Omega Nebula, Sahrabarik System
Omega, Carrd District, Outside of Ish's apartment
1804 Local Time, July 10th, 2185 Gregorian Calendar
Aria was no stranger to interrogations or torture. She herself partook in sessions of carefully administered pain on many occasions, usually as an observer, but she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Both figuratively and literally. Which was why she waited patiently for the screams and wails of agony coming from inside Ish's apartment to subside. Leaning with her back against the wall, just out of sight of the watchful carvin operatives, she was quite certain that they had detected her. If not thanks to the sophisticated VI software that was running rampant through her surveillance network just a few hours ago, then by their strong sense of smell.
Still they did not react, which she understood as them being indifferent to her presence so far. From the sound alone she suspected that there were two carvins guarding the door, with the rest likely inside the apartment and responsible for Ish's continued suffering. Neighbors in the immediate vicinity were already leaving the area in order to escape the unpleasant noises, with one mother of two covering the ears of her children as they left.
The screams lasted for a few more minutes before the area quietened down again. Those few locals who stayed in their apartments cautiously peaked through their doors to check if the terrible spectacle was well and truly over, but, after noticing either Aria or the carvins still standing guard at the door, they quickly slipped back inside. Aria, however, had no such reservations and, taking the continuing silence as a sign that the carvins were finishing up, she stood up and began walking towards the entrance to Ish's apartment.
She didn't have to wait long for a reaction. The moment her foot stepped behind the corner both carvin soldiers perked up and shifted their gaze towards her. Their fingers quickly slipped onto the triggers of their rifles, a motion that most likely would have gone completely unnoticed for an untrained observer. Other than that they maintained their postures.
Aria took a good look at both of them, since she didn't get to make more detailed observations during the stand-off. The carvin on the left, one closer to her, carried the same rifle as their commander, suggesting it to be the a standard issue weapon. But he also carried a sizable backpack, with one of its contents being a large tube-shaped device - likely some sort of missile launcher. Aside from that, ample amount of grenades and other portable explosives pointed at him being a demolitions expert.
The one on the left was different. His armor and visor were both much more advanced than those of the other carvins. And his head was not moving an inch as Aria approached, yet he was undoubtedly studying her every move, like a predator whose territory was being encroached on by a rival. The weapon he carried was also different. Longer and more sleek than the standard issue rifles the rest of their team was issued, with a magnifying scope mounted on the upper rail, all those features clearly identified him as a designated marksman. Aria had learned to quickly spot these things, not just thanks to her commando training but also decades of experiences with mercenaries, assassins, PMCs and similar.
"Cease movement at once." The explosives expert said with a monotonous, almost robotic voice, raising his weapon and pointing it at her head.
Aria did not stop, though she did slow down, carefully probing the carvins' reaction with every step. She knew that direct energy weapons were unaffected by mass effect barriers, and so a single well placed shot from the alien weapons could be deadly. But she had seen that the disdain and callousness the carvins were usually conducting themselves with when interacting with aliens was either absent or greatly toned down when they faced her specifically. Judging by the few individuals she had managed to meet in the past, Aria guessed that at least the carvin military was staffed with orderly individuals, ones that were willing to follow directives and instructions no matter how unpleasant. It appeared to her that some aliens were deemed 'untouchable' by the carvin higher-ups, and she was eager to test that theory.
The carvins meanwhile shifted their positions. The marksman took a few steps back and positioned himself in the middle of the corridor, overlooking its entire length, while his friend blocked the door with his body. Both of their weapons did not even flinch a bit, being firmly pointed at her, and at that range it was unlikely they would miss if things got heated.
"I'm not going around telling you what to do in your own living room." Aria spoke softly to the carvin at the door, but still putting as much authority as the tone allowed her. "So please kindly try and reciprocate the-"
She didn't get to finish the sentence when the air below her chin suddenly erupted into a white superheated beam, emitting a blinding light for a split second. Then the beam dissipated almost as quickly as it had appeared and a wave of heat hit her neck and face. A smell of ozone filled the air, making the polluted suffocating air of Omega somehow even harder to stand.
