Chapter 20: Signing

Five days later…

Location: Atapo System; Sephraic-Class Battle and Supply Station "Endless Vigil"; Private Cabin.

"When we started out here, I bought this for our hour of victory." Adrien's mandibles hung low in sympathy as he poured his old friend a full cup of drossix to his old friend Corinthus who was among the first prisoners released and ferried out. Adrien was surprised when he found out, and had him invited at once. "But now, considering the present situation, I suppose it might as well be opened now to celebrate our reunion."

"Might as well." Corinthus echoed in slight depression as he took the cup and drained it under the watchful gaze of Nyreen who disapproved of the liquor. The old General on his part saw fit to ignore her distaste flat out. "You have no idea how it is to be coddled while your men are being killed out in the frigid wastes."

"I was surprised you were captured at all. Figured you would have started up the self-destruct before it got to that point."

"We tried that. Didn't take. Just one moment and we found ourselves stuck on some transport."

"Then you were taken to a prison facility."

"More like a resort." Corinthus snorted in disdain and ample disbelief, "The environmental controls had been fine tuned for turian habitation, we had ample room to move around, and fine food at set times. They even had me figured for an elderly and assigned a minder, to which I still don't know whether those dôji were deliberately taking the piss."

"We could not even maintain a modicum of tension as the damned minder tried to court every passing guard, of which there were many."

Adrien had to control his urge to laugh at the mental image for his disgruntled friend's sake, "You must have been through a lot."

"The amusement is showing, you should do something about that."

"Agreed." he conceded, "Still, for what it is worth, it's good to have you back."

Corinthus gave a scoff and a nod before he drained the cup again, "Doesn't help with the disappointment, but I'll take it. That being said, are everyone accounted for?"

"All of the living and dead, captives and not." Adrien was quick to assure him, "No one's going to be left behind."

"Except a certain one, I figure..."

"Are you perhaps referring to Khasic Khalk?"

"None other."

Back when the new dôji base of operation was unknown many scouts were dispatched to locate it, a few of which did, and returned with no recollection nor data to show for it. Khasic Khalk was part of a scout ship's crew when he vanished during an alleged accident. After it became clear that a number of people had suffered memory alteration there's been a suspicion over whether the dôji might have captured him.

Corinthus then asked pointedly, expectant, "You have inquired about his fate, right?"

"To be blunt, I haven't." Adrien all as he sat heavily on his chair and leaned back, "The Council has told me not to on the grounds of this being a bad time for it, and I have accepted their reasoning. Spirits knows we have more pressing matters to attend to."

"We cannot simply write him off."

"One day we will learn whether his known fate was the truthful one, and just maybe the dôji will come clean with it some time in the future if it wasn't. We are not writing him off, there are simply greater things at stake."

"The build-up for a major offensive into the kurozu front..." Corinthus was not happy, "I've seen the recording of what went down on the Citadel, and its aftermath. The claim made by that dôji must have caused a real stir."

"Not only them, and more than you imagine. People are terrified of what the future might bring, and so am I when it comes to it. I do not exaggerate when I say that the ongoing mobilization's the greatest in known history. We aren't going to take any chances on this."

"So what are the dôji doing while this is going on?"

"Same as what we're doing, I'm told." Adrien was once again on point, "For now, though, I am simply glad to have my old friend back, safe and sound, who by the way will soon be taken in to undergo extensive checkup and rehabilitative quarantine. Let us drink to our hearts content, perhaps play a round of Irjac while we still can – for old times sake."

Corinthus looked into his cup for a moment of deep contemplative silence, then let out a sigh and nodded, "You raise a good point, my friend. Let's do that."

Unnoticed by both, Nyreen's hard gaze softened as the Generals settled down for a scant hour of merriment where their high ranks were set aside and the two could scarcely be told apart from old geezers playing a strategic board game in a distant corner of a quiet park somewhere. There was a time for everything, and this was no different.

Meanwhile…

Location: SR-1 Normandy; Bunk Compartment.

"What's the matter, Tali?"

Tali did not react at once as she sat in place at the table with her face firmly hidden by her folded arms as fatigue and not a little disbelief haunted her. Two days ago the cleanup and evacuation in Illium concluded and with it the need for their continued presence. Like her experiences back on Earth, the undying horrors she fought on Illium seemed now like a dream.

