Aboard the Colonial One

"Far be it from me to comment on the developments that have unfolded while being stuck in my bloody laboratory, madam President," Doctor Baltar spoke at the convened Quorum of Twelve, a bit miffed that this was even an open issue, "But should we not be voting for this already? It has been some time since our arrival within the confines of this Milky Way and we have a way open to not one, but two Earths."

As the Quorum, the representative legislative body of the Twelve Colonies, began to speak to one-another in murmurs and hushed whispers in front of the President, she rubbed her temples and told them, "The discussion began the moment I went to talk to the other human factions present, doctor. I'm acutely aware of what this means for all of us. It is basically the end of our journey…"

"As Vice President, I feel it's necessary to remind you every once in a while that said matter should finally be put to a vote. A referendum should be held within the Fleet, to see where people want to go," Baltar shot back while the group deliberated. Roslin stared at her VP and the fleet's lead egghead with mild annoyance.

"As much as we'd love to, I want to get every detail out of our two possible resettlement locations beforehand," She told him and the Quorum at large, "Informing the people, however, is a good step toward preparing us to make the choice of where to settle. All of you may inform your specific Colonial groups about the current developments."

"We will convene with our peoples, then," One of the Quorum members replied, strangely calm, "Let them know."

"I will hopefully have enough information so that our people can make an educated guess on where we should request asylum," The woman told them, "Until then, update your people as you see fit. The Quorum will continue reconvening in Extraordinary Session for the next few weeks as we make our decision… So Say We All."

"So Say We All," Chorused everybody. The sound of creaking chairs and footsteps soon filled the main passenger hold of the Colonial One as the people began to file out. Roslin, Billy and other aides, as well as the Secret Service, casually began writing up more information. Sat on the left side of the President's desk, amidst all the papers, were two touch-screen datapads.

One was bulky, dark-grey and military-like, with a reinforced case and corners made of rubber. The other was a more sophisticated, 'soft science-fiction'(For lack of a better term), very thin tablet that almost seemed like a frame with a central hard-light haptic interface in nature. Terrifically interesting difference.

Baltar approached, pointed at one and asked, "May I see that…?" to which Roslin gave him a wave of the hand. He picked up the Tablet that specifically belonged to the Systems Alliance and found it to be a recollection of their history, their formation and their combat against the Turians barely forty years ago. It seemed as though their Thirteenth Colony brethren here bore strife in their lives, too.

"Before you ask," Roslin sighed, rubbing her eyes, "The two Earths share a history up to the twenty-second century. The United Nations Space Command themselves have spoken in detail of their pre-unification conflicts, as well as their most recent and bloodiest war… They told us of the Human-Covenant War live, however."

"I see…" Baltar hummed as he skimmed through some of the details. He said, "Well, I know just by looking at one tablet whom my vote is cast toward."

"The Alliance?" The woman blinked, "Why?"

"It seems fairly utopic there. Even with all the disagreements between the local nations making up the Alliance, they've come together over the common goal of exploring space and have done it in a little over four decades since the discovery of their portion of these 'Mass Relays'," The man explained as he showed her the data, "They're the youngest power, but they have the strength to match local threats."

"I'd suggest reading the second tablet as well," She told him, "Though I'm certainly not sure on who to vote for myself," and that boded well for Baltar. He could hear the voice of the fine blonde right now, speaking to him, telling him that their best option was the Alliance and that they would probably be able to best help humanity in the long run.

"Might I suggest joining your VP on the road to a possible utopia and-" Baltar started, but was cut off by the door opening and the clap of navy-standard leather shoes. Commander Adama stepped inside, greeting the two with a respectful, if curt nod. With his arrival, however, Baltar suddenly felt like whatever option he had to convince his President to go to the Alliance had vanished.

Roslin breathed a little sigh, then looked up at Adama and smiled, "Welcome aboard, Commander. Sorry if I didn't greet you properly," as she stood up. The two shook hands while Baltar prepared to leave, with the President noting, "I'll take your advice under consideration, Doctor. Thank you for your presence here."

