132 132. Forging of an Alliance

Today was the day the culmination of more than half a decade of intense negotiation will bear fruit. A fruit that will change the fate of trillions and the future of many galaxies, it was a historical moment born of complex politics and necessity for survival.

It was an event that was not secret. How could it ever hope to be? The delicate inner details were, but the interaction and general goals, if only from afar, could not be hidden between every party involved. The participants even live-streamed it, and, at this very instant, this stream was watched by Humans, Na'vi, Tulkun, Asari, Senomorph, and far beyond as countless billions listened with bated breath for those breathing in such ways.

This alliance would be the key to victory against the Harvester threat. And the last few weeks had passed, ironing out the details between each participant after years of careful steps.

Orbiting around Pandora was a massive spherical spaceship close to seventy kilometers (~43.5 mi) in diameter, and within one of its most profound, most secured chambers was where this event that would dictate the future of entire civilizations was happening.

The room was vaguely like an amphitheater, but it wasn't particularly big considering the size of the spaceship or the size of what such a room could be. It was relatively modest, with a simple but practical design favoring function over form, yet it was still glorious, for everything had its place; every angle had purposes and dimensions' reasons. Nothing was left to randomness.

Within this room were the chosen people of each of those civilizations, or more accurately, species. There were three seats per species for three individuals selected by their respective people.

Those seats stood for their position surrounding an elevated oval platform in the middle but also for their unique appearance and clashed against the white marble and silver of the room. Each had ornaments and essential parts of cultures built into the seat and lectern, be it materials or symbols, making them artful creations.

It was within this room that the meeting that would decide the future of all was happening, the very last instant of week upon weeks of conferences and politics of complexity and importance never seen before.

It was the last conference as unalied groups between the highest officers of the Coalition, all of its major authorities figures without exception were present, be it physically or psionically and one of the political body that had become known as the Everlasting Garden with for supreme and indisputable rulers the All-Father, and the All-Mother.

It was a conference that will decide the fate of all watchers, their very lives to change forever more, no matter which way this day will end.

The tension was as such extremely high for the viewers, ironically less so for the one under the care of the antithetical immortal creatures. Why would they fear or have any excessive reaction when their Gods, their Guardians, and their Shepherd existed and have shown might beyond their understanding?

There were reasons: the destruction of a Harvester Mothership with all but a thought, the battle in the Sol System, and the transparency of the fact given to all to form an understanding of what had happened. And hundreds more, they did not lack variably adequate justification to think the way they were.

Showing fear and doubt was seen by many as on the side of treachery or even for the more extreme heretical, but acting upon such presumptions with not a solid and grounded was as equally traitorous and heretical.

Falsely accusing someone was punished in equal measure to the crime that the accused was charged with, without fault or case for the accuser's innate and societal characteristics. Corruption did not work as well as it did or work at all; the same was valid for nepotism and other such less-than-honorable practices.

The main cameras focused on the stage, and on it were two tall, bluish humanoid creatures that took that focus of all. One was an odd female Na'vi hovering almost lazily above the ground, and the other was a human male of blue light that did much the same but far more rigid, strict, even. Both contrasted with one another severity, calmness, active, and passive, yet they did not clash and deeply complemented each other's presence.

"I, as the All-Father-" the one of light spoke in his distinctively deep, rumbling, and echoey voice as his body glowed brighter and his silvery eyes bored in his audience, his form as if multiply gazed into their souls in a way that was far from symbolic.

His gaze lasted longer on three creatures that were clearly artificial, resembling chimeric hybrids of other life forms present and taking the best characteristics for a creature to be resilient and powerful but not to function as a stand-alone species.

Those were the Avatar of the Leviathan; their actual bodies were bigger than the room itself, making it an obligation for them to attend it this indirect way, but they physically were on board.

An event that was almost as historical as what was ongoing regarding rarity. But pride could only take them so far before the cold reality came, slapping them back with force, and the show of power two years ago in the Sol System was just that. It was enough to make more than a few of them realize it was not an option and that by the human expression, they 'needed to swallow it.'

In any case, the light purple-skinned Na'vi to his left followed suit, hovering slightly more as bioluminescent markings became bright constellations of unfathomable meanings on her body as she said in her softer voice, "And We, as the All-Mother-"

Then both seemed to merge and spoke together, their voice harmonizing into one that was alien yet not familiar from beyond the veil of normality, soothing and disturbing at the same time, "I-We am-are one, I-We am-are the Diarchy, the Guardian, the Father, the Mother, and the Primogenitor of the Everlasting Garden and by my will, I-We accept with a full understanding of their every implication spoken the terms belonging to the Coalition and will honor them as long as our own is subject to an equal treatment."

After this, a pregnant silence settled in, and it was broken by the most important members of the Coalition advancing; there were nine in total, three from each of the central self-governing authorities from weakest to strongest within the upper layer of the pyramid.

"The Asari Republic acquiesces and accepts those terms and shall endeavor to its utmost capabilities to meet them, All-Mother and All-Father. May our relationship be long-lasting and prosperous, for that is all we wish." the oldest Asari, a Matriarch who had stepped forward, said calmly, the two to her left and right representing the two anterior life stages of her kind, Maiden and Matron.

"We of the Collective saw purpose and reason in accepting the terms of the Everlasting Garden and will seek to honor them within their strict definition." one of the three Leviathan Avatars spoke almost mechanically, voice chittering and distinctively feminine as she made her seat move forward and let her gaze shift from the two deities.