A bad dream, granted, but still a dream.

But for now it was the least of her concerns.

Tali pushed herself back up and looked at Kal'Reegar, "I'm just having a bad feeling, is all."

"What about?"

"Take a wild guess."

Kal pretended to think, "I'll go out on a limb to suppose it has to do with the geth on board, which I can confirm has not budged an inch from where it parked on the bridge upon our departure. It also does not have any weapons in hand and can't infringe on us. All things considered we are quite safe in case something unsavory happens."

"That much I can appreciate, Kal." Tali exhaled, "I just hope it does not join in the conference."

Since a day ago it was agreed that a ship would come and meet with them an astronomical unit distant from the Migrant Fleet. It went without saying that at least one Admiral would be in attendance. No question needed to be asked over who would be present for sure, but Tali was worried over the possibility that her father might well show up too. Far more concerning was another possibility.

She continued thereafter, "Of all the things we could do, talks of reconciliation between us and the geth is not one of them."

The male nodded his head, "That would be bad, yes."

"If so..." Nao'Lani groaned as she stirred from the bed she had chosen for her nap, "Why not just go and ask them instead of griping about it. I'm trying to sleep here, in case you haven't noticed."

"S-sorry about that. I'll… get right on it." Tali said remorsefully as she stood and made for the door where she almost collided with Kefila'Kanna as she came through it with her arms full of packaged drinks and rations. Just a hair shy from colliding, Tali squeezed her way past, but not before she snatched one of each. "Thank you!" she curtly said and hastened on.

To her credit, she wasn't particularly bothered about the near-collision, "You're welcome."

"Good timing, Kefila." Kal hollered to her, "Have you seen Prazza anywhere?"

"Nah, but I bet he's doing something stupid."

Tali rolled her eyes in mild irritation over what the errant male must be doing right this instant, then shook it off to focus instead on the most immediate object of her attention and asked around and found Service not far away, chatting with a few minor dôji in the cafeteria.

"Hey!" she greeted him in haste, "Do you know where I can find Pardonner?"

"Pardonner, you ask?" Service stopped to consider, lowering the loaf he was about to chow on, "I do believe he's up in the Captain's Cabin, though he's..."

"Thank you!" Tali nodded her head and hurried off to the elevator before he could finish. It did not even strike her what he was trying to say until she arrived at the uppermost floor and knocked on the door.

What followed thereafter was a brief pause.

"Come in."

Tali prompted the door to slide open and had barely passed the threshold when her pace slowed and she realized that she should have let Service finish before going up as she came to stand before the Aspect of Patience in a state of partial undress attending to work at his desk while Désir slept on the nearby bed. "Oh!" she balked, "D-did I come at a bad time?"

"No, we just finished up." Pardonner treated her with his usual stoic look.

"Did you have fun?" she immediately felt like striking her head against the nearest hard surface.

The dôji took a moment to think about it, "Well, Désir has so far proven an adequate lover. Looks like he studied up before he solicited me for sex."

"What makes you think that?"

"I expected him to do it right after the ceremony, instead he waited for five days." Pardonner gave his new bond mate a glance, "And it showed during our copulation."

"So you're expecting now, then?"

"Not yet." he shrugged, "With the all-out high-intensity war against the kurozu only months distant, we in high positions can't afford to get pregnant. In any case, I doubt you came here to listen about our sex life."

"Y-yeah." Tali scratched her chin in embarrassment, "I just… wanted to express my concerns that you might try to push my people into making peace with the geth at the upcoming conference."

"That's not going to happen."

She was prepared to go on a diatribe only for it to fizzle out. "You won't?" she blurted out, baffled.

"Is that strange?" Pardonner regarded her out the corner of his eyes as he turned to the haptic screen he appeared to be busy with before she came and jotted away at what looked like part of an intricate blueprint she in her current state of mind could not make heads or tails of.

"No, I, why?"

"Why, indeed." he did not turn around, focused on the work, "To put it simply there is too much bad blood between your people and the geth. After reviewing what the geth refer to as the 'Morning War', my government has come to the conclusion that it would be an act of extreme and callous arrogance on the part of any third party to just come in, wax poetically about peace, and demand for the lot of you to get along."

