, who towered over his peers. Through the mirror-like visor of his purple-tinted battle blate, his red eyes burned with a cold fury.
"He and Admiral Koron," Zhoru continued, "are the only quarians alive who fought in the Krogan Rebellions."
"Wow…" she said. Her mind strained to imagine what it would be like to live for centuries, having survived two galactic wars. "So I take their experience is… irreplaceable."
Zhoru nodded. "The others are merely officers from Fleet High Command, along with his advisors and trusted inner circle."
She pointed toward a Malukor in coal-black battle plate. Sunlight reflected off it like polished Obsidian. And the Malukor was leading a group of quarian marines in similarly-colored, armored suits. "And who is that?"
"Keelah…" Rael said. "Nobody knows his true name or origin, but he is simply known as the Khelek'miin."
"The Commander of the Conclave Gaurd," Zhoru said.
"Why might he bringing them along?" she asked.
Maeru sighed, then crossed her arms. "It is because of the Arch Reaver. She can not be trusted and is undoubtedly plotting something. Whether her plan is short term or long term remains to be seen."
"And also…" Zhoru said. "We can not ignore the possibility — no matter how slim — of a spy or assassin infiltrating this summit."
Her heart pounded. "Infiltrate this summit? How?"
"There is so much your kind needs to learn, Khanah…" Rael said. "The Thessian Empire and the Technocracy are more than capable of spreading their gaze to the most unexpected places."
A chill went through her. Hopefully, no spy or assassin would infiltrate the summit. But if one did, then…
Well, the newfound Alliance would be ready for whatever would come.
Eventually, another group of quarian shuttles landed. And humans stepped out of their open rear doors. Instantly, she recognized them, and they were the other Governors of Humanity's twenty-one interstellar colonies, along with their entourages of officials, military officers, and bodyguards.
With FTL travel and communications still so slow — at least for humans — every Governor ruled over an independent power. Adrenaline rushed through her veins. Given the magnitude of this event, would the weight of the future on the horizon give humanity no choice but to finally unite as a species?
Hopefully, so.
Soon, the quarian and human delegations met in the middle of the tarmac, their entourages and bodyguards mingling with one another. For a moment, it seemed as though nobody was left to arrive.
But then something whooshed above. Looking up, she spotted a silvery, dagger-shaped shuttle descend, and when it landed, a throng of asari stepped outside its side door, onto Earth's surface.
Immediately, she recognized Lady Valensia T'Shala from the meeting they had earlier in the Alpha Centauri system. But who was the tall, regal asari man in the golden military uniform beside her?
There was something uncannily familiar about the way he carried himself, about the hard, worn look on his aged face.
"Rael…" she said, "you said the T'Shala family was powerful right? So let me guess, that's her father?"
"You guess, correct," Rael said. "That is Lord Leontus of House T'Shala, the Duke of Illium — the prized capital of the Free Colonies Alliance. With their help, our newfound alliance will undoubtedly be safe from… economic collapse."
"Hhhmmm, yeah," she said, looking at the ground, "war is expensive, all-devouring if you're not careful."
Leontus, she noticed, was surveying the scene with eyes as cold as the depths of space itself. And she couldn't blame him, given the stakes. If this alliance failed…
Suddenly, she spotted two more shuttles above, descending and descending. Unlike the others, they were both utterly unique in design. One was a manta-shaped vessel with a dull, gray hull, and the other…
The other was a sleek, obsidian shuttle fit for an Empress. It dwarfed the others and took up the space of at least three quarian shuttles. The sleek shuttle landed first. Its side door opened, and the Arch Reaver stepped outside, along with her entourage.
For a moment, everyone stared at her. Clad in a form-fitting suit of gold-black armor, mantled with a red cloak, the Arch Reaver radiated inhuman beauty but had such chilling soulless eyes.
Accompanying her, Cyrina T'Loak carried the same air as her adoptive mother — regal, ruthless, and calculating. She and the rest of the Arch Reaver's entourage were clad in matching gold-black armor.
But lacked their master's unique presence, which carried a subtle sense of wrongness, of inhumanity.
