…
"To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else."
(Emily Dickinson)
…
MFV Discovery, February 26th, 7:30 PM, 2185
…
After three hours of back-and-forth communication, I had come to a basic understanding of what we were dealing with here.
These "Raloi", as they called themselves, were an avian species by our standards, possessing the ability to fly despite their immense size. An average Raloi apparently towered at eight and a half feet tall when standing fully upright, and appeared to be quite fearsome visually based on the files they had agreed to send us. Best I could describe it, they looked like a cross between a bald eagle and a feathered velociraptor. The idea of meeting them in person was an... intimidating prospect. I imagined their bones must have been hollow to some extent, considering their average weight hovered around 175 pounds, or 80 kilograms if you wanted to get specific. I preferred the Imperial system over Metric.
There were two leaders in this unified government of theirs, the "United Technocracy of Turviss". The "Aspet", their civilian leader, and a "Sparapet", their military leader. Supposedly, both shared equal power when it came to making decisions, but any disagreements between the two would be settled by the "House Nakharars", hereditary leaders of the Raloi's seven "Grand Houses".
There were seven of these Grand Houses, all of which agreed to work together and form the UTT. These Houses were known as House Halleck, House Syunik, House Rahmani, House Delmos, House Madan, House Vazgen, and finally House Auchlo. Each House had their specialties and weaknesses, but I hadn't delved into any of the major details yet.
To an outsider such as myself, this looked remarkably similar to Game Of Thrones or Dune in the way they described everything. It had gotten a little confusing about an hour and a half into our quiet conversation.
I had been speaking with Aspet Amisen of House Syunik this entire time, their civilian leader. He was very interested in meeting me in person, face-to-face, but I wasn't too sure about it yet and told him I'd have to discuss it with my crew first, and would likely respond to him the following day. Knowing an in-person meeting was an eventuality though, I sent them a schematic of our translation devices, of which they assured me they could reproduce. There were still a lot of unknowns here to deal with, and I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks with my crew. I promised Mara I'd stop risking things, most of all myself.
I hated the idea of it, but I had forced myself to wait for a response from the Admirals. As much as I despised the thought of even hearing one of their voices right now, I knew trying to handle all of this myself was wrong, and reckless. Even I could see a million ways this could potentially go wrong for us.
But, in the end we were currently on track to meet on friendly terms, and it was cause for celebration. Everyone was gathered in the crew quarters, wearing their casual clothes as we all ate our special dinner of rehydrated rations. They were much better than our normal MREs, that's for sure, and were a welcomed treat. As we ate, Fine Young Cannibals' She Drives Me Crazy played on low volume in the background.
I wore a simple, black hoodie with t-shirt underneath, sweatpants, and socks, my preferred casual wear. Everyone else had their own little ensembles, though Dixon, Tony, and Morgan had to get a little creative with their getups, and Lenlo and Kirva were of course confined to their suits.
Hopefully one day we'd be able to change that.
"I'd like to congratulate each and every one of you on a job well done!" I announced, standing up as everyone else remained in their seats. "We've made an incredible discovery today, and it will go down in the history books! I want you all to enjoy yourselves tonight, cause you've earned it!"
Everyone clapped, filling the small room with a pleasant atmosphere in the process. As the clapping stopped, Tony held up his hand, looking for permission to speak.
"What's up, Tony?" I asked, looking down at him as I remained standing.
"We happen to have anything interesting lined up other than rehydrated food and holovids?" He inquired much to my delight, a hopeful look on his face. "Not to be rude or anything, but I could go for something different considering the occasion."
"Well, lucky for you and everyone else, I managed to sneak something nice past the Admirals for an occasion such as this." I smiled, reaching into my capsule and pulling out my surprise.
It was a big bottle of Jameson 100 Year Old Limited Reserve, along with a smaller bottle of Acaion Black Barrel Premiere for Lenlo and Kirva. The latter bottle was turian liquor, supposedly tasting of exotic fruits and strong enough to knock you on your ass.