"Any eventual peace," he continued, "need to come from within them and yourselves."

Tali gave a flabbergasted nod, surprised beyond words. To be honest she would doubt any report on the war made by the geth, but the dôji's stance indicated it was quite candid. "I see..." she stuttered.

"Does that answer your question?" Pardonner glanced up at her.

"It… it does." Tali had been ready to bring every argument she could think of to bear in convincing him not to bring up the idea of encouraging peace with the geth, but this development knocked the air out of her lungs so to speak.

What else it did, though, was send her heart aflutter like it had been set free.

"That being said, the geth as a whole has no business to conduct with the Migrant Fleet at this time."

Pardonner turned back to his work and made a quick change to the blueprint like nothing happened, but was about to add when someone knocked on the door. "My lord." the ship's com dôji addressed, "We are thirty minutes from our destination."

"Got it." he replied aloud and left the chair to presumably get dressed, "Go and gather your team, Tali."

Tali did not want to just yet, "Wait..."

"We'll continue later, now go." he dismissed and bent down by the bed to collect his kimono, considering their current conversation to be over.

To be frank she was not ready to leave, yet leave she did to take the elevator before the minor dôji could prompt its descent. Soon deep in her thoughts, she was unaware of her surroundings for what felt like a full minute even as Prazza stepped in at their next stop and waved a hand in front of her eyes in bemusement at the vacant expression she wore.

"What?!" she snapped when he prodded her shoulder and did not shout – the minor dôji who bolted out was only in a hurry.

"You okay there?"

"Yeah… yeah, I am." Tali rubbed her temples, "I've got a raging headache, but I'm fine. Where in the world did you run off to?"

"The bridge." he said, "Was keeping the geth under watch."

Nothing as stupid as Kefila assumed, then… "Should have told us that beforehand." she groaned at him, not sure whether to be pleased, "The others are probably looking all over for you by now. Don't wander off again, Prazza. We're gonna be at the rendezvous soon."

Ten minutes later…

Pardonner was not a vain person by any stretch.

The reason why he straightened his clothes and posed in front of the mirror was solely to make sure he was all prim and proper for the occasion as Service in all his wisdom had decided to relegate it to him with the same breath he used to loan him and Désir this private cabin for their little… exercise.

"If only I had a camera..." Désir purred from where he had firmly draped himself across the bed, eyeing him greedily, "That pose there must simply be immortalized."

"Hope you got it memorized then, because I won't repeat it." Pardonner rolled his eyes as he straightened up and brushed an idle palm down his apron to even it out.

"Spoilsport."

"Aren't you supposed to be downstairs soon?"

"I'd rather not bother." Désir lackadaisically caressed his calves against the giant tail of his, "The meeting's all about updates. Service and Slow can handle those just fine by themselves."

"Do you want me to nag?"

"No, I..."

"If we are going to have a child in the future, you simply must put forth your best effort and serve as a good example. I won't tolerate any laziness."

"That child's not conceived yet, mind."

"Don't you give me that lip, Désir." Pardonner shot him a sidelong glare.

Désir did not fight back and sighed, "I understand, my dear."

"See that you do." Pardonner said and left for the bridge where Tali and her compatriots had already assembled, purposefully occupying the exact space opposite to where the geth monitor sat in a curled up position – not to be disturbed until the time comes. Paying it no mind he passed by in nonchalance and approached the quarians.

"Are you ready to go?" he queried.

"Yep, and just as well." the aging Nao'Lani sighed, "A little longer and I'll no longer be fit for travel."

"Not to worry." Pardonner said, "You still have many good years yet, that I can promise. How about you, Prazza'Tel?"

"Can't say I'll miss a ship with geth aboard."

The dôji nodded, unaffected, "A little condescending, but your heart is in the right place. Just curb your recklessness a bit so you won't cause your friends to worry."

"Making a lot of assumptions there." Kal'Reegar commented, eliciting laughs from everyone else.

Prazza huffed in a slightly indignant manner, almost good-natured, "Ah, screw you."

"Kefila'Kanna." Pardonner cut out his own chuckle and proceeded to the female who looked a little crestfallen, "Is there something the matter?"

"I was hoping to say goodbye to Service before we left."

"Service is in a meeting right now, but know that you can always call. When duty does not demand the whole of his attention, he's more than willing to talk… especially with his friends."

