Sol Bulletin #23

The following is excerpted from issue #23 of the Sol Bulletin, an ad hoc news sheet distributed electronically among survivors of the Battle of Earth in the chaotic period following the firing of the Crucible. Issue #23 was released twenty five days after the Crucible fired.

Asari Justicar Arrested On Earth  

The Asari justicar responsible for the deaths of dozens of UNAS citizens in an anti-alien riot was arrested today on Earth by UNAS soldiers after a tense standoff with Asari commandos that almost ended in bloodshed. The justicar is currently in Alliance custody as debate over her fate rages in the Inter-species Summit and across the Sol system.

The justicar, known only as Samara, was located when UNAS military police responded to reports of a firefight in a devastated area outside New York City. An armed gang was apparently operating out of an evacuated housing complex, running a protection scam against local refugees and selling goods on the black market. Samara engaged gang members and had killed 9 of them by the time authorities responded.

The justicar refused to surrender to authorities, leading to a tense standoff that grew worse when a team of Asari commandos violated UNAS airspace to land their ship and deploy against the UNAS. The commandos and UNAS forces were reportedly on the verge of opening fire on each other when Samara agreed to surrender to the UNAS, averting a conflict. 

Samara's behavior is difficult for non-Asari to understand. Justicars operate according to a strict code of justice which they abide absolutely and to the letter. Justicars are trained to follow their code regardless of the consequences, whether that means their own death or - as in this case - a major diplomatic incident. In this case, Samara apparently decided that, under the circumstances, a part of her code requiring temporary cooperation with local authority, traditionally only invoked by Asari law enforcement, applied to UNAS forces.

An expert on Asari justicar the Sol Bulletin spoke to emphasized that Samara's cooperation is only temporary; after the first day, her detention will be unlawful under the code, and she will fight to the death for her freedom.

With the clock ticking, an intense debate took place in the Inter-Species Summit over Samara's fate. UNAS President Lisa Ford insisted that she will not be extradited and will be tried on Earth for the murder of UNAS citizens. Matriarch Lidanya said that the UNAS was not properly equipped to hold and try Samara, and that furthermore her trial on Earth would be an intolerable insult to the Asari people. She said that the Asari must take custody of Samara and will take responsibility for her good conduct while in Sol.

Representatives for the Systems Alliance, which technically has no jurisdiction on Earth, called for patience, suggesting Samara might be turned over to them temporarily while the issue is debated further. Perhaps ironically, the Geth and Quarians, whose personnel were rescued by Samara, were the loudest voices in the Summit supporting the Alliance's compromise proposal.