A sickening sensation gripped her stomach. A part of her screamed that it would be a mistake to let her into the coming alliance.
But what about the alternatives?
Could they afford to have the Omegan Freehold as an enemy?
Rael sighed. "Let's pray to the Ancestors that she does not try anything…"
She swallowed, then exhaled. "Agreed."
Finally, the other shuttle landed and out stepped a mountain of a krogan, clad in red battle plate fit for a god of war. A low growl rumbled through the crowd, a primal ripple of fear. The scent of reptilian musk, something alien and potent, hung thick in the air.
Meanwhile, the quarian admirals shifted subtly, their body language mirroring the Krogan's. Bodyguards — whether human, quarian, or asari — stiffened up, keeping their hands close to their sidearms, not in threat, but in readiness.
"So that's Urdnot Wrex?" she asked.
"The one and only…" Zhoru said. Meanwhile, she spotted Urdnot Ghor emerge from the shuttle as well, only to fall in step with Urdnot Wrex. "Unlike the Arch Reaver, I am certain he will prove to be much easier to work with."
Wherever the Arch Reaver and Urdnot Wrex went, people stared at them in silence, staying far out of their way. From a distance, the reporters snapped countless holo-picts of them, recording every detail of their arrival.
Soon, the Arch Reaver stopped in place, then held some kind of device to her lips.
"WELL?" she snapped, her voice booming across the tarmac, amplified and distorted. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine. Several reporters jumped, startled. Everyone went silent, and bodyguards instinctively moved closer to their charges, hands hovering over weapons. No doubt, the device in her hand was some kind of sonic amplifier.
The Arch Reaver grinned, a predatory glint in her eyes. "Are we going to stand out here, chatting like a bunch of gossiping maidens. Or are we going to get this summit started?"
Without hesitation, Nu'adu and Gaiphoro stepped forward, utterly calm and still amidst Aria's outburst. Tension rippled through the crowd and lingered for what felt like an eternity.
All the while, Gaiphoro stood ready, like an immovable object, like a silent sentinel poised to strike down whoever dared to attack first.
Aria grinned, as did her daughter and a few others amongst her entourage.
"If isn't my two favorite justicars in the whole wide galaxy," Aria said, her voice dripping with pretentious sarcasm. She chuckled. "My, my, my, what a situation we've found ourselves in. Finally taking down Chaerys — together? Ha! Who would have thought?"
Meanwhile, Gaiphoro was staring at Aria and her entourage, like a general surveying a battlefield.
Aria scoffed. "Woooow, Gaiphoro. What's happened to you? Does that 'Justicar Code' of yours say you're not allowed to smile, laugh, or do anything fun. Or are you still upset at how our dear old friend Chaerys snatched the Warmaster title straight out of your hands?"
Nu'adu glanced at Gaiphoro, then nodded. In response, Gaiphoro loosened up slightly, but kept his gaze on Aria and her entourage.
For a while, Nu'adu just stared at Aria, not like a threat, but like a child who had just thrown a tantrum. Nu'adu smiled. "This is indeed quite the unexpected situation. At last, every delegate has arrived. So of course, let us begin. But first…" He swept his gaze through the crowd, "if anyone would like to voice their concerns beforehand, speak now. I would be more than happy to address them."
Momentarily, white-hot rage blazed in Aria's eyes.
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Every reporter was recording the exchange with almost child-like excitement. Briefly, Aria swept her gaze through the crowd, then grinned.
"Well, aren't you a sensitive, stuffy bunch," she said, "Lighten up, people!" She put her hand on her chest, in feigned sincerity, trying to appear as hurt as possible. "I'm here to help. Believe me, the last thing I want is for a vulnerable species like yourself to become the Citadel Triarchy's next play things. But pffft, anyways…let's get this show started. We don't have all day."
"Indeed," Nu'adu said, his voice warm and inviting. "Everyone, please follow me into the main hall. And we may begin discussions on our shared future."
Once more, murmurs rippled through the crowd, with some looking at Aria with awe and respect, and others at Nu'adu with joy and relief. As she headed inside, she kept staring at Nu'adu, with caged fury and bloodlust. But behind her, Gaiphoro followed, watching her every move.