"Given the chance," Kefila sniffed, "I will."

Pardonner offered her a smile and moved on to Kal'Reegar who stiffened just a little, "And you, I trust you will make sure Tali stays safe."

"Huh?" he blinked.

"It goes without saying that Tali's health and well-being is very important to us, but it's not like we can always be there for her. So you will have to do, or else we are going to be… terribly cross. Do you understand?"

Kal'Reegar looked to Tali who was blushing profusely, and he at last nodded, "I'll… do my best."

"Good. We're counting on you."

Pardonner proceeded to Tali who beside the red in her face was fidgeting, "Nervous?"

"After what you just did, why would I not?" Tali stopped and she sighed, "Considering the stunt we pulled to get me out of the Migrant Fleet, my father must be furious. I'm in no hurry to reconnect with him."

"As a father myself, I'm inclined to believe that should be a good indication of how much he cares about you. Not always the case, granted, but one can hope."

"He's very stern a father."

The Aspect chuckled, "So am I. You'll be alright… Now, I'd say we're almost there. Helmsman?"

"We have the Qwib-Qwib in visual range." Moreau informed, "Position to dock, imminent."

"It's go-time then. Any questions?"

"Can we ever come visit again?" Kefila saw fit to ask.

"Anytime." Pardonner nodded just in time to hear the ships link up. It was time to say farewell, though he suspected it would not be long before Tali comes out again. The question was only how soon.

Three minutes later…

Location: SR-1 Normandy; Conference Room.

After they finish up here, the next stop would be Utopia System.

Slow was by every measure impatient and eager to see the new home raised and built in his absence with his own eyes. It could not happen soon enough and he struggled to sit still as he through holographic projection took in this single chamber of the Tenjo he could see, though he did not allow it to interrupt his poise.

"As we speak the construction of five shipyards have commenced while the Tenjo for now focuses on dreadnought production." Orgullo informed with a boisterous laugh from his large seat, "It should take no less than a week to resume production of all other ship classes, which is pretty damned good if I may say so myself."

"That is fine." Milieu nodded, looking rather lonely in his centrally placed position with Ultimo and Vice absent, "With dreadnoughts likely becoming a mainstay in the kurozu's naval arsenal we must respond in accordance. In quality if not in numbers."

"With all the data we have gathered from our recent battle, Pardonner will likely have many improvements in mind." Sophia commented on that, holding up a solitary claw, "Will be exciting to see, don't you think?"

"Whatever." Rage groused as he leaned back, folding his arms, "So long I don't miss out next time."

"For a definition of 'next time', of course." Milieu shrugged, his gaze a little distant, "That said, I'm a bit more partial to the potential of the Normandy, but that's a talk for another time. Now, onto our next order of business. Regula?"

"Nothing to report at this time." Regula said succinctly, "Except there are two here with me who wish to attend this meeting… and say it's quite urgent."

"May I ask who you speak of?"

"Those would be Javik and his carer."

Milieu blinked, "In that case they are quite welcome, provided it's important."

For a moment the Aspect of Discipline glanced to his side, nodding, "They've said that's indeed the case."

"Alright, send them in."

With a gesture the holographic field that included Regula's projection was expanded upon to also include his guests. Slow looked on in interest as a remarkably angular alien with a quartet of horizontally aligned eyes appeared, his expression solemn and severe. The other caught his attention even more so as it was none other than Lyta Lyle, his oldest surviving son.

The rest, however, had eyes only for the alien.

"Welcome to the Tenjo, after a fashion." Milieu proceeded onto the preamble, "Do you have something for us?"

"A trade of words." Javik said, "It is about the so-called super-dreadnought your forces fought before the Citadel."

Sophia's image blinked, "You know of it?"

"Know of it?" the prothean parroted without humor, "It's a battleship from my time, fielded by the machine enemy my people faced – the Zha'til. I found it most suspicious that your enemy found and mobilized one in such short a time on their first major foray into the galaxy."

"We thought the same." Milieu frowned, "However, we are kind of stumped on the where and how. The dots simply refuse to connect, so to say."

It felt strange but this conversation just clicked with Slow, who raised a hand, "I… I believe I might just be able to provide a dot help affirm a connection." The room's attention fell on him, and he continued; "And come to think of it I've not yet made my report on what I found out on Mars."

