Chapter 47
Back on Rannoch, Miranda and Oriana were finally starting to feel safe. Their routine now included classes and exercise, Miranda was doing a considerable amount of advisory work for the Alliance, and her superiors were not being very subtle about their intention to recruit her after her schooling is done. With her genetic engineering, basic training would not be a huge challenge, and being surrounded by armed soldiers 24/7 would keep her safer than almost anything she could think of. The downside of course, was Oriana. If she left to join the navy who would be there to watch Oriana's back? Though she fought the inclination, she already knew that in Kookaburra's hands, Oriana was far safer than she could keep her.
Oriana was tackling her schooling like a woman possessed. Most nights Kookaburra had to carry her to her bedroom because she would fall asleep in her chair studying. She was trying to get her course work done as soon as possible, because the Alliance had offered her a new experimental neural bypass surgery that would potentially grant her limited mobility, but it would require a medically induced coma lasting at least a week, and several weeks of physical therapy after that would interfere with her schooling.
Oriana woke up and made her way to her restroom, she had become adept at maneuvering in the accessible space without much second thought, so she was able to take care of her morning rituals just as quickly as someone without her disability. After brushing her teeth she wheeled over to the window and looked outside, there like clockwork was a single geth and several Quarians and humans standing on the corner of their street practicing martial arts. After the Geth were observed learning capoeira from that platform, several of Rannoch's organic residents had approached it asking to join in on the training. The Geth programs had adapted the training almost instantaneously, however the training platform was pleased to remain and teach the organics the martial arts it had learned from Human and Quarian databases. This particular morning, Oriana saw a girl about her age with closely cropped hair wearing alliance-issued training sweats out practicing with everyone else. She hadn't noticed her there before and was eager to meet another person around her age. The girl moved with an unearthly grace, rivaling Miranda during her ballet recitals, Oriana wondered whether the girl was a dancer or a gymnast.
After breakfast she saw that the girlwas still out there exercising so having nothing else to do until her next online course, she decided to go out and introduce herself. She wheeled her way over to the periphery of the crowd and waited for the girl to finish her current set.
"Hello, I saw you over here, there aren't many people my age around here so I wanted to come over and say hi." Oriana said.
"Oh, um... Hello." the girl said.
"My name is Oriana Lawson, I live over there with my big sister Miranda." She said.
"Weird. We have the same last name. I'm Jack Lawson. Short for Jacqueline, just don't call me Jackie." She said, offering a tentative hand out, which Oriana happily shook.
"How long have you been here on Rannoch?" Oriana asked.
"A few months, but we just moved to this part of the city because the Geth discovered an underground cave beneath the area we were in and they were worried about it collapsing." The girl said.
"Oh yeah I heard about that, they think there might be some old archaeological artifacts down there, I can't wait to see what they find. Do you go to school here, or take correspondence courses?" Oriana asked. Jack looked a little bashful at this.
"I um... I take remote classes. I missed a lot of early education, and I have to catch up on a lot of things." Jack said. Oriana clearly saw this was a sore spot and decided not to prod further.
"Cool. Same here, remote and correspondence stuff. What kind of music do you listen to?" Oriana asked. This brought a smile to Jack's face.
"I'll tell you but you can't laugh." She said.
"Of course." Oriana said.
"Quarian jazz. I know to us it sounds like a lot of disorganized noise but I just lose myself listening to it." Jack said.
"I've never heard any Quarian Jazz." Oriana said.
"Oh! You'll have to come over some time, my guardians got me a small library from the old fleet's archives! I mean, uh. If you'd like to." Jack said.
"That'd be great! Oh shoot. Is my chair going to be a problem?" Oriana asked.
"Nah we're all on the bottom floor, they set up a bunch of nice prefabs for all the people who were evacuated from that part of town, and my guardians are clean freaks so there isn't a lot of clutter to dodge." She said.
"Great! You busy now?" Oriana asked.
"Nope! Let's go!" Jack said, gesturing for her to follow. Oriana sent a quick message to Miranda and followed her.