She sighed, and a wave of relief rushed through her. Thank goodness Nu'adu had handled her so effectively. If he hadn't been there, she did not want to imagine what might had happened. "Wow…"
"May the Ancestors protect any soul unfortunate enough to cross her path," Rael said.
"She will not be easy to work with," Zhoru said. "It is not a matter of if — but when — she will betray us."
"Agreed," she said. Going forward, they would need as many eyes on the Arch Reaver, on the Omegan Freehold as possible. "Anyways, let' head inside and get this started."
She joined the crowd of delegates stepping inside. Soon, they passed through a massive archway, and she found herself in the building's main hall.
Even now, it took her breath away. Its grand scale was so humbling, reminding her how small humanity was in the grand scheme of things. And its design and architecture filled her with almost child-like wonder.
Everywhere she looked, the walls curved and flowed seamlessly into the ground and glowed with blue energy. Made of seemingly living metal, several statues and banners adorned the walls, depicting quarian, asari, and even human heroes.
She smiled. One was of John Grissom himself, and another was of Kahlee Sanders, who supposedly spearheaded the biotic rights movement, about a century ago. Good that they included us. Should help make things smoother.
Once more, she looked ahead. Arranged in tiered circles, surrounding a central stage-like area, hundreds of grav chairs, made of seemingly living metal. Above, sunlight poured through the transparent, dome-like ceiling, glinting off some metallic sphere suspended high in the air. What…What is that?
Everyone began to take their seats.
"At the front, Khanah," Rael said, "follow me."
She nodded, then followed Rael, then sat beside him and Zhoru in a grav chair at the front of the circular, stage-like area. Already, Nu'adu was standing there, clasping his hands behind his back, as if patiently waiting for everyone to take their seats.
Meanwhile, she swept her gaze across the front circle of seats. To her right, just a few seats away, the quarian admirals sat close to the Prime Speaker and his inner circle. Given the situation, they seemed relatively calm.
To her left, she spotted Chancellor Nganu, along with her father, his colleagues, and a few Alliance Politicians. Unlike the quarians, their postures seemed so stiff, their eyes so full of apprehension. Can't say I blame you all.
Close to the Alliance officials sat numerous members of the Justicar Order. Among them, she recognized Masters Samara, Vysaeris, and Gaiphoro, who were all focusing on the ones sitting across from her, looking ready to spring into action if necessary. What are you all looking at?
She looked across from her, only to spot Urdnot Wrex and Urdnot Ghor, remaining silent, their reptilian faces impossible for her to read. Next to the two krogan, Lord Leontus and his inner circle were murmuring among themselves and…
A faint sinking sensation gripped her chest. So that's who you're keeping an eye on. Smart. Yes, the Justicar Masters were keeping a close eye on the Arch Reaver and her entourage. What are they up to?
A chill went through her when Cyrina T'Loak met her gaze, then grinned. Cyrina mockingly kissed at her.
Her stomach churned. What do you want from me? Whatever the reason, she would not buy into her games.
Finally, everyone was seated, and Nu'adu cleared his throat. The surrounding chatter dissipated, and everyone looked at Nu'adu, as though waiting for him to speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Nu'adu began, "esteemed delegates and representatives of the Sol Alliance, the Veil Republic, the Omegan Freehold, the Urdnot Khanate, and the Free Colonies Alliance, I welcome you. Undoubtedly, all of you are aware of the weight of this meeting, of how the decisions we make here today will shake galactic civilization for centuries if not eons to come."
Nu'adu opened up his omni-tool, then input a slew of commands. Above, the metallic sphere hummed, then glowed, projecting a hologram of the Milky Way galaxy below, at the center of the stage.
"And all because the Armory…is not a myth," Nua'du continued. The galaxy map zoomed in on the Sol System, and then onto the Armory, to the maze of glossy, obsidian monoliths; twisting, long corridors; and arcane, colossal facilities that extended for hundreds of kilometers in all directions. "With but a drop of the knowledge it contains, the humans went from having never explored even their own home system, to becoming a space-faring race in less than two centuries. And no words can capture how the galaxy will tremble should the Ascendant seize it for himself."
