Councilor Kaitus was transferred into ONI custody for further interrogation and torture. They planned to make him experience all sorts of pain and harsh treatments for his actions and to make an example out of him. With the advanced medical technology that they had; they could do a lot of things to get some valuable information from Kaitus who probably knew a lot of things that came with being a Councilor.
Meanwhile contrary to the narrative that was created from the attack on the Citadel, the civilians within the galaxy had a different view of it apart from their governments.
On the Citadel, the people didn't really have a positive view as their daily lives were affected by the attack, many people lost family members who were working with C-SEC. And a few people who wanted to defend themselves against the attack had taken up arms to defend their home, the Citadel against the invasion.
Many lost their lives as well resulting in an even deeper resentment towards the Ascendency by the people who lived on the Citadel.
From an outside perspective, those who lived on the colonies and homeworlds of the various races didn't have much of a negative or positive response to the situation.
They didn't have personal ties to the Citadel or the people who resided there, and many were indifferent to the politics of the Council. Most were focused on their own survival and prosperity, and while they acknowledged the tragedy of the attack, they remained largely neutral in their sentiments towards the Ascendency.
The Terminus systems were especially a little happy about the decline in Citadel Council influence, but still wary of the rise of the Ascendency who proved to be a much greater problem to their independence.
A few warlords had even openly opposed the Ascendency and promised to retaliate against any Ascendency forces interfering in their business.
Axel or the Ascendency didn't give an open response to this, but many knew what would happen if these self-proclaimed warlords tried to fight the Ascendency by themselves. Some people even questioned how these warlords would hope to stand against the Ascendency when even the Citadel Council couldn't.
The Krogan, however, was a different story. The prospect of a cure for the genophage had ignited hope within their species. Many were sympathetic towards the Ascendency, seeing them as potential allies who could restore Krogan fertility and lift them from centuries of stagnation and decline. There was growing unrest among them, a feeling that change was imminent and that they should stand on the right side of it.
The Turians were different from the rest of the Council and even the Galaxy as a whole. Their Councilor was the one targeted by the Ascendency and they were helpless against when the attack happened. Even now, the Asari and Salarian Councilor had launched an investigation into the activities of the Turian Councilor into the evidence that the Ascendency presented.
This temporarily made the Turians lose a Council seat but still maintain their responsibilities that they had when they had a seat on the Council. This caused a wave of discontent among the Turian Hierarchy. They were humiliated and marginalized from the politics of Citadel Council.
They were beginning to see that the Council was more of a hindrance than a benefit. Internal debates raged within the Hierarchy, with factions arguing over the best course of action. A silent schism was forming; those who were loyal to the Council and those who sought to break away.
The Quarian Republic was largely unaffected by the whole incident and had continued their expansion into nearby systems to secure their valuable resources that they needed to construct proper ships that weren't thousands of years old. They announced their support for the actions of the Ascendency and promised that any action taken against the Ascendency would draw the Quarians in as their ally.
The Ascendency had done more for them over the past year than the Council or other races did since they were kicked out of their homeworld. They still had an isolationists attitude but were very cooperative when it came to the Ascendency.
As the galaxy remained stable for now, the other races were seeing the actions of the Ascendency in their own perspective. The reason for this was the fact that the Ascendency relatively remained isolated in its territory with its only interaction with other races taking place in Atlas Station.
As such not many people know much about the Ascendency nor what its core values are leaving many to speculate and come up with their own assumptions. This resulted in a lot of misinformation circulating the galaxy, with stories of the Ascendency ranging from tales of tyrannical rule to a utopian society where all races live in perfect harmony. The galaxy was divided in its view, but one thing was certain, everyone was watching the Ascendency closely.
———
Onboard the Endeavor, the ship had arrived at their destination which was a Continental world that had mountains, greenery, and crystal blue oceans. From their orbital scans they could see the oceans of the planet which were so clear that the sandy bottoms were visible. There was also an abundance of wildlife, indicating a thriving ecosystem.
The scanners detected a few resources that they knew from their galaxy, but also some strange anomalies on the surface of the planet.
They deployed probes to take a closer look at the planet, and as the information trickled back in, the crew was filled with murmurs of excitement and relief. But Captain Harper was cautious. She knew that they couldn't take anything for granted in this foreign territory.
"Prepare a landing party," she ordered. "We need to check the feasibility of this location for setting up base."
Lieutenant Harvey Meyers saluted in acknowledgment and began prepping the Spartan-IIIs and marines for deployment. As the marines and Spartan-IIIs readied themselves, Captain Harper scanned the incoming data once more. She spotted a large landmass with sufficient proximity to both water and materials that seemed ideal for their base.
"Land the shuttle there," she pointed at a cluster of coordinates on a holographic display of the planet. "Begin with surveying the area for potential hostiles but remember the first contact protocols. We have limited numbers so let's focus on survival and study for now. Understood?" Her stern gaze swept over her crew, who responded with a chorus of affirmations.
She was a former officer within the UNSC before it was reformed and integrated into the combined Ascendency military. She had served her time and got out to pursue her dream career in the field of science. She graduated with her Masters in Xenobiology and served on numerous exploration missions before she was chosen because of her prior experience to become the captain of a science vessel.
The transport ship had descended and landed on one of the sandy shores of the planet, scaring off the alien fauna with its loud engines. Lieutenant Meyers stepped forward, leading the Spartan-IIIs and marines out of the shuttle onto the seemingly deserted landscape.
"Wiggin, deploy the drones to scout the area, scan for unknown materials and other native life." Lieutenant Meyers commanded one of his marines. Wiggin's nodded and released a few small drones, which began to collect data on the surrounding environment.
The marines set up a perimeter around their landing site, their weapons at the ready but held in non-threatening positions to avoid triggering any potential hostile reactions from unknown lifeforms. Meanwhile, Spartan-IIIs moved with efficiency and precision as they began setting up their mobile base of operations.
"Captain, we've set up some preliminary sensors around our landing site." One of the Spartan-IIIs, a woman by the name of Lisbeth reported over the comms. "We're picking up large heat signatures in the deeper parts of the forest. It could be native fauna or geothermal activity."
"Understood, Lisbeth," Captain Harper responded. "Keep an eye on those heat signatures. If they move towards us, I want to know immediately."
"Yes, ma'am," Lisbeth responded.
While the team worked to ensure they were prepared for any sudden surprises this new world might spring on them, a small tribe if natives had spotted the transport landing and had already gathered a small group to go investigate who had descended on their planet.