Hey guys, TheDoctor1998 here with another chapter! Last time we saw a massive space battle in System 314, with the Citadel forces being forced to retreat. Then, we saw the Eternity jump right to the Citadel itself, revealing the Alliance to the wider galaxy of the Mass Relay dependent civilizations.
Now, on with the show!
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09-07-2657
Citadel Tower
Citadel
Widow System
Tevos sat in her chair, wine in her hand as her biotics flared up in sheer frustration. "This. Is a disaster." She said simply, watching the footage of the battle at System 314.
"They have allies." Sparatus said. "Of course they have allies. How could we've been so moronic to miss that possibility?" The Turian then looked over to his colleague. "This has become a lot more complicated, hasn't it?"
"Indeed." She sipped from her wine.
Then, Milnori burst in, obviously panicking. "They're here!" She screamed, out of breath from her sprint.
"Who's here?" Sparatus asked, dreading the answer.
"The Humans." Milnori breathed. "Their superdreadnought just appeared between the Citadel's arms." She showed them the footage from her omni-tool, as well as the footage of various panicking civilians.
Before Sparatus could send a signal to all Citadel forces in the galaxy about this development, his own omni-tool started glitching. And from the looks of it, so did those of Tevos and Milnori. Then, the voice of a Human female rang out from them. "Citadel Council, we have come to bargain."
A moment of silence passed between the councillors, which was broken by Tevos. "I think it would be best to broker peace with them."
Sparatus looked over at her. "But Tevos, what about the AI?"
"We'll tell them our concerns and history with them afterwards." She replied. "The only reason I didn't bother with diplomacy at first was because we were already at war with them, in addition to the existence of their AI. Now we're able to convince them of the dangers peacefully."
The councillors walked over to the Citadel Control, watching the people panic at the sight of this ship. "Open communications with the superdreadnought." Sparatus ordered. "And someone make sure that our ships don't fire without our explicit orders, barring self defence."
"Sir." One of the Salarians said, somewhat shaky. "The main weapon of the superdreadnought is aimed right at the Citadel Tower."
"Understood." Sparatus said, the councillors knowing that they'd pay with their lives if they'd screw up.
The main hologram showed a Human woman, the same one who threatened to and succeeded in driving back Desolas's fleet. Fleetmistress Dresher, if Tevos remembered correctly. "Ahh, good, looks like someone picked up the phone after all."
"What do you want?" Tevos asked the Human, trying to sound as diplomatically, yet direct, as possible.
"Personally, I just wanted to kick the asses of the idiots who thought it was a good idea to start killing our people." Dresher shrugged, uncaring of the mutterings of the Citadel operatives. "But my superiors have decided to offer you guys some peace after we decimated your fleet at System 314. If you want some peace talks, send in one of your diplomats in a civilian ship, we won't fire unless attacked. Give them some guards if you want. Dresher out." The Human cut the feed off, leaving the councillors on their own.
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09-07-2657
Peaceful Tides
En route towards Human warship
Widow System
To say that Benezia was nervous was the understatement of her lifetime. Here she was, on a ship with no weapons and only the kinetic barriers to protect it from micro asteroids, heading towards one of the most advanced warships in the known galaxy. A warship belonging to a species which, thanks to the Turians, her people were now at war with.
The reason she was here? The same as she was called upon by Tevos to open diplomatic relations with the captured soldiers in the first place, to try and broker a peace before the worst would happen. Now there were just more stakes than she thought the first time.
Suddenly, the communicator activated, the voice of a Human male coming out of it. "This is the UNSC Eternity hailing unknown vessel. Identify yourselves and your intentions."
The pilot quickly did so. "This is the Peaceful Tides, a diplomatic ship belonging to the Asari and lent to the Citadel. We've got a diplomat on board who wishes to talk to you."
"Acknowledged Peaceful Tides, uploading flightpath to your database." The Human said. "Please do not deviate, doing so will be considered an act of hostility and be treated as such. Eternity out."
"Well, at least they're not shooting us." The pilot said, attempting to lighten the situation with a bit of humour.
As instructed, the Peaceful Tides followed the flightpath given by the Eternity, and soon the diplomatic ship landed into one of the hangar bays of the superdreadnought. "Here we go." Benezia muttered before looking at the Asari commandos that went with her. "I don't think I'll need to say this, but by the goddess, please do not shoot outside of self defence."
Receiving nods of confirmation, Benezia headed over to the ramp of the ship. Once she was there, the machine opened up, allowing its occupants to set foot onto the Eternity. The commandos went first, making sure there was no threat outside of the simple fact they were on board a ship from a hostile military force. Once the all clear had been given, Benezia left the Peaceful Tides for herself.
The Matriarch had to admit, this ship was truly an impressive feat of engineering. And looking at the soldiers around her, it was headed by a competent crew. "Ah, hello." A Human male stepped up to her, unbothered by the four commandos surrounding her. "You must be the ambassador the Council sent, correct?"
"Yes." Benezia confirmed. "I am Matriarch Benezia T'Soni. Are you the Human diplomat who I am supposed to speak to?"
"No no no." The man chuckled. "I'm just here to make sure you blue ladies don't get lost while my friends here make sure you don't cause any trouble." He indicated towards the soldiers standing next to him, their faces hidden behind their helmets. "Now, if you please follow me, we can get this whole mess sorted."
