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/qst/ - Quests


It is remarkable how things that are relatively mundane, well known and rationally explainable to the death of boredom can rise in prominence in a given setting, context, state of mind or any other sort of circumstance.

You have looked death in face before, whether it came from the muzzle of a mercenary rifle, maw of an absurdly over evolved predatory life, deranged mind of a long dead designer of traps from a long gone civilization or most recently streams of molten metal obliterating sentient life at hypersonic velocities. None of it quite prepared you for the piercing, judgmental glare of the blood red orbs drilling into yours.

Your conversational partner is an elderly, pale skinned man clad in simple robes, sitting behind his desk, yet still somehow carrying himself with dignity belying his wiry constitution.

You are Henri Ford, special consultant for the Citadel Institute of Xenoarcheology and currently attempting to pitch an idea of a holographic fighting pit to the bishop of Catholic Church to give a wayward gathering of Krogan a place to ply their martial craft without causing a political disaster.

“I will be frank with you, Monseigneur Pascal. Chief Kara did not task me to approach specifically you, but he did gave me a mandate to try and realize a plan to provide the Krogan with... less politically contentious manner of living out their lifestyle.”

The pale priest raises his eyebrows, but lets you continue.

“My suggestion to the Krogan was to contribute to construction of a holographic battle sport arena, an installation that with use of mass-“

“I know what a holo-arcade is, Doctor.” The bishop interrupts you. “I recall having written a pastoral letter regarding trivialization of violence when the Armax corporation launched theirs on the Citadel.”

You wince at that. It seems you are off to a great start. The priest must have noticed as he smirks slightly at your reaction.

“However, I do recognize value in your reasoning. If our restless allies would contain their warrior instincts into such a controlled environment, it would surely resolve much of the concerns that are being discussed in the news.” The venerable man says. “If you already got them to go along with it, you’ve already scored quite a diplomatic victory, as I understand they are not an easy folk to convince.”

You nod slowly, expecting another ‘but’ in there...

“But, it is still only one step on a long and arduous journey for you... one I am still not quite sure why it would take you to me...” the bishop says, letting the end of the sentence hang for you to fill in.

Well, honesty has taken you this far. Besides, something tells you trying to play this man would not be easy.
>>
“The short of it is: land. This holographic stadium would need somewhere to stand, and only few entities have secured large enough portions of it to be green zoned to support such endeavour, and of the ones that did, I’ve estimated the Church would be least likely to try and pressure the Krogan into something...” you pause to look for an appropriate term, “...contentious.”

You fall silent, allowing the bishop to process your request.

The man’s severe, if not unkind, expression cracks slightly as his lips quiver and in the next moment he is openly laughing, a somewhat raspy sound, though as far as you can tell, a good natured one. You detect no trace of ridicule, at least.

Still, you lean back, eyebrow raised, your two companions expressing their surprise in their own ways - Lea with her orbs of fiery emerald widening, Eve with a focused gaze of a new anomaly to analyze.

“Please, forgive me.” Monseigneur Pascal says when he calms down shortly afterwards. “It has just occurred to me how... innocent... you are in approaching me. Either that, or an exceptional liar, with gift the likes of which I haven’t seen.”

He makes a pause.

“Still, I’m willing to make a wager for the former. I can only hope your faith will not turn out to have been misplaced.”

The white bishop reaches for the holographic keyboard and begins to work his terminal.

“But let us return to the issue at hand.” He says as he types. “So I understand that your mission is to secure the land and permission to build upon it a facility to allow for casual, accessible and safe expression of the fine art of doing unto others.”

You don’t wince this time.

“That is the gist of it, yes.”

“And I expect that the Krogan are going to test limits of this technology, settling for no less than the lifelike realism, perhaps to the extent of allowing themselves to be injured in the process, maybe even risking their life.”

“That seems to be their preference.”

The bishop stops typing and sighs. “This I have feared. This could be a problem, depending on how far they should be willing to depart from this... preference.”

Gradually, the bony fingers are set once in motion on the holographic interface, this time in silence. After a while, the movement stops once more and the bishop fixes you with his glare, his expression somber.
>>
Gradually, the bony fingers are set once in motion on the holographic interface, this time in silence. After a while, the movement stops once more and the bishop fixes you with his glare, his expression somber.

“Doctor Ford, I am going to consult this matter further with my colleagues and the See, and as I believe your cause to be a just one, I am inclined to argue in favour. But there are things that you should be aware of.” He raises a finger.

“Firstly, you are asking the Church to humor a request that can be seen as anathema to substantial fraction of contemporary theology. Regardless of motives, this can and will be seen as an act of endorsement of violence on our part, as concession to a temptation to sin over turning away from it towards the divine. As innocent as your approach in the matter is, I believe you understand what I mean. This may lead to the faithful being led astray, or feeling that we are doing so.”

“Secondly,” the old priest says, raising another finger, “The previous point extends inwards. Now, considering trials we have all emerged from, I am confident that internal politics of the church will be subdued. Faith of many have been shaken by extent of the tragedy, and in the end we have been saved by an artifact pulled, dare I say, miraculously, out of the dig sites of Mars, inheritance of countless souls that came before. In other words, we have been humbled. However, that does not mean internal debate will not occur on theological level and can swing either way.”

The clergyman makes a pause, then goes on and erects a third finger. “Now, while the first two points are of more philosophical nature, the third issue is entirely mundane. And transient as this valley of shadows is for all of us, it can still put a stop to your noble goal. The issue is that of scarcity of resources, and the way it is handled will tie into all other considerations, consciously or not. The land can be used to build hospitals, orphanages, shelters, raise crops or otherwise utilized for benefit of all (clergy included). On top of that, you will need to requisition construction hardware that could be used for other infrastructure. And lastly, I believe the technology we are discussing here is quite reliant on large amounts of mass effect fields on scale that dwarfs even industrial applications.”

The bishop lowers the fingers and lets his arms rest on the desk.

“Do you understand the challenges before this project, doctor Ford?”

You nod slowly. This about summed up what you expected to have to deal with, although...

“I do.” You say.

The elderly man offers a small smile.

“Very well. Then let us discuss the specifics.”
>>
>Try to push the idea as far as possible to fulfill requirements set out by your mandate, attempt to get as much of the deal for Krogan as possible, this should ensure the chieftain has no difficulty in getting his followers to go along with the plan.
>Try to make the project more palatable to the Church by promising higher amount of control over content and limits of the arena. (Optional - specify extent?) you will have to justify the concessions to chieftain and he will have to justify them to his people.
>Try to supply more or better arguments (write in)
>Offer to supply a stockpile of eezo towards the project (you do know of a big one, don’t you?)
>Offer to secure additional funding (time-sensitive side quest, as if you don’t have enough on your plate)
>Other strategy (specify)
>>
>>3945494

>Offer to supply a stockpile of eezo towards the project (you do know of a big one, don’t you?)
Reaper direlict
There should be more than enough there for the project and to spare to other humanitarian projects, we could use Kris as the face of the discovery thus making it understandable that if a krogan found it a part of it should be used in the benefit of the krogan
>>
>>3945494

>Try to supply more or better arguments (write in)
Maybe we can argue that this is a solution of peace, the alternatives involving eitheir letting they resort to real violence or continue to hunt and that is going to inevitably result in violence between humans and krogans, while we are stuck here due to the damaged relays we have to try and be united the best we can, and the vhurch providing a peaceful solution, even if with simulated violence, will be of great help for humans and krogans alike.