"Of course. Just trying to help," The man shrugged, then walked off.

Adama asked, "Let me guess. He wants us to tag along with the Alliance."

"How did you know?" Roslin asked partially as a joke. She watched Billy walk over to meet Dee, the two of them going to the back of the room to chat. She smiled a little, then noted Bill wasn't particularly moved, staring at her from behind his glasses. She told him, "Then what's your take? I'd like to hear what the Military has to offer in this discussion, too."

Adama nodded, then tapped the tablet with the UNSC's eagle on its back and said, "We'd be safer with them or the Galactic Republic, though the latter's a bit tenuous with the war. Their technological development and their weaponry alone could help bolster the Galactica's capability to defend the Fleet… Or, in this case, to defend Earth, should we move to theirs. While the use of AI has me a bit concerned, I've read declassified reports from Doctor Halsey and have gotten from word of mouth that one AI was instrumental in their victory against the Covenant."

"And their Galaxy is less likely to be threatened by Reapers, not to mention most of their more dangerous threats having been prudently dealt with, with said threats currently infighting…" Roslin added in a mumble, reading the reports on the various splinters that once made up the mighty Covenant Empire.

"Yes, that, too…" Adama murmured. He took his glasses off and asked, "This is gonna become a topic during the Elections if the debates and referendums go on for too long. What are you going to do if it comes to that?"

"Depending on who I will be running against? We'll see," She replied, absentminded as her thoughts focused on trying to get an answer for herself in regards to who to go with. She murmured, "It feels like we sought the Arrow of Athena for nothing… Like we went through that entire mess with each-other for nothing…"

"It brought us all closer together," Bill said, causing Roslin to stare up at him. He added, "Now, not finding our Galaxy's Earth shouldn't be that big of a problem. If it is, however, we can always ask the UNSC to provide us some support, a naval escort to find our way there and put this old ghost to rest," before he lifted the UNSC tablet again and read through it. He mumbled disbelievingly, "Thirty-three billion dead…"

"More in common than one might think, right?" Roslin inquired with a sad undertone, raising a brow at Adama. He nodded approvingly, then set it back down on the desk. As he prepared himself to leave, she told him, "Keep the UNSC Marines on board and train ours on the new guns. Despite it all, I think having some way to reliably kill Cylons, should we meet them again, is helping alleviate tensions."

Adama nodded, "Will do… You keep us on their good side, madam President."

"Oh, I'm doing my best," She smiled awkwardly, "Even offered them Cylon Detector technology and every piece of information under the sun from our libraries. For all three sides…" then she gazed out of a window at the Waystation. For a moment, she wondered just how dead they would have been had they not initiated that jump and landed here.

The Commander and miss Dualla left a few moments after bidding the President and her Aide a goodbye. She sighed, rubbed her eyes and said, "Billy, I think I'm going to retire the moment we pick our new home. Running this fleet with the help of the Commander, you and everyone else is one thing, but political discussions with different Galaxies' reps makes me feel like I'm aging a thousand years in a day…"

"Understandable, ma'am," Chuckled Billy. The young man poured his boss a coffee, then the two watched as the shuttle that led to Galactica departed, presumably with the Commander and the Doctor/VP aboard…

The warship itself was gonna be busy.

Quite, in fact. About an hour after they'd arrived back on the Galactica and Doctor Baltar had returned to his cushy little technology-filled abode, he was quite calmly reading through the UNSC stuff that both Doctor Halsey and now President Roslin had given him. They were certainly a more soldierly version of mankind, though-

"Gaius…" A familiar voice called to him. He craned his neck right, seeing the sight of that very vision of the beautiful blonde in the red dress staring at him. She spoke, "I see you're doing your homework on our new 'friends'. A good idea, though I'd suggest you make sure that the Colonial fleet picks the Alliance."

"Any particular reason why?" He asked as he turned his gaze back to studying the history of the UNSC. He twitched as he felt her hands now running across his chest. He'd blinked and she'd appeared behind him, gently teasing him away from his questions. He was, however, focused on understanding.