Aria stopped but did not twitch. Centuries of well trained body discipline prevented her from recoiling violently backwards. The imprints on her eyeballs from the sudden burst of light did not yet go away and so she blinked several times to hasten the process. Once she could see relatively clearly, she shifted her gaze towards the marksman, who was most obviously responsible for the shot.
"You missed." She said, not hiding her annoyance and disappointment.
"Negative." Came a bland and robotic reply.
And sure enough a high-pitched squeaking sound came from the direction she arrived from. Aria looked to identify the source and noticed the upper half of a batarian peaking around the corner with a black scorched spot right below his neck. His body was limply leaning against the wall and was now slowly sliding onto the floor, emitting the noise in question.
"Impressive." Aria remarked, trying to sound as genuine as possible. "But now that we are all alone, and seeing that you have evidently achieved your objectives, I'm going to speak with your boss about... any future operations."
"Negative. Stay back." This time it was the carvin at the door that gave the reply.
"I wasn't asking." Aria said and it was looking increasingly likely that another stand-off was about to take place.
But before it even had a chance to develop into that, the door to Ish's apartment slid open with a hiss and a massive silhouette emerged from the inside. It was the large carvin she had seen before, far larger than all of the observed specimens, at least to her knowledge. A faint purple hue emanated from the his body, and Aria immediately felt the familiar tingling of biotics. What was striking was also the fact that, at least according to available knowledge, carvins themselves could not attain biotic abilities. Not naturally at least, which would explain why the individual before her was so abnormally big and had so many visible cybernetic augmentations.
The gigantic brute had to lower his head to pass through the doorway and once he was outside he eyed the entire situation before uttering a single word "Status."
Both of the other carvins relaxed slightly, which hadn't gone unnoticed by Aria. It seemed that the presence of this particular member provided them with enough sense of safety to permit such behavior, and it wasn't hard to see why. Aria watched the showdown at the docks through one of the surveillance cameras and couldn't help but be impressed.
The smaller carvins said something to the brute in a language or dialect that her translator couldn't recognize. The only word it managed to catch was 'asari', which made it clear that they were talking about her. Aria watched as the biotic giant listened in silence before turning his gaze towards her. He gently but firmly pushed aside the man guarding the door and looked down at her, his three long outer jaws just a few inches from her face, twitching and clicking. His eyes hidden behind a fully enclosed visor were somehow even more hollow and soulless than those of the other carvins.
"Small... soft... squishy..." He said, pausing for at least a few seconds after every word.
For a reason unclear to her, Aria felt annoyed. It wasn't the first time that someone had underestimated her, and it usually filled her with satisfaction that she managed to deceive the other party about her true capabilities. But hearing these precise words just didn't sit well with her. It felt as if she was being insulted at a personal and physical level... and then it hit her.
I swear, if he's talking about my tits, I WILL throw him against the wall. Diplomatic fallout be damned. She thought, not letting her eyes off the carvin.
"Safe... let through." The brute finally turned away and looked at his colleagues, who understandably weren't as convinced. There was a few seconds of silence before the carvin at the door stepped aside.
"Well would you look at that. It seems that you can actually behave properly." Aria smirked, eliciting growls of annoyance from the two smaller carvins.
She was about to open the door to Ish's apartment when a large metal hand grabbed her by the shoulder. The cold hard fingers immediately secured hold around her upper arm, ensuring that she didn't escape. The biotic brute once again stared her down, but this time she could see a peculiar fury behind the visor. A rage that wasn't there before.
"You touch the Captain... I will kill you." He clicked and hissed, his outer set of jaws almost brushing against her face.
"Noted." Aria calmly replied and wrestled her arm out of the carvin's grasp before opening the door and walking in.
Somehow the first thing she noticed was the smell - one of salarian blood. Only a split second later did her eyes absorb the gruesome scene inside the apartment. Ish, or... what was left of him, was lying on the table, with his own viscera splattered around in a fleshy mess. Due to his body being extensively covered in green blood it was hard to determine what was still there and what was missing.
