August 20, 2286. Aya, Onaon System.
Naara Sjefa was among the most beautiful places Commander John Shepard had seen, a surprise considering the visual from orbit, one of firestorms and ash.
The view almost made up for the dozen or so Angara aiming their weapons at John and Kaidan as they disembarked from the IAV Tempest, James and a few of Kaidan's pathfinder team keeping to the vehicle bay.
He knew that somewhere in far-orbit his Normandy sat, eagerly anticipating news from their contact.
When they reached the bottom of the ramp, an angara stepped out from among the others, this one noticeably female, and lacking any arms or armor, as were both Pathfinder and Spectre.
"I am Paaran Shie, the governor of this world, and political leader of the Angaran Survival Coalition" the angara stated. "Your crew will remain aboard your ship, and you will follow me to meet Evfra de Tershaav."
The journey through the city, while beautiful, filled John with unease. As angara gathered in large groups to gaze at them, held back by a thin line of guards, some more accepting of the two than others. Kaidan struck up a small conversation with the governor, getting little out of the woman, allowing John to realize the first part of his mission had already gone ass-up before he'd even arrived.
The Council's primary reason for sending him into the Heleus Cluster had been an investigation into suspicious financial connection between the Initiative and the Orion Pact, Terra's xenophobic and isolationist government, as well as many other concerning connections. However, the head director, Jien Garson, had been shot twice in the chest and once in the head while in her apartment hours before the Normandy made its journey through the Relay.
He was certain many of the other directors, the ones now vying for control of the Initiative, had been at least partially complicit in Garson's questionable dealings, but he'd have to leave further investigation for now.
Besides, his missions had a tendency to collide with one another in spectacular fashion.
But he also feared the greater implications of the Heleus Cluster's many unknowns, the Scourge, the kett, the Initiative, and the Remnant, any one of these elements could have unforeseen consequences on the greater galaxy, and he was damned if he'd let anything happen on his watch.
Shie led them through a door which lead to another courtyard, when more angara gazed at them, though these ones were all armed.
A scarred angara, a large gash dug into the left side of an unknown head-appendage, wearing a blue cape and monocle-device, and carrying a long weapon stopped the governor. "These are the aliens, I presume?"
The governor nodded, and the scarred angara cast his gaze on the two, answering a question that had gone unspoken. "Our experience with the kett makes us naturally distrustful of all aliens."
It was clear he himself was included in this sentiment.
"When the Archon came to Heleus, he demolished our sovereign state, took what he wanted, as if we were nothing." The angara stated. "Now, they mercilessly abduct our people, wiping out what few colonies we have left."
The words brought with it horrifying flash-backs to the Collector Incident, another episode in a long-list of events he wished he could forget.
Something must have registered with the angara before them, perhaps a look that momentarily crossed John's face, perhaps a communication he couldn't hear. Regardless, the angara turned away from them. "Come, Evfra's waiting."
The four passed through another door, leading into what must have been an ops center, massive displays showing various planets and systems, as well as an angaran mugshot of some sort, with words John couldn't read.
A voice cut through the coms center as they walked through it, much rougher than the others he'd heard so far. "Kadara be damned. I won't lose Voeld."
Its owner sat against a table, observing the displays with his left side to them.
The male angara who'd met them spoke up. "Evfra, I bring the governor and our guests."
There was a grumble as the angara turned to them, the left-side of his face heavily scarred. From above the forehead to under his chin, two great gashes ran, surprisingly, he still appeared to have use of both eyes.
"Pathfinder Kaidan Alenko of the Heleus Initiative." Kaidan seemed to draw the ire of the angara as he saluted.
John decided to forgo the gesture, in the event it had insulted them. "Spectre Commander John Shepard of the Citadel Council.
"With every passing month, a new flag vies for control of our cluster" the angara spat as he glared at Kaidan. "Evfra de Tershaav, commander of all Angaran Resistance forces, and the military head of the Angaran Survival Coalition. You have some nerve coming here under the guise of peace, while your men slaughter my patrols on our sacred homeworld of Havarl."
Kaidan seemed shocked by the accusation. "What do you mean, the Initiative's never authorized a mission on Havarl, we know it holds extreme value to your people, and that any action against it would be seen as war."
"Yet your shuttles fly over the jungles, dropping deathsquads and setting up secret encampments" he accused. "You may be able to retrieve your dead after battle, but your weapons and blood remain, and these aren't your so-called exiles, the easy excuse they represent."
John fought the impulse to gaze over his shoulder, but he was certain the resistance soldiers occupying the room with them weren't taking the accusations lightly.