She noticed this and whispered in his ear, "The safety of mankind is paramount… There is something dark coming here and we can all feel it."

"Like those Reapers that Commander Shepard mentioned?" Baltar murmured to himself as he set the tablet aside. He sat down and said, "An impossibility of evolution beyond my understanding. Why would someone create something so vile in the first place…? And why would someone as simple as a Military officer from an upstart version of mankind even…?"

"The right person at the wrong place can make all the difference in the world, Gaius," She told him as she approached, then leaned against the central table in his workspace, "Shepard's service record should be available to you on that datapad. She has already stopped these Reapers once, or delayed them, at the very least."

"And how are we supposed to help defeat a force like this?" He asked, "They're supposedly infinite."

"Nothing made by living hands is infinite, nor infallible, Gaius. Only that which is made by God, in His infinite wisdom, is," The woman replied in a surprisingly reassuring tone, "To deal with the Reapers, however, we'll need to help further the Alliance's capabilities. To do that, we need to be with them. They need brilliant minds, too. And who knows?" she smiled next, one of her usual acts, "Maybe they'll see you as the hero you truly are."

"Maybe…" He did always fall for flattery. Sighing, he told her, "I'll do my damnedest. Failing everything… I could potentially run against her in the Elections. Win and pick out our ally that way…" before shifting a chunk of his work-related items to a different countertop and scratching his chin. He sat down at his work desk and began punching in numbers.

Running against Roslin…

… Not a bad idea.

SSV Normandy SR-2

Above Illium

The sleek Stealth Frigate gently glided toward the gilded planet that was Illium. One of the Asari colonies with the most lax trading laws in the Galaxy and a sprawling series of metropolises, all controlled by the Asari's 'corporate interests'. Various Matriarch-owned companies and some shady businesses ran the place.

Reminded Shepard of Noveria, honestly. Just less 'snowy shithole' and more 'Corporate shithole'. In the sense of the grime being hidden by the beautiful, glistening towers of ivory built by the Asari being a soul-crushing one, to the point people who lived on this planet genuinely tended to openly sell themselves into slavery due to the laws and the taxes.

Hell of a place to visit, Shepard thought, immediately after retrieving Kasumi. The blonde-haired woman cast a glance back at the Master Thief, an infiltrator in a very fancy suit, hood hiding half her face. The two had had one mission to get acclimatized with one-another, namely through operating against the man who stole something very important to Kasumi.

She'd also gotten a new SMG and seen the head of the Statue of Liberty during that mission, so, that was something. Kasumi gave a thumbs up to the Commander, a smile on her face, to which the Commander said, "Please, don't steal anything while we're down there…" then shifted her arm and activated her Omni-Tool.

EDI added, "Please, do not steal anything on the ship, either."

"You two are no fun, Shep," Chuckled Kasumi, "I'm gonna go find a cozy hole to hide in until we land. See you…" and then the veil of the Infiltrator active camouflage activated, the girl vanishing from sight as she walked away.

Shepard blinked, then mumbled, "I can already tell she's gonna be fun to have around…" with a small smile. She leaned against Joker's chair and stated, "Get us down, Joker," while watching blinking lights fading in and out in the distance, sensor marks following them. They were probably other civilian ships operating in the area.

"We're waiting for a slot to open up, Commander," Joker shot back, "Seems like it's a pretty popular place, all things considered…" and he tapped a few buttons on the haptic interface, pre-calculating a course for landing at the capital of Nos Astra. He requested, "You mind sending them Shepard's Spectre ID, EDI?"

"Transmitting now," The AI replied.

Shepard hummed, then asked, "Hey, EDI. How're you and Cortana getting along?"

"She has been a surprising boon in patching up holes in our security network. Her Cyberwarfare suite is incredibly technologically advanced," EDI answered, seemingly rather puzzled by the fact there was already a more advanced AI aboard. She added, "If you wish, I can share with her the neutralized Reaper Code that makes up my anti-Reaper combat programs."