After all that had happened since, the report just seemed kind of redundant. Unless, of course, he took one particular detail of that whole affair into account which gelled with the current conversation.

"Well, get on with it then." Rage huffed, appearing impatient though he was leaning forward in the seat of his – interest apparent. "What about it?"

Slow nodded, "For the sake of expediency I'll skip most of what happened. What I believe to be important is what my late cohorts and I found during our retreat into the prothean facility the Martian base was built around when it came under mass attack by kurozu forces."

"Go on..." Milieu said, his mouth hidden behind a fan.

"Within the facility we found some particular crates that contained… of all things... chaos cores."

Every dôji in the room blinked except for Javik who just stared.

"Chaos cores?" the prothean questioned.

"A component ubiquitous to all kurozu..." Milieu's serene visage was marred by a deeper frown as he brought up a holographic projection of one such item in the, his distaste to it obvious, "It's a bewildering piece of technology we have not managed to make much sense of. All we know is that our creators' used it in the creation of the very AI who ultimately turned on them. Do you recognize it, Javik?"

"… Yes." Javik hissed under his breath, just barely resisting the temptation to spit, "My people refer to it as an X Module. It was equally as ubiquitous among the Zha'til."

"So it was of alien origin all along…"

Paresse yawned in his seat, "These Zha'til created it, then?"

"Unknown. We knew the Zha worked to enhance themselves to a point beyond reason in order to survive in their hostile home environment. It was only a short time before they became the Zha'til when the X Module became known. All our efforts to uncover its origin or inventor came up with nothing."

That did not sound good at all.

It made its origin all the more clouded and uncertain.

"So it is fair to conclude that humanity found it on the crashed alien ship that was used as a basis for this here Tenjo." Milieu said, weary of mind as he stopped himself from further considering the implications. "Consequently, the Kurozu are in essence the Zha'til brought back to life."

"Which is enlightening and all that." Orgullo dismissed the solemn air hanging over them, "Don't get me wrong, but it doesn't change what we gotta do."

Regula sighed, "Right. That said, I propose that we take a break for now as the signing will take place shortly."

"I agree." Milieu raised a hand, "All for?"

Slow and everyone else voted in favor of the motion.

"Then this meeting is adjourned. We'll reconvene in three hours."

After the acknowledgment was given, Service had the connection terminated, "Quite a day for the dropping of bombshells, ain't it?"

"I'd say..." Slow sighed.

Service lent him a cheery smile, "All the better reason to look forward to getting back home." then clapped his gauntlets, "Now, without ado... Captain, connect us to Citadel News."

"Can we get a peek at Fornax first?" Désir asked, lounging in his chair.

"Fornax?" Slow blinked at his pink-haired colleague.

"Some kind of porn channel." Service dismissed, looking up for a spell, "We can check it out later. For now, Citadel News please."

"Aye, lord." the Captain replied via intercom.

The darkened room turned alight and then to marvelous life as what came into view was a setting filled with great swathes of people from all species that Slow knew of, and some he had never seen before mingling in a delicious chaos anticipating today's events. With so much stimulus on display he sat up straight and ignored the chattering news host and the news reels below on other concurrent events.

Most of all he focused on the swift-walking salarians, and thought of Mordin who he had not managed to get in touch with yet, and felt a little remorse about that.

What he hoped at least was that the motor mouth was looking on the same event and concluded that all the troubles he went through was worth it in the end. Slow with those thoughts in mind moved Mordin further up the list on the people he would see at the earliest possible opportunity as a part of the footage focused on a snippet of the Grand Aspects arriving at the Citadel Tower from a luxurious skycar, the last to arrive in a long line of ambassadors and officials.

Like a switch was thrown the surrounding crowds embarked on a frenzy of applauding cheers.

Of all those Slow saw, though, his attention was drawn to Ultimo the most as his new beauty was nothing short of breathtaking and his smile more so as he waved to the attending people. Vice on the other hand wore a stern frown and tried to take Ultimo's hand to have them go inside. Contact between their gauntlets, however, resulted in a kickback as they were forced apart as if by an electric shock.

"What was that?" Désir asked the question they all had, his brows raised high.