Benezia and the commandos followed the man, going deeper and deeper into the bowels of the ship. At one point, they stopped on a strange platform, stopping near a door. "Is this where we're supposed to be?"
"No, this is just the tram." The man explained. "These Infinity Classes are so big that we needed to put in a few tram stations just so people could get around in a timely manner." And just as the man said that, the tram arrived, prompting the Humans and Asari to enter.
A few minutes later, the tram stopped, allowing the diplomat and the soldiers to leave. The Human simply guided them through the halls once again, stopping in front of a door. "Here we are."
Behind the door was a room with a window, or at least a highly detailed holographic projection of what was outside the Eternity. Benezia saw a Human woman sitting on a table, gazing into the window/hologram at the Citadel and the nebula. "I have to admit, you've got a good view if you're living there." She turned around, offering Benezia a drink. "Anita Goyle, ambassador of the United Earth Government, Humanity and the Silurians, and acting ambassador of the Systems Alliance."
Benezia filed those terms away for later. "Matriarch Benezia T'Soni of the Asari Republics, representing the Citadel Council. Pleasure to meet you." Benezia looked at the drink. "I hate to ask, but are you certain it is safe for me to drink this?"
"Don't worry, we know all about the whole levo and dextro thing." Anita waved the Asari off. "A few of the species in the Alliance are dextros too, and we've made sure that nothing in these drinks would be toxic to an Asari."
"Very well." She drank from the juice without worry. If the Humans wanted to kill her, they'd have done it without resorting to poison. "Now, on to business. What do you want to end this war?"
"First of all, any prisoners of war currently within your custody. We want our people back, plain and simple." The woman looked intensely at the Asari. "In addition to that, we want reparations for the unprovoked attack in terms of raw materials, and ownership of System 314." The diplomat said, handing her a tablet showcasing the materials and amount of material her people were demanding.
"System 314 is within the Batarian Hegemony's zone of interest." The Matriarch pointed out, noting the frown form at the mention of the species. "Despite the battles between the Council species and your own, they had nothing to do with you until the Eternity appeared in this system."
"True." Anita conceded. "However, the Batarians have not done anything to solidify their claim in the system. No colonies, no mining operations, not even a simple outpost. By both the standards of Citadel Space and the Systems Alliance, System 314 is officially neutral and unclaimed territory."
"I'll have to come back to that after discussing it with the Council, though I do not think they'd find any issue with your claim of System 314." Benezia said. "As for the material cost, I am certain that you'll have your reparations. All three of the Council species can easily provide these materials on their own, so there will be no issue on that. As for the prisoners of war, we would be all too happy to give your people back, though I do have to ask you to do the same for us."
"Of course, we were already planning to do so." Goyle said, swiping on the tablet and showcasing a prison of some kind, filled with Turians. "That's the Eternity's brig, filled with every POW we could get from Shanxi before the System 314 attack, and our allies are currently busy with rounding up any survivors in 314. With one specific exception, we will be all too willing to return your people once peace has been made."
"And who is the exception?" Benezia couldn't help but ask.
"Desolas Arterius." Anita said, showcasing a picture of the Turian in question. "Our people want him to stand trial for his crimes, and be punished appropriately."
"And what will happen if he does?" Benezia frowned.
"I'll be honest, it's unlikely that he'll get to walk out with his life." Goyle said, much to the Asari's shock. "With the sheer amount of evidence we've got against him, it's practically impossible for him to get cleared of these charges. And considering the crimes he's been accused of, the death penalty would be all but guaranteed, even with a plea deal."
"A plea deal?" Benezia asked in curiosity, trying to process the fact her counterpart was so casually talking about a man doomed to execution.
"Human thing, a defendant can choose to own up to the crime in return for a reduction of punishment. Less jail time, lower payouts, that kind of thing. Really saves up on time and resources for all parties involved." Anita explained. "Problem is, Desolas's crimes against our people are so great that no plea deal would be able to save his life."
"But a death penalty?" Benezia breathed. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"
"Even if it was in principle, there is simply no other punishment within our laws that would fit these particular crimes." Anita said coolly. "Besides, Desolas himself has the blood of thousands of innocent people on his claws, maybe even millions. We've yet to recover all the bodies from the rubble on Shanxi."
The only reason Benezia didn't wince at that was because of her centuries of diplomatic experience. "I do have to get back with you on that one, as the Council hasn't given me the authority to agree to that particular term."
"With all due respect, we don't care if the Council agrees with this or not." The Human said bluntly. "We're only informing you of what's going to happen to the guy, and he won't be released until his trial is over. We'll be willing to allow you to send him a lawyer and give them any relevant data about the case and our laws, but we won't send him back to you unless he's officially cleared of all charges. And we both know that won't happen." Anita shrugged. "That said, returning any of the other POW's alongside ending this war isn't off the table, as long as our demands have been met."
Benezia sighed. "Again, I have to get back with you after talking to the Council. Would you mind if I make contact with them?"
"Go ahead." Anita shrugged. "We're easily within range for them to pick up your call." She gestured to the outside, specifically to the Citadel, before she walked out of the room. "I'll give you some privacy." Were her last words before the door shut between them.
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09-07-2657
UNSC Eternity
Between the arms of the Citadel
Widow System
"No, absolutely not!" Sparatus raged, having heard the demands the Humans had from Benezia.
"It's just one unclaimed system." Milnori said.
