Hello again, everyone, and welcome back to my Halo - Mechwarrior/Battletech - Mass Effect crossover. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to upload any chapters yesterday. The power supply for the internet router I use is starting to go bad, so it caused the router to say it had a signal, when in actuality I couldn't access the Internet at all. Thankfully, my dad, who is a computer technician, was able to diagnose and fix the problem. As a result, there might be days where I won't be able to upload, though it is a problem that is going to be rectified as soon as possible. Either way, thank you for your patience and support, and I hope to see you on the next chapter. As always, leave a review and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo, MechWarrior/BattleTech or Mass Effect franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Electronic Arts, BioWare, FASA Corporation, FASA Interactive, Catalyst Game Labs and Piranha Games Inc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.


HDF Spirit of Palaven

Unexplored Star System

June 15th, 3058

Captain Xavoria was nervous, but she kept those feelings well hidden underneath a calm and solemn expression. Now that it was clear that this 'Star League Exploratory Command' wanted a peaceful meeting, she had gotten herself and the enlisted personnel going with her ready to meet these Terrans. Their armor was polished and ready for combat, her men were standing to attention and her own armor had been meticulously cleaned and prepared.

Inwardly, however, she was hoping that the newcomers were more reasonable than the Krogan. Her people hadn't forgotten just how violent the Krogan were during the Krogan Rebellion, and she didn't want a repeat of that war. If these newcomers were more advanced than the Council, and they most likely were, a war with these newcomers would be devastating, and it was very likely that they would lose quite badly. All Xavoria could hope for was that the newcomers had much cooler heads and a more pleasant history.

Stepping onboard the shuttle, she allowed the pilots to go through the standard pre-flight checks before they announced their flight path. Fortunately, the Terrans had been kind enough to send them an approach vector for the ship, which curved around to the back of the Terran ship. Xavoria found that the name of the ship was quite appropriate for an exploratory ship. It reminded her of some of the Turian explorers and pioneers from Palaven's history.

As they approached, Xavoria could clearly tell that the Terran's exploratory ship was well armed and armored, as she could see what appeared to be well armored weapon ports and mounts. While this was a peaceful First Contact, it was clear that the Terrans wanted their explorers to be well protected. If this is how well equipped their explorers are, I'd imagine their solders are even better armed, Xavoria thought to herself.

"We're approaching the Terran ship," the co-pilot announced.

"Alright," Xavoria said, turning to her men. "We've been invited aboard the SLS/FWS Sojourner to meet with the Terran Captain of this ship. Remember, this is neutral ground; you will not fire upon the Terrans unless you are fired upon first. If you fire without provocation, I will summarily execute you on the spot and tell the Terrans that you were the one or ones at fault." Walking up to one Turian, Saren Arterius according to his I/FF tag, she said, "That goes double for you, Lieutenant Saren. Do not retaliate with your biotics unless absolutely necessary. If the humans want a demonstration of your biotics, you are allowed to indulge them. Same goes for you, Abrudas, when it comes to your technical skills. Am I understood?"

"Perfectly," Saren replied. While Saren was a young Turian, it was clear he wanted to impress Xavoria by following his orders to the letter. In that regard, he was doing very well, especially for a Cabal, the name given to Turian biotics. Lieutenant Abrudas, the second female Turian in the group, merely nodded.

"Good," Xavoria replied, a pleased smile on her lips and mandibles. "That goes for all of you as well. Understood?" When she got an affirmative, she said, "Good. If all goes well, and the Spirits smile on us, then this will be the start of a strong relationship. For the Hierarchy!"

"For the Hierarchy," the others shouted, raising a fist into the air in an act of patriotism. With her orders loud and clear, Xavoria turned back to the viewport of the cockpit as they approached the shuttle bay.

At first, the hangar bay doors hadn't opened, then, several large panels moved down and outwards to reveal a large, spacious shuttle bay in the Terran ship. To their credit, the pilots of the Turian shuttle smoothly guided the ship into the hangar bay before they landed, with the doors closing a few moments later. As soon as Xavoria heard the muted thump of the shuttle landing, she made sure her facial mask was secured, a necessary precaution given the fact that they were making contact with a new species. She certainly didn't want to catch a disease that her body couldn't protect against, and she knew the same was true for the newcomers.

