Capítulo 107: Chapter 102
Me being an AI synthetic life form was one of the least surprising things they had learned that day. Having already gotten enough information and learning much more than they wanted to, Shepard and Crew departed my base. Probably in hopes of avoiding any more world-shattering revelations. A fair concern considering I only told them about the Reapers. I didn't even touch any of the terrible truths about the rest of the galactic community. Oh well, their loss.
With no further interruptions, I went back to my much less interesting work. Which was primarily supply chain management. It was absolutely riveting work, that didn't bore me out of my mind at all. Unfortunately, I had a lot of bleeding-edge SCIENCE to produce. Genetic enhancements and laser weapons don't make themselves.
The news of a live Prothean being found spread like wildfire. Speculation ran wild but was met by silence from authorities. The silence drove conspiracy theorist wild and increased the already sizable amount of skeptics. After the initial discovery, the various governments classified Javik's existence and all of his interviews. The governments reacted mostly in one of two ways denial or terror. Salarians and Asari fell into the first group, and the Turians and Humans the second. The Salarians felt there wasn't enough evidence and the Asari didn't like how wrong they had been about the Protheans. It wasn't perfect, but having half the council believe in Reapers was significantly better than the original zero.
I copied all the data relating to Javik and sent it to Toph and Suki so that it would spread to Krogan and Quarian leadership. Not that it was needed, but I also sent a copy to the Geth. It was time to plan our pre-war preparations and to work out an Alliance/ peace agreement. I set up a meeting between the three races on a diplomatic ship in neutral space. Getting the Geth and Krogans to agree to meeting was easy. It was the quarians that we're difficult. In the end, they authorized a non-binding meeting. The threat of the Reapers was a potential motivator, but they also couldn't let the Geth freely meet with the Krogans and the Shadow Broker. They needed to know what was happening at the meeting.
Given how the Geth felt about the Quarians I would have thought they'd have tried diplomacy before. Turns out they have. No races were willing to work with AI, especially AI that had turned on their creator. The Quarians have never stopped trying to kill the Geth, so the diplomatic approach was a lost cause there.
Each of us was allowed a single cruiser class ship. My own would be the hosting ship. I arrived in the SSS Babel, a custom-built ship using all-new Vault Tech developments. On the outside, it was slightly boxy, but on the inside, it was elegant neo-50's decor. Near the Center of the ship was a large conference room where the talks would occur.
The Geth appeared casually, in a standard Geth cruiser. The Krogans appeared in what was clearly a stolen Batarian Cruiser, although I'm not sure what I was expecting the Krogans haven't made their own ships in centuries. The Quarians came in a ship that was somehow even more rundown than the Krogan's stolen ship. I'm not sure if it's because the Quarians don't want to lose a valuable ship, or if the state of the Flotilla is in a worse position than I thought.
The three groups left their cruisers aboard a shuttle. Docking with the Babel and unloading the diplomatic parties. Toph leads two other Krogans and quickly walked into the conference room. The Quarian party boarded next. An unknown Quarian led Suki and another Captain through my ship and into the conference room. The Geth boarded last and their diplomatic party was led by a new type of Geth. It looked like a suitless Quarian but was distinctly off tone and metallic. Behind it was two more traditional Geth units.
The room was exceptionally tense as the three party leaders and I sat at a large circular table. The guards standing behind their respective leaders.
"Let's not waste any more time we all know why we are here. I am the Shadow Broker, and I will be acting as a moderator, neutral party, and sponsor of these talks. Now, who is here to talk for their race?" I say opening the discussion.
"Beifong Toph. Queen of the United Krogan Clans"
"This Unit is known as the Emissary. We will speak for the Geth"
"I am Captain Keva and I will not negotiate peace any further while my home is occupied"
"Correction, the Geth do not occupy Rannoch or any portions of the Tikkun system. We have preemptively left in preparations for this meeting. We will not return predicated upon the assumption that an agreement will be met today."
"That requires that I believe you, and even if I did the Quarians won't bend to your every demand as you bait us with our homeworld."
"Point of Order Captain, once an agreement is reached it will be a simple matter to verify the Geth's claims. Second, Rannoch is the Geth's homeworld as well." I interject.
"It's not their homeworld. They don't have a homeworld, they were developed and built all across our territory."
"The same could be said about the Asari and the Protheans, but Thessia is still their home."
"Of course you would side with them. You're just as much machine as they are. You clearly can't be impartial furthermore how do feel it's appropriate to sit at this table like you deserve a seat at the table."
"Beyond the fact that I am the only one who saw fit to inform you all of the impending existential crisis. I know more about the Reapers than any other being alive. My words carry with them wisdom developed by innumerable millennia. I bring with me, gifts to your races. If a proper peace agreement is signed today then I will gift the Krogans a cure to the genophage. The Quarians will receive a treatment for your immune systems. The Geth will receive a sizable data stash, but I'm sure they would have done it for free. Should any party refuse, then I will offer no more aid and let fend for yourselves." I declared causing half the room to start shouting over themselves.
"SHUT UP!" yelled Toph Silencing the room.
"YOU TWO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PROFESSIONALS" She yelled pointing at her guards
"Yes Queen" They responded instantly
"AND YOU!" She yelled pointing at the Captain Kava
"Don't you point at me like that!" He yelled back. Which surprisingly got Toph to stop yelling. Several tense moments passed in silence, only to be broken when we all heard Toph begin to softly giggle. A Krogan giggling was terrifying, but as she started cackling louder and louder I realized a Krogan's laughter, in general, is deeply unsettling.
"Oh, I would say you have quite the quad to be talking to me like that, if I thought for a second it was bravery and not foolishness. I will point at whoever I wish and there is not a goddamn thing you can do about it, because the only thing keeping me from coming over there and beating you to death for that disrespect is a thin diplomatic line. You flee you home after losing a war. You come here begging for it back. They give it to you out of pity and convenience and then you have the gall to demand more. I find myself wondering why you were even invited." Toph says calmly, but still dripping with rage.
Toph has gone fully native. Maybe sending her by herself to take over the Krogans was a bad idea. It worked, but Toph fits in as a Krogan ruler like a glove. Wait I smell something. Oh... Gross, I didn't even know Quarians could do that. I thought the suits prevented that.
"Captain you've soiled yourself. You have disgraced yourself and your race please dismiss yourself. Suki Vas'Kiyoshi please take his place. Although I believe we will all understand your decision to stand" I say as Captain Keva quickly flees the room.
"Thank you. I am Captain Suki and I apologize for his unseemly behavior. I will not draw out these proceedings any longer than they have to be. Rannoch and the offered medical treatments are wonderful offers, but even without them, an Alliance against the Reapers would be necessary. The council debates over the validity of the Reapers but even so they're preparing to fight them. They will not protect us, we need to protect ourselves. If we should win then we will still find ourselves as enemies of the council. The Quarians have two choices either beg the council for help and hope that they do not ignore us like they have for the last 3 centuries or we find help in the others that the council turned their back on."
"Well then what are we going to call ourselves? "
"Our name is Legion for we are many"
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