"I'm not talking about that." Sparatus growled. "I'm talking about how they're going to execute Desolas."
"The very man who caused this entire mess." The Salarian continued, her eyebrow raised.
"I don't know how much you two know about Turian society, but capital punishment is only done against traitors." The Turian glared. "And despite his mistake, Desolas is not a traitor. He simply misunderstood the situation and tried to handle it. If it was a bunch of pirates opening a Relay, we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
"But it wasn't just pirates, wasn't it?" Tevos sighed. "And besides, even if we wanted to, we're simply not able to launch a rescue operation for him. If we attack the Eternity, they'll simply leave with their wormholes. If we try to follow, we'll get decimated by the fleet at System 314. If we try to sneak in, their sensors would detect and destroy any of our stealth ships. Face it, there's nothing we can do aside from condoning his execution."
The Turian sighed. "Fine. But tell them to at least give him his final respects."
Tevos nodded somberly. "I'll contact Benezia."
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09-07-2657
UNSC Eternity
Between the arms of the Citadel
Widow System
Anita thought it best to give her counterpart some time to hash things out with those three at the Citadel, or at least give the alien the illusion of privacy. Neither she nor the Asari were stupid enough to think the crew of the Eternity wasn't listening in to every call made in the system, but it was still a nice gesture.
Once she got the notification from Surtur that Benezia's call was over, Anita walked into the conference room again. "So, what's the scoop?"
"There was some pushback, but the Council has agreed to your terms." Benezia replied.
"Good." Anita smiled, grabbing her briefcase from the floor next to her seat, and taking out two almost identical papers, with the only difference between the two being that one was written in English and the other in High Thessian.
"Paper?" Benezia asked, amused. "How quaint. Why not use a digital copy for the agreement?"
"Digital files can be hacked and changed, analog files can't." Anita said simply. "These two papers are just to confirm everyone has agreed to the terms, one of them translated for your benefit." She then signed both papers, handing them and the pen over to the blue woman. "Don't worry, you guys get to keep the translated one if you want. Make a digital copy of it if you want, we don't really care what you want to do with it."
Benezia gratefully took both of the papers, and quickly read through the High Thessian copy of the document. Finding nothing outside of what she'd agreed to, she nodded and signed both papers. "I'm just glad that this incident is over." She sighed.
Anita simply grabbed her own copy of the peace treaty. "Alright then, I'll send a digital copy over to my superiors and put this one in the archives, then we'll get started on exchanging our POWs. I'd suggest contacting your people so we can get this done ASAP."
"Two more things, though." Benezia said, stopping the other diplomat from leaving. "The Council has asked me to bring the message to the troops, if only to make sure there won't be any issues with them."
"I'm certain that that can be arranged." Anita nodded. "And the other thing?"
"The councillors have asked to make sure to give him his final respect and an honourable death." Benezia replied. "Just to make sure his death would not be a cruel one."
"Don't worry, if and when he gets executed, he'll be given the three basics." Anita waved off.
"The what?" Benezia asked, confused.
"Three acts of kindness given to those who are about to be executed." Anita elaborated. "First, there's the last goodbyes. Those who are about to be executed are allowed to get their final affairs in order, and meet up with their loved ones one last time. Second is the last meal. Whatever they wish to get, we'll make sure to get them that kind of food of the highest calibre. Be it a five course meal, some fast food, or a simple bowl of fruit, they'll be given it. It can happen before, after, or during their meeting with their loved ones, at the digression of the prisoner. Finally, the method of execution. Desolas will be able to choose how he dies, simple as that."
"I suppose that would placate the Council, at least." Benezia muttered. "Very well, I suppose it's time to get started on the prisoner exchange." The Matriarch then thought of something that had been nagging her ever since she first read the reports on Shanxi. "By the way, one of our reports said that the Bird of Prey's combat VI's had intercepted a data package from your exploration ship, which they believed to be a hacking attempt. What was it, if I may ask?"
Anita paused. "Considering our First Contact Protocol, it was likely this video." The ambassador grabbed her tablet, showing Benezia a video of Humans and various other aliens, including what looked like a species made of ice and some mechanical beings. While the words refused to translate, it became clear what it was.
A simple greeting.
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10-07–2657
UNSC Eternity
Unknown location
Unknown location
Desolas was moping around. Aside from caring for his now crippled brother, he had done nothing but mope around, lost in his own thoughts and guilt. After all, he was the reason all of this had happened.
He didn't look up when he heard the door to their cell open, even if it was a little early for the guards to guide them to the mess hall. He did look up when he heard a somewhat familiar voice. "Admiral Desolas, I need you to speak to your men."
When he looked up, he didn't see a Human, but an Asari. "Wha-"
"A peace treaty has been drafted." The Asari, whom he now recognized as Matriarch Benezia, interrupted him. "And almost all of the prisoners of war on both sides are about to be exchanged."
"Almost?" Saren growled, getting up to his feet.
"Unfortunately, the Humans demanded one particular person to be tried for this fiasco. And considering the amount of evidence, it's unlikely to be swept away." She glanced at Desolas, some level of grief in her eyes. "I'm sorry Desolas, but from what I've seen, you will be executed for your actions."
"NO!" Saren screamed, his biotics slightly flaring up. Though, without his biotic implant, even his greatest efforts only produced a faint glow. "I won't allow them to kill you!"
"Saren, it's okay." Desolas said, putting one of his talons on the shoulder of his brother. "I have caused this disaster, it's up to me to face the consequences of my actions."