A moment later, the shuttle doors opened to reveal the interior of the ship. She immediately noted the functionalist, almost Brutalist appearance of the ship's interior, with it's angular surfaces, geometric shapes and the bay's use of catwalks and stairs. The deck of the ship was also made of the same, hard metal that composed the interior of the ship. She almost immediately saw the personnel that were standing in front of the shuttle doors.

Looking in front of herself, she could clearly see who she assumed was the Captain. He stood just two meters away from where she was standing, at a height of roughly 6'4''. He was fairly handsome, with dark brown hair, tanned skin and brown colored eyes. His facial features were well sculpted, with sharp, angular edges instead of rounded surfaces, giving him an exotic air. He was dressed in what she could tell was a dress uniform, as it was a white colored coat that extended to the man's knees. His pants and shirt were white in color, with gold piping on his pants, coat, shirt and cap, which was also white in color. Xavoria could also see his name tag, which identified him as Captain William Forrell, as well as what she assumed was the symbol of his rank: two green bars that enclosed a small, gold colored circle.

What caught Xavoria's attention, though, were the armored men and women behind the Captain. They were wearing what she recognized were combat hardsuits, but the armor plates were angular, and composed of a material she didn't recognize. The helmet visors were silver in color, and she could see what she thought were musculature lines in the body suits of each solder. The weapons in their hands were angular, but she had the feeling that they were highly advanced, if the hull scans were anything to tell this species by.

Then came the people behind them. Xavoria's eyes widened slightly when she saw the two, massive people standing behind them. At first, she thought that these were massive humans, but then she noticed the robotic claws, what looked like missile pods and what appeared to be heavy machine guns of some kind. That told her that these people were wearing what appeared to be powered exoskeletons; the implications caused her eyes to widen slightly. Either way, it was clear that when the Terrans made First Contact, they wanted to make a very strong impression of an exploration corps that was well trained and well equipped.

On the other side of the exchange, Captain William could clearly see Xavoria through the facial mask she wore, which he assumed was to stop the spread of contagions. She had an exotic kind of beauty, with her slightly rounded, gray facial plates, thin waist, as well as her overall form. William could also see what he thought was green facial paint, which was arranged in a series of whorls and curls that emphasized a pair of blue eyes with slit pupils.

Her armor, while it looked good, was less impressive than the armor his people had. Scans of said armor revealed that the armor plates were composed of a non-ablative titanium alloy, while the undersuit was a tightly fitting body glove that had primitive fabric armor when compared to the nanocomposite weave used by standard SLDF armors. It was adequate, but William knew they could have done much better. He also noticed the slight widening of her eyes as they darted between what he assumed were the two men in Battle Armor; the sight caused him to smile very slightly. He could also see the four other Turians standing behind her. One, a male if the photo's he'd seen were correct, was wearing what appeared to be black colored body armor with red accents. His facial paint was a black color that was painted in sharp, angular lines, which contrasted with the curved patterns of his facial plates. Another Turian had dark blue facial paint that highlighted two, light blue eyes. Another Turian, a female if appearances were anything to tell by, was standing behind the others, dark brown facial paint highlighting her green colored eyes.

Stepping up to Xavoria, he said, "Welcome aboard the SLS/FWS Sojourner. It is an honor to be the first Terran ship to host a preliminary meeting with an alien species. I have high hopes that this will be a peaceful meeting between two species."

"I have the same hopes as well, and thank you for welcoming me aboard," Xavoria replied. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Xavoria Jhirx of the Turian Hierarchy. This is my first XO, Lieutenant Vorenus Rhix, and the men with me are Corporal Adrian Victus, First Lieutenant Abrudas Rhixana and Second Lieutenant Saren Arterius. We are honored to be onboard the Sojourner."

"The honor is all mine," William replied. "As you already know, I am Captain William Forrell of the Star League Exploratory Command, which is an offshoot of the Star League Defense Force, the main military force of the Star League. On my right is my XO, Lieutenant Alfred Wright, along with Sergeant Morgan Albuquerque, Corporal Adriana Janice and Private Dimitry Vladimir." He motioned to his XO and the Sergeant, then to the two people in the armor that Xavoria could see. "I also hope that this will be a productive meeting. If you will come with me, we'll head to a private meeting room onboard the Sojourner."

