Chapter 128

"I say we send in a special reconnaissance force to stop the development of this cure." suggested Katius the Turian councilor. The resurgence of the Krogans back into the Galaxy would disturb the balance of the galaxy especially considering the fact that the Turians were the ones responsible for deploying the genophage against the Krogan during the Krogan rebellions.

He knew all too well what the Krogan would do once they regained the strength that they once had centuries ago. They would first seek revenge for the genophage and eventually try to dominate the galaxy once again. If these facts about the Krogan weren't true, then the Turians would not be so worried about the Krogans coming after them and would not be so against developing a cure for the genophage. The facts were on the table and Katius had a galaxy to worry about.

"Your fears are grounded, Councilor," responded Valese, the Asari councilor. "But we believe in giving every species a chance to redeem themselves. The Krogan have suffered enough. We should seek to cooperate with the development of the cure."

The Turian councilor leaned forward, his mandibles flaring out in anger and agitation. "We're not talking about redemption here, Councilor. With all due respect, I think it is beyond naive to believe that the Krogan would not seek retribution. Once their population grows again..."

His voice trailed off, leaving the grim prediction hanging in the air. But Valese was not so easily swayed. Her bright eyes met Katius's gaze. "We cannot punish the Krogan indefinitely for a war that none of them started or remember," she retorted. "Their extinction is on our hands, Councilor."

The Salarian councilor Tivus chimed in next, "As much as I want to agree with you Valese, my people cannot ignore the possibility of a Krogan resurgence. And adding the fact that we created the genophage puts us in a difficult position." stated Tivus.

Katius nodded in approval at Tivus' statement. "Exactly," he said, "It's a matter of galactic security. We are responsible for the actions we have taken, and as such, it is our duty to mitigate the potential fallout."

"But it's also our duty to allow them to evolve, grow and learn from past mistakes as we all did," argued Valese, her tone becoming firmer. "Yes, they were a threat before. But who are we to judge whether they will be a threat again?"

The chamber fell into silence as each councilor weighed Valese's words. The galaxy was teetering on a delicate precipice; between holding onto old fears and the potential for a new beginning for the Krogan.

Katius took a deep breath, gripping the edge of the table as his gaze wandered over the star map displayed in front of him, territories marked in bright colors representing the races of the galaxy.

He didn't particularly like where this was going but he recognized that Valese had a point. His government was also not so adamant about going to war with the Ascendency whose military power was not known to any other race within the galaxy.

All their information that they had was from the war against the Batarians which didn't last long enough for them to figure out how big their military was, but it was short enough to cause them to become wary.

"Advancing with caution should be our way forward," muttered Tivus after the long pause, his eyes darting between Katius and Valese. "We should perhaps... monitor their progress once the cure is developed"

A silent agreement had spread amongst the Council members as they finally agreed on a solution to their problem. "With surveillance in place, we will be prepared to act, if necessary," Katius added.

Valese nodded in agreement, ending the long council meeting. Secretly, however, Katius was putting on a front and had instead opted to hire third parties to deal with this problem. He had a few contacts with some of the Mercenary groups within the Terminus systems alongside a few wealthy and influential people.

Shortly after the meeting ended, he started to contact these people and plan a secret attack on the base that was researching the cure.

Meanwhile, on Illium, the secret Ascendency sponsored company called Interstellar Enterprises had begun to establish itself on the planet.

Under the guise of a cutting-edge technology company, Interstellar Enterprises began to attract attention from the other corporations.

The CEO who was chosen by Axel himself, was a suave and charismatic human named Damian West, expertly created a web of connections amongst the corporate elite. However, beneath the friendly exterior, Damian was a skilled tactician strategically plotting his next moves.

Katius, back in his office on the Citadel, dialed in a set of encrypted coordinates on his comm device. The holographic image of a grizzled Krogan mercenary winked into view. "What do you want, Turian?" the Krogan growled.

"I have a job for you," Katius began as he relayed the information about the research base on Tuchunka. "That's a tough target, Turian," the Krogan mercenary grumbled. "You know there are many Krogan surrounding that place alongside those guards who beat many of my people in a fight."

Katius leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am aware," he replied. "But this is an offer you won't want to turn down." He pulled up a data slate and keyed in a figure. The numbers glowed green on the screen as he turned it for the mercenary to see.

The Krogan huffed out a surprised breath, staring at the sum. It was substantial, enough to fund his operations for a decade at least. But it was also indicative of the level of danger and risk involved. He glanced up at Katius, scrutinizing him with his eyes. "What's the catch?"

"I have already hired other groups to do the same, so whoever completes this task will get the payment. Can I count on you?"

The mercenary took a moment to consider then nodded decisively. "You've got yourself a deal, Turian."

As soon as the call ended, Katius let out a long breath of relief. His plan was set into motion now, and all he had to do was wait.

Various groups of mercenaries within the Terminus systems had accepted the same job and were all gathering their men to head to Tuchunka to attack the research base. Whether they would be able to contend with Spartan-IIIs and the Ascendency Honor guard was a question yet to be answered.

The Spartans were elite soldiers bred specifically for war, and the Honor Guard were made up of the best warriors from all over the Ascendency, they were second to none. It would take some of the fiercest, most ruthless fighters in the galaxy to stand a chance.