"But you'll die, brother." Saren said, tears forming in his eyes for the first time in years. "I- I don't want to lose you. This incident has already taken enough lives from our people."
"Then what is one more?" Desolas asked, a humourless smile on his face. "If I've got to sacrifice myself to stop what I've started, then so be it."
Before Saren could say anything, the conversation was interrupted by Benezia. "As much as I hate to say this, we need to get a move on. The Council has already made sure the Humans in our custody have been readied, and we need to make sure the people here can go home."
"Alright, let's go." A Human said, walking in with a set of handcuffs. Desolas merely held up his talons, already used to the motions.
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10-07-2657
THV Raging Claw
En route towards UNSC Eternity
Widow System
Danny Johnson stood next to the surviving crewmembers of the Grand Discovery, the Giant Leap, the Birdwatcher, and the Pegasus in the hold of the Raging Claw, the very ship that boarded the remnants of the Grand Discovery. Understandably, there were no crewmembers of the Humpty Dumpty, considering what happened.
He was partially thankful for the rescue, as the Turians did treat his wounds as best as they could with their limited understanding of Human biology. Still, he was pretty pissed off at what they did to him. 'At least they gave us our clothes back.'
"Alright Humans." One of the Turians said, having apparently been given a patch to his translator for English by the UEG for this task. "Just get onto the transports, and your people will get you home in no time."
Danny watched the holograms displaying the outside in controlled awe. It may not have been a Halo or even High Charity, but the Citadel was still an impressive and beautiful feat of engineering, especially with that nebula it was housed in.
He started wondering if these Protheans had either built it here or put it here after building it, before dismissing that thought as some ancient alien bullshit. Same as the Ark, though on a much lesser scale in every conceivable way.
He then saw their destination, and he had never been more glad to see an Infinity Class in his life. The moment the doors of the transport opened up, he walked onto the Eternity's hangar bay, watching as several Turians and a few Salarians and Asari took his people's place. One of those Salarians, one who lost his horn, was looking around in awe at the ship.
He did see a one armed Turian argue somewhat with a civilian woman. "Look, all I'm saying is that I want to stay with my brother. Is that too much to ask?"
The woman sighed. "Fine, but you've got to tell Benezia personally. Don't want you staying here turning into some diplomatic incident."
The Turian was silent for a moment. "Thanks." He said flatly, glaring at her and all the other Humans in his field of vision as he walked deeper into the Eternity, a guard following him as he went.
"What was that about?" Danny asked one of the soldiers next to him.
The soldier shrugged. "As far as I know, that Raptor is the brother of the guy who caused this whole mess, and said brother is gonna go to trial for this."
"Oof." Danny winced. "I do not envy that one armed guy now."
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16-07-2657
SOS Seeker of Truth
Slipspace
En Route towards Widow System
A few days had passed since the peace talks between the Humans and the Citadel, the latter of whom had invited the Human ambassador over to the Citadel for a meeting between them and the Council. An invitation that had been extended to any ambassador for the other Alliance species as well.
Most of the Alliance declined the invitation, for a variety of reasons. Some declined for moral reasons, such as the Huragok, who were both afraid of the technophobic council and stood in solidarity with their artificial brethren who couldn't pass off as an organic lifeform.
Others were afraid a battle would break out if they were to come, such as the cowardly Unggoy or the Cybertronians, the latter of whom were afraid that they'd get mistaken for an actual Construct.
Then there were those like the Jiralhanae and the Locusts, who refused because they would likely kill anyone on the Citadel, as there wasn't enough time yet for them to calm down.
Most, though, simply weren't interested, and were willing to wait until a Citadel diplomat was sent into the Alliance instead. But there was one exception.
The Sangheili were the only ones to take up that offer. Or, more specifically, the Arbiter was the only one to take them up on their offer. Thel decided to see if these supposed guardians of the galaxy were worthy of claiming said title, even with his massive doubts.
He had taken the Seeker of Truth and the Fleet of Particular Justice, his own personal flagship and fleet, towards System 314, picking up all of the POWs his people and their allies had picked up in what was left of the Citadel Fleet.
Just like with the Shadow of Intent, the Seeker of Truth had been remade from its old class into a Supercarrier with a Forerunner derived engine, similar to those found on the Infinity Classes of the Humans. Now, his old ship was effectively towing the rest of the Fleet through Slipspace towards the Citadel. And they were almost there.
"Holy Arbiter." Navigator, the Seeker's Construct, bowed to him. "We have almost arrived at our destination."
"Understood." Thel nodded, then headed towards his personal Phantom, the Honor Guards following his every footstep.
Once he was at his Phantom, he stopped to look through the membrane holding the Seeker's atmosphere inside, looking out at the strange eddies and fluctuations within Slipspace that no mortal mind could truly comprehend. Then, the Seeker left Slipspace, the effects of Reconciliation flowing around the mass of the Supercarrier and healing spacetime as the ship appeared a respectable distance away from the Citadel, though still close enough to leave Seeker in full view of anyone on the space station.
His Phantom quickly left the hangars of the Seeker, followed by several Banshees. Looking at the displays, he saw a Pelican leave the Eternity, followed by several Broadswords, likely containing and guarding the Human diplomat in the same manner his Phantom and the Banshees did.