His left hand was surrounded by a flickering orange light of his omni-tool and next to it lay a small portable computer. Both were currently being attended to by a carvin who was currently browsing and siphoning the data from the devices into his own omni-tool. The carvin's fingers were only slightly stained by blood and showed no visible signs of being wiped, which supported the idea that it wasn't he who inflicted these wounds upon the salarian.
And finally, gazing through an open kitchen window and leaning on the countertop, stood the fifth and final carvin. The ever reddish light of Omega, that made it seem like there was always a perpetual dusk around the station, now illuminated him and bounced off his shiny armor. He held his right hand close to his jaws, although for what purpose she couldn't surmise at this angle. Curiously, on top of the countertop, was what looked like parts of a carvin helmet or visor.
It was only then that she realized the leader of the carvins was the only unmasked member of the team, although he was facing away from her at the moment.
"Quite a mess." Aria said, subconsciously taking note of the fact that the giant carvin brute followed her inside and closed the door behind them.
No response. In fact it seemed to her that the carvins did not even acknowledge her presence, with the tech expert still glued to his omni-tool, and the leader still looking out the window. Only after a short moment did the latter move. His arm moved away from his 'face' and Aria noticed a small cylindrical object in his fingers from which a faint string of smoke was emanating - a cigarette.
"Weak softskin trash." He growled angrily, smashing the butt of the cigarette against the countertop before throwing it out the window. A few small droplets of greenish blood stained the spot he had just hit.
Softskin, huh? That has to be a first. Aria remarked and the carvin slowly turned around to face her. "If something stronger is to your liking, I would recommend hallex. Easy enough to get on Omega and will likely knock you off your feet."
It immediately became clear that he was most responsible for Ish's current state. Blood and small slivers of flesh coated both of his arms, in some spots even up to the elbow. The front part of his armor was also stained, but the most striking were his jaws. Both the outer and inner set bore faint smudges of the greenish liquid, indicating that he had either wiped or licked off most of it.
"If you're a xeno, yes. But our neural blockers will flare up after less than a minute and your head will feel like bursting." He answered and walked across the room without even looking at her. "Nothing good in between that's easy to get your hands on."
Realizing that she wouldn't get anything out of him by going down that train of thought, Aria shifted her strategy. "If you truly had completed your objective, you would have already left by now." She paused for a moment, and judging by how the other carvins flinched ever so slightly, she was on the right track. "Yet you're still here. Which means that things did not go as planned."
The carvin with an opened omni-tool stopped what he was doing, and the large carvin behind her let out a low guttural growl. Both of them were becoming increasingly hostile and uneasy, but Aria just smiled, knowing that her position was largely secure. And sure enough, when the tech expert was reaching for his rifle that lay next to Ish's lifeless body, the 'Captain' raised his fist sharply, prompting both of his subordinates to back down.
"Perceptive... as expected." He hissed, with his tone clearly indicating that he wasn't pleased by her presence. "As for me, I cannot for the life of me perceive a single reason why you would come here. Other than to mock our failure that is."
"So I was correct, wasn't I?" Aria asked rhetorically.
The Captain walked up to Ish's corpse, eyed it with what must have been the carvin equivalent of absolute contempt and disgust, then spat on it. "I have no issue with admitting my failures. We were played. The Broker artificially pumped Ish's data traffic up with second-hand intel and made us look like fools." His fingers curled up into a tight fist, screeching horribly as metal ground against metal. "We're back to square one."
Now this was interesting. While she hadn't expected much respect for an alien from any of the carvins, this was something else. This wasn't just hatred - it was bitterness. Slowly but surely the pieces of the puzzle were coming together. The fact that the Captain was willing to disclose classified intel to her, despite the fact that he probably shouldn't have. The relentless drive to find Ish. The obvious cruelty of the interrogation...
"This wasn't a clean job. Just by looking at it you can tell that whoever had done Ish in was a vindictive sort." Aria surmised, and when her words did not elicit a reaction she added "You have a personal gripe with the Broker."