It had been a convoluted choice, one that the Leviathans would have never done under normal circumstances, but it was not normal circumstances. And the main reason for this uneasiness was this planetary hive mind under the name of Eywa.

A being older than their species and far above psionically, two things that should never have been dethroned, not even by the Harvester, for they were younger and their hive mind was not an 'individual' yet. Here, before their puppet bodies, laid an extension of this alien goddess—a fragment of her body with a Psionic presence far above what should ever be possible.

Then there was Liam to put into words they knew what choice they had taken was to submit to these two monsters. It was a binary choice. The other option was extinction, for they could not keep up with the Harvester, escape them, or wait out for their demise, as simple as that.

They had no choices, quite like with the Senomoprhs, but there were distinct differences that made the situation dramatically opposite. Speaking of the Senomorph, the most influential, powerful member and founder of the Coalition came into the scene.

The three of them could be mistaken for identical copies if not for the light of their body difference; the one with a royal blue hovered higher and advanced forward while his body exploded with light. His name in English was Ritnalap, and he was THE founder of the Coalition, the one who had had the idea, planned it, organized it, built it, and worked toward its current state.

"With the power bestowed upon my humble self, I spoke for every Senomorph; our words, needs, and wishes are in consonance with the injunctions of the All-Father and All-Mother," he exclaimed with a sense of delight, yet confliction could not be hidden from the more aware, and what followed was every other species agreeing in quick succession.

They did not have a choice; everyone had an equal voice no matter what they brought, for this was a variant of democracy, but in the end, what truly mattered was not laws but who was strong or weak, who was important and unimportant, and beyond.

The Everlasting Garden was not an entity for such concepts as equity; it was perceived as a shaky belief too arbitrary to be of any use and antithetical to its society in its entirety. Equality and merits were all that mattered at the very least within the domains of the All-Father, and he made it so to be absolute and fair as for the All-Mother; she cared not for either of them.

It meant that there was a divergence of ideology, but survival mattered more than the displeasure of a few, or many for that matter. To follow the Everlasting Garden's demands for its entry led to core values being modified or abandoned; it created rifts, outrage, and much more outcry, but what of it?

None stopped weaker civilizations from striving, and the Coalition still had a base that favored growth beyond everything else and protection with more.

Now, however, many things were changing to be based on what was 'brought to the table.' Parasites were unwanted, and purges were incoming if they did not change their status.

This was a mutualistic relationship, but that was true that not all could meet the quota of far older civilizations. Nevertheless, that was only a valid excuse to a certain point, a point that a substantial amount of the Coalition had long since passed.

But this change was not seen as unfavorable by all. It was the opposite of many ways for this type of event to happen, some for periods, many times the lifespan of regular humans. It was typical, and no matter the species, inadequacy was unpleasant and led to immeasurably more unpleasant results.

It was only fitting to rectify it; that was how Liam saw it. He was not going to put his people, and the ones he held dear, under the needs of others, no matter how much those others suffered. It would be insanity, madness to do so, to force the one he was to lead into such things.

Kindness was a virtue to employ with great care, and for a being of his power, this couldn't be truer: good intention mustn't be given without sense or reason. Actions have consequences.

And this was why a smile formed upon his lips as he spoke with his mate, their voices synchronized, for they were one in all but name.

"Then so be it; our alliance is sealed, the Everlasting Garden shall do as was vowed, military support will be provided, and knowledge of technology in exchange for entities deemed of equal value bestowed. I-We will make it so it happens, and the Harvester is defeated, nay annihilated. I-We await for the Coalition to do the same, to prove its words, to change them into reality, for we are allies, and the heart of alliance can only beat powerfully if every party plays its role. That is our only condition: may this alliance live long and our enemies' lives short." both spoke and after those words, the conference soon came to an end

On Pandora, within the balloon of a spacious mansion, Miles could be seen on a chair adapted for his bulk. He sighed with a smile; if it was of exasperation or relief, he did not know.

"This was awful… I understand why Dad hates it so much. Fuck politics, fakeness, lie, and deceit, all that for those geniuses to be played like a fiddle." he mumbled, but a smile couldn't be hidden from appearing on his face. He was aware that the entire Coalition was soon to be in their control.

Tek was a poisonous gift, after all, but there was no malice in Miles' mind though. It was self-evident that once the Harvester threat was taken care of, there was no doubt the alliance between aliens wouldn't end well.

'They won't go and dance kumbaya and chant Hakuna Matata until the heat death of the universe' were his Father's words. He didn't doubt them, even if he thought it was a bit of an overreaction to something that wouldn't happen for centuries.

But it was better than having an intergalactic Cold War without plans and measures for them to come out on top in the most efficient ways.

Kiri, with her chin on his head, said with a faint smile, "Language, Miles. But wasn't it fascinating? The interaction and how the minds of different species function their personal and impersonal motivation, beliefs, and goals. The absence of honesty is deplorable, but this is something you won't ever see again!"

"Yeah, and I'm happy it's the case," he answered with an eye roll as he felt a metallic point of her Specimen Implant pushed against his neck and sighed again, deciding to appreciate the moment.

Humans were not exclusive to this piece of technology; Na'vi and Tulkun had also been granted its uses for those who wished and had the merit to earn it. It was still in its infancy, and as of now, less than a dozen full-blooded or not, Na'vi had it.

And it wasn't the same in most circumstances as his or that of humans and was prone to changes depending on the lifestyle; it was between freedom at the price of danger and safety at the cost of responsibilities. In its true essence, it was to make a bridge between species, a connection amidst difference.