I realized as I was writing this that I had created a continuity snag that couldn't be fixed without altering the course of the fic. Fortunately the nature of the Warp meant I could sidestep this with just a few changes (learned 40k fans will be able to pick up on this in this chapter. I am aware of this, and will address it)

This chapter will also help bring the scope of the Tau's plans to light.

The Outsiders
Chapter 10

Por'ui Dyu'leth sat alone at the booth, ignoring her loud and disruptive environment. The aliens here insisted on garish displays of color and sound, and seemed to have no regard for the well-being of their senses. Worse yet was the purpose for all of this. The aliens who came here did so to indulge their own selfish desires, often at the expense of others. She did not enjoy this task in the least, but this is where she was needed, so she would go.

The Ethereals required that she reach out to another race, one who could aid in the efforts to curb one of the greatest threats to the Tau'va since her species had first taken to the stars. For some reason, this contact chose to meet with her here. Now, she waited in a place called Afterlife, on a station that was known by many names, one of them being Omega.

A particularly intoxicated alien, of the race known as the turians, approached her booth. Much to her chagrin, he decided to sit down uncomfortably close to her. "So," he said, "I ain't seen no one like you 'round here. Who might you be?"

"No one to concern yourself with," responded Dyu'leth. She discreetly closed her hand around the pulse pistol concealed within her robe. The weapon was a compact variant, designed specifically for use by the Water Caste in more dangerous environments. It was not as powerful or accurate as the Shas-model, but would be more than sufficient if this turian could not see the light of reason. "It would be best if you left at this time."

"Oh, would it?" The turian leaned back, his eyes narrowing. "I've heard about your kind. You show up out from who knows where, come in with your giant ships and think you own the place. Well I've got news for you, we're not jus' gonna let you-" The drunken rambling stopped as three figures approached. "Oh batarians. They friends of yours?"

"That's none of your concern, turian," the center batarian said, annoyance plain in his voice. "Leave. Now." The turian stumbled out of the relatively isolated booth, leaving the Tau alone with the batarians. The head batarian turned to her. "Friend of yours?"

"I fail to see why we had to meet in this, place," Dyu'leth said, although she was careful to keep her voice well modulated to prevent agitating the other party. "Surely there are more secure places, which are also in Citadel space and not a barbaric wilderness?"

"If you believe that, you are far too naïve for your own good," the batarian said. "There is no such thing as security in known space. The important part about meeting on Omega is that here I know who's listening in on us," he paused, fixing all of his eyes on the female alien, judging her response. There was none as far as he could tell. "And, of course, insure their silence. One way or the other."

"Very well then. Be warned, then, that we entrust you fully with responsibility in such manners." That was, of course, a lie; the Water Caste had long been tasked with ensuring that dissonant voices were silenced, but Dyu'leth was hardly going to reveal that to the batarian ambassador. "If this information should find its way into the wrong hands, we will be most displeased." As the ambassador's eyes narrowed, she quickly continued, "But do not worry; I informed my superiors that you are quite competent in such manners, and that you would be most discreet for both of our sakes. Now, I trust you have analyzed the data we gave you at our last meeting?"

The batarian ambassador huffed. "You mean the most preposterous story I have ever heard? I've examined it. I've come to three possible conclusions: the Tau are either deliberately wasting the time of the Hegemony for some reason I cannot fathom, your species is entirely insane, or you are telling the truth. As fantastic as the third option is, I see no alternative but to proceed as though it is so. Which brings the first question: why did the Tau decide to develop a colony in the past?"

Dyu'leth tilted her head just slightly to one side; the act of supplication was intended to unbalance her counterpart. "Surely you cannot expect us to give a full account of the wisdom of our Ethereals? Their reasoning is far beyond us to question or understand, simple obedience is our place." The batarians' caste system was a pale reflection of the Tau's; still, Dyu'leth could throw off the ambassador by invoking his arrogance at being of high-caste and his contempt of his inferiors.

"So be it. If you do not see fit to trust us, we will move on for now. It seems then we have a common enemy. The information you provide on the Imperium is the only reason the Hegemony is even considering keeping this channel open. Humanity must not be allowed to fulfill this dark destiny."

The Tau diplomat nodded fervently, her voice full of zeal, though still only loud enough to be heard in the booth. "Humanity is the greatest threat to the Greater Good currently in the galaxy. The other races of the Citadel seek to use them as tools, not realizing how terrible their potential is. Now only you can see that left unchecked, they will sweep across the galaxy, destroying all that come across their path."

"We must work together to stop this from happening," agreed the batarian ambassador. They then began to discuss their plans in earnest, as the rest of the club continued to dance to a pounding beat, apparently oblivious to the significance of their meeting.

Nassara continued to dance, the chemicals flowing through her blood now seeming to lose their effect. She struggled to try to keep the beat, despite her exhaustion. She hadn't rested in days, kept going only by her determination and drugs. She was on a mission to find that place, that state of higher being she had only experienced in that dream. A vortex of sensation, in which she could lose herself completely...

Since she had that dream, she had devoted herself with reckless abandon to the pursuit of this state, only to find to her dismay that it seemingly eluded her. The drugs that had previously caused her to soar to ecstasy had lost their effect, becoming dull. The music no longer caused her soul to stir. Food had lost its taste; color its vibrancy. Even melding had lost its ability to cause sensation.

She was slowly going numb, and the prospect of it terrified her.

Exhausted, Nassara finally gave up in despair. She didn't even bother to watch for potential threats on the way home, a potentially suicidal mistake on the streets of Omega. At this point she didn't care. She did keep enough of her faculties that, after she got home, she locked the doors and activated the security system. Disrobing, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her normally blue skin had grown pale and blotchy, and her eyes were a deep purple bloodshot. Bothering with nothing else, she passed out naked on her bed.

The next morning, she awoke a new being. Last night, she had experienced another dream. This time, she had seen the origin of her greatest desires. A being and a state of being, which both had existed for all of time and yet also had not yet been born. This being did not yet have a name, yet that did not mean she could not find it. In fact, it had shown her exactly how to find it.

With this new purpose in mind, Nassara prepared herself for this new day.