She had expected his teammates to once again start coming after her, but their reaction once again surprised her. There was no growling, no reaching for weapons, no cautious looks. Instead their eyes shifted towards their commander in an expression that was not obvious at first glance, since they were wearing helmets and visors. But for once there was not a shred of hostility. Did they not know?
"Was it really so obvious? What gave it away?" The Captain still stared down at the bloodied table and did not move. "My attitude? My torture methods?"
He looked up and began walking towards her. Every single one of his steps felt heavy and deliberate. He took his time until they were face to face. She was still shorter than him, but not by as much as with the biotic carvin.
"Or was it perhaps my eye?" He asked and his hand reached for his left eyeball before pulling on it. Without much resistance, the eyeball popped out, leaving the socket empty and hollow. "Judging by your reaction, it likely wasn't the latter."
Aria cursed herself for not noticing it sooner, but to be completely fair the implant was made to fit quite seamlessly into the general composition of the carvin's 'face'. Just more proof that their experience in this particular field was far greater than that of other species.
"When Shadow Broker betrayed the Empire on Tortuga and stole its property... they had my team murdered and almost made me join them. This eye is a painful reminder of my failure." He spoke slowly, lacing every single word with venom and bitterness. "Which is why I vowed to find the Shadow Broker... track them down... and kill them."
"Nice sentiment. Too bad it'll only get you so far." Aria replied, earning a glare of annoyance in return. "You've been in contact with the rest of the galaxy for what, little over a year? And it shows in how you act, especially in Terminus. You lash out, rashly, clumsily, and with a total disregard of how things work in here."
"So what? Is this the moment where you find some shred of benevolence in your heart and help us out?" The Captain snarled, his sarcasm and hostility not subtle at all.
"I don't do anything out of 'benevolence'." Aria said calmly. "So if you want anything from me, you better pay for it or make it worth the effort."
A low growl came from behind her, as she instinctively sensed the biotic brute just about bearing his teeth-laced jaws upon her head. The faint tickle of his breath brushed her scalp from behind, but she ignored it. It would take more than that to intimidate her. Thankfully a raised hand by his superior promptly made the uncomfortable sensation go away.
"Well... in this case we're not any worse off than we were a minute ago." The Captain shrugged dismissively. "You want to barter? Talk with the Frontier Command. I have nothing to offer you, even if I wanted to."
He then glanced over at his tech specialist and said something in that strange dialect that Aria's translator couldn't pick up. The subordinate deactivated his omni-tool and replied in the same unintelligible manner, although based on the larger context she suspected that whatever they found on Ish's electronics did not satisfy the expectations of their mission.
By now Aria noticed that all the carvins, save for the Captain, behaved and spoke in that uncanny, almost robotic manner. Why exactly that was she couldn't tell. Perhaps as SpecOps they were somehow psychologically conditioned, or their implants had side effects on their cognitive functions, or maybe it was simply mission protocol. After all they were just as alien to her as she and the wider galactic community was to them, and the deeper behavioral and cultural intricacies of the carvin society were all hidden under a thick (yet slowly receding) veil of isolationism.
The two carvins began collecting their belongings, and the Captain went to grab his helmet. He fastened it to his face and joined his subordinates in their hollow and soulless visages. They then made their way to the exit. But right as they passed her and were about to open the door, Aria spoke a single short word "Illium."
In an instant the sound of footsteps was silenced, and nobody in the room dared to move a muscle or a servo for a good while. Whatever sentiments the word uttered had created in their minds, the carvins were unwilling to share them for now, and it wasn't difficult to see why. After all, Aria had just told them that they would get nothing out of her for free. That did not however mean that she wasn't willing to be flexible with her interpretations to gain more out of this situation.
A quiet sound of mechanical ticking reached her ears, as the saw-bladed tails of at least two of the three carvins standing behind her started to slowly spin. No doubt it was the jumpy subordinates that were so prone to overreaction, but the first to speak was the Captain.
"Really? Just like that? No strings attached?" He asked with understandable suspicion. "Doesn't sound like the infamous Aria T'Loak. Especially after what you said mere moments ago."