Nu'adu input more commands into his omni-tool, and then the hologram flickered and showed footage of a bustling megacity, abound with towering star-scrapers, neon lights, and countless holo-signs…
Flashing a warning message in bright red.
Sirens blared and blared. And amongst the streets, panic-stricken crowds of asari were overwhelming the customs at what she presumed was some kind of spaceport.
Without warning, a pillar of red light struck the megacity from above, and a blinding flash engulfed the world. A storm of fire and dust surged forth, and the crowds screamed in terror as it consumed them all, reducing them to atomic dust.
The hologram flickered again, only to show an entire city on fire. Above, smog choked the sky, along with swarms of drones whooshing through the air. Amidst the ruined streets, columns of grav tanks and other war machines were advancing, whilst legions of asari soldiers clad in high-tech battle skins forced columns of prisoners into concentration camps, gunning down any who resisted or could not keep up.
Once more, it flickered, only to show the Ascendant, overlooking the desolation from a hilltop, his blue cloak billowing in the wind.
"I gave you every chance to surrender…" he said. His voice was deep and oddly soothing, but laced with a caged fury that chilled her to the bone. "This all could have been avoided had you put aside your pride, and accepted the truth…" The Ascendant turned and faced a kneeling prisoner wearing a gray jumpsuit. "That the Republic…is no more, that it has utterly failed our race, and that only the new order can hope to survive the age to come."
The prisoner coughed up some blood, then laughed. "Surrender? To an abomination like you?" The prisoner spit out some blood. "The republic was far from perfect. But we would all rather die than live in a galaxy under your rule!"
The Ascendant let out a deep, disappointed sigh. "I had such hopes for you. But so be it."
The Ascendant's soulless eyes glowed a sinister red, and then he reached out and choked the prisoner from afar with his biotics. The prisoner gurgled, and her stomach churned when the Ascendant clenched his fist and broke the prisoner's neck with a wet snap.
The hologram transitioned back to the galaxy map. A heavy, unsettling silence descended.
"A worse fate awaits us all should we not come together," Nu'adu continued. "If we do not find a solution to exactly how and when we will share and use the Armory amongst ourselves. Yet before we can do that, we must first dissolve the tensions amongst ourselves."
Nu'adu looked at the humans attending the summit, at Chancellor Nganu, and all the other governors of humanity's colonies. "I am sensing great fear, anger, and discontent amongst you. So please, feel free to come where I stand and voice your concerns freely."
"I would like to speak, please," Nganu said.
Nu'adu nodded, then gestured for him to take the spotlight. "Then by all means."
The Chancellor stood up, and then walked up to the stage. "Thank you, Grandmaster Nu'adu." Nu'adu cleared his throat. "I speak for all of humanity when I say that, yes, we do have many concerns we want addressed."
Nganu faced the Prime Speaker. "First and foremost, whilst we are very grateful for your sacrifices in protecting us from the Silent Ones, many among us feel that what you did was all a ploy to conquer us without shedding a drop of blood."
"That's right!" a man shouted. She turned toward the voice, and it was Otto Vanderly, the Governor of Eden Prime. "Why do you even need us at all? With your technology, you could had just seized the Armory from us, and we would be powerless to do a damned thing."
Her father stood up, and her heart sunk. Oh, no, no, no. Dad, what are you doing? "Exactly! So what are you hiding from us? Are we supposed to be your canon fodder in your war to come?"
The chamber echoed with the constant murmurs and whispers of both humans and quarians, their voices growing louder as tension filled the space. Every second, a faint, but growing animosity practically crackled in the air.
Her heart raced. Somebody had to do something now, or risk this summit spiraling out of control.