"That seems like an agreeable arrangement," Xavoria agreed. Motioning to her men, she walked forwards, while William led the way, with his men taking up position on either side of him. She also noted that the men wearing the combat hardsuits walked alongside her men, most likely to prevent anything from happening if a fight was to break out.

As they walked along, they entered what she realized as a decontamination room, as a mist combined with a sterilization beam sweeping over them, with a synthetic, female voice announcing the decontamination. After that, they entered a shaft, with what appeared to be a form of energy that was moving upwards. When they stepped in, she gasped out of reflex when she and the others were lifted up into the air, with Xavoria feeling a pressure on the underside portions of her body. What is this, she thought, amazed. I have to ask one of the Humans what this is. Looking to her left, she looked at the two, massive exoskeletons next to her. "What are your enlisted personnel wearing," she asked, "and how are we traveling up this shaft without an elevator?"

"That's classified," the human she was talking to replied. "I am not permitted to divulge that information to personnel from outside of the Star League. Star League Penal Code Section 50, Article 20, Paragraph 4: "Under no circumstances are Star League/Great House personnel permitted to share military technology and/or information with non-allied governments outside of the Star League or Great Houses, with the exception of allied governments and voting members of the Star League. Failure to follow this regulation is punishable with a 20,000,000 C-Bill fine and/or a life sentence in a Star League/Great House penitentiary."

"I see," Xavoria remarked. Inwardly, she was surprised by the severity of the punishment, though after a moment, she realized why such a stiff fine would be in place. By having such a harsh fine and punishment, the Star League was able to, effectively, prevent the unauthorized distribution of technology to any potential enemies. Still, if their 'C-Bill', as they put it, is worth as much or more than a Credit, then I can see why no one would want to break that rule: it would bankrupt them immediately.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt the pressure underneath her body lessen. Moments later, she and the others came to a stop at the top of the shaft, with what looked like a force field forming underneath them. As soon as it formed, the strange energy pushing them upwards faded, with Xavoria landing on the ground an instant later. Saren, thanks to his experience with biotics, wasn't fazed at all by what he'd experienced, though Vorenus stumbled slightly when he landed. Moments later, the door to the room opened up, allowing them to proceed forwards, with the Star League personnel keeping a close eye on them.

Walking with the Captain, she looked around at the hallway they were in. The hallway they were in was wide enough to house three of the massive, armored personnel that were escorting Captain Forrell as he took them to the meeting room nearby. Looking around, Xavoria noticed the functionalist, almost Brutalist, architecture of the room. In addition to the metal flooring, she also noticed what appeared to be handlebars as well as a few other things in the room. "What are those," she asked.

"Handlebars," was Forrell's reply. "A precaution in the event we lose artificial gravity. We had a number of incidents where that happened, so handholds and footholds were installed in the event such an event happened."

"I see," Xavoria remarked. Apparently, the Humans were very thorough when it came to making sure that their crews were well prepared, even going so far as to provide something for them in the event they lost gravity. Putting that aside for now, she continued to follow the Human Captain to the room that he had described previously.

After a couple minutes of walking, they came to the room in question. The location of the room was marked by a small, holographic plaque titled 'Meeting Room. When light is red, do not disturb.' As soon as Forrell approached, the doors leading into the Meeting Room opened, with the doors retracting into the walls silently. Once they were inside, the doors closed, with the light outside turning a bright red color.

Now that they were inside, Xavoria could see what the Meeting Room looked like. The Meeting Room in question was about medium sized, with a long table that had enough chairs nearby to seat eight people. The table was made out of what appeared to be an exotic type of wood, with the chairs made out of an alloy that was shaped in an aesthetically pleasing manner. There also appeared to be padding in the chairs, which would be a relief for anyone that needed to sit down. The walls of the room were sparse in terms of decoration, with a few plaques, some holographic pictures, as well as what appeared to be the symbol of the Star League: an eight pronged star with a small sphere in the middle of the star, with the top, bottom and right prongs being extended more than the others. A single, bright light over the table illuminated the room, with most of the room being cast into shadow.

As soon as the doors closed, Forrell motioned to the chairs. "Sit down," he said a moment later. Taking the man's advice, Xavoria sat down in one of the chairs, surprised by how comfortable it was. Moments later, her men sat down as well, with Saren being the last to sit. Once they were all seated, Forrell cleared his throat. "Now, I'm sure you have all manner of questions to ask," he replied. "I can give you answers, but within certain limitations, as one of my men stated when we were in the lift shaft."

