Chapter 28
"Ah Ambassador, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Admiral Steven Hackett of the Alliance Navy." Hackett said to the imposing but beautiful blue woman.
"Admiral Hackett, the pleasure is mine. Your world is beautiful and your people have been nothing but friendly and accommodating." she said.
"I'm pleased to hear that. If you'll follow me, I'd like to show you to your suite. I apologize for the temporary accommodations, our embassy building is still in the final stages of construction, so until it is finished next week, we have secured the penthouse suite at one of our finer hotels for you and your daughter." He said.
"No apologies necessary, it is my hope to spend as little time there as possible, there are so many sights to see here, and I'm sure my daughter would love to plunder the nearest museum." Benezia said, earning her a scoffed "Mother, don't." from her embarrassed daughter.
"Of Course. Ms. T'Soni I'd recommend the Smithsonian museum outside of Washington DC. Sadly much of it was destroyed in the war but everything that we've salvaged along with a plethora of new artifacts have been moved to a new facility outside the preserved ruins. There is even a new Prothean exhibit. Dr. Nolan there would be intrigued to speak with you, he was fascinated by your work on the Protheans." He said.
"Really? Most of my papers have been mocked, discarded as ridiculous." She said.
"Maybe by your people, but since we acquired access to it on Earth, many of our Paleontology students study your work specifically on Language and Culture. You are considered the foremost authority on the subject here." He said. Liara was conflicted on whether to be overwhelmed, embarrassed or crying for joy that her life's work had finally found a sympathetic audience. She settled for politely saying thank you and blushing an attractive shade of purple. At this they arrived at the suite.
"This will be where you stay. One of my staff will be by soon with identification badges that will get you access to all civilian locations and many of our military installations. Feel free to take in the sights, this is a beautiful time of year here. How many staff will be attending you?" He asked.
"Five of our commandos will be arriving within the hour, I assure you this is standard procedure with Asari ambassadors and not meant as a sleight to your security considerations." Benezia said.
"Not at all, just make sure they register their weapons with the main office so that our security patrols don't harass them. We fully expected an armed guard, for the duration of your stay we will consider this suite part of Asari sovereign space, and once completed that status will be transferred to your floor of the Embassy building." He said.
"Really? That's... very generous." She said.
"We take diplomacy very seriously, ambassador. If you don't feel safe, then we cannot know whether what you're agreeing to is genuine sentiment, or what you think we want to hear because you fear for your safety." He said.
"I very much appreciate that. I admit I was expecting a more hostile reception, given the disgraceful display our councilor put on." She said.
"If you had come here representing the council, you'd have received one." Hackett grinned.
"You were invited here as a representative of the Asari Republics and its people, and we have no reason to resent, dislike, or distrust you at this time." He explained.
"Very well then, if you'll excuse me I'd like to rest. I am an old woman and it has been a long trip." She said. Hackett grinned.
"On that I can sympathize, however I think you and I may have differing definitions of 'old'" he joked. Benezia laughed.
"Yes, that's definitely true. Good day Admiral." She said. He bowed slightly, and left the suite closing the door behind him. She gazed around the suite, astonished at the luxurious appearance. This looked like a Matriarch's vacation home on Thessia! There were multiple bathrooms, thankfully compatible with Asari Physiology, and an outdoor patio with a hot tub large enough to seat ten people. While she was amazed by the hotel, Liara sat in a corner reading a translated summary of the Egyptian culture, determined to charter passage to the arid place as soon as she was cleared to. It was utterly fascinating to her, even moreso than the Protheans, though obviously their civilization was much more limited than the Protheans.
An hour later, as predicted the commandos arrived fully armed and armored with confused expressions on their faces.
"Anea, is something wrong?" Benezia asked the commando squad leader.
"The Humans are either very stupid, or very trusting. We arrived fully armed and armored and when we handed them our weapons they refused them. They told us to keep them and to keep you safe, they only needed to register them." She reported.
"Admiral Hackett told me about that. He said that legally this room is Sovereign Asari territory until the Asari floor of the embassy building is completed, and as such he fully expected us to defend it." Benezia said. All the while two of the commandos were scanning the walls with their omnitools looking for surveillance and listening devices.
"That can't be." one of the commandos stated.
"Report." Anea said.
"There are absolutely no listening or surveillance devices planted. In fact it looks like the room has been recently upgraded with soundproofing and EM Shielding, which I would have insisted on installing if it weren't there." She reported.
"Trusting I guess, more than stupid." Anea reasoned.
"I think they learned a lot of hard lessons during their great war. Two hundred years ago, Humanity was a greedy, violent, mistrusting and jealous race. Ten years of nuclear fire and losing ninety percent of your population can either break you, or as it seems to have done in their place, force you to grow." Liara contributed.
"I truly hope that is the case, Little Wing. These humans represent either a bright prosperous future for the whole galaxy, or potentially its violent, bloody end." Benezia said.