The eezo will help too, maybe they have some other projecta that could use it.
>>
>>3945484
Can i get a link to older thread archive of this. It seems rather interesting
>>
>>3946548
1st thread:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/3369286/
The rest of them:
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Henri%20Ford
>>
>>3945602
>>3945519
Support both

>>3945484
Nice confy Lea
>>
As you bring up your omnitool to access the notes you've made during your meeting with chieftain Kara, a thought strikes you. Several of them, in fact.

The way the old priest phrased it, it seemed like he found it difficult, but not entirely impossible, for the church to also cover this part of the tab. In any case, he did not make this point a reason to dismiss the project out of hand. Though perhaps he just underestimated amount of eezo in question.

Those consideration are irrelevant, though, as realization dawns on you that you do in fact know of a sizeable stockpile that's just waiting to be tapped - the wreckage of a reaper with fractured core that you found during your orbital cleanup assignment. Assuming nobody else has salvaged it since, which seems fairly safe given what you've seen from the orbital traffic and most attention being focused planetside, you should have no difficulties in having your claim recognized by the Alliance and having decisive word about where the wealth of eezo within is going to be used.

"Monseigneur, I believe I know how to ease at least the material point into not being an issue." You say with a small grin.

The bishop raises his eyebrow and you recount to him the tale of your discovery in the skies and your intention to direct the find to feed the mass effect fields for the arena.

"I see..." The clergyman nods. "Yes, I believe that would be of immense help. And even if it turned out the Alliance has salvaged the derelict in your absence, I believe it should be feasible to request that they spend portion of it to such ends, recognizing your claim would be a sufficient pretense for them to avoid losing face. Very well, that should settle at least one of potential concerns."

With that Monseigneur Pascal turns back to his holoscreen, leaving you with some time to refocus your thoughts.

"Well then. With the material issue to a large extent out of the way, what's left ahead of us is the moral quandary, and its inevitable fallout." The priest says when he finishes typing another paragraph.

You decide to speak up.

"I understand it comes down to providing a safe, uncontroversial manner of releasing the Krogan lust for battle, but from what I can tell, this is the best, most likely way to ensure a solution that would be peaceful and acceptable for everyone involved. It's a project to save lives and avoid unnecessary conflict."
>>
The bishop looks you in the eye once more. You think you're getting used to it.

"Believe me, doctor, that I am quite aware of that. And I'm quite confident that so will His Holiness be when presented with the idea. However, it touches upon a debate that accompanies the Church, and I daresay, conscience of all of us, throughout history - the question whether we should place our focus on the ideal we look up to and pursue it without compromise, or whether to take our imperfect reality as a baseline and work with what's available to us. To pursue the ultimate good without compromise, or to light little candles in hope they will together banish the darkness. To stand firmly by principle or to try and flex to draw others closer to it. This is, of course, gross misrepresentation, but it should serve to illustrate how different in opinions even well intentioned people can be. And that's without introducing fallibility of man into the equation."

With a sigh the elderly man returns his attention to the growing document on his screen.

"As I've said, your proposal embodies the latter approach. It will be criticized for validating the Krogan lust for battle rather than working with them to bring it under control. Although it seems clear to me that an alternative course would offer little chance of success." The bishop grimaces. "You realize, doctor Ford, that I'm essentially admitting my lack of faith when I say that. Still, I can tell that this project has a chance of success, and I can tell that the Church is possibly, as you've ascertained, perhaps in best position to make it work."

He looks back at you again.

"We will pray for guidance, of course. Though ultimately the path we take is our responsibility, for each of us. I can but hope it will be the correct one."
>>
You process the clergyman's words in silence for a moment. Ultimately it is Lea who breaks it.

"Um, Father, can I have a question?"

"Certainly, young lady."

"From what I understood, your faith would demand that instead of giving the Krogan a place to fight where nobody would be bothered, we should instead try to find a way to stop them from wanting to fight altogether."

"Ideally, yes. Though keep in mind the issue here is not the fighting itself. It's the reason behind it - use of force should be a last resort."

"I see. But if that is the case..." Lea turns to you. "Cap, will the Krogan even be willing to accept support from people with such convictions? One thing the chief's advisors agreed was that the struggle is a value in itself."

"The chief, or the shaman, have not struck me as people to turn away help, even if they had a difference of opinion with the person offering it." You say, although to some extent you realize that this could potentially pose problems. If not now, then later during phase of design and later operation of the arena. It would probably be better to preempt any issues at an early enough stage.

The bishop has noticed your hesitation and is looking at you expectantly.

>Suggest that the design and operation is left in the hand of Krogan to the fullest possible extent. It may be a challenge for the bishop to argue your case but Kara should have no trouble getting his followers to accept the arena. Will also be a political boost for the wayward Krogan - if successful.
>Suggest that the arena takes a neutral form of an investment, with the Church setting some liberal (by its standards) ground rules and leaving the rest to its Krogan partners . It will still be known to be a Church project but not advertised as such. This may have image consequences of its own, though.
>Suggest that the arena takes a neutral form of a public project to promote relationship between species. Apart from some ground rules and presence of local authorities Krogan will control day-to-day operation. Higher media profile.
>Suggest that the Church openly takes ownership of the project and endorses it as its contribution to peaceful cooperation between species. This will require the Church to keep major say in construction and operations, alongside with ownership of failure or success of the project. It may make the idea more palatable to those who believe they can use it to educate the Krogan. Kara may have difficulty in justifying accepting this deal, though, assuming you can get him to accept it himself.
>Suggest some sort of combined solution (specify)
>Suggest something entirely different (specify)
>Ask someone something (specify)
>Leave this matter to bishop's own judgement (you will still have to relay the outcome to the chieftain)
>>
>>3946552
Thank you, friend.
>>3946554
That's Tali. Lea prefers to wear earthen brown or green.
>>
>>3946676
>>Suggest that the arena takes a neutral form of a public project to promote relationship between species. Apart from some ground rules and presence of local authorities Krogan will control day-to-day operation. Higher media profile.

I think it's for the best, even if the media will be onto us because of it
>>
>>3946676
>Suggest that the arena takes a neutral form of a public project to promote relationship between species. Apart from some ground rules and presence of local authorities Krogan will control day-to-day operation. Higher media profile.