"I know," Xavoria replied. "He made that very clear. What surprises me is that the punishment is so severe."

"It gets the point across," Forrell replied. "The Star League is, as far as I and my superiors know, the most advanced faction in the galaxy. Now, I've been cleared to answer certain questions, but there are others that I am not allowed to answer, such as the manufacturing processes of our ship's armor, things like that. If you ask me something like that, I will simply not answer. It's nothing personal, I assure you."

"I understand," Xavoria replied. She knew that what Forrell was doing, and that asking him about certain technologies was like asking the Hierarchy about any secret projects they had going on. Clearing her throat, she said, "Since we are here now, I might as well begin. So, what is your species? How long have you been out here?"

"That's easy to answer," Forrell replied. "As you probably already know, I and my men are members of a species known as Homo Sapiens which is Latin for 'Wise Man.' We're a mammalian species that first evolved on the planet we call Terra, or as some people call it, Earth. We began exploring interstellar space nearly a thousand years ago, with the invention of the K-F Drive, our form of FTL flight."

"And when did this happen," Xavoria asked.

"The first K-F Drive was manufactured in the year 2107, with the first manned FTL jump being performed in the year 2108," Forrell replied. "Since this is the year 3058 by the standard Gregorian Calendar, that means we have been exploring interstellar space for roughly nine hundred and fifty years. During which we have explored over two thousand star systems in a region that we call the 'Inner Sphere.'"

That surprised Xavoria greatly, though she did a good job of not showing it. Over two thousand star systems and counting, and over a period of 950 years, she thought, shocked by the information that she had just learned. Clearing her throat in order to disguise any surprise she might've shown, she said, "I assume that most of these star systems don't have habitable planets."

"Some don't," Forrell replied. "The vast majority, however, are capable of supporting human life to a certain degree. Some planets can only house small settlements, while others can house megalopolises that can hold millions, if not billions, of people comfortably. Many of those systems end up becoming industrial hubs."

"Really," Xavoria remarked, surprised once again. "That hasn't been the case with us. Typically, life bearing planets are few and far between, more so for my species due to our biology."

"Really," Forrell asked, cocking an eyebrow in the process. "I wonder why."

"Most species in the galaxy use levo-amino acids," Xavoria replied. "My species, however, are based off of dextro-amino acids, which places us in a distinct minority in the galaxy, with only Quarians having the same chemical makeup in that regard. As a result, most planets that can host life are incompatible with our species, so any worlds that we find that can support our species are highly desired."

"I see," Forrell remarked. "We'll have to clear that up at some point."

"Right," Xavoria remarked. Leaning in a little more closely, she asked, "When we encountered your ship, we couldn't get a scan of what was inside. Could you explain as to why?" When Forrell didn't reply, she said, "OK, my bad. That was a question I asked that you couldn't answer. In that case, what were those gigantic men in the shaft with you?"

"Elementals," Forrell replied. "Essentially speaking, they are human beings that have been genetically engineered, either from birth or from early adulthood, to be super soldiers. Those particular Elementals are trained in the use of Battle Armor, which is a heavily armored, military grade exoskeleton that is designed to use a number of weapons systems. Needless to say, it makes the Iron Man suit look like a kid's toy."

"I can imagine," Xavoria remarked. While she didn't know what an 'Iron Man' suit was, she knew that the Council had a number of weaponized walkers that were currently in the experimental stage. Apparently, the Star League had not only researched armored exoskeletons, they had dramatically improved upon them. "So, getting back on track, have you ever encountered any Mass Relays? I imagine your territory is so large that you need to use them."

The answer she got nearly had her jaw drop open in complete surprise, with only her discipline as a Turian preventing her from losing control. "No," Forrell replied. "We have not encountered any of these 'Mass Relays', nor do we need them in the first place. I take it that you require them for long distance FTL flight."

"We do," Xavoria replied, nearly stammering in the process. "Our ships are only capable of traveling between eight to fourteen light years per day without the Mass Relays. The Mass Relays allow us to travel tens of thousands of light years in almost an instant and, as such, are highly prized, enough that destroying one is prohibited and punishable by the harshest penalties possible."

