AN: This is an idea for another ME story - no crossover this time. What if the Council was actually reasonably competent and busy trying to keep the peace and stability that ensured the galaxy prospered ever since the end of the Krogan Rebellions. While Shepard will be special and will have a place to shine, this won't be a HFY story, more of the Turians and Council Fuck Yeah!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Mass Effect games. This story is written with no profit in mind. I make no money from it. It isn't for sale or rent.

Die for the Cause

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Prologue: Case Black

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21.04.2183 GS /Galactic Standard/

Council Chamber

Citadel Tower

The Citadel

Councillor Trest Sparatus stood at parade rest and counted backwards from ten to zero in an attempt not to explode at the petulant children that were the Humans, especially the sorry lot that passed for their politicians. He managed to keep his composure until Tevos could not so gently deny Udina's ridiculous demands and promise him a hearing over the frankly insane accusations and cut the link before slamming a fist into the reinforced corner of the table where the Councillors usually met. The loud metallic clang and the feeling of the solid surface vibrating under his clenched talons made him feel better. It was only the Spirits damned Batarians who could consistently drive him close to the limit of his patience with a gusto rivalling the Humans.

"Don't you dare!" Sparatus sent Rhin Valern – possibly the best Salarian Councillor he had to serve along with, a deadly glare.

The amphibian's huge eyes merely widened a fraction, though his amused grin never wavered. "I don't need a record to remember this to my dying day." Within a blink, Valern was all business. "Geth attack on Human colony most concerning." His fingers flew over the secure terminal built into the table. "Death of Spectre Kryik regrettable. Accusationsabout Arterius' involvement with the Geth..." The Salarian trailed off.

"More human idiocy, I'm tempted to say." Sparatus let out a long sigh and sat down.

"They aren't all bad." That was Elis Tevos in a nutshell – always apparently soft and diplomatic, however below the surface she was pure battle steel – otherwise she wouldn't have been able to not only remain a Councillor for centuries now but retain her sanity. There were days Sparatus couldn't stop wondering why people kept underestimating her, even Asari why by all means should have known better.

"Are you telling us this because they're superficially appear and often act as Asari maidens or because your niece hooked up with one and you still aren't down from happiness about their brat?" Sparatus hummed.

"I do have a recording of you dragging us both to show us those pictures complete with all that cooing..." Valern briefly looked up from his terminal.

"Stress relief." Tevos glibly replied. "It was good for the soul." She nodded at herself before straightening up and leaving the levity behind. "What do we actually know about the events on Eden Prime?"

"Geth involvement beyond any doubt." Valern begin his traditional rapid-fire speech, which he did every time he was serious. "Presence of Super Dreadnought most concerning." A image materialized above the table. "Do note radical difference in design between it and known Geth warship models, including those seen at Eden Prime."

"Somehow they knew about the Beacon." Sparatus grumbled. "We need to find and seal that leak, permanently." I wasn't like the discovery had been a public knowledge that could be gleamed from merely monitoring the extranet.

"STG already working on it. Will task Spectres once we've dealt with the Arterius issue..." Valern continued half-lost in his own world.

"To be the devil's advocate as the humans say, what if Saren is actually involved?" Tevos inquired.

That question, coming from Elis of all people gave Sparatus a pause. "You know something, don't you?"

"I've heard certain rumours that Matriarch Benezia got fed up with his more extreme actions and went to speak with him. She has always been a most perceptive woman."

"You're concerned about her suspicions then." The Turian's mandibles twitched in frustration. "Of course, Benezia hasn't deigned to inform anyone of what exactly made her concerned enough to go to one of our Spectres. Can you contact her?"

As soon as he asked, Tevos' activated her omni-tool. Soon she shook her head in the negative and frowned. It wasn't unheard for Matriarchs to go to ground for some peace and quiet… or when they were up to various shenanigans and didn't want to be caught. Tevos knew one thing for sure, the Benezia she knew wouldn't be a part of a Geth attack on anyone, much less a Council Associate species. That meant she had failed and was either up to something else, a captive or dead. None of those possibilities made Tevos feel any better.

"In the unlikely case Saren has indeed gone on the deep end, I'll nail his carcass to the Presidium Tower myself." Sparatus growled. "We're getting the Spectres and C-SEC to look into his actions and movements, just in case. I won't look like an idiot in front of the bloody Humans. Do you agree?"

"As I said, STG's on it already. If Saren's rogue, he might have an accomplice or two within the Spectres." Valern pointed out. "Do we want to show we suspect he might be rotten and as importantly, do we want to give C-SEC clearance to look through his affairs?" The Salarian managed to spare a meaningful look to each of his colleagues between his furious typing and high-speed reading.

"Get the C-SEC go over his less sensitive affairs. We'll use them as a screen to persuade Udina we take his people's concerns seriously. Meanwhile, we'll have STG and the Spectres carry on the real investigation." Tevos suggested.

"I agree." Sparatus nodded.

"That makes three of us. Motion carried."

"I'm calling in Vasir. Through her links with the Shadow Broker she might be able to dig up intelligence faster than most."

"If she isn't already in his pocket." Sparatus' jaw flexed in displeasure.

"Sooner or later the Broker will become more trouble than they're worth it and we'll deal with him." Valern dismissed his Turian colleague's concern.

"Him?" Sparatus raised an eye-ridge.

"Him." Valern nodded rapidly and refused to shed any more light about the identity of the most illusive being in the galaxy.

"I'll let it slide for now. The Geth and their new fancy ship. Is it a new design of theirs or something they salvaged? If its Protean in design if not in fact, that might explain why they went for the Beacon."

"You think they found something old beyond the Veil?" Tevos' eyes widened at this idea. It wasn't something she had considered… Yet, why not? A great deal of mainstream technology was either reverse-engineered or at least based upon bits and pieces recovered from the Proteans or other, older species. If the Geth had found either an ancient super-dreadnought or the schematics for one and built it themselves, it would explain why they would suddenly break their self-imposed isolation in search for more pieces of ancient technology. Tevos certainly hoped that the Geth found said ship and didn't build it themselves, because the industrial and technological might that implied was enough to give her sleepless nights.

"That's what I hope for." Sparatus muttered and his bearing made it clear he shared similar fears. "We need to neutralize the threat the Geth possess. To do that we need raw data – are they merely interested in Protean relics or is this the opening stage of a full scale war? If we miscalculate we might be the ones starting said war."

"Such caution isn't something I often hear from a Turian, Trest." Tevos smiled softly.

"Caution?" Sparatus snorted. "We all know that our fleet is stretched thin keeping up with our security responsibilities, which incidentally is why we haven't done something about either the Batarians or Terminus systems. A full scale war would be ruinously expensive, it is going to tank the economy and if we are indeed going to fight it, I can assure you, my government will demand full support, both military and economic."

"The current crop of Dalatrases will balk at that." Now it was Valern's turn to grimace.

"Many of the Asari Republics would be divided at least initially." Tevos put her cards on the table too.

"So how do we fight a galactic war on a shoestring budget and with our arms tied behind our backs if it comes to that?" Sparatus asked aloud.

"That's obvious – let the Humans bear the burden initially, while we gather more intelligence and do our best to put our houses in order. Offer reasonable support: intelligence, limited economical and military. But first, figure out do we have a rouge Spectre on our hands, something that might point towards much deeper problems..."

"I'm calling Vasir for a little chat. Then we'll see what will surface when she begins hunting."