Mass Effect: Knight of the Old Republic

As Revan expected, the Force enhanced declaration sent the Quarians into a panic.

Bystanders scrambled to get away from her, the Admirals ducked behind their podiums, and a security team rushed to take aim at her. Not a surprising reaction to someone declaring themselves the ruler of a faction that nearly drove their race to extinction in a way they were unable to deny.

But as amusing as it was to watch the chaos unfold, Revan had things to do. And weakening her position by allowing someone to be accidentally trampled to death wasn't part of her plan. She reached out into the Force and surrounded every person there. Then, with a flex of her will, froze them all in a stasis field.

Force Stasis was not one of Revan's preferred battlefield techniques. Surrounding your enemy with the Force to simply lock them in place never really appealed to her when she could just remove them permanently in other ways. But its utility was not lost on her and the advantages of keeping a captive audience from hurting someone in a panic.

"Let's not do something you might not live to regret." Revan chided the Quarians and started rearranging things to her liking.

The security team's weapons were telekinetically stripped and piled in a corner. The bystanders were returned to where they had been standing. The Admirals were placed where Tali'Zorah had stood. The doors to the chamber hissed shut and were covered by a lightly glowing Force Barrier. And Revan calmly walked to where Admiral Shala'Raan had stood, followed by Legion who took a guard position below her to the left.

"Now then. Perhaps we can all calm down and discuss things like civilized people." The Sith said, releasing her captives.

"If you think we will simply drop the trial after this display…" Admiral Koris began before getting cut off by a bark of laughter.

"The trial? You think I care about your rigged little performance? You've already admitted to knowing what was being sent back and about Admiral Zorah's projects even if not the particulars. It is clear that either you knew Tali'Zorah was not sending back anything too dangerous that it required additional checks by the Fleet and are simply using her as a pawn for your own ends, or you are simply incompetent and have no business being in your position. No, what I care about is the future. The future of this galaxy, this fleet, and the Quarian race. Because if the correct steps are not taken soon, all three might end. And after what I witnessed today, two of those may end sooner than the other."

"Threats already?" Daro'Xen asked. "This chamber is broadcasted to the fleet on an open channel. If you harm us, you will not leave alive. But for a few concessions, perhaps we could come to an agreement?"

Revan made an amused sound. "And what would that be?"

"We will ignore your actions in exchange for the method you used to control the Geth. I will even motion to pardon Tali'Zorah in return."

That caused several protests from the crowd and other admirals. Some were outraged that Xen was offering a pardon without consulting anyone, some were vehemently against anything to do with the Geth, and Revan's personal favorite was Admiral Koris condemning Revan for enslaving a sentient species.

"Enough."

It took only one word and some light pressure in the Force to silence the crowds.

The Dark Lady looked at Daro'Xen and smiled. "It doesn't surprise me you would be the one to make this offer, Admiral Xen. Afterall, this trial doesn't hold any real significance to you. It doesn't affect your plans at all."

"Neither of us have any hidden plans either!" Gerrel protested with Koris agreeing soon after. Unsurprising, as anything other than a swift denial would paint them as abusing their position. Revan just waved them off.

"Spare us, your plans are anything but hidden." She said dismissively. "You, Gerrel, are planning on using this event to reinforce what you have already been supporting with the more militant members of the Fleet. 'The Geth are dangerous. We need to deal with them first or they will come to us.' A rallying cry many will take to heart alongside their desire to reclaim your homeworld and will push for war." She turned to the other Admiral. "And you, Koris. What was it you said to Tali'Zorah on her way out? 'A message needs to be sent'? You desire to make an example of someone as lauded and respected as her so that it becomes clear that any actions against the Geth will carry harsh penalties, no matter who you are, and that you must seek a path away from them where no conflict can occur." Revan studied both men for a second. "You are both fools."

The two Admirals made angry sounds, but Revan simply turned back to Daro'Xen. "Back to you. You simply will go with whatever seems to be the popular decision because you already have what you desire. Perhaps the details of the experiment were already shared with you. Perhaps you have a way to hack the files needed. It doesn't matter. You simply do not care. All you want to know is how to bring the Geth under your control."