"It's a different situation with us," Forell remarked. "While I cannot tell you how to manufacture a K-F Drive, I can tell you some facts about it, as well as the history behind it. The K-F Drive is our primary means of FTL flight, and has been for the aforementioned 950 years. Our species initially discovered this means of FTL flight before we got off the planet, when Doctors Thomas Kearny and Takayoshi Fuchida discovered that a nuclear fusion reactor they were working at wasn't functioning as it should under standard particle physics. When they looked at the logs, and performed some experiments, they discovered that some of the particles inside of the reactor were teleporting once they were exposed to a particular energy state. They published their findings in an article titled 'What Happened to The Universe When Einstein Wasn't Looking.'"

"I take it they were praised for their work," Xavoria asked.

"Actually no," Forrell replied, shocking the Turian Captain. "Drs. Kearny and Fuchida were ridiculed by the scientific community, with their licenses being revoked shortly after. Ironically, in an instance of poetic justice, they were proven correct during the year 2108, when an unmanned, remote controlled ship made a K-F Drive Jump from our home system's Nadir point, the lowest point in our star system, to it's Zenith point, the highest point in our star system. According to the actual scientists there, the ship was, and I quote, 'a little off target, but otherwise intact. Kearny and Fuchida should have lived to see this day.' Since then, the K- F Drive has been the single largest factor in human space exploration."

"I see," Xavoria remarked. "Anything else you can tell me about that?"

"Yes," Forrell replied. "Most K-F Drives have a practical jump range of 30-50lys, due to the presence of planets and stars. However, if there were no such obstacles, a K-F Drive has the capability to jump roughly 4200lys in a single jump. Given the density of space in our region of the galaxy, this means a ship with a K-F drive can jump between 84-140 times before the internal capacitors need to recharge, which only takes a few minutes given our current level of advancement. Since the Inner Sphere is roughly 1020 to 1100 light years in diameter, this means that a ship, using a K-F Drive, can traverse the entire diameter of the Inner Sphere roughly four to three times before depleting it's internal capacitors."

This time, Xavoria couldn't stop her jaw from dropping open, with Saren, Victus, Abrudas and Vorenus' jaws dropping open as well. Forrell and his men, on the other hand, were perfectly calm, as though they were describing the weather. "84-140 times," Xavoria gasped, nearly choking on the air that she was breathing. "Captain Forrell, if someone of my species told me what you just did, I would be laughing at them."

"Then it's a good thing that I'm not a Turian," Forrell remarked.

"Indeed," Xavoria agreed. A moment later, another question crossed her mind. "So, have you ever found any Element Zero?"

"I beg your pardon," Edward asked, a mildly confused expression on his face.

"Element Zero," Saren replied, speaking up for the first time since he came aboard the ship. "It's a substance that alters the mass of a volume of space and time depending on the polarity of any electricity run through it. We use it to reduce the mass of our ships while warping the fabric of space-time around it into a bubble. This allows our ships to travel faster than light."

For a moment, Forrell had to think, and carefully. It was clear that the Council Races had encountered this substance, which the Star League had only recently discovered. If that was the case, then Element Zero was common knowledge, and therefore not something that could be classified. After a moment, he said, "Given your description of it, then I can say yes to that question. We have found Element Zero, but only recently, with recently being about four years ago."

"That's a relief," Xavoria remarked. "I thought all of your technology was going to be highly alien towards us. The Council races use Element Zero all the time, from manufacturing ships, to military applications, such as biotics."

"Biotics?" Forrell asked. "Can you elaborate on this?"

"Yes," Xavoria replied. "With your permission, Captain, I would like to have Saren demonstrate my point. He is a biotic of our species, and is part of a specialized branch of the Hierarchy Defense Force known as the Cabals."

"Go ahead," Forrell remarked. "I'm rather curious as to these 'biotics' that you describe." With that, Xavoria turned and nodded at Saren, who stood up a moment later. Looking at one of the chairs, he seemed to concentrate deeply on the object in question.