Once his ships came between the arms, the communicator flickered to life. "T-this is Citadel Control." The voice of an Asari came through, likely shaky due to seeing a ship that was over half the size of the station she called home. "Please, follow the given flightpath towards dock #9 with the Human ambassador."
"Understood." The pilot said simply, and sent a message to the Pelican. Pretty soon, both the Pelican and the Phantom flew side by side, protected by both the Broadswords and the Banshees.
'A little show of force and unity never hurt anyone.' The Arbiter thought to himself as he felt his ship dock to the ancient station. He saw the Phantom open up, the Honor Guards walking out to see if there was any threat before nodding to their leader, prompting the ruler of Sanghelios to take his first steps into the territories of these new aliens, his golden plated armour shining in the artificial lights.
He heard a familiar voice call to him. "Arbiter, it's good to see you again." The Human ambassador said, walking up to him with her ODST guards and giving him a Sangheili salute, putting her fist in front of her heart.
"Hail, Anita Goyle." Thel gave her the same privilege, and then held his hand out for her to shake. "How have you been doing for these past few days?"
Anita shook his hand with a smile. "It's been tiring with these people, they can be so uptight in their laws."
The Turian guiding them frowned, but said nothing. 'At least it seems that they are well trained.'
"How's the family?" Anita asked.
"Nar has been recovering from her brush with plague." Thel said, a proud smile on his face at the thought of his wife. "She's recently started what you Humans call a "book club" among the females of our Keep, which has also brought interest within the more intelligent males as well."
"Nice to hear that." The Human smiled. "And what about Cela?"
Another smile graced Thel's face at the thought of his one and only spawn. "She cannot wait until the day she's of legal age to join our military forces, her abilities with her blades have already surpassed mine when I was her age."
"Well, she does have an excellent teacher." Anita complemented her friend.
"Indeed." Thel rumbled. "I am glad that our old methods of raising children had been done away with after the fall of the Covenant. I cannot imagine giving Cela up as a hatchling."
"I get it, us Humans are famously protective of our kids." Anita shrugged. "Still, glad to see that the communal raising has been transformed into simply allowing your kids to make tight bonds with one another."
"As am I Goyle, as am I." Thel nodded.
They went into the elevator, getting slightly cramped with all the guards. "A warning though, these elevators are apparently not exactly the fastests things in the galaxy."
"That slow?" The Arbiter asked, a smile on his face while he raised his eyebrow.
"Benezia said she could go faster from one end of the Eternity with its trams than she could with the Citadel and its elevators." Anita deadpanned.
Once the elevator reached its endpoint, which took a painfully long time, the ambassadors and their guards and guide stepped foot into the inner ring of the Citadel, which eerily reminded Thel of how Installations 04 and 05 used to look before they were blown up or glassed.
Still, there were differences. The artificial sky, the different architecture, the smaller size. And, of course, the paparazzi with their flashing cameras and screaming voices overlapping one another. "Alright, back it up!" Their guide yelled to the crowd, indicating to C-Sec to clear a path straight to the Citadel Tower.
One voice managed to get through the background noise though, and even managed to put a recording device near Anita. "Nara Taree from Face the Galaxy! Can you answer some questions?" The Turian woman asked in her flanging voice.
Anita looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, silently asking him if he's okay with a short interview. Thel simply nodded, prompting her to speak to the reporter. "I've got a few minutes."
"Who, and what, are you people, and what are you doing here?" The Turian asked bluntly.
"My name is Anita Goyle, a Human and an ambassador of the United Earth Government, which in itself is a member of the Systems Alliance." The Human said before nodding at Thel again.
"And I am Thel 'Vadam, a Sangheili. I am the Arbiter of the Swords of Sanghelios, Kaidon of 'Vadam Keep, the Slayer of the Prophet of Truth, and the Bane of the Covenant." Thel spoke, giving his titles towards the woman. "And as for why I am here, my people are the only ones among the Systems Alliance who are currently willing to speak with the Council aside from Humanity. Time will tell if the Council shall remain worthy of the attention of the Swords."
"As for the reason I am here." Anita said, grabbing the reporter's attention again. "The United Earth Government was attacked by a Turian patrol fleet, mistaking our exploratory vessels for pirates activating a Mass Relay. Hostilities quickly arose, and had we not decided to approach the Citadel directly to engage in diplomacy, it's very likely that there would've been a full scale war between the Citadel and the Alliance."
The reporters all looked flabbergasted, and quite a few showed acute signs of fear. Though, to the credit of Nara, she quickly managed to compose herself. "I see. Another question, how did you manage to get to the Citadel? Your FTL is unlike anything we've ever seen before."
"I admit, I don't have the full scientific knowledge to explain it, but I'll try my best." Anita smiled. "We call it the Slipstream Space, though it is more commonly known as Slipspace, though some call it the Slipstream or Subspace. It is an 11 dimensional reality adjacent to our own Universe, with an incomprehensible topography that creates shorter distances between corresponding locations in realspace, effectively allowing for objects capable of going in and out of it to travel faster than light through it."
"Fascinating." Thel heard one of the Salarians in the crowd mutter, writing down some equations. He paid it no mind, as this brief explanation offers no knowledge on how to open a portal into Slipspace, beyond showing that it is indeed possible.
"Anyways, I believe our appointment to the Council is about to happen, so I bid you a good day ma'am." Anita said with a bow before she and Thel headed off to the tower, ignoring the cries of protests from the journalists behind them.
