106 – Citadel Reunion (4)

The Salarian representative felt as though today was a nightmare. Compared to their plans and thoughts on how this reunion would go, this felt like hell.

Never in a million years would they have guessed that Tevos, who usually liked to concentrate all the Council power in her hands, would suddenly open it up to others.

Not only did she open it up, but the Council now had eight members, all from different species: Asari, Turian, Human, Krogan, Quarian, Prothean, Volus, and Hanar. They held powers above the Salarians in the grand scheme of things, and that was not good for them.

The Salarians wanted power so badly that they didn't mind throwing their greatest support in the upcoming war, LD, under the bus and they even allied themselves with the Batarians and offered support to other species, although those haven't joined them like the Batarians.

They would remember that in the future.

At first, when they were ignored in the Reunion, they endured the situation. However, when all the species seemed to come together in the war effort, effectively ignoring the Salarians, it caused the representative to panic and act.

Now, as everyone in the room stared at him, the representative began to regret his actions, even if just a little.

Tevos had an ambiguous expression on her face. "Why have you interrupted us?" she asked.

The Salarian representative gulped but quickly dismissed any doubts about whether he was doing the right thing. He had his orders, and he intended to act on them. "I have intel that LD, and by proxy, humans, are using AI!"

When he said that, he expected a lot of clamor from those around the room, but honestly, it wasn't much. Of course, those present understood that AI was dangerous, but compared to their actual situation, it didn't seem like much of a concern.

However, the public reaction was different. As the meeting was being transmitted throughout the galaxy, fear spread among the viewers. This fear made them less rational, something the Salarians planned to exploit.

But the effect wasn't immediate, as Tevos simply stated, "Show them to me."

The Salarian representative noticed that the atmosphere was different from what he had anticipated, but he complied with the request and passed the proof to Tevos using his omni-tool.

Tevos received the information and read it as quickly as she could. Essentially, the Salarians had found evidence related to Samael and his crew; things like videos, photos, and data they left behind had been analyzed. Based on that, the fact they had AI was certain.

They even correctly deduced that RR and EDI were the AIs, though they didn't possess concrete proof. 'Impressive.'

She had to give credit to the Salarians, as even though the Asari had been investigating LD from the beginning, they hadn't gathered as much information as the Salarians had.

Tevos was still the only Councilor present, so she didn't need to disclose everything the Salarians had uncovered. However, she did so because Samael had asked her to. 'Truly, I have no idea what he is thinking.'

This was essentially a death sentence for LD, as the others would demand punishments that even they wouldn't be able to endure. Yet, Samael didn't seem to mind.

Tevos passed the information to all those in the room, '' You can see what the Salarians have uncovered.'' She then looked at Samael, '' What do you, LD creator, have to say about this?''

Samael was calm. This wasn't the first situation like this, nor would it be the last. "It's the truth."

Murmurs rolled around the room, with many people—friends even—shocked by what Samael had just admitted. Even some of his new allies, like the Quarians, were in the dark about this.

They, specifically, were troubled by this revelation. However, based on what Samael had done for them, they could 100% ignore it.

"We demand punishment!"

The Salarian representative grinned, feeling victorious. But, under his gaze, he watched as Samael tapped his omni-tool a few times.

'What is he doing?' the Salarian wondered when he received a message on his omni-tool. When he clicked on it, he was horrified to see it was classified information about Salarians' experiments, not only with AIs but with other species as well.

Before he had the chance to open his mouth, Samael said, "If what LD did deserves punishment, what does this demand?"

"OUTRAGEOUS!" one Quarian guest exclaimed when he saw those files. It showed the Salarian conducting experiments on a living Quarian, making the representative's blood boil. The only reason he didn't just jump on the Salarian was that he was held back.

The Salarian representative shrank back, all his bravado and momentum gone like a candle against the wind.

"ENOUGH!" Tevos's sudden shout caused the situation to calm down, even if just momentarily. It wasn't just the Quarian trying to confront the Salarian. Ironically, they were being protected by the Krogan and C-Sec. The Batarians beside them also intervene.