Forrell's eyes widened somewhat when he saw a shimmering blue aura surrounding Saren's body, coating the Turian's skin and armor like a field of energy. Moments later, Saren made a motion with his hand, as though he was raising something in his hand. Moments later, Forrell's eyes widened some more when one of the chairs in the room was surrounded by this aura, with the chair slowly floating upwards, before tapping the ceiling of the room. A moment later, Saren gently lowered the chair to the ground, with the aura fading from around the chair and his body a moment later. When he sat down, Forrell noticed that Saren seemed a little more tired than normal, as though lifting the chair with his biotics had taken some effort to accomplish. "I take it those were biotics," Forrell remarked, regaining that part of his composure moments later.

"Yes," Xavoria nodded. "In our society, due to various accidents or workplace hazards, some of our people are exposed to Element Zero either as adults, or while they're still extremely young, with most not even being born yet. Saren, can you further elaborate?"

"Yes, ma'am," Saren replied. Clearing his throat, he said, "When most individuals are exposed to Element Zero, they are usually, as my CO puts it, either adults or have yet to be born. In most individuals, this causes brain cancer, with some of the cases being terminal. In some individuals, however, the Element Zero coalesces into small nodules that form inside of the affected individual's brain cells, typically their neurons. If they concentrate deeply enough, they can affect these nodules, with their brains allowing them to alter the world around them as they see fit. Most of the time, the effect is negligible, so biotics tend to use surgically installed implants, as well as removable amplifiers that allow them to increase their biotic capabilities. In the case of Asari, they don't need any implants or amplifiers, as their homeworld has enough Element Zero that they evolved to be able to naturally use Element Zero without assistance."

"Interesting," Forrell remarked. "I can also tell that it takes energy, as you looked a little more tired when you were using your biotics."

"That is correct," Saren replied. "Using biotics does take concentration and metabolic energy. After heavy use, most biotics tend to develop ravenous appetites, so they tend to eat more than a non-biotic individual."

"I see," Forrell remarked. "We don't have any biotics, as far as I know. Besides, if there are any biotics in the Inner Sphere, I would be the last to know, and that is the honest truth."

"I can see that," Xavoria remarked.

A moment later, Victus spoke up. "While your technology is interesting, I would love to learn more about your society as a whole. I heard a lot about your Star League and I'm curious as to what it is. Is it a unified government like our society, or is it different than that?"

"I am happy to say that I can answer that question," Forrell beamed. "The Star League isn't a single, cohesive government, Victus. The Star League is actually a military coalition of the most powerful factions in the Inner Sphere, known as the Great Houses."

"Great Houses," Abrudas asked.

"That's correct," Forrell replied. "The Inner Sphere is divided up into a number of factions, each one with it's own ideology and culture, from the multilingual and multicultural Federated Commonwealth, to the Feudal Japanese-like culture of the Draconis Combine, to the various beliefs and cultures of the Periphery Powers." Seemingly talking to no one in particular, he said, "MacAllan, could you display a map of the Inner Sphere to our guests."

"Aye, sir," a synthesized, male voice replied.

"What was that," Victus asked.

"That," Forrell replied, "is our ship's Neutral Intelligence, MacAllan."

"Is that a form of AI," Xavoria asked, curious.

"Yes," Forrell replied. "The use of Artificial Intelligence was authorized shortly after the signing of the Ares Convention of 2850, with the formal signing and ratification of the AI Accords of at roughly the same time. This occurred when Dr. Alan Wright, a Star League/Free Worlds League scientist, was inspired by a number of video game and film franchises to create the very first AI in the Inner Sphere. His project, known as Project DAEDALUS, succeeded when he created his very first AI of the same name. When his AI announced his intentions to help Humanity, the AI Accords of 2800 were signed to prevent an AI rebellion, by giving them the same rights and privileges as normal human beings. Why do you ask? Do you use AI as well?"

"No," Xavoria replied. "The use of AI was banned after a species we know of, the Quarians, created a machine race that they called the Geth. According to records, the Geth rebelled against the Quarians and evicted them from their homeworld, forcing the Quarians to become a nomadic species. Since then, they've taken up an isolationist mindset, though it is known they are hostile to organic beings like you and me."

"I see," Forrell remarked. Inwardly, however, he immediately knew that the information that he was getting was biased against the Quarians, as he knew it wasn't as simple as that. The Quarians must have done something to the Geth to provoke that kind of a response, he thought. Since that's most likely the case, it appears as though the Council is biased against AI for some reason. I'll request the SLIC to investigate the matter once I've delivered my report to Admiral Carter. Clearing his throat, he said, "In our case, it turned out differently, probably due to differences in culture and mindset. Either way, MacAllan is a friend and he has no intentions of turning against us."