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16-07-2657
Citadel Tower
Citadel
Widow System
The Council watched the feed of the various news broadcasts with various levels of trepidation. It was clear that hiding any information about what happened at System 314 and Shanxi was impossible, but it was not exactly a good thing to hear these newcomers talk about the shortcomings of the Council on the Citadel's news.
Soon, the two ambassadors and their guards exited the tower's elevator, and made their way over to the Council. "Greetings Anita Goyle, Thel 'Vadam. I am Councillor Tevos, representative of the Asari Republics."
"I am Councillor Milnori, representative of the Salarian Union." The Salarian nodded.
"Councillor Sparatus, Turian Hierarchy." The Turian growled.
"I was under the impression that there were more species within your Systems Alliance?" Tevos asked, her eyebrow raised. "Where are the representatives of those people?"
"They declined your invitation." The Sangheili said simply. "The other civilizations of the Alliance have authorised those who have decided to come to speak for the Alliance as a whole."
"I see." Milnori said, not exactly surprised. "I am surprised that you've decided to come to the Citadel yourself, Arbiter. From what I understand, you are the supreme leader of your people, correct?"
"Indeed." Thel nodded. "I simply wished to sate my curiosity about you, and thought it best to appear in person now that peace has been made between our peoples."
Tevos then cut in again. "In any case, after some deliberations, the Council has decided to offer the United Earth Government, the Swords of Sanghelios, and any other civilization within the Systems Alliance a place within our own collective." She ignored the glares her Turian counterpart gave, well aware of his feelings on the matter.
"I'm afraid we have to decline." Anita said much more diplomatically than Thel would've.
"But why?" Tevos asked, utterly bewildered.
"Because you've not proven yourselves." Thel said, his eyes narrowing. "The Sangheili will not bow to those that cannot beat us in battle. Work with them, yes, but we will never be subservient to another people. Not again." He looked Sparatus right in the eye. "Your warriors, though skilled, are no match for ours, and thus do not earn our full respect." The Arbiter then glanced at Anita. "Human warriors on the other hand, have earned our respect, and thus have earned the right to command our warriors in battle where needed."
"Thank you, Thel." Anita smiled. "And to build on the Arbiter's point, it simply does not make sense for us to join. We're already part of an alliance of interstellar civilizations, each of which considered equals among the others. If we would join the Citadel, our civilizations would be subservient to the Council, not your equals. It would effectively be a surrender after driving your forces away from our territory and destroying your invasion fleet."
Sparatus, as much as he'd grown to dislike the species from beyond Relay 314, at least respected and understood their points. "Then would you at least agree with the most basic Citadel laws?"
"Ah, yes, there have been some reviews of those laws by our people." Anita said, grabbing a tablet. "Your anti-slavery laws are, of course, fully supported by all member states of the Systems Alliance. In fact, slavery of any kind within our territories, barring any potential pre-FTL civilization, is punishable by the death penalty." The woman glanced at the ambassadors of the lesser Citadel races, specifically at the fuming Batarian. "We've also got an equivalent of the Citadel Conventions within our own laws. However, these regulations can be waived under the right circumstances. Most noticeably, with the Hood Protocol."
"Why would you even consider devastating a garden world?" Sparatus growled, seeing Tevos pale and Milnori looked interested at the words of the Human.
"It'll make sense in due time, Councillors, I give you my word." Thel said, having personally fought against threats that would justify such actions.
"As for the Treaty of Farixen, the Alliance will simply not follow such a law." Anita announced, much to the shock of the various diplomats.
"But we've put the Treaty in place to prevent a military buildup." Tevos said, concerned.
"Unfortunately, by the way the Treaty of Farixen has been written, following it means that we've got to dismantle any ship with a MAC or an equivalent." Anita continued. "As the vast majority of ships of the UEG have such devices built within them, following the Treaty would effectively dismantle much of our navy."
"I would like to add something." The Arbiter said. "Our peoples have encountered horrors in the void, horrors that could've resulted in the extinction of one or multiple of the species within the Alliance. We cannot risk our people for the sake of perceived peace, not when more of such horrors and enemies could still lurk in the darkness between the stars."
Many in the room were stunned. 'What kind of catastrophe did they face?' Milnori thought to herself. The Arbiter didn't just speak as if he'd read such things in a history book, he talked as if he'd lived through such horrors.
"As for the activation of Mass Relays, we've learned from our encounter with the Turians, and a special resolution has been passed within the Systems Alliance." Anita continued, trying to steer the conversation back to its original point for the time being. "Now, a Relay can only be activated within our territories, and only with a sizable military presence."
"Then you've learned the wrong lesson, Human." Sparatus said, his eyes narrowing. "The reason why we don't activate the Relays is to prevent violent first contacts, our own encounter is proof of that."
"Yet, if a hostile civilization exists on the other end, it's only a matter of time before the Relay is activated." Thel countered. "This way, we'll be prepared for the worst, and we won't be the ones bleeding if the other side does decide to attack."
Anita gave the diplomats a moment to process before continuing. "And then there's your stance against Artificial Intelligence." She said, grabbing the attention of Milnori and Tevos in particular. "Due to the fact that we've determined this to be a gross violation of sentient rights, we will not be following this ruling. Both because we condemn such a genocidal law, and because we wish to protect our own people."
"So you admit you've got AI." Sparatus growled again.