Both of these bottles, along with the rounded crystal shot glasses, had cost me a lot of money back on Arcturus, but it was worth it. I had hidden all of this inside of my duffle bag with my extra clothes.
"God, not alcohol." Morgan winced, looking none to happy with my choice of celebratory drink as everyone else's faces lit up. "I hate liquor, and beer… and wine."
"You've never even had liquor before." Tony shot back with an annoyed tone as I handed him and everyone else a glass. "This is whiskey, the good stuff too."
"Come oooon, you can't turn it down this time." Dixon encouraged with a smirk, tilting his head slightly as Morgan shot him an annoyed look. "At least try it."
"Yeah, you wimp!" Tony jeered in a playful tone, getting her to glare daggers into him. "You're just afraid to try new things like always."
"Fine, I'll try it!" She agreed with anger in her voice, throwing her hands into the air slightly as I handed her my last shot glass. "Hit me!"
I obliged, cracking open the Jameson for the first time and pouring her glass to the top. Seeing her smell the amber liquid, I watched her gulp down a tiny sip, a look of confusion crossing her face for a moment before she did something unexpected. She threw her head back, downing the entirety of the glass' contents in a single go. Staring into space for a few moments, she took a sharp breath before making intense eye contact with me.
"Liked it, huh?" I asked with enthusiasm, eyebrows raised and with a goofy smile, the rest of the room still completely silent.
"Yes." She said with an exaggerated nod, still not breaking eye contact.
"Want more?" I offered in the same tone, raising the bottle to head height with cocked eyebrows.
"Yes." She repeated, holding out her shot glass for me to fill.
Holding back barely contained laughter, I filled her glass again as everyone turned to look at one another in shock and disbelief.
"Come on, give us some before she drinks it all." Tony urged, holding out his shot glass as Dixon, Dimitri, and I began laughing as a group.
And thus began our little group drinking session. We each had at least one shot each as the hour went by, getting everyone plenty relaxed… or plastered, depending on who you looked at. I forced myself to keep to just the first shot, knowing I'd still have to keep my wits about me in case anything happened the next few hours.
At this point, Morgan had either fallen asleep or passed out, laying face-down on the table, glass still tightly clutched in her hand. She downed six shots total, a shocking number considering she wasn't very big. Kirva had crawled into her capsule after five "shots", cradling the bottle of Acaion with the hose still attached to her helmet. Lenlo didn't seem to mind, having had only one shot anyways.
Everyone else was in various stages of drunk. Dan had drunk a decent three shots so far, giving him that "wavy" appearance as he swayed from side to side in his chair. Dixon and Tony managed to match each other in shots, four so far. They seemed to be familiar with this kind of activity. Dimitri could drink all of us under the table if he wanted due to how big he was, but had been surprisingly reserved with his drinking tonight, only two shots.
"What's the matter, big guy?" Tony asked, sounding tired as he spoke to the large man. "I thought you'd be more of a vodka person."
"Nea, prefer bourbon whiskey." He replied with a smile, looking down at his empty glass as he spoke, green blanket draped over his shoulders for warmth. "Had it with father back in Siberia. This is good substitute, though."
"What is it like in that part of the world these days?" I inquired, leaning back farther in my chair. "Cause, you know, last time Dan and I were on Earth, the Soviet Union had only been dissolved for thirty years."
"Heh… it is cold, and boring." He answered bluntly, letting a smile form on his face. "Not much changed, other than technology. My father sold family land after prospector discovered large deposit of nickel in region, moved us both to Krasnoyarsk. With money made, we lived comfortably in city."
"Where was your mother during all of this? I remember you mentioning your parents sending you to SibFU." I asked with genuine curiosity, realizing I had never heard him talk about his mother before.
"Well, the truth is my mother died of pneumonia shortly after giving birth to me." He replied in a saddened tone, looking down at his glass before closing his eyes. "Father never remarried. I decided saying both of them helped flow conversation better. Sorry."