>>3946682
oh yes, the color scheme already played trick on me in the past
>>
>>3946676

>Suggest that the design and operation is left in the hand of Krogan to the fullest possible extent. It may be a challenge for the bishop to argue your case but Kara should have no trouble getting his followers to accept the arena. Will also be a political boost for the wayward Krogan - if successful.
Combined with
>Suggest that the arena takes a neutral form of a public project to promote relationship between species. Apart from some ground rules and presence of local authorities Krogan will control day-to-day operation. Higher media profile.

With the added bonus of we funding some other humanitarian projects with the leftover eezo.

Maybe a ship upgrade too? Is that possible?
>>
>>3946676
I’m not sure how to vote here...
>>
After several moments of weighing the options you settle on a position to offer.

"The focus of this entire matter are the Krogan." You say. "It would do no good to anyone to commit to a grandiose project only to have it backfire because of, however nobly intentioned, philosophical pressure that has been poorly taken. That is why I believe that in the end it is the Krogan who should operate the arena to their specifications - at least until the starlanes are open again, and those who are determined to seek more violence that the Earth is willing to abet, are free to seek it elsewhere."

Bishop's expression hardens, presumably as he realizes which direction your argument is taking.

"That said, I realize that under these circumstances the Church would be hard pressed to justify its patronage to the faithful. But perhaps there is a way to lend support to an imperfect solution? Perhaps..." You rack your brains, trying to come up with some sort of compromise.

It's hard to please everyone. Perhaps impossible. But should that stop you from trying?

"What if... what if the enterprise took form of a public project? An initiative that Church offers as its contribution to peace between the peoples, a one time gesture of goodwill from which Church could then withdraw, perhaps under pretense of maintaing its neutrality?"

The elderly cleric leans back in his chair.

"Pretense, gesture." He says, looking back at the holoscreen. "Politics."

"Such solution would allow the Church to make this project possible without forcing it to exert ongoing influence over it. The Krogan would have their arena, the public would have them contained and the Church could retain its face."

"Face. Doctor Ford, perhaps I was too hasty in dubbing your approach innocent, although I am gratified by faith you seem to place in me and the Lord's flock." The clergyman says. "Yes, your reasoning holds merit. Politically this is probably the best solution. Morally..." He makes a pause. "...I suppose, depending on your outlook it could be viewed as such as well."

Monseigneur Pascal leans forward and flexes his fingers.

"I can only pray that it will be enough."
>>
He resumes typing and silence descends on the prefab office you're in. You're not sure how long it takes, the only indication of the time's progress being the growing string of characters on bishop's holoscreen.

Eventually the old man stops typing and takes few moments more to review the text before him. With a barely perceptible nod he touches one more control and a rectangular outline appears on the desk before him. Bishop pulls a clean sheet of paper from a cabined next to his desk and places it in the highlighted area. As soon as he withdraws his hands the telltale glow of mass effect fields and miniature fabbers washes over the desk, intricate weave of dark and regular energy etching the sheet with a fine script, as if a magician conjured the letters out of thin air to emblazon them onto a scroll. As the light show dies down, the cleric pulls out some sort of ancient writing utensil and pens his signature at the bottom. The frame highlighting the sheet brightens up momentarily, then vanishes and the bishop carefully places the document on the stack of other papers already on his desk.

"That was kind of cool." Lea says.

"And possibly an expression of vanity." Pascal says. "I have now sent an outline of the proposal for my peers and His Holiness to review... with my support. I expect we will be discussing it tomorrow in greater detail."

"Thank you, Monseigneur." You nod.

"I'm just doing my job, doctor Ford. I'd rather thank you for taking this burden upon yourself. It is rare for people to voluntarily bear crosses for others and speaks well of your character. However..." He locks eyes with you and again you feel the pressure of the penetrating gaze. "...I feel I should warn you that this stance is not without perils, especially if one only relies on their own strength and ability."

The stare lingers.

"Noted." You say, feeling the old man expects some sort of acknowledgment.

The bishop nods. Then he stands up and you follow suit, recognizing that your audience has come to an end.

"Well then, I believe that our business is concluded until I can convene with my peers and His Holiness. I'd like to offer you hospitality, but our capacities are limited. You could spend the night in a nearby monastery, if having to share lodgings with some refugees doesn't deter you. Otherwise the blue zone should have some lodgings available as well."

"Not the green zone?" Lea asks.

"Apart from the monastery, not likely. Most of it is corporate structures not open to public, used primarily to serve the employees while most of the rest is still barely habitable, if that. Still, I welcome the progression as it eases stress placed on the temporary camps." Pascal explains.

It seems it's time for you to decide how to spend the -
>>
"If you don't mind, Monseigneur Pascal, there was something I'd like to ask you..." Eve says. As you turn to her, she turns to you. "...privately?"

You can't help but arch your eyebrow at that.

"Certainly, young lady." The bishop says and addresses you and Lea. "Doctor Ford, Miss Fari, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I will send word of how your proposal was received."

With that, and one final round of pleasantries, you and Lea vacate the office and, nodding at the young cleric on your way out, walk out into the warm African night.

"What was that about?" Lea asks quietly when you're out of earshot of the prefab structure, the dark shape of cathedral looming against the starry sky.

"You mean Eve?" You say. "No idea."

"Huh. Thought she'd tell you. Guess we can ask her later."

Behaviour of your synthetic companion was one thing you could ponded, but you figure she would tell you herself once she returned. In the meantime there was another matter to decide - how to spend the time until the bishop can give you final answer.

>Sleep in the car (timeskip)
>Maybe you could try that monastery...
>Try to find some shelter in the blue zone.
>The night is still young. Maybe there's something you could actually do for fun. (specify what you are looking for)
>[Meanwhile, in the jungle...] (Perspective shift to Kris)
>other plan
>>
>>3947009
There will be opportunity to choose how to deal with superfluous eezo when you arrange for the salvage.
>>
>>3948647

>The night is still young. Maybe there's something you could actually do for fun. (specify what you are looking for)

Some local display of culture if there is one, its not always we have the opportunity. A nice dinner and movie would be nice too to relax.
>>
>>3948647
>>[Meanwhile, in the jungle...] (Perspective shift to Kris)

let's see what he's up to
>>
>>3948647
>[Meanwhile, in the jungle...] (Perspective shift to Kris)
Best for Ford to not rock the boat right now.
>>
"I was thinking..." You say, realizing that for once you have some free time in town that you don't feel compelled on spending on some sort of crisis. The city may have not been as far in reconstruction as London, but you were quite confident at least some venues would have established themselves after the victory celebration was over - maybe in some places it hasn't ended yet.

"Hm?" Lea asks.

"The night is still young. We can afford to spend some time on leisure before turning in for rest."

"Well now, mister Ford, you should be careful before asking to spend the night dancing with panthers."

You chuckle at that line. She must've taken liking to the series. "It would never occur to me to compare either one of you with a cougar, ma'am." You reply.