"I stand by what I said." Aria answered and turned towards the carvins who still had their backs to her. "But I am also willing to share intel in exchange for what I suspect you're already likely to do."
"Which is?" The Captain inquired as all three carvins slowly moved their heads in unison to look at her.
"Leave Omega. And do not come back." She said, making it sound more like an order than an offer. "Your presence is bad for business as it is. And if you do come back uninvited... things may get unpleasant for both sides."
The Captain silently absorbed the meaning of her words and did not react. His comrades were slowly getting restless again but still once more he silenced them.
"You have no idea how happy I would be to oblige... to never have to step on board this cesspit of a station. But what you most definitely should know by now is that it is not my decision to make." He said. "And besides, a whole planet is quite some ground to cover. Not to mention so close to Citadel Space."
"An asari with a grudge against the Shadow Broker lives there, one that could help you with your search. Any additional information will cost you and your 'Empire' extra." Aria replied. She was so close to hooking them in, all they needed was a little nudge. "I should warn you, however. Sooner or later the Broker will find out about this conversation. He may be listening to it right now. So I suggest that your superiors make a decision quickly, otherwise you might lose your window. And the asari."
One did not have to exert themselves too much to see the growing anger seeping through the lifeless visor of the Captain. His jaws furiously clicked and gnawed at the air in front of him. He must have known that he was under extreme pressure to deliver results, both from his own drive for vengeance and most likely also the demands of his superiors, who would undoubtedly be disappointed by their lackluster findings on Omega. It was a situation that heavily favored Aria and she had every intention of capitalizing on it.
"If you lie..." He hissed. "Then it won't be me that you'll have to worry about. It will be Tivennia's wrath."
And with that he stormed out of the room, almost hitting Aria in the face with his tail. His subordinates promptly followed him and, once the sound of their footsteps died down, Aria was left alone in the apartment, with only Ish's mangled corpse to keep her company.
That encounter was... enlightening to say the least. For starters, it put the punitive raid on Tortuga into a valuable perspective and explained the motivations of the Captain for pursuing the Broker so ruthlessly - and why Ish ended up in the state he was in. It revealed that, despite their short contact with the galactic community, innovations and solutions present widely throughout the known galaxy (such as omni-tools, limited payments in credits, and most curiously biotics too) were being incorporated and disseminated within the Carvin Empire far quicker than it may have initially appeared. But it also showed something else.
No matter how many rigid protocols and restrictions they may have placed upon themselves for one reason or another, Carvin Empire was primarily focused on achieving its long or short term goals, and being as ruthless and determined as necessary to it. And it wasn't just due to the obviously vindictive attitude towards the hostile aliens, although it certainly played a part in shaping their disdain and distrust towards other species.
So while the carvin SpecOps and their superiors may have hated Aria and the order of things she supported, they had been willing to swallow their pride and set aside their prejudice to work with her in the past. It was all but certain that under the circumstances they would do so again. The only question now was: how much she would be able to squeeze out of that partnership without straining carvin patience too much.
They'll come around eventually. Aria smiled to herself, satisfied with her own handling of the situation, before also taking her leave.
She had more important matters to attend to, especially if the Broker was indeed listening like she suspected.
Argos Rho, Phoenix System
Intai'sei, Thoreau Mesa, Governor's Mansion
0407 Local Time, July 18th, 2185 Gregorian Calendar
It has been over two weeks since the fateful incident that led to the temporary departure of the carvin delegation and the suspension of the Intai'sei Conference. Apparently the condition of the carvin ambassador was so critical that his staff were inclined to hire a civilian freighter in order to reach the carvin outposts in the Hourglass Nebula quicker. And while the Carvin Empire refused to comment on this particular matter (as they were used to doing by this point), it did not stop the spread of rumors and speculations in the absence of an official statement.
During that time the mood among the remaining delegates shifted considerably over time, from the initial consternation to worry, to hope, before finally settling on a sense of general unease. Part of the reason for these substantial changes in atmosphere was the fact that information coming from the Carvin Empire was scarce and often arriving in small bursts or trickles, only to be immediately scooped up and absorbed by the wider galactic community.