Meanwhile in the Lab Miranda had set up in the basement below their dwelling, she was pouring through some new medical journals she'd received from Allliance intelligence. The theories she was reading through were revolutionary but there were some gaping holes in their thinking that she was struggling to justify logically. They were attempting to find a way to boost Human and Quarian cell regeneration using information they'd learned during the genophage cure project, however the methodology they were considering putting into trial was indiscriminate, not only would injured cells be repaired faster they'd also live, grow and die faster resulting in a dramatic decrease in human lifespan.
Her omnitool lit up, and she smiled at the message. It was good to see that Oriana might have made a friend. When she read the girl's last name alarm bells went off in her head. Lawson wasn't an unheard of name, but it was uncommon enough to merit her caution. Thankfully she now had friends in high places so a little snooping would be well within her means. She sent a quick message to Colonel Hastings, with whom she'd kept an ongoing dialog since their exodus from Australia, and went back to work. Not twenty minutes passed before she received a video call on her omnitool from Hastings.
"Colonel Hastings, sir. How are you this afternoon?" Miranda asked.
"Not too bad Ms. Lawson. I'm calling about Oriana's new friend, Jack. I'm actually in on her case as well. Without hers and her guardian's permission I cannot divulge any information about her case, nor would I tell them about yours but what I can assure you is that Jack and her guardians are safe and trustworthy. I placed her with an old friend, Captain Bailey, whom you should consider an emergency contact if something happens and Kookaburra isn't available." Hastings said.
"I appreciate your consideration for their privacy, and I'm happy that you consider them safe, but you must know I couldn't possibly leave this alone knowing so little." Miranda said.
"I'd be disappointed if you did, all I ask is that you simply ask them, be polite, open and truthful. Armando Bailey, concerned for the safety of someone whom he considers a daughter is a dangerous and terrifying thing indeed." Hastings cautioned.
"Understood. Thanks for the heads up." Miranda said.
"Not at all. How are you and Oriana acclimating?" Hastings asked.
"Well enough. Sometimes I'm worried I spend too much time down here, but then I go upstairs to check on Oriana and she's locked in her room studying, or asleep in her chair with three books open in front of her. I swear, Colonel, that girl is smarter and more driven than I am." Miranda said.
"She's had a good mentor. I need to get to a meeting, but as always if you need anything let me know. And keep me up to date on how things go with Oriana and Jack." He said, before signing off.
Back in the Normandy, Shepard was sitting up in bed next to her sleeping girlfriend, reading intel reports from Alliance HQ. Her participation in the rite and acceptance of her new status and name had been the driving force in Wrex, Bakara and Uvenk officially requesting membership in the Alliance. Humanity, The Quarians, Rothschild and the Geth had gone above and beyond in proving themselves to the Krogan, and unlike the Salarians during the Rachni wars, the Alliance hadn't given them a bunch of shiny ships and weapons and pointed them at an enemy they were too weak to kill, they showed up to cure the genophage and expected nothing in return because it was the right thing to do. Righteous cause was something the Krogan admired greatly and they saw a good future alongside their new brothers and sisters.
The Alliance had been overjoyed and accepted immediately. Rothschild cackled with glee as the last documents were signed and the Krogan were officially welcomed into the Alliance during a ceremony which he went out of his way to ensure was broadcast all over the Citadel. Originally they'd thought to keep it secret, but with the growing likelihood of war with the Batarians, knowing that Krogan Shock troops would now be serving aboard Alliance vessels might make them think twice. After the documents were signed, drinks were had and the feast had concluded, Prime Minister Shepard invited the Quarian Admiralty, one of the Geth platforms who was happy to represent the consensus, Rothschild and Wrex, Bakara and Uvenk up to her office for what she described as "a vital briefing." They all sat at a circular table surrounding a holo-emitter, and one of Shepard's staff members handed out drinks to anyone that asked for them.
"As I'm sure you're all aware, that was broadcast out to the entire galaxy. There were specific reasons for that, but the one that I brought you all down here was one of the most important. Rothschild, the stage is yours." Shepard said, grinning.