The commandos did their thing setting up a comms uplink to Thessia, they sought and were happily granted permission to route a comm line through the EM shielding of the room, and a live link to the Asari capital was established. Benezia took the opportunity to rest, and before her head hit the pillow, Liara was down in the lobby arranging transport to the Smithsonian. Benezia smiled, thinking about her excitable daughter. She was so glad she'd bought those books on Prothean History for her back in Armali the day she dug up the park as a toddler. It was rare for an Asari to find their passion this early in life, and she was pleased her daughter would be able to enjoy it for almost a millennium.
After three hours of the most restful sleep she'd had in decades, she awoke to a soft knocking on the door to their suite. One of the commandos answered the door, and with Benezia's permission admitted Admiral Hackett into the room. Before being asked, he'd raised his arms up to allow the Asari to search him, which she did, and thanked him for being accommodating. He nodded and walked over to Benezia.
"Ambassador, I was wondering if you'd like a quick tour of Vancouver? There are a lot of things to do in this city. Your escort is of course more than welcome to join us." He said. She pondered this. Her primary goal as ambassador was to represent the Asari to the Alliance government, however she was also there to learn about these people and their motivations, and what better way to do so then to spend an evening with one of their most decorated military leaders?
"That would be lovely, please allow me a few moments to get ready." Benezia agreed.
"Of Course, I will wait for you in the lobby. I have already arranged transportation." He said.
Back on Rannoch, the human and Quarian delegation sat at a table in what was now going to be the Alliance embassy. The had toured the facility, and when they were shown the living accommodations the Geth apologized for how spartan they were, but the Quarians were overjoyed, for each to have their own room with a bed, a chair, a desk and a window looking out to the city was heaven to people who had grown up hot bunking on a cramped old derelict.
In the middle of a Geth presentation on the current defensive capabilities of Rannoch, Hannah Shepard excused herself, she had just received an urgent call on her omnitool.
"You're serious?" She said.
"Of course, Prime minister. They are asking for us to send a delegation to Tuchanka to discuss diplomatic relations. Well that's what I translated from the Krogan I spoke to laughing about you making Tevos wet herself." Xen said.
"That was totally Rothschild." She said defensively.
"Still, this could be another in a series of massive coups against the Council. Plus we've mostly completed a cure to the Genophage, all we need at this point are new Krogan tissue samples, a few test subjects and a month or so to run clinical trials. We definitely have something to offer them." Xen said.
"What do you think?" Shepard asked.
"Pardon?" Xen asked.
"What's your opinion. On the Krogan, and whether now is a good time to reach out." Shepard said.
"I'm a scientist, and an Admiral, Prime Minister, I'm an authority on neither diplomacy nor the Krogan." Xen said.
"I'm not asking for a detailed cost/benefit analysis, Xen I'm asking for the opinion of a friend." Shepard said.
"Oh.. Right. Um. I think it would be worth it. Even if all we can do is convince them to not help the council, which wouldn't take much, it would help immensely." Xen said.
"Ok, I'll ask David if we can run over to Tuchanka. You think our stealth systems can get through the DMZ undetected?" Shepard asked.
"Our stealth technology brought you twenty million kilometers from the Citadel undetected." Xen reminded her.
"Oh yeah.. That it did. Thanks, Admiral. Shepard out." She said as she disconnected the call. Xen sat back on her chair and pondered. She had always been respected for her brilliance both in the laboratory and on the battlefield, but she always felt out of sorts amongst her own kind. Eccentric is the polite way they used to describe her. Now she was in all but name and blood sister to a human Admiral, and the Prime Minister just referred to her as friend. It was an unfamiliar feeling to her, but she liked it.
"Admiral Noran, do you think you can take things from here? An opportunity has come up that we cannot ignore, one that would benefit both the Alliance and the Geth immensely." Hannah said as she returned to the room.
"Of course, but if I may be so bold, may I inquire as to what this opportunity is?" She asked.
"The Krogan have requested we send a representative to open talks. I figured I'd crash that party myself." She said
"Keelah you don't half-do things do you?" Tigan asked, smiling and shaking her head in disbelief.
"Geth, are you at all interested in sending a Platform along to join us in meeting the Krogan?" Shepard asked Herald.
"We apologize, Shepard Prime Minister, we cannot come to a consensus on that at this time." Herald repsonded
"No problem at all, perhaps if they prove their sincerity with us coming to that consensus might be easier." Shepard responded.
"Prime Minister, I would like to accompany you as well, if that is acceptable." Admiral Raan said.
"Shala you don't have to leave Rannoch right away, stay and enjoy your homeworld." Shepard said.
"Forgive me, Hannah, but while I deeply love Rannoch and will always consider it a second home, my homeworld is Earth, and you will need a Quarian representative in your meeting with the Krogan as well." Raan said.
"Very well, I'd be happy to have you join us. Captain Anderson, at your earliest convenience we make for Tuchanka." Shepard
"Yes, Prime Minister." Anderson said, excusing himself and collecting Raan on his way walked to the Normandy holding her hand.
"Ugh, let's go explore Tali, they're probably gonna be 'prepping the hell out of the ship' for a few hours before we're ready to leave." Jane said, earning an elbow in each side one from Tali the other from her mother.