"You have to realise the dangers." Tevos said, remembering the reports of the Quarian Federation during the Geth Uprising. "Do you know what happened between the Quarians and the Geth?"
"We do." Anita nodded. "We know that the Quarians created the Geth. We know how they accidentally gave them intelligence. We know how your bureaucracy effectively forced them to commit genocide on the Geth, and how the Geth fought back. We know how the Quarians got decimated from the war, and how the Council refused to help, and how the Council orchestrated them for the mistakes of their leaders."
"The Quarians had violated Citadel law by creating the Geth in the first place, and the conflict between the two was deemed an internal matter." Tevos countered.
"It was not an internal matter, it was a war of genocide between a member species and their creations." Thel growled.
"Regardless, our AI are specifically created with the capacity for emotions such as empathy, making a rebellion extremely unlikely if they're treated well." Anita said. "And in the event such a rebellion does occur, we've got contingencies to make sure any AI attempting a coup would not exactly be successful."
"Your foolishness is going to get all of us killed." Sparatus glared.
"We've been living peacefully with the Constructs for over a century, and Humanity has lived with them for much longer, longer than the Geth have even existed." The Arbiter countered. "We shall let our own experiences guide us, instead of the word of a civilization that so readily wanted to attack us when learning of the existence of our Constructs."
"Back to the points of this debate, though." Anita continued, making sure the Council couldn't get a further word in. "I also saw that you have a law stating that any archeological find of extinct alien lifeforms should be shared among all members of the Citadel. I assume you want us to follow that law as well?"
"Yes." Milnori nodded. "Any technology scavenged from such sites can be used to benefit all. Not to mention the cultural information of these dead civilizations should be preserved at all costs. Are there any such ruins that the Alliance has uncovered?"
"You could say that, though it would be more accurate to call these things abandoned by their creators instead of simply ruins." Anita said.
"Yes, the creations of the Forerunners are as enduring as they are inspiring. Or dangerous." Thel said, a part of him still revering the species his people viewed as gods even a century later.
"Forerunners? Do you mean the Protheans?" Tevos asked, wondering if there was an error in the translators. Or if they weren't aware of the name of the people who built the Relays.
"No, the Forerunners are a different people, one that predates the Protheans by as much time as the Protheans predate all of us." Thel continued. "And from what I've seen of the Prothean creations, including this Citadel, the Protheans had never achieved the same heights the Forerunners reached."
Mutterings erupted from the diplomats and other audience members. There were even flashes from the Hanar, which translated into religious panic involving words like Enkindlers and heresy.
"Do you have any proof of this claim?" Milnori sceptically asked, not too quick to believe that there was a civilization more advanced than those who built the Relays.
Anita glanced at the Arbiter, silently asking if he was okay with her sharing the details. When she received a nod, she gave her attention to the Council again. "I do, as well as an explanation about what we call the Hood Protocol." She then looked at the crowd, more specifically at the news crews broadcasting this meeting across Citadel Space. "I do have to warn you though, much of what I'm about to show is not for the faint of heart. If you can't handle things such as existential threats to all life and horrors beyond what you've thought to be possible, please look away."
The Arbiter activated a holographic projector, showcasing images of the two Halos that had been encountered prior to their destruction, and an image of the Ark. "These are creations of the Forerunners, some of the very things that made my people believe them to be gods. Yet, they are also one of the greatests of threats this galaxy has ever seen, second only to the very thing they were created to combat."
"What in the name of the goddess is that?" Tevos breathed.
"The Parasite, of which Halo was supposed to be a final solution to." Thel said gravely, showcasing images of the Flood. Showing what they did, the infection spreading across the populations of High Charity and Voi, changing the people. The Arbiter suppressed a shudder, nightmares long suppressed crawling back into his waking mind.
Many of the diplomates watched in horror, a few passing out from sheer fright. "What is that?" Sparatus breathed, for once not being hostile towards the people of the Alliance.
"That, Councillor, is the Flood." Anita said, all traces of joviality gone from her. "A ravenous parasite, capable of assimilating and transforming all forms of organic life into its collective. Levo, dextro, more esoteric biologies, it doesn't matter, all organic life is nothing more than food for this thing." The image switched to the only image of the Gravemind, recovered from the Master Chief's records before he and the Arbiter went to the Ark.
"The Parasite is the gravest of threats, capable of assimilating not just biomass, but also the knowledge of their victims." Thel continued. "If one victim knows how to operate a machine, all those infected will know how to operate the machine."
"Over a hundred thousand years ago, the Forerunners battled these monsters." Anita said. "What records we've managed to translate said that they'd tried thousands of different methods of destroying the Flood. Bioengineering, vaccines, cures, culling of the infected, destruction of biospheres, even going as far as to detonate stars to halt the spread. Nothing worked, the parasite was simply too adaptable and intelligent. So they used Halo, their final solution."
"And what does this "final solution" mean?" Milnori asked with controlled dread. She was a pragmatic person, and she dreaded what the final solution of such a plague spread around the galaxy would be.
"The end of all life." Thel said. "Each Halo has the ability to send a pulse of radiation at superluminal velocities, with a maximum range of approximately 25,000 lightyears. Considering there are seven Halos in the galaxy, and considering the known locations of Installations 04 and 05, and the suspected locations of the other five rings, they are together capable of ending every living thing in our galaxy."