"Ladies, Gentlemen and none/all of the above, Our first meeting with the council was as I'm sure you can remember, less than amicable. Because of this, we felt it prudent to set up some... surveillance. Specifically in the councilor's offices, their meeting room and the grand hall." Rothschild explained. Everyone could see where this was going.
"Without any further adieu, I'd like to present to you for tonight's entertainment: The citadel Council!" He said, then activated the holo display. Three separate projections appeared, one of each of the Councilor's faces while they watched the ceremony from a few minutes ago. Tevos flew into a rage and began throwing the items on her desk around, Spartaus had his head in his hands and was muttering "spirits." over and over again, and Valern was simply sitting there staring vacantly at his screen.
"Schadenfreude aside, there is a specific reason I wished to bring their reactions to your attention. Tevos losing her mind and Spartaus' quiet panic are both expected, but look at Valern. We can't get a read on him at all. In fact we have hours and hours of footage of Valern in his office just staring into the middle distance." Shepard said.
"That's odd, Salarians are wired for constant activity. Even as they age they're always on the move." Admiral Zorah said.
"Strangely, after hours of sitting there doing nothing, he'll come out later at meetings with hundreds of proposals and agenda items for their meetings." Shepard.
"Also, the bastard will disappear completely off the grid every day for an hour at a time. Neither my sensor net nor the ones I've been able to hack on the citadel can tell where he goes or what he does. He'll just dissolve from existence sitting in his chair then reappear an hour later walking in the presidium or heading up to the council chambers." Rothschild chimed in.
"He's compromised... but by whom?" Bakara asked.
"We're investigating that but in the meantime we need all available eyes on the citadel to watch for changes. We have friendly relations with both the Asari and Turians, and are making headway with the Drell and Volus. The Elcor are already asking for an embassy on Earth. We have absolutely no diplomatic communication with the Salarians though, and all attempts have been rebuffed." Shepard said.
"Why are you telling us all of this?" Uvenk asked.
"You are part of the alliance now. Not only are you going to be kept in the loop on potential threats, but we want your input as well. Our decisions will affect all of us, so all of us must have a say. Besides, Salarian space borders with the space around Tuchanka and it's sister systems." Shepard said.
"If they want to try anything on Tuchanka they're welcome to try." Wrex said, grinning.
"The last time they tried something on Tuchanka, we got the Genophage, Wrex." Bakara chided him.
"You didn't have us last time. Make no mistake, an attack on Tuchanka is the same as an attack on Rannoch or Earth. Swift, vicious, unspeakably brutal violence awaits any who would dare to strike out against the Alliance." Shepard said vehemently.
"Keelah I forgot how scary you can be." Raan said, grinning. Shepard smiled.
"Sorry, but nobody fucks with our family." Shepard said.
"Prime Minister Shepard, if I may.." Uvenk started.
"Call me Hannah, or just Shepard, Uvenk. Everyone in this room is a head of state, we are all equals, I'll not accept formality from any of you." She said.
"Hannah, then. While no official announcement has been made, the Council no doubt knows that the genophage is no longer in effect. This will definitely provoke a response, what can we do to assist you in preparing a defense against that response?" Uvenk asked.
"We have a few ideas about that. Rothschild and our research division have come up with these." Hannah said reaching into a drawer and withdrawing a small black cube and placing it on her desk. She entered a few commands into her omnitool and it hovered in the air, physically morphing into a sphere. As it changed shape a faint orange glow could be seen coming from within it.
"This we're calling nano-shield. This object is made up of millions of tiny cooperating nanobots, and it can transform into a number of different tools. In the vacuum of space, it can detect radio emissions, heat, and in the case of very large ships like the Destiny Ascension or the Mayhem, gravitational distortions from up to a kilometer away. In an atmosphere it can detect chemicals, viruses, bacteria of specific designations from a hundred meters away. Apparently they can also play music." Hannah said, and after prodding her omnitool it started playing 'Baby got Back' by Sir Mix-a-lot. Rothschild burst out laughing.
"Thanks for that, Rothschild. Your constant professionalism is an inspiration to us all." Shepard said, rolling her eyes.