"Cougars are nice though." Lea says. "Very elegant beasts." Right, you're not elaborating on the punchline here. Rather you turn back towards the prefab offices you just left. No sign of Eve coming out, your thoughts turn to the last remaining member of your crew, wondering how Kris could be doing on his safari? Given the agreement you reached with the chieftain that could be possibly their last hunt. Hopefully the Krogan, now with perspective of a brand new and probably more fulfilling source of excitement, would take it easy and not do something irresponsible that could umake all your work.
>>
You hold on tight as the front vehicle of the expedition forges through the forest, mowing down trees and snapping them underneath, branches of the ones far enough off course to avoid this fate whipping your barrier and briefly obscuring your vision. Still, it was better than to be locked inside in case you run into trouble, which is why you insisted on taking this position. Behind you, two more Krogan vehicles and chieftain's Kakliosaur followed the trailblazing vehicle.

Of course, this was merely convenient means of transportation. None of the crew would be satisfied with a fight that comprised of taking turret potshots at panicked primates, regardless of whether they wore fur or clothing.

You are Tufferson Kris, special consultant for the Citadel Institute of Xenoarchaeology, currently occupied with worrying about the disaster you're riding into.

When you agreed to chaperone this motley band of fools over Ford's one you had some pretty low expectations. True to your track record, you still ended up horrified and disappointed.

"Are you insane?" You would ask the chieftain, naturally when his seconds were not in earshot. "Taking that route will take us within clear shot of the local camp here and here, and it will have us cross river that is used as supply line for this region."

"Good."

"How is it good to deliberately take the trip to places where confrontation with locals is more likely than encountering any predatory wildlife?"

"We're making a show. This hunt is meant to be seen, so that your comrade has an easier time convincing whoever it is he needs to convince to enable this plan of his."

"So you decided to run a provocative action... right after being specifically warned that there are forces at work that are trying to bait you into it." You growled with exasperation.

"Yes, that is all the more reason to make a bolder move than they expect, along a route they don't expect. Whoever these enemies are, they are unlikely to adapt. It's a calculated risk."

"How good are you at math?" You challenged. "You are making a lot of assumptions and this gamble may play exactly into their hands, especially if the option of dumb krogans growing even more hubris is one they are expecting."

"Then we'll surprise them with our ability. This is not my first time dealing with locals who think their cause is enough for a victory... or with locals thrown at me as cannon fodder by someone who thinks themselves smart."

Unable to change chieftain's mind on the matter you decided to at least settle for position best suited for damage control. This was, in all likelihood, not the first time a Krogan warlord underestimated his opposition on more than one front.
>>
Checking your omnitool, you notice the convoy is approaching a clearing that will place it in clear sight of a refugee settlement. Adjusting in your roost at the vehicle's rear upper hatch you nervously scan the terrain.

Suddenly the foliage gives way as the lead vehicle emerges into the clearing. Your gaze immediately falls on a cluster of prefab structures surrounding a skyship mooring point. You can see movement among the structures, regular peaceful traffic for first few moments, but that soon changes into fervent movement of the civilians rousing each other to alarm when they see the Krogan convoy roll through the meadow.

Less than a minute later you are once more riding throught the woods, giving an illusion of cover, but you know that if you were escaping attention until now that is surely not the case anymore as you speed towards an obvious chokepoint.


>please, roll some 1d100s
>>
Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>3949781
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>3949781
Goddammit Kara
>>
Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>3949781
>>
You may not be a mercenary with millenia of experience in your hump, or even a seasoned veteran of ground fights against Reaper abominations, but you do have the instincts of a warrior and perception honed by your expeditions for CIX. And now, while you can't put your finger on whether it's the strangely absent wildlife that usually shoots from their hiding spots as the vehicle barrels on, or perhaps a glint of metal under one of rare morning rays that managed to penetrate the canopy, or perhaps the faint thrum of biotics being flexed that resonates with your own senses, whichever the case, you know that your fears are about to manifest as facts.

"Stop the ride!" You shout into the vehicle. "Stop, I say! We're moving into an ambush." You repeat when no answer is forthcoming.

To your relief the vehicle begins to slow down and eventually to a halt. You climb out and walk in front of it as the other Krogan begin to file out of the car, looking around. From behind, the rest of the company catches up and stops next to your transport, Kara leaping off his beast.

"What's wro-"

He shuts up when he spots several figures emerging from the forest ahead. It's a trio of humans, their diverse armor and customized, well maintained weapons immediately identify them as members of the Adventurer's guild, the association of semi-professional volunteer combatants that lost the privilege of calling themselves "N7" when the Reapers fell and the Alliance military regained paying attention to illicit use of its classification as one of the things to actually do.

Regardless of the naming, however, one thing was certain - these people were dangerous.

"Perceptive, aren't you guys?" The lead of the trio said. "I suppose that does make some sense, considering your hobby in hunting."

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kara shoots back.

"Now that's not very polite thing to say to your hosts, especially if you're overbearing their hospitality." The apparent leader said.

"That so? And do you know what else is not very polite? Armed vagabonds lying in wait to waylay people who are merely passing through." Kara retorts.

"Merely passing through? Is that how you're calling your wanton pillaging? Just look at the mess your vehicles left behind!" Another of the three said. This one looked slightly less comfortable with the weapon and his armor didn't seem adjusted properly. Possibly one of the vigilantes, Kris reasoned.

"You don't know what you're talking about, boy. The only pillaging done here was someone doing a number on your brains.

"Insolent brute. And to think-" Third person, a female of uncommonly robust constitution and with what looked like Graal spike thrower in her hands, begins to speak.

You have no intention in letting her finish. This exchange is going in the exact opposite direction than you want it to. You have to do something about it, now, but what?
>>
>Shoot first. This is already unsalvageable, the best you can do is to make sure it ends as quickly and as one-sidedly, as possible. You would go for limbs and weapons, to avoid fatalities, but at this point some deaths are likely unavoidable.
>Charge into melee, hoping that the others will follow suit. Hopefully you'll be able to preserve more lives if you turn this into a brawl, though it will still be obvious who attacked first to anyone reviewing the records from your omnitools.
>It's not too late to talk. You just need to interrupt the exchange before it escalates any further, then hopefully perhaps they will be willing to listen?
>Try to redirect both their ire to yourself. Either that will give you at least some time of their full attention, or at least it may keep them from definitively fixating each other as adversaries.
>Maybe there is something you could quickly mention to show that there's a greater problem around?
>other course of action (specify)
>>
>>3950079
>>Maybe there is something you could quickly mention to show that there's a greater problem around?
Hold on, what do they mean "pillaging?" Is someone raising their settlements? Maybe this will be a different kind of hunt, after all. If we can convince them to explain their situation and the Krogans to listen, perhaps we can hunt for the raiders. Kris has been keeping tabs on the Krogans here for a good bit, right? Would he know of any raids on human settlements?
>>
>>3950079
>>Try to redirect both their ire to yourself. Either that will give you at least some time of their full attention, or at least it may keep them from definitively fixating each other as adversaries.

this will hurt, but hey, we can play reaper to get everyone to play nice for a while

>>3950198
I think they refer to the hunting of wild animals as pillaging
but your bluff may disarm them long enough I think...probably....maybe
>>
>>3950198
They are considering Krogan unsanctioned hunting as pillaging of Earth’s natural bounty for their amusement.
Kara is fuming partly because they don’t know all the facts (including, which did not come up, that apart from trophies the Krogan are safekeeping dna samples of creatures they kill), partly because he knows they have a point, and more confrontational than would be reasonable, because he’s confident he can take them on without casualties on either side.