Kaidan seemed nervous, they'd known official contact with the angara would be tense, but this was beyond what they'd expected, or been able to prepare for on such short notice. "The situation the Initiative faces is complex, entire ships have simply failed to report in, and we have no real knowledge of who's where."
It had been the wrong thing to say. "So, you admit it may yet be your forces killing mine, defiling my homeworld? Or, perhaps you're implying your Council is behind these attacks?"
The Pathfinder was at a loss for words, but the Spectre wasn't. "The Initiative, the Council, or some other entity, whatever forces stalk yours, we can't identify them unless we get eyes on."
Evfra's eyes widened in rage. "How many more of your troops must land on our worlds before you admit you seek just as the kett do, our eradication?"
"Enough!" Shie shouted, pushing past the two humans. "This was not what we agreed to, Evfra."
"Have you not heard their words, Shie? They want to land on Havarl and "investigate" their own atrocities, reporting back blatant lies so we trust them."
The two seemed to be at an impasse, when a voice sounded, the angara they'd met outside. "They can't lie if I accompany them, Evfra, and you can trust me to be thorough."
Evfra locked gazes with the angara, before his features relaxed, slightly, and the angara walked between the two humans to come close to the speaker. "Very well, if you believe they are worthy of trust. Gosan dos ashaan!*"
He did not spare them a glance as he walked off, the angara all around the room were glancing between them, murmuring at what they'd witnessed.
Paaran Shie also walked up to the angara.
"Thank you, I'm not sure what he may have ordered had you not stepped in" she then turned to the two humans. "Please, for once, let outsiders speak the truth."
She too left them there, and many of those around them had cleared out or returned to their duties, leaving only the angara who'd come to their aid attending to them.
"Jaal Ama Darav, I'll be your envoy through angaran space" he spoke. "Betray me, and I shall kill you, kill me, and I shall be avenged, prove our concerns false, and you shall be welcomed."
Kaidan put his hand out for the angara. "Pathfinder Kaidan Alenko, I guess a welcome aboard is in order."
The angara raised his forearm to Kaidan, which prompted them man to adjust his hand. This was met by Jaal grabbing it, lightly, and moving Kaidan's arm so that the outside of both their forearms touched.
"I better not regret this." The alien mumbled, walking out of the building.
Kaidan looked to John, who simply shrugged, and both followed their envoy out of the building and back towards the docked ship.
"This is Pathfinder Alenko to Tempest, we're on our way back, with a guest in toe. Actually, he might get there before us."
John was on the bridge of the Tempest when it exited its short FTL jump through the Scourge-wall, he'd decided not to go through the hassle of a void crew exchange and simply stay aboard the stealth corvette until they reached Havarl.
As they exited the Scourge, and prepared for their second FTL jump, they picked up a sensor contact: a York-class cruiser.
"Transmission from the cruiser Hyperion, Pathfinder" The woman, Suvi, reported.
There was no noticeable acknowledgment from Kaidan before an oriental woman's face appeared on the display. "This is Captain Nozomi Dunn to the Pathfinder, everything go well?"
"Well enough, Hyperion" Kaidan check the Tempest's sensor report. "Any prying eyes while we were on the other side?"
"None, we must be lucky." Prying eyes didn't just mean the kett, but anyone not connected to the Pathfinder or Spectre teams.
John still wasn't certain how that involved Dunn, but he'd rather not insult the cruiser captain who'd watched their backs thus far.
"Luck isn't how I'd put it" Kaidan responded. "We've got one guest aboard, and orders to make for Havarl."
Dunn could read between the lines. "I'll get back to my patrol then, good luck Pathfinder."
The transmission cut, and their sensors reported the cruiser turning to leave the system.
Not long after, Jaal approached the bridge. "I'll need access to your communications when we reach the system, otherwise we'll be shot down and die painful deaths, especially if the Roekaar reach the crash site first."
"Roekaar?" John had yet to hear that one, suspecting yet another alien species.
"They're like the Resistance, but extremely xenophobic, even for us." Jaal explained, as Kaidan motioned to the communications panel. "Any attempts to reason with them would be met with fire, overwhelming fire."
Sounded like the Pact's way of operating to John, and they were heading directly into their territory in order to investigate reports of Initiative soldiers killing angara.
Elsewhere in the system, two minute ships observed the three vessels with passive sensors, their controllers showing great interest in the two stealth vessels.
Completely unnoticed, they observed as, one after the other, each vessel disappeared, before powering up their own engines and leaving.
Both headed their separate ways, neither intersecting with where any of their contacts had headed off to. At least not directly.
*"Gosan dos ashaan" roughly translates to: "Cling to your noble fear", a human equivalent would be the phrase "Keep your guard up".