In light of this sudden revelation, all of us went silent for a few moments until Dimitri spoke up again.
"As I said, life there was boring." He redirected, pouring himself another shot. "I was eleven when turians attacked Shanxi, made big splash in international news. Inspired me to go into Systems Alliance when I reached maturity."
"So… then w-why did you go to university? That SibFU place?" Dan asked slowly, still unable to keep himself fully steady with the alcohol in his system.
"Father did not wish for me to enter Alliance military, afraid I would die in cold vacuum of space." He answered, sipping down half his shot. "After I had earned Ph.D, was unable to find work using education, worked at Vostok Industries for two years before father passed away in 2172 from heart attack. He was sixty-two, I was twenty-six."
I was weary of how depressing this conversation had become. Other than his education at SibFU and his Alliance career, I had no idea about any of this.
"Two weeks after funeral, I quit job at Vostok and signed up for Alliance Marines." He nodded to himself, drinking back the other half of his shot. "Four years later, I participated in Skyllian Blitz, was part of first wave send to repel pirate forces. Was good battle."
"So, what got you to leave the armed forces and join R&D?" I asked, leaning against my arm as I looked at him with my head cocked to the side.
He stared ahead for a few moments, seemingly into the distance before he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.
"Torfan." He answered, opening his eyes to meet mine. "I watched over half of squad die assaulting those... animals on Torfan. By time battle was over, only three of twelve-man team remained. After recovering from injuries, I was given honorable discharge then offered job on Aldrin Station."
None of us spoke as Dimitri poured himself another shot, immediately downing it all then pouring himself another.
"I apologize… I try not to think about Torfan." He said, standing up and walking towards the bridge as we all sat in stunned silence.
I had no idea Dimitri had participated in the Battle of Torfan until now. I heard plenty of stories about the botched handling of the invasion, though. From faulty intel, miscommunication, and incompetent leadership, over three hundred Alliance marines died taking those facilities and bunkers. It was little more than a pyrrhic victory for the Alliance by the end, "unacceptable losses" they called it.
There had also been plenty of stories about what Alliance forces had done during the battle, too. It was hard to pick the facts from the fiction, but it was widely accepted that many batarians surrendered, only to be executed by vengeful Alliance marines. It was a horrid situation looking at it from the outside, but for Dimitri, it must have been hell.
I couldn't blame him for leaving after that kind of experience.
"I've never seen him w-with that kind of look before." Dan remarked in a hushed tone, focusing on me. "I hope he's OK."
"Me too." I nodded, taking in a sharp breath. "Alright, let's break this up. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow, and I need you guys in tip-top shape."
Everyone silently obliged, Dixon picking up Morgan to move her to her capsule as Tony and Dan began picking up the trash. Climbing up the ladder to the bridge, I saw Dimitri standing near the viewports with his back turned towards me. I walked over without a word, standing next to him as he stared straight ahead at the rolling planet ahead, Turviss.
I wasn't quite sure what to say to the towering man. He had always been intimidating no matter the circumstances. Even so, he would never leave us twisting in the breeze. I admired him for that.
"It's a pretty planet, I'll give it that." I remarked, putting my hands into my hoodie pockets as I spoke.
"Da, It is." He nodded, still holding the shot glass in his hand, untouched as of right now.
"I hope this whole thing goes down without any problems… last thing I need after what happened in Dan's lab is some kind of conflict." I mused, focusing my gaze on the narrow viewport.
"Hehe… conflict seems to follow you same way dog does." He chuckled, looking down at me for a moment before looking away. "I've seen much in lifetime, good and bad, though conflict seems like… a constant in personal experience."
Staring ahead, I slowly looked up at the towering man, still unsure how to respond to him.
"After all these years, how come you chose tonight to reveal this to us?" I asked with a renewed sense of curiosity. "We had no idea."
"I am not sure… I believe it had something to do with experience on Fehl Prime." He nodded, looking back to the viewport. "Went years without thinking of Torfan, though there was moment during battle where all the memories began flooding back."