Of course, what exactly the vigilantes believe and what they’ve been told is not known to either of you...
>>
>>3950639
We can use that to

>Try to redirect both their ire to yourself. Either that will give you at least some time of their full attention, or at least it may keep them from definitively fixating each other as adversaries.

And calling out the other guy's bullshit too.

The Krogan leader is a tremendous shithead, like Krogan usually are.
>>
>>3950079
>Try to redirect both their ire to yourself. Either that will give you at least some time of their full attention, or at least it may keep them from definitively fixating each other as adversaries.
>>
"Shut it, the both of you are fools." You shout, attracting glares from both sides. "And both of you are being played like a fiddle. I'm not sure which one is sadder to look at - the gullible sucker or the blindfolded blockhead."

"What is the meaning of this, nerd?" Kara, his authority challenged in front of his following and his adversary, cannot take this sitting down. You're reasonably sure he used one of the worst insults from his vocabulary and it warms your heart a little bit.

"That you're embarrassing yourself and our people." You reply resolutely, suppressing a grin.

"Should we give you two room for some honorable death duel?" The large female mocks.

"You're the one to talk, wench. Tending to your young would be more morally right as choice of action than getting manipulated into a firefight without a cause."

"Listen here, nerd-" Kara tries to take command of the exchange while the female warrior is trying to process what you told her, clearly not accustomed to such treatment. In the end, however, it's the inexperienced looking vigilante who takes the vote, to your great delight as you realize there is a chance they would actually listen to what you say.

"What do you mean, without a cause? You people just arbitrarily up and came down here to crisscross our natural preserve with your tanks and exterminate the endangered, protected beasts just for fun! Do you have any idea of consequences of your actions?"

"The conse-" Kara begins, but you interject, just to be sure.

"Yes, we do." You say. "Very much so. Did you know that the hunters are keeping tissue samples of all the creatures preserved?"

"Yeah, trophies, I imagine." The lead fighter snorts.

"That, too. But also genetic sequences secured in lab equipment and sequenced for database. The Krogan are not as dumb as you take us for... despite some of us providing evidence to the contrary." You explain, throwing an ostentatious glare towards the chieftain, who glowers darkly. "Where do you think he got his ride?" You say, pointing at the alien reptile munching on a tree some distance behind you.

"That's... uh... actually pretty nice." The inexperienced vigilante says. "If it's true!" He adds quickly.

"Fair. I can provide evidence. More credible at later point, obviously." You say, raising your omnitool.

"Your spies could have, too, had they been more careful and competent." Kara growls. "Anyway, now that's cleared u-"

"However, that's not all. Besides of both of you embarking on a fool's errand, there's one question I want both of you to think about." You make a dramatic pause before dropping what should hopefully convince both Kara and the vigilantes to put the arms aside and talk. You say:
>>
>What will happen after blood is drawn here on this day? What will happen tomorrow, and a week after that? (to both)
>Are you truly prepared to kill and die here and now, only days after the world itself has nearly ended? (to both)
>Do you think it's only your choice that you are here today, or did someone tell you to come? Someone who's not here by your side today? (to vigilantes)
>Why are you really looking for a fight? Do you genuinely believe you can help your people that way? (to Kara)
>What would Shepard do? (to both)
>something else (specify)

>regardless of choice, please roll some 1d100s.
>>
Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>3952221
>What will happen after blood is drawn here on this day? What will happen tomorrow, and a week after that? (to both)
>And who would benefit from it?
I think they should realise the effects would extend far beyond just Krogan and Human. If two species with little violent history (comparatively) can't stay at peace then can anyone? Feuds will flare up all over again, and everyone will go back to how things were, with nothing changed.
>>
Rolled 73 (1d100)

>>3952221
>>Are you truly prepared to kill and die here and now, only days after the world itself has nearly ended? (to both)


Kris is awesome
>>
Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>3952221
>>Are you truly prepared to kill and die here and now, only days after the world itself has nearly ended? (to both)
>>Do you think it's only your choice that you are here today, or did someone tell you to come? Someone who's not here by your side today? (to vigilantes)
>>Why are you really looking for a fight? Do you genuinely believe you can help your people that way? (to Kara)

many good points
>>
>>3954580
>>3952330
I'm changing to this
>>
Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>3952218

>What will happen after blood is drawn here on this day? What will happen tomorrow, and a week after that? (to both)
>And who would benefit from it?
>>
>>3952221

>>Are you truly prepared to kill and die here and now, only days after the world itself has nearly ended? (to both)
>>
You may not get a chance for repeat performance here, you reason as you take in the both parties, momentarily having won their undivided attention. Better make this count.

"You have come here ready to spill some blood, have you not?" You say. "Both feeling confident, justified. Only days after the Reapers fell we come here, ready to kill those who stood side by side with us in face of complete obliteration."

Sparing only a split moment on studying impact of your words - firm, but for the moment pensive gaze of Kara and clenched jaw frown of the lead vigilante. Satisfied you go on before someone can interrupt.

"Have you, in your moment of righteous resolve, ever bothered to think what will happen a day, or a week after the battle is over?" You ask. Without waiting for a reply, you follow up. "Have you considered who could benefit from every violent death that could take place here this day?"

With the final question asked you fall silent and put up your most judgemental glare that you usually reserve for most outrageous of Ford's plans.

Part of you basks in the silence. They are actually listening to what you said! Or, a thought occurs to you, they are trying to come up with a rebuttal that would smite you along with their counterpart.

Well, there was not much else to add at this point. But you did have to be prepared for responses they would eventually give.

"...the animals?" The inexperienced vigilante asks weakly. But it's the amazon who counters before you do.

"No. Well, to a point. He's talking about... the politics." She says, confidence in her posture replaced in large part by caution.

Lead vigilante is silent. Judging from his posture and equipment you do not doubt he's one of the Adventurers, maybe Ford even fought alongside him at some point. Judging from the fact that he was standing here, he was probably not among those stirring the trouble. And judging from his silent gaze you estimate that he's at least exploring the possibility.

"Much as I don't appreciate your tone, nerd..." Kara speaks up. "...you make a solid point. Violence here would ultimately serve none of us."

"It would show these upstarts their place." One of the other Krogan argues from behind a row of his spectating compatriots.

"Those upstarts had the quad to come out to face us head on." Kara growls. "Unlike you, apparently." He adds, prompting some chuckling among the others. The speaker does not come forward, but he does not offer any further unsolicited nuggets of wisdom.
>>
"Alright. You think we're being manipulated before the elections. That doesn't actually seem too far fetched." The lead vigilante speaks up. "Do you actually have anything to back that up, though?"