"Yes, because they are our creations. Simply a broken machine that needs to be recalibrated to its true purpose." Xen said. "And one you must have figured out if they serve you."

"Revan-Empress did not coerce the Geth. Options were discussed after Creator-Tali'Zorah was threatened with exile. Previous negotiations rendered unlikely. New agreements were proposed by Revan-Empress. The Geth consensus determined representative Revan-Empress has an 63.7% chance of preventing war between Geth and Creators. Following her leadership was the optimal choice." Legion replied, causing some severe muttering to break out among the bystanders.

"You mean to say she just asked to be–" "The Geth don't want war?!" Shala'Raan interrupted her fellow Admiral. "And what negotiations? What were you all planning?!"

Legion simply looked at Raan, the limited expressions it could make giving nothing away.

Seeing that the Geth didn't seem like it was going to answer, Revan spoke up. "Before the treason accusation, Tali'Zorah, Legion, and I all came to a perfunctory agreement to get the Geth and Quarians to end the hostilities. Both groups would work through me as a mediator in exchange for assisting me prepare for the Reaper threat."

"What could you hope to offer the Geth that we, their creators, could not accomplish?" Xen demanded.

"Or offer us to go along with that madness." Gerrel added.

"At first it was going to be hardware upgrades and slight improvements the Geth could study." Revan explained. "The Geth wanted to forge their own path, but they recognized the threat coming for us all and were willing to seek help."

"Preposterous, if what you say is true the Geth had no intention of naming you a ruler." Koris objected.

Revan nodded her head. "That was before the one person they could use to talk with the Migrant Fleet was threatened. Without the Quarians to balance out the negotiations all they could offer me for what they wanted was to serve me."

"You made a grab for power." Koris accused, slamming a hand on the banister in front of him.

The Sith rolled her eyes. Some people were simply incapable of recognising their hypocrisy. "Yes, I saw an opportunity and seized it." She reached into her robes and pulled out a small holo-emitter disk.

Lightly tossing it into the middle of the court, the device sprang to life and began playing footage of the battle for the Citadel. The Council had done their best to suppress and erase all footage of the event, but it was a simple task to download the vids Revan wanted from Cerberus servers.

The crowd watched in fascinated silence as the Reaper ship Sovereign and the Heretic Geth armada cut through both the Citadel Defence Fleet and then the human reinforcements before the Reaper was finally overwhelmed and destroyed.

"Despite what the rest of the galaxy wishes to believe, Sovereign was not a Geth superweapon or prototype, this was a Reaper. An ancient machine whose only purpose is the elimination of all significantly advanced life. And they are coming. Tomorrow, a year from now, or in your children's children's lifetime we do not know, but they are coming. And the Quarians are currently the weakest of all races."

As anticipated, Revan's casual dismissal of their strength unified the gathered Quarians. Even if some were concerned about the Geth, concerned about corruption among the Admirals, or some other reason, nothing brought people together than a common enemy.

"We survived on our own for centuries!"

"We're the best engineers anywhere!"

"Who do you think you are!?"

"We have the largest fleet in the galaxy!"

Shouts, insults, and other such vocal expressions echoed around the chamber as the assembly raged against her. Revan let them, knowing that they needed to vent some emotion from her holding them captive so easily.

She was on a time limit though. A slight mental pressure on everyone gathered quieted everyone down.

"I take it you disagree?"

Han'Gerrel shoved his way back to the front of the crowd. "Of course we do! The Migrant Fleet isn't so weak as to fall to a single ship, no matter how advanced. If the Citadel and Alliance forces could destroy one, then so could we!" There was a surging cheer that followed his words.

"And what about two?" Revan's Force-enhanced voice cut through their jubilation and bravado like one of her lightsabers. "Three? Could you continue to do so without a proper shipyard to repair your damages? Could you stop them from simply doing a suicide run on your Liveships? No, you cannot. And that is why the Quarians are the weakest race. A few battles and you will be inconsequential to simply hunt into extinction."

There was dead silence.