"So anyway, the idea is we can manufacture millions or if needed billions of these, and deploy them on and in orbit around Tuchanka. Program them to react to all known strains of the genophage, and report any and all space traffic around Tuchanka. This is just a development model though, when creating the real ones we'll want some of your scientists around to assist and supervise." Shepard said.
"Supervise?" Wrex asked.
"We're allies, Wrex but I don't expect your people to trust us fully just yet. The easiest way to gain trust is to act trustworthy. We want your people there to observe and advocate for the Krogan." Shepard said.
"Oh. Thank you." Wrex said. These Humans always managed to assuage his fears before they have a chance to manifest.
"Ok, so we talked about the Salarian councilor, and our precautions against a second genophage, did anyone else have anything to discuss?" Shepard asked, and as if to answer a knock could be heard at the door.
"What is it, Lieutenant Matheson, we're just getting ready to adjourn." Shepard asked her assistant as he poked his head in.
"Ambassador Vakarian is here, he said it's urgent and when I told him you were meeting he said it involved all of you." Matheson said.
"Ok, any objections?" She asked those in attendance. When none objected, Vakarian was escorted in.
"Ambassador Vakarian, it's a pleasure to see you again. To what to we owe the pleasure?" shepard asked.
"I have come with... unsettling news. From the Primarch himself. He's been searching for an opportunity to make this known, however recent events have made expediency more important than propriety." Vakarian said.
"Ok, please have a seat." Shepard said. Castis nodded his thanks and sat.
"During the Krogan rebellions, the Council leaned heavily on my people to fight against the Krogan. We were losing as often as we were winning, so our ancestors resorted to unsavory tactics in an attempt to secure a win. A month before the genophage was unleashed, a covert ops team from Palaven was deployed to Tuchanka in the Kelphic valley and installed a bomb. It uses crude antimatter technology that the Salarians were never able to stabilize, they couldn't generate energy with it, but it was an effective explosive. The warhead on Tuchanka is capable of breaching the crust and literally breaking the planet in half." Castis said. He was preparing mentally to be literally torn apart by the Krogan and was shocked to see that nobody in the room appeared surprised in the slightest.
"Well I was wondering when you guys were going to bring that up." Wrex said smirking.
"Excuse me?" Castis said.
"We found that bomb of yours months ago, when we were preparing for our initial meeting with the Humans. They helped us defuse and excavate it. It went off about three light years outsdie the borders of the system. In a few years it'll provide a hell of a light show!" Wrex said grinning.
"I see." Castis said, getting to his feet. He walked over to the Krogans and fell to his knees.
"I wasn't alive to make that decision, and I would have opposed it viciously if I had been, but that doesn't change the fact that my people attempted to render yours extinct. I cannot atone for actions I wasn't alive to stop, but I offer my life in recompense for this insult." Castis said, bowing his head.
"I know we said we're an alliance and that we share in the decisions, but this did not involve my people nor the Geth, Quarians or Rothschild. We will not interfere with your actions here." Shepard said to Wrex, pleading internally for him to spare the Ambassador. Wrex looked to his left, than his right, and got the nods he expected, then rose to his feet.
"On your feet, Turian." Wrex said. Castis stood, his back straight, looking directly into Wrex's eyes. Wrex glared at him, and was impressed that he didn't flinch.
"I was an old man when you were born, Turian. I've watched my race nearly lose itself to rage and hate. A thousand years ago if we were here and in this situation, I'd rip your arm off and beat you to death with it, and that kind of thinking is precisely what keeps bringing our people down. You're a good man, Vakarian, better than your ancestors, you walked in here looked us dead in the eye and admitted their mistake fully expecting us to want your blood. Perhaps there is a chance for your people after all." Wrex said
"I concur." Said Uvenk.
"As do I. We are not blameless in that conflict by a long shot, and we are grateful for your courage and your Primarch's willingness to make amends." Bakara said. Castis stood there looking shocked.
"I.. Thank you for your leniency." He said, bowing to the group and taking his leave. A chill went down his spine when he realized that when he got home he would have to explain to his wife that he'd all but served himself up on a platter to the Krogan.
"Spirits I wish they did kill me..." He said.