When everyone calmed down, Tevos looked at Samael. "What you uncovered doesn't change the fact that LD has committed a crime against the Galaxy. You will have to be punished."

The Salarian representative tried to smile, but he could not, as the situation did not allow it. Even though they had put LD in the spotlight, he could not feel happy, as they were also in it.

"I see no problem with that. Even though LD has done many good things, such as curing the Genophage and helping the Quarians get rid of their suits—by the way, you can take them off now."

When everyone heard what Samael had said, they could not believe it. Then, they looked beside him and realized there was a Quarian without a suit, smiling at them. The situation with the Reaper was so shocking that they didn't even pay attention to their surroundings, easily ignoring Tali.

But now, it has come to their attention and it shocked them.

Then, to their surprise, all Quarians present took their suits off, revealing they were free from their suits. And, by the way, they were dressed normally underneath.

"But I ask you to postpone the punishment until after the war against the Reapers. LD is necessary for us to have a chance."

Silence filled the room as everyone waited for Tevos's decision. They knew Samael was right, but AI was a sensitive topic after all. The Geth, one of their biggest problems, was a direct result of that issue.

Tevos smiled internally but maintained a stoic expression as she said, "We will postpone LD's punishment until the war with the Reapers is over. In more than one way, it's the right thing to do."

If they win the war, it would be acceptable to punish LD, but if they lose, this whole matter would be meaningless.

"What about the Salarians' punishment?" The Quarian guest who had almost jumped out of his seat to attack the Salarian representative, asked. It was clear that he was frustrated about not being able to punish the Salarians for what they did.

Tevos glanced at the Salarian representative, who now seemed devoid of any confidence. In fact, if he could, he would disappear from that room immediately.

"Like LD, we will hold the Salarians accountable AFTER the war. What I said at the beginning was true: we will need unity now, not distrust."

The Quarian still looked angry, but he nodded and sat back down. Unlike the Salarian, he understood how to look at the bigger picture.

Those who were angry at the Salarians also swallowed their frustration—for now, at least. After the war, they would pursue them.

"Now, does anyone have more to reveal?" Tevos asked.

Surprisingly, Samael raised his hand.

"Yes, Samael. What do you wish to say?" Tevos prompted.

"Well, I might have found and gained the support of the Rachni."

Silence. It was safe to say that no one expected that.

---

After that, everything in the meeting happened like a blur. Everyone quickly came to terms with what Samael had said after realizing the extent of LD's help.

It was safe to say that the company was the glue holding the entire war effort together. Money, new spaceships, resources—you name it, LD was the biggest contributor.

The Turians would help train the troops from all species, just like Humans and LD.

Krogans would assist with numbers, as they were now free from the Genophage.

The Protheans didn't have much to do in this reunion, as the contents of it overshadowed their presence, but they would contribute to research.

All in all, the galaxy united as best as it could, and the public observed this. It was enough to slow down their fear and give them hope.

It motivated both the young and old to move towards the goal of protecting their homes and families. They would help whenever they could.

The meeting was a success, even though the Salarians tried to sabotage it.

By the way, Project Andromeda would be revealed by Tevos to the others at another meeting taking place not long after this one. This was one of the things Samael disliked about Tevos and the entire galaxy: they had to hold multiple meetings to discuss the same topic or similar subjects.

It was frustrating.

Anyway, Tevos would use the opportunity to gain more trust from those who didn't join the council, like the Elcor. They would even allow the Salarians and the Batarians to participate.

Speaking of them, in this meeting their presence was rather small, as they only assisted the Salarians when necessary. However, Samael had business with them.

With heavy steps, Samael made his way toward the Batarian side. 'Trash.'

Not only had they allied with the Salarians in this cycle to try to take Tevos' power, but in past cycles, they had also betrayed the galaxy—more than once.

Samael's hatred for them was more than justified, but even so, he would try to help.

The Batarians were alone, as the Salarians had bolted from the room as soon as possible. They noticed him approaching with a carefree attitude, seemingly indifferent to his presence.

"Fellas, I came here to talk about something important," Samael tried his best to sound polite.