"And I suppose you have a solution for this?" Shala'Raan prompted eventually. "Tali'Zorah obviously did not willingly commit the treason she was accused of, so you must have offered her something she would have considered worth an…alliance with the Geth."

It seemed Shala'Raan was using this opportunity to establish Tali'Zorah's innocence as fait accompli. How sneaky, and the Admiral had gall to pretend Quarian politics were straightforward.

"Indeed. Under the initial agreement the Geth and Quarians would cease hostilities, the Geth would receive hardware and upgrades…and the Quarians would be given Rannoch."

Despite expecting it, the surge of emotions in the Force nearly knocked Revan over. It wasn't the reaction of those in the room, or even the people watching elsewhere on the Rayya. The hopes, doubts, fears, and desperation of every Quarian from oldest to youngest sang through the Force.

"Rannoch? We…we could go home?"

She didn't know who said it, but the fragile hope in their voice made Revan almost hate what she was about to say.

…But the galaxy wasn't going to be saved by playing nice.

"That was the original agreement. Of course things have changed since then. I now rule the Geth for one, Rannoch is not theirs to give. For another, the agreement was made with Tali'Zorah with the assumption she had the support of the Admiralty Board. Unless Rael'Zorah is alive only Shala'Raan seems to fully support her. Not enough for me to trust the Quarians on her word alone. The previous agreement is no longer valid."

Revan could have killed one of them and not gotten the same shock her words caused. To hear that they were that close? Just one agreement from going home and it was snatched away? If Revan left right now she wouldn't put credits on any admiral besides Shala'Raan surviving two days.

"The previous one, maybe, but nothing is stopping us from creating a new agreement is there? You wouldn't be putting on this show if you didn't have something in mind." Admiral Koris also realized the danger he and his fellow admirals were in and didn't hesitate to open negotiations.

Revan leaned forward and smiled. This was it. The final stage of her plan.

"Of course we can negotiate a new deal. Here are my terms, I will allow the Migrant Fleet to settle on Rannoch, provide you similar technology I am offering the Geth, and assist with settlement efforts. In exchange, you will join my empire."

"Y-you're asking us to give you everything." A random Quarian whimpered.

"I am." Revan's response was instant. "I rule the Geth. It is my responsibility to ensure they are protected. Whether that is from a military threat," She looked at Han'Gerrel. "Or from someone trying to control and exploit them." Her gaze shifted to Daro'Xen. "So I will destroy the Quarian threat to my people. But that does not mean you get nothing in return. By becoming citizens under my rule, that same protection extends to you."

"It also puts us completely at your mercy." Gerrel pointed out. "And even…even in exchange for the homeworld, there are many of us that are itching for a fight. What will happen to them, no, to us?"

Revan felt a bit of respect for the Admiral. At least he was self-aware. "You will have your fight. The Reapers won't just give up because we band together. But there are other enemies we will have to fight even before them. Parasites that bleed the galaxy white simply because they are allowed to run amok unopposed by the established powers. Slavers, pirates, saboteurs. These have been preying on the Migrant Fleet for centuries and you could not do anything about them without risking annihilation.

But joining the Empire changes that. With access to permanent infrastructure and allies willing to stand beside you, no more will you need to send your young to beg for scraps, for bits of technology that will let you hang on just a little while longer, instead they will be able to explore the galaxy because they wish to. No more will you need to fear that a single lost ship will mean the loss of a home or never be replaced as it crumbles around you. We will build vessels like this galaxy has never seen before.

And we will take the fight to those that preyed on the helpless. We will root out the pirate dens, slaver nests, and the rest of the scum and make sure that when the next generation ventures out into the stars, it is because they will be explorers, innovators, and adventurers! Not thieves, beggars, and scavengers!"

Revan slammed a fist down on the podium in front of her and poured her conviction into the Force. Yes, she would use the Quarians. They would serve her in her mission to save the galaxy, but they would not be mere tools. They would be Empire.

"So, will you join me?!"

"KEELAH SE'LAI!!" The answering roar was particularly encouraging.

The Sith Lord took a step back. "Good. Discuss my proposal among yourselves. I will hear your final answer in two hours."

That should give Shepard plenty of time to finish dealing with the situation on the Alarei and return.