"What happened?" I inquired, leaning forward slightly as I focused on his eyes.
"One colonist took fire, falling behind me during retreat. I went back for him against better judgement." He recalled, lower lip trembling slightly as he spoke. "Got him to cover, but it was too late. The look in his eyes as he died in arms reminded me of squadmate from Torfan, Pvt. Driscoll… even I am not sure what happened next, it is all blur."
Seeing the expression on his face shift, I took in a deep breath, rubbing my forehead before pulling my fingers down to my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"You know, If you hadn't shown up with all those people, me, Dan, that Asari doctor… all of us could have ended up dead." I said, trying to make him feel somewhat better. "Hell, by that point I could barely move my own muscles, let alone fight. Pistis was doing all the fighting."
Dimitri pursed his lips before giving me a small nod, obviously still a little weary of his memories.
"I am happy I was there to help." He smiled, downing the shot without batting an eye. "Well, I must get sleep. Thank you for the drinks, my friend."
"My pleasure." I nodded as he patted me on the shoulder and handed me the empty shot glass. As he walked off and his blanket-cloaked form disappeared from view, I couldn't help but smile myself.
Looking back to the blue-green orb in front of me, I silently prayed to God that this entire situation went off without a hitch. The last thing I needed was to cause some kind of incident with a newly discovered sentient race. We had seen how well that had gone down with the First Contact War. I was determined to see this meeting off with handshakes and smiles.
Nodding to myself, I flipped my hood on and pulled on the cords, tightening it over my head and smiling. I hoped that one day, we'd all be able to fully settle down and relax, maybe start a company and truly live in peace as we developed things to make people's lives easier.
Maybe, one day. We had a few problems to solve before that door opened up to us.+
…
MFV Discovery, February 27th, 3:34 AM, 2185
…
"Captain?" I heard someone call out, as a knocking sound could be heard on the door of my capsule. I wasn't quick to react to it, I had been in the middle of something I had considered a rarity these days. A good dream. The first one in months.
"Whaaaat?" I answered in an annoyed, groggy tone as I rubbed the rheum out of my eyes with both hands. Looking at the time, I couldn't help but feel even more peeved.
"Captain, your presence is requested on the bridge." The voice explained in further detail, as I opened the capsule to see it was Lenlo speaking. "We've received a batch of transmissions from Reach."
I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, feeling mildly cheated all of the sudden.
"Do you ever sleep?" I asked in a strained tone, the light above the room causing my eyes to squint.
"I don't need much sleep, sir." He deadpanned, shaking his head slightly. "Two of the messages are flagged as priority."
"Fine, fine, just... give me a minute." I waved dismissively, fighting off the urge to roll back under my covers. "Damn it…"
Hearing from the Admiralty after nearly a month couldn't have been less of an appealing thought.
Lenlo nodded as he always does, walking back towards the bridge as I slipped my boots back on and looked around the room, seeing everyone else was still asleep, likely with hangovers and such. I threw my hoodie back on, not caring to bother with the jumpsuit at the moment as sauntered through the center of the ship where the airlocks and equipment lockers were.
We had taken to calling it "The Pit" due to the port and starboard airlocks being slightly sunken into the floor, part of the deck design. That also included the small "storage area" beneath the bridge where the majority of our bulk supplies were kept. It was actually where Dan's "Knight" PLS was supposed to be mounted, but it had been removed and converted into long-term storage.
It didn't really matter right now, but I did find it interesting how easily this ship could be reconfigured, and how quickly it could be done. Dan had outdone himself with this vessel.
Climbing the ladder to the bridge, I saw Lenlo sitting at his console, waiting patiently for me to arrive. I knew he meant well, but he had ruined a seriously good dream for me, leaving me a bit cross.
"Alright, let's hear the priorities." I ordered, hands in my pockets as I stood with my back slightly hunched.
He nodded, tapping the console as a holographic screen popped up in the center of the bridge.