"Make sure you do," Shepard nodded, "Just let Chief know before, however. He seems particularly attached to her," before she sighed. She lifted her Omni-Tool and said, "All team members, we're approaching Illium. We're gonna need everyone combing the place for our new hires. As soon as we're landed, rally up at the airlock."

As the ship began its final descent to the Nos Astra Spaceport, Shepard had gathered her crew in the corridor leading up to the airlock. She began, "We're only landing here to find our new allies. I've already had EDI forward the Dossiers to you all. I want teams. Krogan are staying aboard for the time being. God only knows it isn't a good idea to scare the locals."

"I want this done quickly, so we can go and deal with whatever's aching Grunt. Don't start unnecessary fights and don't get yourselves into too much trouble," The Commander requested, then shifted her gauntlets a bit to make sure they were properly in place. A quiet clang, followed by the hiss of pressure equalization filled the air.

The Krogans stomped back to the elevator and Cargo bay, while the Commander and the rest of the human staff stepped off onto the concourse, to the sight of elegant architecture, tall spires rising high into the skies. Among them, skycars and shuttles flew in overlapping lanes, distant car horns tooting as the traffic continued.

"Even with flying cars, there's still gonna be traffic," Cortana quipped over the com, "Should've figured."

"Traffic's gonna exist regardless of if your cars fly or not," Garrus stated, "It's worse when they intermix military vehicles into it. The city I lived in on Palaven once had a mile-long convoy pile up onto one of the main boulevards. Took them a day to get unstuck because someone at the higher echelons of Logistics screwed up."

"Were you going anywhere back then, Bird-Boy? Or were ya playing traffic cop?" Joked Jack. Garrus snorted, but shook his head.

"I was trying to get to boyscouts camp. I got lost along the way and met a Varren that looked more friendly than you, though, so I might ask the Illusive Man to bring him on as a crew member," He shot back, causing the girl to snort, even as she lifted her left hand to show him a certain central digit. The other members of the team, sans the Spartans, let out laughter as they walked down the concourse, only to all pause at the sight of the blue-skinned and eerily uncanny beauty of the three women approaching.

"Greetings, Commander Shepard," The leading woman spoke, a smile on her face, "Welcome to Illium."

Shepard paused, a bit surprised, then asked, "How did you-"

"Stay calm," The woman answered, raising her hands to show she meant no harm, "I and my associates only know of your arrival courtesy of miss T'Soni informing us. Speaking of her, she does wish to see you and mister Vakarian. Her office is just past the concourse on the main shopping level here at the Spaceport. Take a right, then a left up the stairs at the end."

"Thanks," Shepard nodded, her eyes widening by the revelation, "T'Soni. As in… Liara T'Soni."

"Yes, indeed," The greeter nodded, "One of the finest information brokers currently situated on Illium. I'm sure she'll be glad to help you all with whatever it is you seek on our world… Aside from leisurely shopping, of course," then she looked past the commander, noting the soldiers and Spartans and the Clones. She blinked and told the Commander, "Please, do refrain from shooting the place up, though…"

"Don't worry," Ahsoka spoke, "We're all very well-behaved."

The Clones gently lifted their hands and gave a thumbs-up in synch, while Jack rolled her eyes. The Spartans remained wildly impassive, with Cortana commenting, "Most of us, anyways…" which was only audible across the unit's com.

Kasumi crossed her arms to her chest, reappearing behind Fred as she said, "Eh. Don't worry, I left my sticky fingers at home, Shep…" then she disappeared again. The Spartan felt his back pocket, then grabbed thin air, causing the girl to reappear. She winced and said, "Damn, dude, you've got good ears…"

"Is… That…?" The woman in front of Shepard started, eyes widening.

"A friend," Shepard answered, then cast a glance back at Kasumi. She told the Master Thief through gritted teeth, "A very good, very well-behaved friend who would only legally acquire the items she wants, now that we're on basically a gigantic mall planet, right?" while raising both brows at her. Kasumi let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of her neck and giving a nod.

The three Asari greeters sighed, then bid goodbye, walking off. Jacob commented, "That was… Cutting it a little close. Did you steal anything from this place, Kasumi?"