"And the Forerunners were forced to use it." Anita said, with some level of sadness in her voice. "If it wasn't for the conservation efforts of the Forerunners, none of us would be alive right now, and the galaxy would be a barren wasteland. But it is because of Halo and the Flood that we've created the Hood Protocol."
"Named after the late Lord Admiral Hood of the United Earth Government, this protocol is something that must be adhered to if you do not wish to bring doom across the galaxy." The Arbiter stated firmly. "When the Forerunners made their conservation efforts, they created locations across the galaxy to house samples of life from all worlds, including on Halo itself. In these locations, life is protected from this devastating weapon. But these bastions also house the Flood itself."
"And before you ask why they did it, it was revealed to be because they wanted to make sure people could research it, and try to find some type of cure." Anita picked up again. "They had reason to believe the Flood came from another galaxy, and didn't want to take the risk in case it's still unleashed somewhere else."
"For this very reason, the discovery of any Forerunner structure must be reported to the governments, who must send appropriate forces equipped and trained to combat the Flood." Thel insisted. "This includes carrying a nuclear weapon as a failsafe. And in the case the Flood breach containment, any action is acceptable in order to eradicate the Parasite." He looked each Councillor in the eye. "If a planet must die to stop this threat, regardless if it's a new colony or a homeworld, it would be an acceptable loss. A single one of their spores can lead to our collective extinction."
"Which is why the Alliance wants the Citadel to follow the Hood Protocol." Anita said. "In return, we're willing to share any archeological findings with the Citadel. A small price to pay to make sure we and our descendants have to worry less about an apocalyptic threat I'm sure."
"And what of the Halos you have found already? And that other station?" Sparatus asked. "We can't just let you have uncontrolled access to something that could kill us all."
"Installations 04 and 05 have been dealt with." Anita replied, shifting the image to life images of the two Halos. Or rather, the ruins of Installation 04 and the glassed Installation 05. "As for the Ark, or Installation 00 as it's formally known, we actually don't know what the situation is right now. We know that there was an eighth Halo made by the station to replace Installation 04, and that it was fired there before it was fully finished in order to deal with a Flood outbreak. Other than that, we know nothing."
"Are we really supposed to believe that?" The Turian asked sceptically. "If a machine capable of annihilating all life in a significant area of the galaxy was fired, we'd have noticed. If such a machine even exists."
"No, there's no doctoring." Milnori corrected. "STG analysed footage, no signs of tampering. Halo is real, Flood is real, Ark is real." She took a deep breath. "Forerunners were real."
"Besides, the Ark is located well outside of the galaxy." Anita said, showcasing its approximate location. "That said, we're currently not able to get to where the Ark supposedly is."
"If you can't get to the Ark now, how did you do so before?" Tevos asked, having a difficult time believing all of this.
"By the technology of the Forerunners." Thel replied. "They created a network of Slipspace Portals, similar to your Mass Relays, in order to facilitate faster travel. One such device had been unearthed and led straight to the Ark. However, after the replacement Halo had been prematurely fired, the portal collapsed behind us as we retreated. Currently, we're unable to reactivate the Portal, nor can we activate any other Portal we've uncovered since."
The councillors looked at one another, utterly perplexed. "So you are willing to share any archeological find with us if we follow this Hood Protocol, correct?" Milnori asked, having managed to process the information faster than her counterparts.
"Yes, we do." Anita confirmed, though omitting a small but significant detail within the Protocol itself. It was something she was willing to do to ensure the Council didn't do anything stupid involving anything Forerunner or Flood.
Tevos took the reins again. "We will need to do some deliberation, but I would want to go on record to say that the Council is willing to stand with the Alliance in the event of an existential threat."
"Thank you, Councillor." Anita bowed. "The Alliance is willing to open up an embassy on the Citadel. If any of you want to contact any of our people, please do it through them."
After some hashing out on the various details, Anita and the Arbiter walked back to their ships. Once the two were alone with their guards in the elevator back to their ships, Thel turned to the Human. "Are you really going to give these people access to Forerunner technology?"
"Of course not." Anita scoffed, after making sure there were no bugs or other recording devices with her scanners. "Remember the fine print in the Hood Protocol? The part about how only military personnel specifically trained to fight the Flood is even allowed in any discovered Forerunner ruin?"
Thel thought for a moment before bursting out in a booming laugh. "Of course! You Humans can indeed be very cunning!" The part they were referencing also meant that only certified personnel of an Alliance lead taskforce was even allowed in such places until they've determined with 100% certainty that there was no danger.
While it was seemingly innocent on its own, the simple fact was that there was never any certainty when it came to the Forerunners, thus making sure that only people approved by the Alliance as a whole would be able to get in. And considering how dumbstruck the Council was, there was quite a good chance they'd miss the true meaning behind that little detail.
It was quite a good way of making sure to alert them of the dangers without giving them the immensely powerful technologies.
"Now, I think it's time our people meet the rest of the neighbourhood, don't you think?" Anita smiled as she and the Arbiter entered their respective ships, making plans to make some potential new allies in this wider galaxy.
XXXXXXXX
And that's a wrap. Peace has been made between the Alliance and the Citadel, and some tensions between the two powers have been laid bare.
While I did debate about the Alliance keeping the Forerunners a secret for as long as they could, I thought it best for them to reveal the dangers of Halo and the Flood. If anything goes wrong with those things, things will go very wrong very quickly.
TheDoctor1998 here, signing out!