Chapter 117
The Asari envoy, Maizrae stood aboard her ship, the 'Serenity' as she worked with the Salarian, Turian, Systems Alliance, and Imperial Ascendency envoys to negotiate a peace deal.
"We must remember," she began, addressing each of them. "The real enemy here isn't Turian or Human or even the Ascendency forces. It's war itself. We are here to end it, not fuel it."
Each word she spoke was deliberate, carefully chosen. She let them resonate in the silence that blanketed the room after her statement.
The Turian representative, an old scar-faced veteran by the name of Khorix, shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. He had lived through too many conflicts and had seen too much death. His gaze bore into Maizrae, full of skepticism and mistrust. "You speak of peace," he began, his voice raspy from years of orders yelled over the battlefield, "But can you guarantee it?"
Miranda, chosen as the Ascendency's representative, chose this moment to speak. "No one can guarantee peace," she said. Her tone was not dismissive though, it held a measure of sorrow and acceptance. "We are here only to lessen the chances of war."
Admiral Kastanie Drescher of the Alliance, a woman with sharp features and a stern gaze that had seen many battles, leaned forward. "We must agree to a ceasefire," she declared, "It is the first step towards peace. The systems Alliance is willing to agree to any reasonable peace deals to establish peace"
"I agree" stated Maizrae. "The first contact with the Systems Alliance was not something that should have started with a conflict, I understand the Turians were simply performing their duties by preventing the reactivation of the Relay which was forbidden and ended up leading into a conflict. We can put the blame on anyone, but it would be pointless. What's done is done, and now it's our duty to ensure this doesn't escalate."
Khorix grumbled in agreement, even as the words left a bitter taste in his mouth. "The Hierarchy was just protecting the Galactic community and enforcing the councils' laws..." He muttered under his breath, but he knew as well as anyone that didn't justify the massacre that had happened.
Miranda nodded solemnly, "We understand the Turian stance on this matter and respect it. However, the Ascendency also had its reasons for the actions we took."
The Salarian representative, a thin figure named Thux, twitched slightly in his seat. His eyes switched between those present before finally settling on Maizrae. "Agreed," he said, "A ceasefire is logical but insufficient. We also need detailed negotiations for reparations for both sides involved in the conflict."
"Yes," Admiral Drescher agreed with a grim nod. "They must not feel as if they've been slighted, or else the resentment will only bubble and fester until it boils over into full-scale conflict again," she said. "We need to ensure not only a ceasefire but also a resolution that satisfies all parties involved."
The rest of the envoys agreed with this statement, even Khorix who was told by his government to make peace had no choice in the matter.
Together the representatives came up with a comprehensive peace treaty that presented each party's interests and demands. The treaty contained several key points, immediate cessation of hostilities, reparations for losses suffered by Turians and the Systems Alliance, and for the Systems Alliance to be allowed to set up an Embassy on the Citadel and introduce the Systems Alliance to the rest of the species within the Galaxy.
Once all the points had been discussed and agreed upon, the final draft was drawn up. Both the Turian and Alliance representatives agreed to the peace deal. After hours, an agreement had finally been reached and the meeting had ended.
Each representative returned to their ship and departed back to their government to inform them of the situation. Except for Admiral Kastanie Drescher who had a private meeting with Miranda onboard her ship.
The two of them sat within a small room within the ship as Admiral Kastanie gazed at Miranda, trying to see if there was any difference between the two of beside her height. "Intrigued, are you?" asked Miranda.
"Yes, when I first walked into the meeting, I didn't think that I would see someone who looked exactly like my species within the meeting" Miranda chuckled, her fingers lightly probing the edge of her glass. "I suppose we are a surprise to you," she admitted. "But then again, many things in the universe are."
Admiral Drescher nodded; her gaze thoughtful as she swirled the liquid in her own glass. "That's an understatement," she replied, a hint of amusement lacing her words. "I would never have imagined coming across another human species on the other side of the galaxy."
"There's a lot more to the Ascendancy than meets the eye," Miranda said after a moment. "It was also shocking for us to discover another human species, and also part of the reason why we intervened on Shanxi."
"And for that on behalf of the Systems Alliance, I must thank you," said Admiral Drescher. They continued to chat for the next few minutes before it was time for Admiral Dresher to return to her ship.
Before she left Miranda gave her a few words regarding the Citadel council "Also, be aware of the Citadel council and their Authority which they hold over the other species. The Council likes to keep their interests at the forefront of any negotiations, peace or otherwise. They will likely view you as a newcomer, an outsider, and may try to take advantage," she warned.
Admiral Drescher turned to face her; her expression serious. "I'll take note of that," she said earnestly. She held Miranda's gaze for a moment longer before heading to her shuttle.
Miranda returned to Nova to personally give Axel the news. The Systems Alliance had reached a peace deal with the Turians and had been offered the chance to establish an embassy on the Citadel to join the galactic stage alongside the other species. Miranda however, has refused the final offer upon learning of the laws that they would have to abide by.
She saw no benefit in being under the Citadel council upon learning of the laws that they have in place which would severely damage the Ascendency if they decided to join the Citadel and the other species. Axel was already made aware of this decision and why it was made and had agreed with the outcome. Instead, he focused on exploring and expanding to the nearby systems while also reaching out to the lower species within the Citadel and establishing agreements with them.