The moods within each individual delegation also varied quite significantly. The asari took the news of unrest in the Carvin Empire particularly badly, since it was their trade routes that were presently being disrupted by the carvins. A prospect of a more hardline xenophobic faction taking charge of the negotiations terrified them, which was why the news of the rebellion being crushed was such a relief to them.
The salarians meanwhile lamented on their inability to gather intelligence on their opposing party, something that they were quite used to doing. Information passing through the few journalists that the carvins allowed into their borders wasn't enough to satisfy their natural curiosity, and the almost universally enforced state of emergency meant that espionage of the Carvin Empire was even harder to conduct. Rumors coming from the salarian delegations alleged that the security on carvin networks was too tight to have been the work of organics or VIs, and that it was almost certain there were numerous advanced AIs operating within the system - a direct violation of Citadel law, since only four companies were allowed to dabble with AIs, and only for research purposes. Of course nobody would be stupid enough to mention that in front of the carvins and expose themselves.
Unsurprisingly it was the humans that were the most dismayed by the carvin departure. After all they were the hosts of the conference, and each day of its suspension was yet another blow to their prestige and diplomatic reputation. They were not far behind the salarians in their desire for information, having repeatedly contacted the carvin side through all possible avenues in hopes of receiving an update on their return to the conference.
There was considerably less enthusiasm among the associate races of the Citadel, with the hanar even recalling a part of their delegation back to Kahje, and the elcor planning to do the same. The volus were still in support, although that was less due to their attachment to a unified front and more because of potential profits to be made if the carvins did indeed lift trade restrictions between the Citadel and Terminus spaces.
And finally there was Orinia, leading the turian delegation. At first the news of an internal conflict within the Carvin Empire was taken quite well by her higher-ups. It was hoped that unrest akin to their war on Taetrus would weaken the carvin negotiating position and make them more susceptible to pressure. But while the war on Taetrus started to peter out only recently and after months of fighting, the Ravashir rebellion was crushed in little over a week, albeit at the cost of horrendous loss of life, many times greater than the Taetrian conflict. Now, according to reports, the carvins were simply 'cleaning house', purging departments and ministries, with the fighting having subsided by now. As such the Turian Hierarchy elected simply to secure the gains they already managed to win.
Orinia was fine with that approach. Not only would this finally move the diplomatic effort forward, but without Zayan Te'Kraan in their roster, the carvins were unlikely to push for even greater concessions, since doing so tactlessly would undoubtedly squander the progress that their most experienced diplomat had made. She had no personal grudge against Zayan, but she was still glad that she wouldn't have to deal with him at least for some time during this conference.
Her good night's sleep was interrupted by knocking on the door to her quarters, well before even the faintest sign of light appeared on the eastern horizon.
"Ambassador Orinia?" came a human voice in between the knockings. "Ambassador!"
Orinia blinked several times before getting out of her bed and walking towards the door half-blinded. Other members of her staff also began to slowly wake up, though they were yet to abandon the comfort of their beds.
Having finally reached the door, she pressed a button and a stream of light hit her eyes. After a moment her eyes adjusted themselves to those new conditions and she saw a human soldier in uniform in front of her - likely a member of their security.
"Yes?" She asked, trying her best to mask the sign of tiredness on her face, although how effective it was could be debated, since she was still in her sleepwear.
"A carvin envoy vessel has entered the system and made contact with the planet, ma'am. They want to pass a message from their government away from the eyes of the media before their delegation lands." The soldier reported with a slightly sheepish expression on his face. "Lieutenant Alenko ordered us to inform the delegations in case they would want to use this opportunity to ask the carvins some questions."
It took Orinia a while to process the words she was hearing. The carvins were coming back? And so quickly? Considering the slower speed of their ships without the use of mass relays, it should have been physically impossible for them to return to their own borders and double back. Unless...