Looks like you're not out of the woods yet. Not figuratively.

You realize you could say quite a lot, and even share plenty of evidence to support your claims, thanks to Eve and Lea's work, and the Asari spectre's contributions. The problem is, most of this information is too sensitive to make public. Additionally, your records show variety of dirty politics but none of them are necessarily connected in particular to the Krogan safari controversy.

> No, I am only speculating. Am I wrong, though?
> No, not yet. But I intend to get to the bottom of it.
> What I have is not important unless we're ready to talk. Are we ready to talk?
> Yes, but nothing I can share with you at this point.
> Yes, I have evidence and I will show it to you (specify what you wish to share)
> other reply (specify)
>>
>>3955358

> What I have is not important unless we're ready to talk. Are we ready to talk?
>>
>>3955358
>> Yes, but nothing I can share with you at this point.
>>
>>3955358
>>
>>3956413
Arg, damn

> What I have is not important unless we're ready to talk. Are we ready to talk?
> Yes, but nothing I can share with you at this point.
>>
>>3955358
> What I have is not important unless we're ready to talk. Are we ready to talk?

Is mentioning the Asari riot being pushed mostly by a single individual too sensitive to share? If not, we could probably draw some parallels here to push our point, judging by how these adventurers are faltering.
>>
>>3955358
>>3956681
Good question.
>>
"As a matter of fact, I do." You reply. That gets the vigilante to frown in suspicion. "Although most of what I have I'm not exactly at liberty to share due to pending investigations." The frown deepens.

You know that your arguments are sensible, but you also realize that is a cold comfort in your situation. Convictions are not easy to erode on justified doubt alone. Fortunately, a thought strikes you - you recall Ford's outing with that Asari spectre and that your little brawl was not the only noteworthy thing to have taken place.

"I may, however, have some evidence I can share..." You say, accessing Chariot's storage through your omnitool. A brief browse later you find what you were looking for - security footage contributed by the Asari, courtesy of miss Tefar. Ford's diplomatic efforts alongside with the annoyed plant were clearly visible. Yeah, this should do. You can't help but grin as you replay the footage using your omnitool as a projector. Both the vigilantes and the Krogan close in for a better look.

You let the scene play out before them, quietly enjoying the fact that you're literally bringing them closer to each other and that they're not at each others' throats for the time being. Unless you commit something excessively dumb, you've probably succeeded in averting the confrontation.

"Should have burned with it." The recording says, following by the agitator cloaking himself. The image dissipates shortly afterward, leaving behind a mixed gathering murmuring a variety of conspiracy theories among each other.

"You get around, don't you, nerd?" Kara asks, less irritably now.

"No comment." You reply. "Now, as you can see, the Asari are also facing issue of deliberate, malicious sabotage. Is it really inconcievable that you could be used in this way as well?"

The lead vigilante is frowning, though you're pretty certain the frown is not aimed at you but rather at himself.

"It seems there is still much we don't know or understand yet." He says eventually. "I think we should talk."

"N-now wait a moment h-here, Nick." The other man from the trio says. "We can't just... I have to..."

"I'm only offering my opinion, Josh." The Adventurer says. "Isn't my experience why you called me? Well, it's telling me that something stinks here, and it's not Lucy."

"Hey!" The woman objects.

"Alright... I guess, yeah, we should talk. Yes, you're right, Nick."
>>
"Very well then. I was expecting we'd have to settle the truth the Krogan way," Kara says, "But I suppose the talking will be objectively preferable. I suggest we head back to camp. You can also pick up pieces from the freezer that way."

"Alright. That should work for the best." The lead human nods and brings up his own omnitool. "Boys, you can pack up and withdraw. Everything went better than expected." He says, you're confident at least some of it was some sort of code, possibly to confirm the validity of order, perhaps with a hidden command to follow your group from a distance. Or maybe you were just really getting paranoid. Which, admittedly, served you well thus far.

Still, as the group gradually disperses and reforms back into a convoy, with the three humans boarding vehicle you were riding, you feel satisfied with how this situation turned out. It looks like you won Ford some time to find some support for his pet project. How much, that remained to be seen - if there really was conspiracy abound, this would not be the last you heard of them.
[Meanwhile, back at Kinshasa]

You, doctor Henri Ford, awaken to rays of morning sun illuminating the flophouse hall, light of the young day bathing the simple cots and hand crafted decorations and charms adorning the otherwise barren room in ethereal gold.

Your head doesn't hurt, which is good. You still have all your clothes and possessions, which is even better.

Memories of the night begin to come back to you, alongside with a crazy dream where you were discussing costruction of a holographic arena with a catholic priest, followed by a lightsaber duel among the gargoyles, mad dash through the crumbling ruins with a reliquary in your hands before you reached your hovercraft short distance off shore because you forgot to moor it earlier and had to jump across some alligators to reach it... no, wait, most of that was a dream. Except the very first, it occurs to you as you shake off last remains of the sleep.

Right, you should expect word from bishop Pascal, hopefully soon - but where were your companions?

The local workers you concluded your nightlife experience with have gracefully offered you a place in their bunkhouse for the night in exchange for some barely exagerrated stories from your past adventures were already at work, and apparently your sleep was solid enough to allow them to vacate without waking you up. Eve did not need to sleep but would have imitated it - she was likely outside, waiting for you and... where was Lea?
>>
Soft noise off to your side answers that question. Dug into blankets of the cot next to yours you hear some barely articulate speech.

"...zzz...admiral...ship...out of danger..."

Well, you tried to warn her. She insisted on the umbrella drink.

>Wake her up. Even if you don't have reply from the Church yet, you can get some early start on other things and her help may be valuable
>Sneak out and let her rest, whatever you want to do, you don't really need her input and she could use the sleep
>Actually, go back to sleep yourself. You're not in a rush.

Of the actions you can do...

>Call Kris, check how he's doing
>Call spaceport commander Kang, discuss salvage of the Reaper carcass
>Call Wong, arrange interview
>Go find Eve
>Go to church, check on bishop
>Go sightseeing
>Pick up car, fly to Chariot
>other plan (specify)
>>
>>3959658
Grab breakfast, dextro and levo

>Call spaceport commander Kang, discuss salvage of the Reaper carcass

And then wake her up when we have a destination and breakfast ready, I don't know what quarians use for a hangover but we can try to guess
>>
>>3959758
Not a bad plan. Call it paranoia, but I think Eve monitoring the airwaves for prying ears is a wise idea when talking with Kang.
>>
>>3959758
"mornin Lea, I guess admiral can take things from here"
>>
>>3959658
>>3959758
Yeah, this, I'm kinda lost otherwise. Also, >>3959800 has a point on security.
>>
Deciding against disturbing the peace of your Quarian crewmember (or interfering with whatever other tasks her admiral may have for her) you quietly make your way out of the dormitory and find your way to the - currently deserted - mess hall. Adjoining it was a kitchen, stocked modestly with produce from local countryside - seeing as you and the girls have already partook in the bounty last night and nobody was around to impress their hospitality upon you, you head instead towards dispensers lining the opposite wall, source of generic, synthesized foodstuffs contributed by the reconstruction engineering corps. As an additional benefit to being energy efficient the devices could offer rations certifiably edible by all known sapients.