Thankfully, the Prime Speaker stood up, then took the stage, beside Chancellor Nganu. "Humans of the Sol Alliance…I hear you." The Prime Speaker began to pace back and forth, clasping his hands behind his back. "Recently, I took the liberty of studying your history, of how the Sol Alliance came to be. And your fear and apprehension are more than justified. Our species share the fear of the unknown. And for a time…my kind believed in its own version of the 'Three Laws of Alien Civilizations'. So it is only natural for you to be wary, for you to question our motives."
The Prime Speaker stopped, then looked at the human delegation once more. "And so…to put your minds at ease. I will reveal them all."
The Prime Speaker input a slew of commands into his omni-tool, and the hologram flickered and showed the Migrant Fleet, thousands up thousands of quarian ships all arrayed in various formations. "Over the past four centuries, all we have ever wanted is a world for us to call home, a place where our young ones can grow up enjoying the comforts your species enjoy every day — safe from the hatred and persecution of the Citadel Triarchy."
The hologram zoomed in a quarian ship, showing a nursery filled with quarian infants within sterilized E-balls. "For generations, my people have been born and raised, knowing only the icy coldness of space. Aside from the quarians of the Malukors, we have never known what it means to live on a world we can call our own. Our children have never felt the soft touch of sand, nor even the caress of a breeze."
The hologram transitioned, showing footage of Old Rannoch, of the quarians' vast underground megacities. The hologram flickered, then showed footage of the Great Betrayal, of the Geth butchering men, women, and children, setting those cities ablaze. "All because we simply made a mistake I see your species is on the path to repeating — creating abominable intelligence."
The Prime Speaker spoke those last two words with enough acid to melt through the hull of a starship. A heavy silence fell, and human delegation began murmuring and whispering amongst themselves.
The Prime Speaker input more commands into his omni-tool, and the hologram transitioned to a view of her home, Set'ia Prime. Briefly, the Prime Speaker looked at her, then nodded.
"When Captain Rael'Zorah discovered the world you call Set'ia Prime," the Prime Speaker continued. "We could have just taken the planet for ourselves. We could have slaughtered you all or made you submit to our will. Or we could have just allowed the Silent Ones to harvest every one of your colonies before driving them out of this region of space."
The Prime Speaker paused and took a moment to study the human delegation's reactions. Many seemed tense and were waiting with bated breath. "But we rejected the easy paths. In the long run, they would only isolate us even further on the galactic stage…" The Prime Speaker pointed at Nu'adu. "From the Remnants." At Aria. "From the Omegan Freehold." At Urdnot Wrex. "From the Urdnot Khanate." And finally at Lord Leontus. "And from the Free Colonies Alliance. From the only ones in the galaxy who will not arrest or shoot our kind on sight. And most importantly…such short-sighted actions would only play directly into the Ascendant's hands." The Prime Speaker looked directly at Nu'adu, and then at Aria. "Is that not correct?"
Nu'adu sighed. "Yes, such short-sightedness would indeed play into the Ascendant's hands. And I believe the Arch Reaver of the Omegan Freehold is the most qualified to elaborate how."
Aria grinned. No doubt, she was so excited to finally be the center of attention. "I have known the Ascendant for a very, very long time, for longer than any of you were even born, and you want to know what would happen if the quarians chose to dominate you?" She laughed. "Oh, he would 'save' you from the big-bad quarians the same way he 'saaaaved' the Old Republic from itself." Aria paused, pacing around the stage, like a lioness surveying her territory. "I lived through the civil war our good old friend Nu'adu showed you a peek of, and ooh, believe me that was one of his most tame victories."
"Don't forget his great purge!" Cyrina called out. The other members of Aria's entouraged laughed.
She frowned. What's so damned funny about that?
Aria chuckled. "Oh, how could I forget! Yesss! His 'Great Purge'. I remember it just like it was yesterday." Without warning, Aria pointed at one of the human delegates, a chubby, middle-aged senator in an expensive, lavish suit. "You!"
The senator practically jumped out of his seat. "Y-Yes?"
"You look pretty wealthy," Aria said, "so tell me…" Her voice took on a playful, sultry tone. "Do like luxury? Hhhm? Do you like to dine at the finest establishments? Live in the most lavish palaces? And fuck all the most beautiful bachelors and maidens?" Aria laughed. "Come on, don't be shy. I love all of those things too."
