“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.”
“You wish to have him evacuated as well?” the salarian guessed.
“Actually, we would like him to accompany your Spectre when he goes after Edan Had’dah.” “Why?” the asari asked. Goyle couldn’t tell if she was suspicious or merely curious.
“Several reasons,” the ambassador admitted. “We think Dr. Qian may still be alive. If he is captured, we would like him to be extradited to the Alliance to stand trial for his role in the murder of our people at Sidon.
“And we see this as a learning opportunity for Lieutenant Anderson. The reputation of the Spectres is well known; they are representatives of the Council, the guardians of Citadel Space. Working with your agent will help the lieutenant better understand the methods Spectres employ to defend interstellar peace and stability.”
She hesitated briefly before continuing, taking a moment to precisely form her next argument. This request had the potential to backfire, but it was the whole purpose of this audience. And it was likely the councillors were thinking it themselves already.
“We are also hoping your agent can evaluate Lieutenant Anderson’s performance on the mission. If he does well, perhaps he can be considered as a candidate for the Spectres himself.”
“Admitting someone to the Spectres is a long and involved process,” the turian protested. “Individuals must prove themselves through years of exemplary military or law enforcement service before they can even be considered for the honor.”
“Lieutenant Anderson has served in the Alliance military for nearly a decade,” the ambassador assured them. “He has completed our N7 elite special operations program, and won numerous citations, medals, and honors of distinction in the line of duty. I can easily make his records available to the Council.”
“Candidates must undergo a rigorous screening process,” the salarian explained, raising another objection. “Background checks, psychological evaluations, and a prolonged period of mentorship and field training are typically involved.”
“I am not asking that you admit him to the Spectres,” the ambassador clarified. “Only that you allow him to accompany Saren on his mission, and judge him based on his performance to see if he has the potential.”
“Your species is still new to the galaxy,” the asari told her, finally addressing the issue they were all
dancing around. Officially, Spectres could come from any species. But almost invariably they were only chosen from the Council races.
The bias was perfectly understandable: giving individuals of a species direct access to the Council, along with the authority to act outside the bounds of galactic law when necessary, attached a perceived importance to that individual’s species. Allowing a human into the Spectres would send a message to the rest of the galaxy that the Council considered humans on a par with the turians, salarians, and asari. That wasn’t far removed from the truth, which was exactly why Ambassador Goyle was pushing for this now.