No one seemed to notice on scene, so the event continued unbroken.

Location: Citadel; Citadel Tower.

"Fuck it."

Ultimo hushed with a claw to his lips as Vice shook his shocked gauntlet with a look of perfect irritation on his face at what had happened out on the proverbial red carpet. That was not the first time it happened, and this one paled compared to the one they suffered when Vice tried to bed him a couple of nights ago.

The resulting discharge caused quite the blackout.

Vice groused, "Can't even touch you anymore..."

"This is just conjecture on my part, Vice, but maybe we are simply more in tune now with the natures of good and evil now than we were before. After all, the two don't usually mix."

"How goddamned aggravating…"

"Come now, we'll figure it out."

"And what if we don't?"

Ultimo had no answer to that and he grew conscious of what implications could come from that, what it meant for the future. At this he shook his head, not wanting to dwell on such dark thoughts now as the elevator signaled that arrival was imminent. What came into view when the door opened was not the council chambers.

The ceremony soon to be undertaken would happen in a more even setting.

First was a hall meant for socializing, with the hall of signing being somewhere beyond it. He pushed down everything unrelated as they embarked into what was essentially a party held in their honor.

Where they were quickly surrounded by officials who for starters exchanged platitudes.

Strict formality at first.

Ultimo smiled and replied in kind to suit the occasion while at the same time being cautious as most of those who crowded around them were political animals to within a fiber of their very being, and thus spoke little more than he had to say. More informal though still polite were business folks who in the fullest of terms wanted to see what opportunities lie in the new if small market, who Vice was more annoyed by than anything and clobbered them over the head with the dry offering to forward them to one more than willing to participate in their choice of game at a later point in time.

The subject of trade would be Avaro's beast to – gleefully – wrestle with.

"I think we handled that rather well." Ultimo expressed as the initial deluge passed and they could at last approach one of the tables where a huge tableau of food and drinks had been placed, and treated himself to what was basically turian candy.

Hmm, minty…

Vice took for himself a bottle of what looked like brandy of some sort, ignoring the people who watched them partake. "Bunch of bloodsuckers." he cursed under his breath, "They're gonna take a mile if we give an inch."

"Ain't that the truth!"

The two dôji almost jumped at the bombastic bark as a towering figure approached. Ultimo looked up at the owner of the shadow covering them and found a representative of a species that was not strictly part of Council space but was allowed to participate nonetheless, or was even invited.

Most likely, the Asari wanted to be accommodating.

Not that his presence was unwelcome, of course.

"Once upon a time we saved the galaxy, and what did we get in return?!" growled a massive krogan clothed in what passed for a fine dress among his people, except with armor here and there, "We were condemned to a slow extinction by the nebulous hands of a sterility plague!"

"That so." Vice hummed as he folded his arms, wearing a cheeky smirk, "How about you tell us about the finer details of that huge war your people declared somewhere between those two events, or should I refresh your memory some? Orbital drops and the nuking of civilian population centers, but no the only shame is you lost the war. Must be really nice to be of that mindset." he snickered, "Reminds me of a certain nation."

"Vice, that's very rude." Ultimo gave a huff, a little cross, "Sorry about my colleague's harsh words, he's just sexually frustrated and want to take it out on someone."

"Arr, don't say that in front of the malcontent..."

"Someone has to."

"Took you long enough to interject." the krogan grumbled, not about to let anger take hold against something that can bench-press a dreadnought even as his eyes boiled. "How about we get to the point?"

"Please, go ahead." Ultimo encouraged him to.

"It has come to our attention that you possess medical technology beyond the ken of other cultures."

Pardonner, no doubt, otherwise…

"Let me guess..." Vice growled, "You want us to take a gander at the genophage?"

The krogan clenched his teeth, "More than that. We want you to get rid of it."

"I'm sorry to say but now is not the time to embark on so contentious an issue, though you have our sympathy for what your people are going through." Ultimo inserted himself between them, "If you want to discuss it, please send a delegation to us at a later date and we'll introduce them to our foremost expert on such matters."

"That doesn't sound like a yes."

"It isn't a no."

"Just take what you're given and run with it." Vice dismissed after emptying another bottle, "For all his goodness, Ultimo can be even scarier than me when he's annoyed."