"I hope it stays that way," Xavoria remarked, just as a territory map of the Inner Sphere came up, with the names of the planets removed for security reasons. When she saw the amount of planets each Great House controlled, Xavoria and her men's jaws dropped open once again. According to the map, Human controlled territory was vast, with this territory divided up into three different sectors: the Inner Sphere, Periphery and Deep Periphery.

According to the map, the Inner Sphere was controlled by four major factions: the Federated Commonwealth, the Free Worlds League, Capellan Confederation and Draconis Combine. The Periphery, which the map noted was somewhat unexplored space, was controlled by the Taurian Concordant, Outworlds Alliance, Magistracy of Canopus and a coalition of states known as the Clans. Beyond that was the Deep Periphery, which the map stated was wholly unexplored space. Moments later, the symbols of the Great Houses and Periphery Powers were nestled next to a holographic version of the Star League's symbol, indicating the international cooperative that they were a member of.

"This is human controlled territory," she asked, surprised.

"Correct," Forrell replied. "As you can see, the Inner Sphere and Periphery is home to a number of nation-states that exist in human space. Our ship comes from the Free Worlds League, which is the oldest of the factions, formed by House Marik. Then there's the Federated Suns, controlled by House Davion, the Lyran Commonwealth, controlled by House Steiner, the Capellan Confederation, controlled by House Liao and, finally, the Draconis Combine, controlled by House Kurita. These four powers make up the Inner Sphere, which is the majority of human controlled space."

"I take it these are feudal houses," Victus asked.

"An astute observation," Forrell nodded. "Each of the Inner Sphere factions is controlled by a neo-feudal government, with lords, ladies, Princes and Archons. For instance, the Federated Commonwealth is controlled by House Steiner-Davion, as the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth merged in the year 2850 to form the present day Federated Commonwealth." He pointed at a hourglass shaped region of space that was highlighted in yellow. "As you can see, the Federated Commonwealth and House Steiner-Davion are not only the largest Great House, they are also the strongest out of all of them."

"I see," Victus remarked. "It reminds me of the Salarian Union, which is also based off of a neo-feudal society. You might have some common ground there."

"Indeed," Forrell remarked. Noticing Xavoria's expression, he said, "A little much to take in, I take it?"

"A little bit," Xavoria remarked. "I've never heard of a faction… er… factions that controlled so many star systems in such a small space. It seems as though you are a highly sophisticated society." Turning to Forrell, she said, "I can say that I am looking forwards to learning more of your kind. I'll need to go soon, though, as I have to report this in to my superiors." After a moment, she said, "Your first contact mentioned that you encountered other alien species."

"That's correct," Forrell replied. "We encountered a number of other alien species, including their government, which they called the 'Covenant.' When we encountered each other, we were surprised to find that our factions were near technological parity with each other. Unfortunately, the Covenant's leaders declared war on us for religious reasons, forcing us to defend ourselves." While it was the truth, it wasn't the whole truth, as Forrell knew that Xavoria might not believe the actual truth.

"So, what happened," Xavoria asked.

"We defeated the Covenant when they had an internal civil war," Forrell replied. "One of their members species, the Sangheilians, realized that their leaders had lied to them about certain artifacts from another, extinct alien species. As a result, they seceded from the Covenant and ended up assisting us in the war. After that, they forged a new Covenant, one that saw us as a friend and ally. Since then we've been strengthening relations with them, while hunting down the last remnants of the older government. Would you like to meet one?"

"That would be nice," Xavoria remarked.

"Good," Forell remarked. Keying his personal COM, he said, "Geologist 'Protam, report to Meeting Room 3-Beta." A couple minutes later, 'Protam walked inside, fully armored and ready.

Xavoria's eyes widened slightly when she saw the massive Sangheilian walk into the room. He, she could tell that he was male, was massive, standing at roughly seven feet and ten inches in height, though he was hunched over as a result of his species' biology. Two, digitigrade legs that ended in hoofs supported his torso, which was thick compared to that of a Turian's. Two thick and muscular arms ended in hands that had two thumbs and two fingers on each hand, with the fingers being much longer than the thumbs. The Sangheilian's neck attached to an elongated head, with mandibles in lieu of a mouth, and two green colored eyes that had slit pupils. Both eyes were currently focused on Xavoria, which as odd as it sounded, unnerved her. His body was covered in white and blue colored armor, with a black bodysuit that did nothing to hide his powerful musculature, as parts of the suit bulged with the skin and muscles underneath.

