July 3rd, 2175
09:14
Citadel, Widow-System
Presidium
Human Embassy
I spun my office chair and grinned. Today, I could finally say I achieved one of the goals I'd set since realizing I was in the Mass Effect universe. Anita's office was now mine. Her position belonged to me as well.
I was the Human Ambassador now.
And with the position came power, prestige, influence, and, most importantly, responsibilities.
The last few days were a combination of travel and ceremonies.
On Arcturus, I gave the official oath of office in front of the parliament. I swore to uphold the laws of the Alliance, to represent the best of humanity, and to do my best for a better future for the galaxy. The ceremony also served as the official farewell for Anita and honored her life's work. She deserved the recognition, in my opinion. She did more for the Alliance than most, and everyone in the Alliance should know it. Cameras broadcasted the event throughout Alliance territory. While her name might be overshadowed by mine, everyone would still remember her.
Right after shaking hands with politicians I liked and disliked, I sat inside a ship, ready to travel back to the Citadel. My first meeting as ambassador awaited with the Council. I even had an escort of two frigates and a cruiser now. Only the cruiser would stay at the Citadel for official travels. The two frigates were just for show. A small parade welcomed me as the new ambassador. Some politicians wanted a bigger parade and complained that the council did not trust the Alliance enough to allow it. I simply smiled and nodded while they talked. They wanted to appear more important than they were, and I let them believe it. As long as they were happy and didn't annoy me, or think they could influence my decisions, I was content. If they tried to overstep, I would show them their place in the pecking order.
Thankfully, I got enough sleep during the travel to the Citadel since the moment I set foot on the station, the Council summoned me to greet the new human ambassador they would work with for the foreseeable future. It had been a waste of time, in my opinion.
It was the usual posturing of the Council. Telling me how they are looking forward to working with me, followed by a few veiled threats and hints about how superior they are. The most interesting thing that happened was that Sparatus showed some genuine support and friendliness, probably on account of the Alliance's good relationship with the Hierarchy. He would probably be the best option for me to get an inside look at how the Council would react to events.
Tevos was still the Asari Councilor, of course, and looked as arrogant as ever. She showed it, too. After all, she was the one who talked the most, and about the glorious history of the Citadel and the three Council races' contributions to it. Everything she said was used to highlight the differences between humanity and them and to tell us how much we would have to do to even think about gaining a Council seat.
The Salarian Councilor mostly held himself back during my introduction. I wasn't surprised by that. The Salarian Councilor looked like he was ready to keel over and should have been in retirement instead of sitting on the Citadel Council. His name was Solus, and the first time I heard it, I thought he was a distant relative of Mordin. Perhaps they knew each other, perhaps not. In the end, it didn't matter too much. Besides, it looked like the Salarian Councilor would change again before long. Nonetheless, I would have to look into the matter. The Salarian Union never did anything without a reason, and giving one of the most influential positions in the galaxy to someone who wouldn't hold it for long had to have a good reason. Yet, maybe I was overthinking the situation.
Afterwards, I could finally return to the embassy and relax for a moment before the chief of security came around to give me my new security codes and credentials. They had been ready for a while, but I only got them after my position became official. From today on, I had a week to read through all the briefings I didn't have the right clearance for, at least officially. I already knew about most secrets of the Alliance due to my connection to its military-industrial complex, but the position of ambassador was a different beast. Furthermore, I had some secrets the Alliance didn't know about either, and could spell immense trouble for me and the Alliance if they got revealed.
That reminded me, I should schedule a meeting with Ryder to get an update on how his research is progressing. The AI-matrix he was working on could be a game-changer if we utilized it correctly, especially if we used it on the Ruler-class ships. The projected personnel to man them was exceptionally high, and with the assistance of an AI, or even a highly sophisticated VI, would probably reduce that number to something more manageable.
There were many things I had to do. Some were more important than others, but even those without any urgency had to be done. Like furnishing my office to my preference. Right now, it had only a desk, one I would change, three chairs, that were as uncomfortable as they looked, and my computer terminal. Thankfully, that would change in the next few days.
"Come in," I called when I heard a knock on the door, and Miranda stepped in a few seconds later. "Can I do something for you, Yvonne?"
"We got a notification from C-Sec. They looked over the revised list of applicants and decided who they would hire."
"Don't hold back," I said. "Tell me how many or few they will hire."
Miranda smiled and replied: "Don't worry, it's good news. C-Sec will hire most of the younger applicants."
"And the other positions?"
"Two detectives and two lieutenants."
"Not as good as it could be, but better than expected," I mused. "They will probably be shuffled around and sent to different precincts, but that will give us more exposure. More of the Citadel will get used to seeing humans in C-Sec uniforms. The next step is to place those already working there in positions where they have some influence in the precincts. Better would be a position in their HQ, but I believe that will only happen in two or three years."
Miranda hummed non-commitally. Apparently, she still wasn't convinced by my approach of taking it slow and carefully. I didn't expect her to change her opinions or her view overnight, or even during the time we would spend together, but that wasn't my goal anyway. It was the seed of doubt that was important to me. As long as Miranda started earlier to question how Cerberus operated, the easier it would be to get her to change sides. After all, I didn't just use my approach in politics. It worked similarly well with interpersonal relationships.