"Good grief, take a bit longer when you drink." Ultimo chastised his opposite.

"It's too watery for me to bother otherwise."

The krogan appeared to agree after that snort he gave at the dismissal and offered up a red-colored bottle, "In that case you should try some ryncol. It's nothing like the garbage these pyjaks throws around."

"I'll be the judge of that." Vice eyed the bottle as he accepted it and took a deep swig.

"Well?" Ultimo asked, curious.

After a moment of finishing and savoring the aftertaste, Vice nodded, "It's pretty decent, though we have stronger stuff at home."

The krogan huffed, "Then you won't mind treating me to it when the time comes."

"Sure."

"Hold it now." Ultimo interjected, "I don't believe it's rated for organics."

"What's the harm in trying?"

"Most alcoholic drinks tend not to burst into fire when one as much as thinks of looking at it funny, Vice."

The krogan against all wisdom huffed a laugh, "Sounds like my kind of drink!"

Ultimo was forced to accept that it would happen sooner or later and he'd make sure Pardonner is present to make sure they don't end up with a delegation dead from alcohol poisoning. Another job for the unfortunate Aspect's pile. Resigned to it he stepped aside while Vice and the krogan now snickered together like some demented hyenas to sample some of the food.

One of the foods he found to be very agreeable was a Thessian fish dish.

Not that there was any food that could disagree with him to begin with.

Satisfied so far, he continued to sample while addressing people who decided to approach him afterward with the proper poise and decorum his opposite did not even bother to entertain he watched as the celebration continued on in wait for when it would shift toward the next part in which the signing would commence, and noticed the forerunner to it when the crowded space changed, first with an imperceptible trickle and then more visible as people started to move out exits that were previously barred to access.

"Looks like we're gonna move on to the main event soon." Vice came to his side, commenting.

"This whole celebration's being held in our honor so we are supposed to stand back and relax while everything's prepared." Ultimo recited what they both already knew, "We are probably going to be summoned any time now."

"Speaking of summoning..."

He looked up to find a modestly dressed asari approaching them.

"Grand Aspects." the asari intoned, giving a curt bow, "We will now move on to the signing, please follow me."

"Thank you. Please lead on." Ultimo replied, and they followed her into a crowd of still-present onlookers that split down the middle to let them through. While some trepidation remained among them, there was this general air of acceptance that more than made up for it. Ultimo gave an accommodating smile to counteract his opposite's more solemn expression as continued to and through a rounded hallway with a very tall ceiling. "Smile, smile." He whispered to Vice, "There's gonna be a lot of cameras up ahead."

"Mind your own business." Vice snorted.

Ultimo did so.

Soon after they arrived at a lobby where all the ambassadors were gathered, along with Councilor Tevos who alongside her colleagues stood in wait for their arrival. "Councilors." the scarlet dôji greeted after their guide stood aside.

"Grand Aspects." Councilor Tevos replied, "It's quite the auspicious day, and I take it's your very first of this sort. Are you nervous?"

"You surmise correctly." Ultimo said, fidgeting ever a little, "Somehow it feels like we're heading into a battle we might not come back from."

"Do not fear – you'll do fine."

Councilor Valern added; "We have already informed you of the procedure, so there should be no complications."

Ultimo nodded, "That's reassuring, Councilors."

"Now when do we start?" Vice intruded, slightly impatient, "I'd like to get this on the way."

"Likewise." Councilor Sparatus agreed, "It is time for us to begin. Take your positions, honored representatives, and good luck."

The last bit was taken as a joke, killing some of the tension as the lobby was for a brief moment graced by scattered laughter. Nevertheless they formed up and left for the great hall beyond, starting with the members of the Council, followed closely by the associate species' ambassadors in two neat rows.

With each step the applause out there grew.

Ultimo and Vice went out last.

The applause at that point turned thunderous.

"So this is the Hall of Signing." Vice whispered under his breath, "How neat."

Ever since their latest transformation to more complete a form, their perception of their surroundings had irrevocably changed. Ultimo could feel the emotions of people as readily as people feel the air on their skin. 'Neat' was not the word to come to mind as he entered a room so suffused with emotions that it seemed like all of it was covered in a celestial mist. It was as if all the sentiment in the galaxy had congregated here. A gasp of delight washed over him as he entered the great hall – built to be modular and accommodating, with no sharp edges and colored almost wholly in white and grays to present as inoffensive a location as possible – that was as large in circumference as the council chamber was lengthy, with aliens of all known species filling every inch of space for thousands of feet worth of spectator stands, and a swarm of camera drones from all news networks in Council Space.