The senator's face went pale. "I-I…I guess…"
"Oh, well if the Ascendant was your species' new master," she said, "then he'd make sure you'd suffer until your last breath." The crowd gasped. She swept her finger from left to right, across the human delegation. "He'd make sure that no human would ever enjoy the comforts and luxuries you enjoy now. Yep. He'd make your species so dour and serious, pffft…who wants that?"
Aria smiled, and her voice sounded warm and inviting. "It would be such a terrible tragedy. You know why? Because I like the way your species is right now. Unlike the cattle of his empire, you actually know how to have fun, how to express yourselves." She put her hand to her chest. "And it would be my honor to help preserve that any way I can."
She swept her gaze across the human delegation, and they were murmuring amongst themselves, their postures tense, their voices frantic. A few were looking at Aria with hope and admiration in their eyes, as if they were falling under the Arch Reaver's spell.
And a sickening sensation swept through her insides.
You're not buying into her performance are you? She frowned. Her body tensed, and she ground her teeth. She moved and was about to stand up and call out Aria on her dishonesty, on her manipulative tactics.
But then Zhoru grabbed her arm and pulled her back into her seat. "Don't."
"As difficult as this may be to watch," Zhoru said, keeping his voice quiet, "do not make the mistake of allowing her to see you emotional."
"Monsters like her thrive on conflict and chaos," Rael added. "For now, it is best we leave her be. In the short term, her interests align with ours."
"But in the long term?" she asked.
"That," Zhoru said, "will be a problem for our people to solve later."
"Ah, but anyways," Aria continued, "let's not just hear what I have to say." Smiling, she gestured toward Lord Leontus. "Allow me to introduce you to an old champion of the Old Republic, somebody who survived the Ascendant's purge — first hand!"
As Aria went back to her seat, Lord Leontus stood up, and then took the stage. Clasping his hands behind his back, he scanned the human delegation with such a cold, analytical gaze.
"People of the Sol Alliance," he began, his voice calm but edged with iron-hard authority, "it is an honor to finally meet my kind's primogenitors, to stand upon the very world from which we truly originate. Like the Prime Speaker, I took the liberty of studying your history, your ways before arriving here, and I must say…your civilization as it stands now shares a frighteningly uncanny resemblance to the Republic I once knew and loved, to the home the Ascendant drowned in blood and fire."
Lord Leontus sighed. From his eyes, she could tell the man had endured centuries of unimaginable horror. "It is comforting to know that at least one other bastion of democracy and liberty still holds strong in this galaxy. Rest assured that it is one I will not allow the Ascendant to twist and corrupt. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Asari's cousins do not fall to the same fate, to the same…" Leontus scowled. "…horror the Ascendant wrought upon my people! To the billions of men, women, and children he butchered all in the name of his accursed dream!"
A heavy silence fell. She smiled. Leontus spoke those words with white-hot rage, with unshakable conviction and unbreakable resolve. Now here's an ally we can trust.
"Rest assured that the Free Colonies Alliance stands with you and the Veil Republic," Leontus said. "But if we hope to stand any chance of survival, we must sort out a solution as to how we will use the Armory amongst ourselves. We can not afford to allow it to jeopardize this Alliance."
"Agreed," Urdnot Wrex said. Filtered through a translator, the Krogan's voice was deep and robotic, but carried a sharp, regal edge. Everyone looked at the Krogan as it stood up and addressed the audience. "My kind could have ruled the galaxy, but our lack of restraint, of foresight, led to our downfall."
The krogan input a slew of commands into its omni-tool. Once more, the sphere above hummed, then projected a holo-recording of a vicious battle aboard the bridge of a warship. She recognized it as the same footage Rael had shown her earlier, of the three justicars battling their way toward the Great Khan. "As mighty as we were — it is ultimately how the Ascendant saved the republic he once swore to protect. And it will be how we perish if we make the same mistake."
All around her, people were muttering amongst themselves, their voices frantic. Soon, they escalated into full-blown arguments, their voices dripping with acid and vitriol.