"Anyway," continued Miranda, "we will see how it will go in the future. Right now, I have a list here with scheduled appointments for the week. Most of them are accompanied by Alliance personnel, and around half will call via the Secure Communications Room. The others will arrive here at the embassy."
"Anyone noteworthy?" I asked, taking the datapad she held out for me. My eyes went over the timetable, mentally trying to connect the names with faces and trying to find out if I had ever met any of them.
"I believe the most important meetings would be with the president, the minister of defence, the minister of commerce, and Admiral Hackett of the fith fleet. The first three will be over the SCR, while Admiral Hackett will arrive at the Citadel in a few days."
"Did they say anything about what those meetings are? I dislike going into one without knowing anything. That way, it is too easy to get taken by surprise. And if you get taken by surprise, you often don't know the answers, which can get pretty embarrassing. And I don't want to be embarrassed during my first week as ambassador."
I already knew the answer to my question before Miranda even opened her mouth to say anything. It was visible on her face.
"I am sorry, sir," she said. "Only Admiral Hackett gave a reason when asked."
"And what did he say?"
"He is being sent by the Board of Admiralty to give you a briefing about all ongoing military operations in and around Alliance territory."
"And if he is coming, I am sure someone else will be coming to give me a brief about the operations Hackett doesn't know about."
I scoffed when I noticed that Miranda's eyes widened slightly at my open admission about secret operations. "What are you so surprised about? The fact that the Alliance is engaged in secret operations or that I am talking openly about it? Neither should surprise you. Every human nation during our past did things the public didn't know about until it was declassified, and I am sure that right now, every other nation is doing the same thing. Besides, it is more like an open secret. You know that it is happening, but you don't know what is happening. And it is our job to make sure that if that situation changes, that we manage the fallout."
"And to do that effectively, you will have to know about them in advance. Otherwise, you will have to scramble to get a response ready," concluded Miranda correctly.
"That is part of it," I agreed. "On the other hand, it is the same for the operations that the public knows about. I need to coordinate our response with various departments, particularly our PR department, depending on the outcome of the operation, whether positive or negative. Furthermore, the Council will question me about it, too."
"I understand," said Miranda.
"Sadly, you won't be participating in those meetings. Your security clearance is too low for that. But don't worry, Yvonne, you will still be allowed to bring us coffee," I teased with a slightly cocky smile that got me a roll of her eyes.
"Let me guess," continued Miranda, her tone full of resignation at the question I was about to ask. "You want a coffee?"
"That too," I agreed easily and added: "but I also want to ask if you already put down an order for the things you want for your outer office?"
The question seemed to take her by surprise since she took a few seconds to answer before saying: "I ordered a handful of office furniture. You were right about the standard version being uncomfortable."
"That's why I told you. The standard versions are always the most affordable option, and people who don't need better furniture, such as for guests, have to order the upgraded options themselves. And now that you know, can you please get me my coffee? I already feel the caffeine withdrawal."
"I'll get you your coffee, sir. Don't worry," replied Miranda with a slight smile and left the office.
My eyes went back to the timetable in my hands, and a sigh escaped me. I knew that I wanted this job, and I already knew how much work it would be, but did it have to start in my first week? Well, grumbling about it wouldn't help reduce it, and the longer I stayed in the job, the more I would know which tasks to delegate to the others in the embassy.
Another knock on the door happened, and I called for them to come in.
When I saw who had come in, I exclaimed with a smile: "Donnel! Come in! The chairs aren't comfortable, but they work until the new ones arrive. Do you want a coffee, too?
Donnel Udina walked in with the confidence one expected from a man with his experience in diplomatic matters. His white suit looked immaculate and expensive, creating an image of a person who took care of their looks. His smile came easily and made one feel calm, yet, with enough experience, it was easy to see that it was put on. "Ambassador Denebren. Yes, I would like one. Thank you."
Giving Udina a nod, I sent Miranda a message to bring a second coffee and concentrated back on my understudy. "What brings you here? And I think I already told you. Call me Oscar when we are alone without any need for formality."
"As you say," replied Udina and took one of the chairs in front of my desk. "I know this is unusual, and I would have called ahead if it were a regular meeting, but I thought that we didn't have much opportunity to talk with each other. At least not without eyes on us."
"And the need to play roles," I finished, and got a nod from him in agreement.
"Too true, especially with two different political parties supporting us."
"Yes, that was something I wanted to discuss with you," I declared with a tone that told that this wouldn't be a discussion at all but an order in all but name. "While we will be getting different directives from those who are supporting our careers, we have to show a united front here on the Citadel. We are representing the Alliance as a whole, not just any political party. Any visible discord between us will be a weakness the Council or the other races will not hesitate to exploit."
"That is true," agreed Udina. "If we don't close up our ranks, our opponents will try to sow chaos, and that is something we don't need, especially with the Batarians growing more belligerent with every passing month."