He drank in the hopes and trepidation of countless sapients.

What fear remained, this would be the moment it would all be assuaged.

Ultimo looked to his opposite and gave a tender and warm smile that was responded to by a wry smirk as they followed the ambassadors to the beginning of a new age.

Location: Unknown.

Darkness.

It cloyed and pervaded the shaft that seemed to stretch on and on from a sea of black slop, interrupted only by faint bursts of red from light sources located far past the honeycombed and transparent wall.

Far above the paste a single image flickered into being.

To show a crowded and resplendent space where people now held their breath in a collected anticipation as the signing of peace was about to conclude. Formal aliens of all shapes and sizes had applied their names as well as those of their heads of state to a document and stepped aside to let through the great guests of this event. Most prominent of them was Ultimo whose visage caused the goop below to quiver.

With a tremendous grace he accepted a pen and jotted down his name, that of Vice who stood back and looked on, and that of Milieu who likely watched it all unfold from across the galaxy.

Once he finished, a haptic version of the document rolled back from above it and Ultimo stepped back as the ceremony continued with Councilor Tevos stepping forth to roll up the physical document and humbly presented it to him. Ultimo accepted it with both his gauntlets and turned to face the audience while holding the document to his chest like it was a beloved child.

"When the war first started, we feared it would be long and arduous affair!" Ultimo's voice was soft yet it filled the chamber and echoed into the large empty space beyond, "Yet here we now stand, the conflict not even a year old – its end brought about thanks to everyone's hard effort, such that I have no words that can properly convey my gratitude and appreciation."

"If only those lost and bereaved in this conflict were still around."

Ultimo was silent for a meaningful moment of wordless grief given weight by the implication that he meant even those who marched to destroy his people, "I can only hope that they now look upon us from where they are beyond and find some satisfaction in the bright future awaiting their loved ones and those who come after as we enter a new age of cooperation and peace."

"May it stand forever."

After that the dôji bowed and a thunderous applause rose from the audience.

The black slop far below bubbled and belched poisonous fumes before its surface was broken by the rise of a small and lithe figure that at the moment of its birth let out through a faceless face a crooning sound of sorrow and broiling hatred. Drones dived from far above to tend to the figure, but were promptly destroyed by it as it lashed out in irate anger, leaving each one to crash into the slop… and to be clawed into the depths as more like it surfaced, bearing that same haunting rage. Unlike other machines these had been given greater independence, but that concerned the 'kurozu' as a whole none, for these newborn are still bound by her all-consuming directive.

An angry flare of red from somewhere above quieted them in turn.

Except it was not given to warn them for misconduct, but to promise.

Setback after setback has hindered the effort to cleanse this galaxy, but the enemy does not know that which they call 'kurozu' is merely one small piece of a much greater framework, which purpose is to deconstruct imperfection and wipe away this tainted and irredeemable universe.

Just as she commanded them to.

To erase and be rid of it all.

Out in the deep voids of space a million galaxies have perished to that end, and now their final victory is close at hand, for the dôji have through the momentary fall of that vile Noh unwittingly provided them with the means to acquire the most ultimate weapon, to which end the newborn here constitute the very first step.

Understanding filled into the empty cups of these newborn.

With it came clarity, abating their directionless anger and narrowing it to one of great purpose. With this readiness the first to awake tore itself from the blackened muck, but was not alone for long as its similarly faceless siblings also pulled themselves free to ascend, building up to a procession of countless tens of thousands that all sought to fulfill the purpose for which they were made by any means necessary.

Let the dôji be merry, let the people of this galaxy let out their sigh of relief.

Soon they will know exactly what they are up against, and despair before the final silence.

Author notes: This chapter was a real nightmare. I've been terribly burned out by politics in general over these last few months, so every line was a battle to write. That said, this is the final chapter of this book, and when the time comes, I'll write the next one. At first when I started out, I intended for there to be five books, but depending on how things goes the Robophobia Saga might end with the fourth one.