"I will be there in just a moment." She told the guard, who saluted affirmatively before leaving. Meanwhile Orinia turned on the light in the room and addressed her subordinates. "Wake up. I want you dressed and ready to move in three minutes. The carvins have returned."
Moments later all members of her staff burst out of their beds and began preparing to take their leave. Clothes were being hastily put on and fringes styled in a simple yet dignified manner. A spray of breath freshener was all that they could allow themselves in terms of hygiene. The head ambassador also got herself prepared swiftly, and after all of them exited the room practically down to the second of Orinia's strict timetable.
Despite the years and sometimes even decades of experience and harsh discipline, it was impossible for all of them to completely hide their exhaustion. A cynical part of Orinia's mind both cursed and commended the carvins for deliberately choosing to arrive at such an early hour, and using exhaustion of the other delegates to their advantage. However it was unclear under the circumstances whether this was done intentionally or simply a result of timezone differences.
They headed towards the meeting room, passing by the rooms of other delegations on the way. Surprising no one, the salarian room was all quiet - they were already gone. There was some commotion around the human dorm, but the few people that had gathered around the exit were just about to leave. And there was understandable commotion inside the other dorms, showing that everyone similarly surprised by the news.
When they reached the meeting room, both the salarian and most of the human delegation were already there, gathered around a flat screen display showing someone of distinctly carvin features, as well as some miscellaneous data in the far left corner. Orinia also noticed some members of security, chief among them being lieutenant Alenko, who was keeping a watchful eye on the entire situation. The salarians meanwhile were engaged in a heated discussion with the person on the other side of the screen.
"-to permit more journalists and news outlets to report on the situation. If the fighting is at an end, as your reports suggest, then perhaps we should discuss-" The head of salarian delegation was interrupted mid-word by a cold and almost hostile hiss of the carvin spokesperson.
"Your intelligence services will wait in line for the information from the journalists like everyone else. Do not test our patience." They answered, and it was quite apparent that, whoever they were, it was probably not Zayan Te'Kraan at the other side. The wording was far too blunt and bold for the skilled ambassador. "We have detected exactly 27 foreign intrusion attempts targeting our networks. I'm sure you can imagine the public outrage if the knowledge of this was leaked. It would spell too much unnecessary trouble for all sides involved."
Okay, definitely not Zayan. Orinia mused, feeling partial relief at the confirmation.
The salarian delegation's collective expressions soured, and even though the carvin spokesperson was smart enough to stop short of a direct accusation, it did not take a genius to figure out what they were implying. Not that it wasn't deserved, but throwing accusations of this caliber on a conference meant to normalize relations between species could have been quite counterproductive.
"I do not believe we've had the pleasure." Orinia finally decided to interject, and the carvin on the screen shifted their gaze towards her.
"Your belief is incorrect, ambassador Orinia." They gave a dry reply. "Senior diplomatic assistant Inori. Female. I sat to the right of the Head of our delegation during all sessions of this conference. Though yes, we did not get to speak in private."
That remark left Orinia slightly perplexed. The carvins were already hard to physically differentiate, even more so through a screen. She cursed the barriers of biology that made her job all the more difficult. But in her defense, Zayan Te'Kraan rarely permitted other members of his staff to speak independently or at all.
"Your arrival so early was most unexpected, but welcome nonetheless." Dominic Osoba, the human ambassador, came to her rescue. "However you have to understand that, with the lack of prior announcement from your government, it will take some time for the conference to resume properly. Some of the delegates were sent on leave and it may take days for them to return."
"We are the prior announcement, ambassador Osoba. Our arrival will not signal the resumption of the talks." Inori answered stoically. "We are planning to drop off part of our staff and reestablish a more direct line of communication between the Empire and the races of the Citadel. The transport of our remaining delegates may take up to one week. Plenty of time for all sides to recall their staff to the conference."
A week? This was far too fast considering the known carvin capabilities. It took their delegations almost two weeks to reach Intai'sei the first time, and that was from the very edge of their space. To make the journey to their own space and back to Intai'sei in half the time seemed... questionable at best. The salarian delegation must have shared her skepticism, since they all started shaking their heads in disbelief.