She rubbed her temples. No, no, no. This could not be happening. She looked at Nu'adu. Come on. Do something!
Without warning, Wrex roared.
Her pulse spiked and she nearly jumped out of her seat. Around her, everyone was staring at Wrex with wide-eyed awe and fear. Soon, her father was the first to stand up and speak.
"What do you have to gain by helping us?" her father asked. "Why are you here?"
Urdnot Wrex directed his alien gaze toward her father, and she broke into a cold sweat. She swallowed hard. Dad, what have you done?
"My domain has everything to gain, human," Wrex growled, clenching his clawed, three-fingered hands. "My people are assailed on all sides by countless enemies. And with allies and access to the Armory, I will undo the madness and discord my race has caused since our Great Rebellion. I will bring them order and progress and thrust them into a new age — one in which we are not beasts and savages, but sentinels for ideals greater than war and conquest for their own sake. Those have brought us only ruin! Only chaos!"
Once again, everyone went silent. Tension rippled through the chamber, and her heart pounded in her chest.
"And what ideals might that be?" Chancellor Nganu asked.
Wrex approached the Chanchellor and stopped a few feet away from him. "My race did not always have the reputation it has now, human. The Citadel Triarchy has rewritten much of galactic history, and they would kill you if you realized the truth behind why we rebelled."
Chancellor Nganu stood up and met the krogan's gaze head-on. She smirked at the sight and couldn't but respect the man more. Brave. Very brave.
"Go on," Nganu said. "Tell us the 'official' history."
"And then what really happened?" she called out. She stood up, then approached the krogan. "Something tells me it is a lot more complicated than we can imagine."
Urdnot Wrex snorted through his reptilian nostrils, then let out a rumbling croak. Wrex then input a series of commands into his omni-tool. "Indeed it is, human. It is hidden beneath layer upon layer of convenient falsehoods."
The metallic sphere above hummed, then projected an ancient holo-recording, depicting legions of krogan soldiers, clad in high-tech power armor marching along a grand bridge, during some kind of parade. Around them, crowds of thousands cheered — saluting and waving holo-banners displaying a golden sigil she'd never seen before.
"After we saved the galaxy from the Rachni," Wrex continued, "we were heroes." The hologram flickered, then showed krogan outside their armor, working as scientists, scholars, diplomats, and more. "We had been thrust from an age of madness and discord, into one of progress, into one in which we were supposed to become an honored and respected member species of the First Federation."
The hologram flickered again and showed an armored krogan shaking hands with an asari politician. Around them were bustling, cheering crowds of all species.
"But then what happened?" she asked. "When did everything go wrong?"
Wrex chattered his pointed teeth, then let out a reptilian hiss. "Our uplifters promised us everything. But their promises were nothing but lies!"
The hologram flickered, then showed various holo-feeds of thriving krogan colonies, of krogan soldiers in combat against swarms of insectoid abominations. "For two centuries, we did everything they asked of us. We were patient. But soon we discovered the truth behind their endless excuses, thier endless pleas for more time."
The hologram transitioned to another feed of some kind of lab facility with pearlescent white walls. Within it, salarian scientists were bustling about, working at haptic displays positioned near rows of glowing green vats filled with krogan embryos. Without warning, one of them twitched and spasmed before going still.
"All along…" Wrex continued, "they had been plotting our doom with bioweapons designed to cripple our population growth, and to make us obedient and subservient to their whims."
Urdnot Ghor stood up and joined the stage. "All because they were jealous and afraid! Because they could not accept a young race like ours as their equals!"
The hologram shifted and morphed, displaying several holo-feeds that depicted apocalyptic destruction, entire worlds aflame with the inferno of war.
As they played, the entire chamber went silent. And a part of her couldn't help but feel the same sting of betrayal the krogan must have gone through. She exhaled. No wonder you rebelled. All that promise. All that potential…wasted.
"Officially," Wrex said. "We rebelled because we could not control our monstrous nature."
"But in reality," she said, looking at Nu'adu. Did he know about all of this? "I'm betting it's all because of the egos of a few people at the top."