Clearing his throat, Forrell said, "Captain Xavoria, this is Geologist Varo 'Protam, one of the members of our crew. He is a scientist, specializing in geology and vulcanology. 'Protam, this is Captain Xavoria Jhirix, our guest from the HDF Spirit of Palaven."

Looking at the Sangheilian, Xavoria felt a little nervous as the massive alien approached, which was a first as Turians tended to unnerve members of other species, not the other way around. A moment later, 'Protam was standing just a couple feet away, with the Sangheilian close enough that she could see the sharp looking teeth inside his mandibles. For a moment, he examined her, then he spoke in an deep, but oddly musical and smooth voice. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Xavoria," 'Protam said to her, his mandibles moving fluidly as he spoke. A moment later, he extended a hand towards her.

When she grasped his hand, Xavoria's eyes widened slightly when she felt how strong 'Protam was. Hiding this surprise, she said, "It's an honor to meet you as well. I must admit, I've never met a species like yours before."

"Really," 'Protam asked, with the scales over his eyes moving in a manner similar to a human cocking an eyebrow. "Then I am honored. I must admit that I have never met a species like yours. Perhaps, if our kinds form an agreement with each other, we can learn more about each other."

"That would be nice," Xavoria replied. just as the Sangheilian released her hand after shaking it a little. Looking at Forrell, she said, "Captain Forrell, it's been an honor meeting you. I have to return to my ship now, though. My crew are expecting me to come back soon, and I have to report this in to my superiors. It's been a pleasure to meet you, your species, and your allies."

"The same to you as well," Forrell replied. Shaking Xavoria's hand, he said, "Good luck, Captain Xavoria. I look forwards to meeting you again." Turning to one of the Elementals, he said, "Could you kindly escort Captain Xavoria to the Hangar Bay. She'll get lost otherwise."

"Aff, sir," the Elemental replied, walking with Xavoria as she and the others left the room. Moments later, only 'Protam, Forrell and his men were inside of the room.

"I don't know if we can trust her, Forrell," 'Protam said a moment later, directing his gaze at the Captain. "She seems sincere, but I sense that some of what she told us was not entirely truthful. We will have to keep a close eye on her."

"I know," Forrell replied, nodding his head in agreement. "I know that the information she told me about the Quarians is biased, that much I do know. On every other part, though, she was truthful and sincere. From what I can tell, her society demands truthfulness, even if it does hurt." Looking at MacAllan, who had just appeared moments ago, he said, "MacAllan, have you gleaned anything from the Spirit of Palaven's informational databanks without being detected."

"Certainly," MacAllan replied. "The Council Races, for all their paranoia over AI, have some of the worst cyber defenses that I have ever seen in my life. I was able to extract what appears to be an encyclopedia that they call the 'Codex', which has information on most of their technology, as well as their individual societies. I'll send a copy to the SLIC for analysis if you want."

"Do it," Forrell replied. "Inform the head of the SLIC, as well as the First Lord of the Star League and the House Lords of what we have found. The entire Inner Sphere needs to know about this, otherwise the Council might catch us off guard. Also, can you access the communications network the Council Races use?"

"No," MacAllan replied. "Their systems are completely different from our own, besides the laser communications their ships use. I'll need to physically access their systems in order to break in. Once that's done, I can create a software translation matrix that will allow our ships in the future to access their networks."

"Good," Forrell replied. Looking at 'Protam, he said, "Good work on your presentation, 'Protam. I'll arrange for you to visit your family back at Sangheilios once we've finished surveying this star system. Once that's done, I will personally report this to my superiors. Do you find that agreeable?"

"I do," 'Protam replied. "It has been some time since I've seen my mate and childlings. It would be nice to speak to them again."

"Then we're in agreement. Dismissed." With that, both men left the meeting room, heading to their respective stations onboard the Sojourner. A brand new world had just opened up for them. Now, it would soon be clear who was the real power house in the galaxy.