Despite his efforts, the Batarians were rude, laughing as one of them spoke in his naturally raspy voice, "What do you want, human? Have you come to ask for forgiveness, since you've finally recognized our greatness?"

"No, no! He came here to admire our beauty!" another added.

"That makes sense, considering the ladies by his side," chimed in a third. "One seems to be a Quarian no one wants, a used Asari, and then there's a lowly human. He really needs to see something beautiful."

It was clear from what they said that they were paying attention to Samael from the beginning.

Samael already had a short fuse when it came to the Batarians, and now they had insulted his companions, pushing him to the limit. '' Listen here, you fucking idiots.''

The Batarians grew angry, but before they could act on it, they noticed Wrex in the distance glaring at them. That was enough for them to remain silent, allowing Samael to speak uninterrupted.

"One of your colonies is located near a Relay that the Reapers will use to arrive in the galaxy. However, this one is special because the Reapers are already on their way to use it."

The Batarians struggled to follow the conversation. One moment, they were mocking the human and his companions, and now this human was saying something strange.

"How do you even know that?" That was the strange part. Why hadn't he shared this information with everyone at the meeting that had taken place not long ago?

'' I could tell you, but I don't want nor need to. Now listen, we as in all council and those in power, decided to blow up said Relay. And, as this Relay is close to the planet, you will have to evacuate all citizens. Oh, and in case you guys didn't realize, because you are too stupid, the explosion of the Relay will most likely destroy the planet too. Unlike.''

'' ... What? Who do you think you are to command us like that?!?'' The Batarians got enraged after hearing what Samael said.

Samael got up to the face of one of the Batarians, '' I'm the man who owns most of the galaxy. The man that is the owner of the company you buy food from. The man who could ask the Council to bark and they would ask in which species of dog. And even with all that, I'm giving you a fraction of a chance to save your people.''

Samael calmed down a bit after seeing that the Batarians were already intimidated enough. He sighed before saying, "Sorry, it was just that today was chaotic, so I went overboard... Anyway, LD will provide full support in the evacuation. And yes, you don't have much choice or time, so within a week at most, I want that planet evacuated."

The Batarians were too stunned to even think.

Samael honestly didn't care about their feelings as he left, saying, "Expect contact soon."

With that, Samael walked away. He had helped them, but he couldn't deny that seeing their despair-filled faces was somewhat satisfying.

---

Samael looked behind him and, sure enough, he recognized three faces: Emily, Diana, and Khalisah al-Jilani.

"What can I do for you, ladies?" He had tried his best to stay on the same side as the reporters. They could, after all, help him manipulate others through their connections.

Diana glanced at the other two, who nodded in agreement. She took a deep breath and said, "We want to work for LD. Not only in the news area but also to train in combat."

That took Samael by surprise. Never in any of the previous cycles had they done anything like this. It was truly a breath of fresh air for him, so he asked, "Can I ask why?"

"As you know, we were here in the Citadel, filming the fight against the Collectors. The people sent to protect us... almost all of them died, the majority because of our mistakes." Emily said, her expression filled with guilt. Whatever happened in the past, had changed her and pushed her forward at the same time.

"So, we want to train so it wouldn't happen again." Khalisah al-Jilani said after she noticed Emily staying quiet after saying that.

By the way, Diana was Alliance Personnel, so she had basic training and wasn't affected that much by what she saw in terms of psychological damage. However, it showed she was still weak, so she decided to change that.

Samael looked deep into their eyes and sighed. He could see conviction in them and came to a decision. "Go to San Francisco and look for Miranda Lawson at the LD headquarters. She will be ready to allocate you there."

The three beamed at what they heard. They came to talk with him in high hopes but never imagined it would be so simple.

"But be warned, it won't be an easy path, but you will grow stronger." Samael knew they were resolute but still warmed them. He knew the path to becoming stronger wasn't easy, but he knew their character, so he knew they would endure it.

"Thank you." The three reporters thanked Samael from the bottom of their hearts.

They exchanged a few more pleasantries before going their separate ways.

Samael had only one thought as he was going to meet with his crew once more, ' It's the last time we have free time. Let's enjoy it.'