knew shows of strength weren’t the only way to get what you wanted. Throughout the known galaxy, the Alliance was developing a reputation for being aggressive and confrontational. Her actions last time had no doubt cemented that opinion in the minds of the councillors. Today, however, she intended to show them another side of humanity.
Reaching the top of the Tower, she stepped from the elevator, passed the ceremonial honor guards, and ascended the staircase to the Petitioner’s Stage. A moment later the councillors emerged from somewhere behind the raised platform at the other end of the chamber and took their seats, moving with a staid and solemn precision.
Reading the body language of other species was difficult, but it was a skill the ambassador had worked hard to develop. She could tell from their stiff and formal manner that they expected this meeting to be as unpleasant as the last one. Inwardly she smiled. They wouldn’t be expecting this. Catching them off guard would give her an advantage in the negotiations.
“Welcome, Ambassador Goyle,” the asari councillor greeted her once they were all seated and the holographic projections and audio amplifiers had been switched on.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me, Councillor,” she answered.
“Despite some of the disagreements at our last audience, you are still a member of the Citadel,” the turian said pointedly. “We would never consider denying your right to an audience, Ambassador.”
Goyle understood the subtle implications in his words and tone. They held no grudges; they were above petty feuds. Completely fair and impartial. Agreeing to see her only proved the Council races were morally superior to humans, more civilized.
“What is the purpose of this audience?” the asari asked, in a much more neutral tone. Although she might feel as superior as the turian, Goyle felt she did a much better job of masking her true feelings.
“At our last meeting you said humanity needed to learn to embrace the concept of mutually beneficial coexistence,” she said. “I am here today to demonstrate that your words did not fall on deaf ears.”
“And how do you propose to do that, exactly?” the salarian asked. “I have come with a gift for the Council.”
“Do you think you can buy our favor, Ambassador?” the turian snapped.
His reaction was exactly what Goyle was hoping for. If she could make it appear as if they were the ones being difficult here, it was more likely they’d give in to her demands before all this was through.
“I meant no offense,” she humbly apologized while secretly smiling inside. “This is not a bribe, but rather an offer freely given.”
“Please continue,” the asari invited. Of the three, she was the one Goyle found the hardest to read. Not coincidentally, she was also the one the ambassador was the least confident in manipulating.
“I realize humanity made a mistake at Sidon. One we deeply regret. In an effort to make amends, I’m here to offer the Council copies of all the classified research files from the base.”
“This… is a very generous offer,” the salarian said after a moment’s hesitation. “May I ask why you are willing to share this information with us?”
“Perhaps our research will prove useful to the rest of the galaxy. Maybe it will bring us closer to peaceful relations with the geth.”
“I thought all the files at the base were destroyed in the attack,” the turian said suspiciously.
Goyle had anticipated this. They probably thought the files were fake, or at least purged of sensitive data or censored in some way. But they’d be able to tell if they were doctored, so after reviewing them the ambassador had decided to release them in full to the Council. There was nothing incriminating beyond what they already knew; if anything, the files clearly showed Qian had been operating outside the scope
of his official mandate, removing some of the Alliance’s culpability.
“Lieutenant Kahlee Sanders, a survivor of the raid, made copies of the files before Sidon was destroyed.” Now that Qian was working with the batarians, it only made sense to make his research available to
leading experts of allied species. They would likely reciprocate by helping defend the Alliance if the batarians tried to use Qian’s work to develop AI technology to use against humanity. Besides, the Alliance experts who had reviewed the files had assured her that virtually all of the research was still theoretical. It would be years, maybe decades, before any of it would lead to any practical applications.
And there was one more significant consideration.
“The files make mention of an unknown piece of alien technology discovered out beyond the borders of
Citadel Space,” Goyle informed them.
“What kind of technology?” the salarian wanted to know.
“We don’t know,” she admitted. “Obviously it has some connection to synthetic intelligence, but beyond that Qian was intentionally vague about the details. From his notes, it is clear he believes it was far more advanced than anything developed by any current species.”
“Is it Prothean?” the asari asked.
“Not according to Qian’s notes. Again, we don’t have many details. But there is some indication the doctor thought it could be used in connection with the geth.”
“The geth?” the salarian asked quickly. “In what way?”
“It’s not clear. Maybe he thinks it will enable him to communicate with them somehow. Maybe even control them. We just don’t have enough information to know for sure. But we believe this technology poses a legitimate threat. Not just to the Alliance, but to the entire galaxy.”
“And you believe whoever attacked Sidon now possesses this technology?” the salarian asked. “Possibly,” she said, somewhat hesitantly. “It doesn’t appear it was ever actually at Sidon. Qian’s notes
are a bit… erratic.”
“Are you saying he was mentally unbalanced?” the asari asked. “There is some evidence of that, yes.”
“Are we certain this technology even exists?” the salarian wanted to know. “Or are we chasing the delusions of a madman?”
“If it does exist,” she warned them, “we can’t take the risk of ignoring this.”
“We need to find the people responsible for the attack,” the turian agreed. “Before they unleash this on the galaxy!”
“You should begin with Edan Had’dah. A batarian from Camala. Lieutenant David Anderson, the man we sent to investigate this matter, believes he was behind the attacks. Your own people can confirm this when we send you the files.”
There was a brief pause and the holographs momentarily shut down as the councillors held a brief conference.
“We will forward this information to the Spectre investigating this matter,” the salarian informed her once they were done.
“The Council is grateful to you for bringing this to our attention,” the asari said.
“The Alliance has no wish to be at odds with the Council,” Goyle explained. “We are still new to the galactic scene, but we are eager to show our willingness to cooperate and coexist with the other species of the Citadel.”
She could see from their expressions that she had won them over to her side. Now it was time to strike. “Kahlee Sanders, the researcher who escaped Sidon, is in hiding on Camala right now,” she continued,
moving without pausing from supplication to an appeal she knew they would grant. “We have reason to
believe her life is in danger as long as she remains on that world.
“The Alliance would like to arrange for one of our ships to touch down on Camala somewhere outside the spaceports to pick her up and bring her to safety.”
“That is a reasonable request,” the turian said after a moment’s consideration. “The Council can make arrangements with batarian authorities to permit this.”
“There is one more request I would make of the Council,” Ambassador Goyle added, employing one of the most basic, yet most effective, tactics of negotiation: little yes, big yes. Getting someone to agree to a minor concession established a tone of agreement and cooperation. It made it more likely they would be receptive to larger issues.
“Lieutenant Anderson, the Alliance operative who brought Edan’s involvement to light, is also on
Camala.”