"Our own vessels can adhere to the timetable that you have set, but we question the ability of your own to do the same. Especially considering our past experiences." The leader of salarian delegation pointed out.
"This vessel was designed to operate with the use of mass relays. Our journey from our outposts in the Hourglass Nebula to the Phoenix system took little over two days. We will make the time." Inori replied, but this time a hint of satisfaction could be heard in her voice.
Indeed, among the various other data in the corner of the screen, Orinia saw the display of the carvin vessel currently in orbit of the planet. And while at first glance it had the traditional carvin hull shape, at the center of mass there was a noticeable bulge - likely an adaptation to fit the eezo core. Its size and rather unsightly appearance suggested that it was mostly an ad hoc refit of an existing design, but it demonstrated that the carvins were already planning on manufacturing eezo-based vessels. Possibly for use in their galactic merchant marine and their military.
By this point members of other delegations entered the room (chiefly the asari) and they began bombarding the carvin spokeswoman with questions, not unlike the ever persistent members of the press that the diplomats so despised. Inori for her part gave mostly short or cryptic answers, sometimes refusing to give one at all. Orinia remained quiet for the most part, preferring instead to let others ask and silently take note of the answers. But in the absence of one very important question she decided to finally rejoin the conversation.
"Considering that Ambassador Te'Kraan was recalled from his post due to his wounds, who will take his place as the head of the carvin delegation?" She asked, and almost immediately the room fell silent. It wasn't really surprising - all of the delegates silently rejoiced at Zayan's departure and they were understandably curious as to who his replacement was going to be.
Inori looked at her with an unreadable expression before asking "What do you mean recalled?"
The implications of her words slowly trickled down to the minds of all present. After all that happened, after he had been brought to the edge of death and hospitalized just two weeks ago, the Carvin Empire still wanted Zayan Te'Kraan to lead their diplomatic staff in their negotiations? All of them probably realized that it was insensitive to think so, but Orinia and the other delegates mentally cursed the carvin diplomat's resilience (or his Empire's ruthlessness).
"Ambassador Te'Kraan was not removed from his post and no such proposal is being considered. He will be transported to the conference within a week." Inori meanwhile continued. "Among the supplies and personnel we will be leaving on Intai'sei for now is medical equipment and a certified imperial physician, both of which will serve to accelerate the ambassador's recovery. They will be transported to the surface shortly and await an inspection from the Alliance security staff."
Following a moment of an awkward silence, the rest of the conversation consisted mostly of small technical questions, shallow expressions of support, and wishes for Zayan's good health. Still, it had become abundantly clear that the hope of so many delegates to wrestle the initiative away from the Carvin Empire during the absence of its most skilled diplomat had taken a heavy hit. Orinia and her other alien counterparts would no doubt hold staff meetings to address this unforeseen development and shift their strategy accordingly.
But underneath the professional disdain that she felt for the carvin, Orinia had actually learned to begrudgingly respect Zayan. At heart he was a servant of his people, a sentiment that she could intimately relate to. True, she still felt the stinging of his harsh words he spoke to her two weeks ago (right before being brought to the brink of death), but she couldn't deny his fortitude, both of physical and mental variety. Having to carry the entire diplomatic effort of his species on his shoulders was some burden indeed.
And so the enthusiasm for the questions finally petered out, leading some of the delegates to return to their dorms, and the carvin ship also cut communications shortly after. Common sense would suggest that the members of alien delegations would try to finish their sleep and rest after being woken up at such a short notice. Orinia knew that nothing could be further from the truth. Both she and other ambassadors needed to inform their respective governments of these developments at one, and even if they did actually manage to get some sleep after the fact, there would be much less comfort provided by the soft beds and pillows than usual.
A/N: I will spend the rest of this week away from my PC, and so I won't be able to write. Still, the next chapter is well in the works, and it's quite possible that I will post the finished product earlier, although that would mean more waiting for the following chapter. We'll see. In the meantime I hope you enjoyed this and I wish you a pleasant summer holidays for those that get a chance to enjoy them. Cheers.