Waving your omnitool in front of it you are pleased to see the machine recognizes your identification without need for you to ask Eve to coerce it to... although whether this was due to bureaucratic extranet acknowledging your existence or Eve setting up the access in advance you could not be sure.

Regardless, while the devices work on fulfilling your orders you decide on your next course of action. First order of business, you call your synthetic friend.

"Good morning, Ford. Have you slept well?"

"I have. Anything interesting happen? Where are you, anyway?"

"I took the opportunity of our hosts going to work to head out and watch the sunrise from a nearby office tower. As for your the news... I'm not picking up anything that would be immediately relevant for us. Although it might please you to hear that the anti-alien protests have quieted down in Rouen compared to last few days."

"That's good, I guess..." you say hesitantly. Maybe your words got across to some of the xenophobes, but the instigators were certainly still at work out there. Well, worrying about that right now won't help you any - you had an issue you wanted to deal first. "Eve, how secure a line I could get now if I wanted to talk to commander Kang?"

"Hmm..." Eve says and falls silent for a few seconds. "...I've made some probing of local network and could not spot anything suggesting it would be compromised to the point where standard extranet encryption could be threatened. Unless the commander's side is compromised, your exchange should be secure. I have set up some monitoring processses to check for suspicious traffic, just in case, though."

"Thank you, Eve."

"Don't mention it."

With that you close the channel and open another one.
>>
Thanks to you already having exchanged contact information with the spaceport commander you don't have to navigate Alliance bureaucracy, but you still have to spend a few moments waiting for the security protocols to validate your request. By the time commander's voice comes back...

"Ah, doctor Ford. It's good to hear of you again." ...he would have a tactical readout scrolling by on a side screen of his communicator. "I take it you are not calling to answer the job ad for next stage of the project?"

Right. As you recall, the Kourou spaceport needs someone for some asteroid scouring. Why they cannot spare a regular shuttle or a tug remains a mystery.

"Unfortunately not. However, the matter I wanted to bring up to you should more than make up for this disappointment." You say.

Next few minutes are spent on you delivering a brief summary of what you found in orbit and how you intend to use it. You were not mistaken - commander Kang seems more than intrigued by your find.

"That's quite the catch you've landed, doctor Ford. Sovereign class... yes, that should be more than enough for this project of yours. By several orders of magnitude, I suspect." the officer says. "Although extraction of eezo would take a while, so readily available amount might be just about enough, if what you describe is accurate."

"Can you help us with extraction?" You ask.

There is a pause.

"I... can. Yes, I believe I can spare a tug and an engineering crew."

You sense there's a "but" in there, but another question rushes from your mouth first.

"So you do have tugs to spare?"
>>
"For this purpose, yes. We do have ships, doctor. But we have even more priorities. And much as I'd like it to, the orbital shipyard is not seen as one just yet."

"I see." You nod. This was, after all, his pet project. Either his superiors didn't recognize its value or he was unwilling to share credit.

"However," Kang begins and you can't help but grimace at that. "we need to settle the question of how this claim is legally handled."

"According to salvage law-" You begin but are promptly cut off.

"Doctor Ford, salvage law is a fallback procedure that applies in the frontier. We're talking about large cache of highly regulated material that's literally in Earth's orbit. The moment I send my crew to extract it it will show up on Alliance books."

Wonderful. In essence he's saying that whatever you found is already Alliance property. Unless...

"Most I can do without going clandestine myself," Kang carries on. "is to award you a finder's reward, but that would only be a fraction of value of the find itself."

"What if I decided to try and extract the eezo myself?"

"I won't stop you from trying, but you will have to find the necessary hardware away from regulated business. I... sympathise, but don't recommend this course of action."

"Of course."

"I'm sorry. If it's of any consolation, should the cache find its way under my care, I'll make sure you're properly compensated when the orbital station is up and running."

Assuming, you think to yourself dryly, that it will actually get off the ground, far from a foregone conclusion considering it hasn't apparently even been greenlit by the brass above.

Well, it seems several courses of action are laid out before you. Which path should you take?

>Take the deal - most of eezo will go to the Alliance. Enough will be made available to you to go through with the Arena project. Your reputation with Alliance will improve further, and when (if) Kang's orbital shipyard will be finished, you'll be able to place a custom order in it.
>You can give data on location of the Reaper to whatever's left of Vatican observatory and let the lawyers deal with the rest. Ultimate outcome is likely to be some sort of settlement between them and the Alliance. Arena will be wholly funded, and the influx of resources may sway some of the more materialistic stakeholders within the Church to support the project.
>You could explore the possibility of extracting eezo yourself, though that is guaranteed to take time and effort on your part that you could spend elsewhere.
>You could talk to Libella and try to get her to use her bullshit extralegal powers to seize the eezo. This will not be well received by the Alliance or the general public, though.
>You could try and look for another agent to help you extract the eezo in exchange of supplying the Arena and improving your standing with them (specify who to ask). May have political consequences.
>other plan (specify what)
>>
>>3963495

>Take the deal - most of eezo will go to the Alliance. Enough will be made available to you to go through with the Arena project. Your reputation with Alliance will improve further, and when (if) Kang's orbital shipyard will be finished, you'll be able to place a custom order in it.

Will it be available immediatly? Can we haggle in a ship upgrade with whatever he has on hand right now in addition to the reward?
>>
>>3963495

>You could try and look for another agent to help you extract the eezo in exchange of supplying the Arena and improving your standing with them (specify who to ask). May have political consequences.

So....I have this crazy idea...

Would the local quarian fleet have the means to extract the deposit? They could give us a sizeable amount, extract some to repair their ships that they so need, or to throw in the mass effect relay repairs that they desire aaaaaand, make a deal to them to deliver the find to the Alliance, improving their mutual relations and the general sentiment of cooperation.

We would need Kang to hold off in reporting what we said to him for a couple of days tho, and to get in touch with that admiral we talked to while on the fleet
Just a tought, if the idea is too far fetched just take his deal and secure what we need, but tryto get time with the fabricator along with the eezo since its a massive cache we are delivering to him.
>>
>>3963495
>>3963570
Currying favour between The Alliance and The Migrant Fleet? GENIUS! Maybe tell the Admiral about the orbital station too, since they might want a better place to do their repairs.
>>
As you consider your options, your first instinct is to shrug and accept the conditions Kang outlined. It was not like you had a better use for the cache than what the spaceport commander intended with it, and Alliance engineers are likely in best position to extract the eezo straight away, ensuring that no time is lost, for you or anyone else, in waiting for alternatives.