"No," She lied as naturally as she breathed. She avoided looking anyone in the eye and mumbled, "... Maybe."

The deadpan stares of most of her new comrades told Kasumi she should probably stop admitting to stuff like this. With a heavy sigh, Shepard showed the team to follow along. The Clones seemingly remained on alert, blasters at the ready, while the Spartans, though tense, were far more subtle in their way of maintaining security. Shepard only barely picked up on it.

It did still probably spook most of the people present when an entire platoon of armed mercenaries appeared. Zaeed quipped, "I missed this kind of fear whenever I walked into a place. Hah," and he smirked, then looked at the Spartans, "You four have to lend me one of your goddamn armors. They're probably scaring the shit out of the Volus."

Indeed. They were on the side of one of maybe a hundred towers in Nos Astra's sky-line, a multi-level area filled with cafes, kiosks and multitudes of patrons from all Galactic species, ranging from the rotund, suit-clad, three-fingered Volus to the blue Asari to even humans of all various races and creeds and the Salarians.

Few Turians, though. Must've been working with the Merc groups around the area or acting as unseen security. The group followed Shepard, with Ahsoka examining the place's architecture and stating, "Seems like a nice enough location. Wonder why some of the information I've read gives travel advisories to people."

"Don't be fooled," Garrus warned, "The pretty lights and everything? Mostly for show. This place is about as bad as Omega. Different allure, though. Don't sign any of the contracts here, either, though. You'll wind up someone's slave faster than you can sneeze," and he already noticed several people staring at Ahsoka like she was exotic goods.

"Noted," Ahsoka mumbled, now a little more on guard, hand hovering near her lightsaber just in case. The place felt sort of wrong, now that she had time to feel through the Force. It was an eerily… Familiar feeling, too. She'd visited just about every kind of hell-hole her home Galaxy had to offer. This one, though? It was like few others she'd seen.

The Spartans grew a little more tense, while Fives joked, "Yeah, great. Put a platoon of Clones whose COs hate Slavers on a planet where you can sell yourself off and add a Special Forces detachment in Power Armor to the mix… This is gonna end real well," before getting a gentle elbow from Jesse. The Chief turned his head toward Fives and nodded at him, as if telling him he agreed.

Jack told the Clone, "Relax, Five-Oh. I ain't letting you sell your ass off to anyone," and pat him on the back.

"Thanks," He spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Feel safer already, Wrecking Ball."

"Do you two actually like each-other?" Kasumi quipped as she emerged between them, managing to somehow cause Jack's face to glow red, while Fives coughed hoarsely. Laughter filled the group as they advanced toward the back of the place. They could see the office overlooking the area and a figure staring at them from amidst a dozen holographic screens.

Shepard showed the team to wait, stating, "Hold out back here while I go talk to Liara. Find something to do, listen for info on the Justicar or our other targets and… For the love of God, please, make sure you all don't sign yourselves off to anything…" only to immediately pause as a giddy Mordin stepped off to try and find something new to buy. She told them, "Each of you has a thousand credit budget. I don't want us to freaking overspend…"

Climbing to the top of the stairs with Garrus, the Commander was soon greeted by the Asari assistant of one Doctor Liara T'Soni. So, Liara had enough cash and influence to actually get a young, pretty flower as an assistant, Shepard thought to herself. Rather cute. A few words were exchanged, then the door was opened…

… And there she was, in all her Asari glory. Liara T'Soni, the squad's old nerd, spoke with a strange level of authority to someone over the com. "... Believe me, you do not want this fight. Because I will make sure your people will not be an issue to anyone anymore. No, not a threat. A promise." only to look behind her and gasp. She cut the link, then yelled, "Nyxeris, hold my calls!"

Sidestepping her ornate desk, she walked toward Shepard with a smile on her face and greeted, "Shepard, Garrus… It's… I'm glad you came to see me right away."

"Hey, I don't leave my friends out to dry," Shepard smiled, then frowned and said, "Sorry about…"

"It's fine…" Liara cut her off, well aware. "Come, have a seat. We have a lot to talk about."