Looking at the ground, Nu'adu sighed, then met Wrex's gaze. "Yes…in hindsight, the Krogan Rebellions could have all been avoided." Nu'adu's jaw tensed, his eyes reflecting embers of sorrow and regret. "Maybe then the Ascendant wouldn't had started the civil war. Maybe then the galaxy would never be how it is now."
A solemn silence filled the room.
"So…" Nganu said, breaking the silence, "are you telling me that your goal is give your race the future this betrayal robbed you of?"
"And to work with us as equals?" she asked.
"Precisely," Wrex said. He let out a rumbling hum. "Unfortunately, my domain is the only one that still believes such a future is possible. And my greatest rivals — the Weyrloc Dynasty and the Red Horde — have done much to poison our reputation."
"To other krogan," Ghor elaborated, "we are too civilized, too soft, still clinging to the past…"
Another heavy silence filled the room. But soon, the quarian delegation began murmuring among themselves. She looked at Rael. "Hey, what's going on?"
Rael pointed at the Prime Speaker. "Watch."
"In light of this information," the Prime Speaker said, "the Veil Republic is prepared to give humanity several guarantees." The Prime Speaker cleared his throat. "First, we will shoulder the responsibility of uplifting your kind our technological level. And second, we will recognize you as respected equals and partners in whatever decisions we will have to make."
"And what exactly will hold you accountable?" Nganu asked.
The Prime Speaker laughed. "Why, our other partners in this Alliance of course — mainly the Justicar Order." The Prime Speaker looked at Nu'adu.
"That is a fantastic idea," Nu'adu said. "I propose my order act as the mediary body for all decisions we must collectively make in the future — especially ones concerning the Armory."
Nganu gripped his chin. "Absolutely. All the knowledge within it needs to be shared equally."
"And what of the weapons within?" Wrex asked. "We must exercise restraint. Otherwise, the galaxy will burn."
"Agreed," the Prime Speaker said, clasping his hands behind his back.
"What if we only use weapons from it, only if we all agree that it is necessary?" she proposed. "Any one of us would have the power to veto the decision. And as Nu'adu suggested, the Justicar order could act as the mediary body and always maintain the balance of power between us."
Everyone began muttering amongst themselves. But soon enough, the chatter died down.
"Now, that could work," Nganu said.
"I agree," Nu'adu said. Briefly, the Grandmaster swept his gaze across all the delegates, as though trying to gauge how they were feeling. "It is settled then. I suggest we bring the decision to solidify our Alliance to a vote and sort out the details of our founding treaty in future meetings and remote correspondences. If anyone has any objections, please voice them now."
Nu'adu paused, sweeping his gaze all around. When nobody spoke up, he let out a relieved sigh, then input a series of commands into his omni-tool. The hologram winked out, and its place was a holo-screen tallying votes in favor of Nu'adu's suggestion and votes against it. "Very well. Let us make our votes now."
Suddenly, a haptic display popped up before her, coming from her grav chair. Without hesitation, she voted in favor of solidifying the Alliance, and she waited with bated breath, watching the tally change.
She closed her eyes. Come on…Come on. Her heart thrashed. Every second seemed to drag on and on. But eventually, she opened her eyes and looked at the final result.
243 in favor, and only 12 against.
The room erupted into applause. Countless representatives stood, shook hands, or patted each on the back. However, a few remained in their seats, sulking, or whispering amongst themselves. Briefly, she glanced at Rael, and then at Zhoru. And both seemed relieved.
"Finally," Rael said, sinking into his grav chair.
"Both our species," Zhoru said, "will never forget this historic day."
Smiling, Nu'adu stepped up to the center of the stage, and everyone looked at him. "Ladies and gentlemen, today has been a great honor. We still have many challenges to face, but eons from now may our ancestors mark this day as not just the beginning of a new era, but also the day we chose to stand together against the tyranny of the Citadel Triarchy, to finally change this dark and tumultuous galaxy for the better." Nu'adu raised his fist. "Long live the Commonwealth!"
She mirrored Nu'adu's gesture, along with countless others. "Long live the Commonwealth!"