However, as you re-examine the circumstances a thought strikes you - there is actually quite a sizeable faction in the vicinity rich in experience with zero-g engineering, in need of stocking up before a long voyage and clout sufficient to make an uncontested claim in orbit. After all, they did shed a lot of blood in the fight alongside the Council fleets.

"I see." You say aloud. "Thank you for your frankness, commander. I need to think some more about what you said."

"I understand." Kang says back.

You kill the comm and bring up Eve again.

"Eve, I'm going to need to place a long distance call. Any risks there?"

"What sort of distance do you have in mind?"

"From here to Uranus."

There's a brief pause.

"Assuming you wish to contact the Migrant Fleet, the hypernet relays within the solar system are currently operating at satisfactory level to facilitate the link. However, such transmissions are rare. Your metadata will stand out during analysis."

You spend few moments to consider whether this should be a problem. It's not like you were attempting anything illegal or questionable to need hide from authorities. Although you might be attracting attention of not just authorities...

"Alternatively," Eve picks up. "The Geth platform we liberated in London is in orbit and offered to establish a connection for us."

"Sweet. Thank them for the offer and arrange a call, please. Either with an admiral, or barring that the captain Masi'Sin for starters. I've got an idea I think they'll love."

"Certainly, Ford."
>>
"'morning, Cap." Lea's voice brings your mind back to here and now as the Quarian saunters over to where you stand near the food dispensers that are beeping irritably at you to pick up your orders and clear the dispensal area. "Did I hear right? You're calling the Fleet?"

"That's right." You say, picking up the nutripacks and carrying them over to a nearby table. "I thought your compatriots may be interested in helping us with that Reaper wreckage while simultaneously helping us secure the eezo for the holoarena."

"Huh. You're on a roll, aren't you?" She asks. "Ooh, thanks!" She adds when you divvy up the pile of food between the two of you.

You spend next few minutes on eating your breakfasts. Apprantly, the Quarian-certified rations were in consistency that allowed ingestion via the emergency straw. What did turn out to be a point of slight frustration was a pack of synthetic Turian candy. You find yourself wondering whether you may have committed a faux-pas as you watch Lea weigh the package in her hand, her gaze focused as if considering something. Eventually she sighs and stows the pack into a pocket of her suit.

"Alright, so what's the plan? Did the priest call in yet?" She asks.

"Not yet." You say. "But regardless of outcome of his deliberations, the eezo from that dead Reaper will come in handy."

You're about to begin outlining your plan when Eve walks in, omnitool aglow.

"I have secured a link." She says. You give her a grateful nod and activate your comlink.

"Ah, captain Ford, was it?" Captain Masi'Sin's voice says.

"Captain." You greet him. "I'm calling you because I have an offer that I believe Migrant Fleet will find appealing."

"The lady that addressed me via Geth communications network hinted as much." The captain says. "You are a man of many surprises, captain Ford. Well then, what is it that you think is important enough to warrant an Admiral's attention?"

"Well, this may be a bit complex to easily summarize, but it involves an orbital shipyard, public construction project and Sovereign-class worth of Eezo."

There's a pause, pronounced so that you suspect it involves brief muting of comlink on a far end. After few moments you begin to wonder whether the connection has been severed. You give Eve a questioning look.

"Link is active." She says. "Presumably they are discussing among themselves."

Eventually a new voice, one you haven't heard before, speaks in a tone you usually associate with pompous comical villains from old Earth cartoons.

"This is admiral Zaal'Koris, of the civilian fleet. Please, elaborate on what do you have in mind."
>>
You spend next several minutes on describing the situation - your lucky find of salvageable Reaper core, Kang's personal pet project as well as your immediate stake - the need to secure an amount of eezo for the arena. The Quarian admiral, the one you understand to have been the most sympathetic to Geth cause, was listening intently, occasionally interrupting you to clarify one point or another. Namek's captain kept silent and you were unsure whether he was even still listening.

For that matter, you couldn't tell if anyone else was listening in as well, although as far as you understood Quarian politics (which was not very) you feel safe in assuming that the case would be brought to the remaining admirals as well.

Not that it mattered. The more you delved into the subject, the more you gained in confidence that cooperation between the Migrant Fleet and Alliance would be beneficial for literally everyone... with possible exception of whoever it was who sought to gain power by sowing discord.

"Very well, I believe I have a clear enough picture of the situation, captain." The admiral says. "I applaud your sense for cooperation, and would like to once more express my appreciation for your past actions. You are a credit to the Alliance."

"Uh, thanks." You say, shaking off a slight flush. "Just following my gut, sir."

"Now, I'm sure you understand I will need to discuss this with the other admirals, and then with our Alliance counterparts. Before we get to work, however, is there something else you'd like to add?"

>No, you're good. It was a pleasure, admiral. Captain.
>Suggest further cooperation on the orbital shipyard project. Turn it into a political, interspecies project. Shipyard should be constructed sooner and can be touted as success of cooperation, though Alliance can be less than enthusiastic about loss of exclusivity.
>Suggest more subtle cooperation on the orbital shipyard. Lower media profile and Alliance exclusivity over the project will be more palatable to the Alliance (and lighter public scrutiny than an interspecies project)
>Raise question of a... finder's reward and broker's commission for you. Several containers of Eezo for yourself could come in handy at some point.
>Suggest further participation of Quarians in the arena project. This could further dilute any issues of indignation on recalcitrant Krogan receiving massive public investment in environment of general scarcity; however, this may create new problems as well, like a conflict over arena specifications or concerns of the technology providers over Quarian liberal approach to intellectual property, among other things.
>Make some other suggestion (specify)
>Say something else (specify)
>>
>>3967824
>>Suggest more subtle cooperation on the orbital shipyard. Lower media profile and Alliance exclusivity over the project will be more palatable to the Alliance (and lighter public scrutiny than an interspecies project)

I'm going with this since this was Kang's pet project and striping it away from him would give us an antagonist, while giving him support might balance out we telling the quarians about the eezo after talking with him, he gets eezo and the help he needs, quarians get eezo and access to the port.

for a finders fee, I think we could use some eezo or another quarian upgrade or two, not that we are greedy, but I sense dangerous times ahead and those will probably be necessary.


damn, we are navigating these political minefields on good winds.
Talk to Lea if this counts for her pilgrimage score card, and maybe comment on the candy.

ask Eve how's the geth in london doing
>>
>>3967824

>Suggest further cooperation on the orbital shipyard project. Turn it into a political, interspecies project. Shipyard should be constructed sooner and can be touted as success of cooperation, though Alliance can be less than enthusiastic about loss of exclusivity.
>>
>>3967824
>Suggest more subtle cooperation on the orbital shipyard. Lower media profile and Alliance exclusivity over the project will be more palatable to the Alliance (and lighter public scrutiny than an interspecies project)
>>3967854
Has some good ideas.
>>
>>3967824
>>3967854
Supporting.



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