"The Batarians and our reaction to them will already create enough divide within the parliament, and we have to take care to shield the Alliance from those who would exploit that state," I said, and we both knew who I meant with those words.
The Council said that they "trusted" us enough to take care of our border all on our own. At the same time, they had given themselves an opportunity to swoop in and take control of our border's defenses if they decided that we couldn't handle it on our own. A decision they would probably make the moment it looked like we would falter for the slightest moment.
"We will have to coordinate our responses and decide on a strategy in advance. If we can't, I will try to follow your lead as good as I can in those moments," offered Udina, and I gave him a nod, agreeing to his proposal.
Internally, I couldn't help but grumble that Udina had offered to follow my lead on his own. It had been clear from the beginning that I would dictate the course on how the Alliance would deal with the other galactic nations since I was the ambassador and Udina simply my second-in-command. Yet, it would have been preferable if I had been the one who pointed that out. Now, it had been Udian who had set the tone for our relationship, and while events could and would change the exact status of it, right now, I would have to allow Udina to act with a certain freedom to show him that I appreciated his decision to accept a subordinate role with such grace.
"It is good to know that I can count on you," I replied, while using a tone that implied that Udina would have to work to keep it that way. "In fact, I have need of you in the coming weeks."
"How can I help?"
Before I could continue, someone knocked once again on my office door, and without a thought, I used my Omni-tool to open the door. It was Miranda with a tablet in her hands, on which two steaming mugs of coffee stood. She walked over to us and put the two mugs down before asking: "Milk or sugar for you, Understudy Udina?"
"Nothing, thank you. I like my coffee black."
I took a look at mine and saw that Miranda had already added a splash of milk to it, creating a light-brown mixture. After a small sip and finding out that it was exactly how I liked it, I thanked her and asked her to leave us alone. While nothing I was about to say to Udina was anything secret or anything Cerberus shouldn't know about, there was no excuse for her to remain.
"As I was about to ask," I continued after Udina had taken a sip from his own coffee. "I want you to meet with all the contacts you have on the Citadel. We need an accurate picture of what's going on right now."
"Is there anything in particular I should know before doing so?"
"No, nothing," I shook my head. "I want us to have a finger on the pulse of the Citadel. What is happening right now? Which trends are coming up or about to fizzle out? Are there some scandals announcing themselves? How are the people feeling about the other regions of the galaxy? Every tidbit of information could be useful if we manage to use it correctly."
"So you want me to listen to the Citadel's gossip, do you?" asked Udina with a hint of amusement in his voice.
"If you want to call it that way, then yes," I shrugged. "No matter how we call it, it is important work anyway. And you have been on the Citadel long enough to have created a network of contacts who will know those things." Furthermore, it would get Udina out of the embassy for long enough to give me time to tighten my hold on it without his interference.
"I do have some people whom I could talk to, and those also know who else I could ask," mused Udina, and made to stand up, taking his mug of coffee with him. "By your leave, I would start contacting them now and set up a few meetings for the coming week."
"The faster you can get behind it, the better," I said, giving him the go-ahead.
Watching Udina leave my office, I waited until the door closed behind him before a frown found its way onto my face. Despite his graceful loss during the election, I would have to watch him and his actions in the future. Udina was an ambitious man, and if I hadn't been one of the candidates, he would have become the Alliance's ambassador, no matter who else decided to run for office.
I wasn't worried that he would work in any way to undermine me in front of the other galactic powers and weaken the Alliance in passing, but he would probably do his best to outshine me in front of the people back home. It wouldn't happen now, or even in the next few years, but Udina would surely try to do so over time.
It didn't have to be anything big or something that reflected poorly on me. He simply had to do better work than I, or, at least, make it look that way. Without any real way to compare our abilities, and the fact that my last official position in the Alliance had been years ago, it had been difficult for him to compete with my reputation. But now that we were working close together, it would be much easier for him to show that he would have been the better choice.
I already knew the way he would frame it in front of the parliament if I gave him the opportunity. He would say that while I was an amazing businessman, the world of diplomacy and politics was a different beast, one I wasn't capable of dealing with, at least, not as capable as Udina.
Yet, it would never get to that point if I had anything to say about it. I had enough experience with the business world, and dealing with those people could be as cutthroat as politicians. The one true difference was the stakes we had in the game, and I wasn't about to lose. Udina would play the cards he had to their maximum effect, but what he didn't know was that I had more cards, and those were even of a higher quality, too. Having Andrew on my side was already a boon Udina couldn't measure up to. Nothing to say about all the other great and influential personalities in the Alliance, active or retired, with whom I had a good relationship.
But all ideas and plans would amount to nothing if I didn't start with my work. I would show the Alliance that I was the correct person for the position of ambassador. After all, the best countermove to any of Udina's plans was to not give him any opening in the first place.
Leaning back in my chair and cursing for a moment when a short jab of pain went through my back, I couldn't help but look forward to my time as ambassador. I would do my best to advance the Alliance's interests while at the same time creating bonds with the other galactic nations that would help me prepare for the Reapers.
It would be a challenge, but I had never backed down from one.
This one would be no different.