"Sean, it's Richard." The message began as he stepped into view of the camera. "I have some good news for you. First, I've recently had the breakthrough I was looking for with the synthetic tissues. I discovered after a new batch of tests that applying a thin mylar layer to the electrical semiconductors finally gives the artificial nerve endings the same sensitivity as my arm and Powell's entire body. I've begun fabricating a leg that matches the dimensions of Dan's old one, and should have it ready by the time you all return."
I smiled at the news of Dan's new leg, I knew it would be a welcomed change for him, especially since it had taken him so long to properly get the hang of using the ladder to the bridge.
"Second, there's been another fascinating development. David Archer recently regained consciousness after I spent weeks slowly repairing the damage to his cerebral cortex." He went on, piquing my interest. "He won't be able to walk for a while longer, but he is fully conscious and capable of speaking. Against my… better judgement, I asked him about the project, and was surprised to see how incredibly smart this man is. I brought Powell in to talk to him, and he figured out he wasn't a Geth simply based on the way he walked and spoke. He's instantly answered any mathematical equation I've tested him on too. I know how you feel about these Cerberus people, but I'd recommend adding him to the team once he's regained full bodily functions. It would be a waste of good talent otherwise. Richard, out."
Richard's "assessment" was surprising to say the least. The man had never been one to suggest things such as personnel, let alone recommend one. If David was indeed as talented as he believed, we'd get along just fine.
As Richard's image faded away in a burst of static, a new holographic window opened up with the Fleet insignia.
"Here we go." I thought to myself, holding my hands together behind my back.
"Captain, we've received your transmission, and we must admit we are… shocked to hear of this development." Raan said, her ghostly image appearing on the window. "We've gone over the data you sent us, and are fascinated by this new opportunity. Koris, Mal, and I have come to the decision to join you in-system to assist in any talks or negotiations. In the meantime, we want you to do everything you can to further establish a friendly face for our relationship. We expect the best from you, Captain Michaels. Admiral Raan, out."
As her image turned to static, I couldn't help but wonder how a meeting between them and these people would go. I had my own reservations about Raan, but she was typically more moderate than anyone else in the Admiralty. I had to respect her for that, at least, especially considering how difficult it must be getting those other four personalities to work together.
While I was still bitter about Koris and Mal, another part of me couldn't help but feel relieved that they'd be coming. Despite my thoughts on the deal I had taken with them, they were the two Admirals I knew I could usually trust in the end. Zadie was a bit of an oddball who could sometimes be persuaded to see things by way, but most of the time her interests aligned with Gerrel.
"A "friendly face" for our relationship, huh?" Lenlo observed in a facetious tone, sounding slightly put off. "I don't like the sound of that."
"Now you know how I feel every time I talk to the Admirals." I shook my head, taking a deep breath. "Sounds like they intend to make a big impression on the Raloi."
"Well... we have two days until they arrive, sir." Lenlo pointed out, leaning back in his chair with one arm over the side. "Personally, I think we need to be the first to talk to them in person if we want to be a bigger part of this."
"You think so?" I questioned out loud, rubbing my beard in thought.
I understood what Lenlo was suggesting. It was entirely likely that once the Admirals arrived in what would likely be one of the Liveships, they'd try to downplay the discovery we had made here. While I wasn't one for the spotlight and certainly hated politics, I didn't want the contributions of my crew and I to be swept under the rug. We'd already spent a month wandering aimlessly, last thing we needed was someone coming along and taking the credit.
It was a risky idea, but I was completely open to it at this point.
I knew now was the time to hold a meeting with the rest of the crew. We'd decide today if we wanted a bigger part of this or not.
…
MFV Discovery, February 27th, 6:11 AM, 2185
…
The morning was rocky, half of my crew still reeling from our night of indulgence. Morgan, who had ingested a disgusting number of shots, sat at her station with her head hung low and eyes barely open. I was honestly surprised she hadn't gotten alcohol poisoning the night before. Dixon and Tony were a bit better, though Tony in particular was doing his best to shield his eyes from the light created by his console. Dan moved like a robot, the corners of his eyes still filled with rheum. He had been the most vocal about getting out of bed earlier, but was surprisingly mellow at this point. Kirva was a little harder to gauge, sitting with her feet up, arms crossed and eyes squinted. She nodded her head back and forth slowly, likely trying to keep herself awake.
Dimitri, in stark contrast to the others, had woken up without any issue and was already fully awake. Lenlo and I were, of course, still dry after restraining ourselves previously.
But, now that everyone was beginning to feel better, our spirits were high. We had decided to take the direct approach with the Raloi, organizing a meeting with them at a location of their choosing. They chose the "Kyzil Plateau" as our meeting place, apparently serving as a sort of historical neutral ground for their people. Luckily, our ship was designed to easily land on planetary surfaces.
Well, at least Dan assured me it was designed that way.
"I'm never drinking a drop of alcohol again." Morgan shuttered, pressing her palms into her eye sockets. "God, why is everything so bright… and loud…"
"Sorry, I'd offer you my hangover cure, but I'd need a fresh egg, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, and a little salt and pepper first." I recalled from memory, chuckling as I looked back at her.
"That sounds absolutely disgusting." She gagged, covering her eyes again as Tony laughed quietly at his station.
"I prefer replacing black pepper with crushed red pepper." Dimitri added, a smile clearly seen on his face. "Adds certain kick needed for push-ups afterwards"
I failed to keep a straight face, chuckling to myself as the ship shuttered. We had entered the atmosphere.
"Alright, enough horsing around, people. Time to put our game faces on." I redirected, popping both sides of my neck as I prepared myself for turbulence. We had never actually entered the atmosphere of a planet with the Discovery before, meaning this was kind of a test.
Dan looked thrilled. The rest of us, not so much. He grinned like a madman as flames licked the windows outside, armor plates quickly slamming into place before it could pose any danger to the rest of us. The entire ship shook violently as he angled our descent to take full advantage of our heat shield, giving me the sensation that my teeth were about to fall out of my skull.
"Structural integrity holding!" Dimitri shouted over the roar of the hellfire outside, rapidly tapping the buttons at his station. "Are we at forty degree angle?!"
"Of course!" Dan yelled back, another heavy jolt moving through the ship as we passed the mesosphere into the stratosphere.
Finally, we dropped to the 20km mark, and the ship stopped shaking as we began transitioning into the troposphere. I breathed a sigh of relief as the armor plating opened back up, revealing a new world.
"Wow… very pretty." Dixon nodded, watching the camera view from his station. "Are those… spires?"
The terrain below us looked like an exaggerated version of the natural spires at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Massive, natural stone spires jutted high into the sky, varying greatly in size, shape, and color. In the open areas between them, forests could clearly be seen dotting the area. In the distance, an city could be seen, featuring odd architecture of the likes I've never seen before.
"Incredible." I stated, unable to think of anything else to say as Dan turned the ship towards port, revealing our destination, the massive Kyzil Plateau. It was easily as tall as many of the larger spires, though remained as one solid piece despite their proximity.
"Alright, our landing zone should be a flat, open area next to a series of stone structures." I explained, walking over and putting one hand on the back of Dan's chair to steady myself.
Looking at the scene outside, we saw a series of six blinking lights on the ground ahead, all in sync with one another.
"If that isn't a d-designated landing zone, then I d-don't know what is." He smiled, looking up at me briefly before firing the maneuvering thrusters. "Adjusting pitch, inc...increasing charge to the core… standby."
I heard a heavy clunk through the hull as Dan deployed the landing gear, shaking the ship yet again.
"3...2...1… contact!" He announced as we landed on solid ground, dropping my stomach for a moment before the shock absorbers corrected our momentum. "We're here!"
"Good job, man!" I grinned, giving him a good pat on the shoulder as I turned to face everyone else. "Alright, everyone secure your stations and get your suits on. Lenlo, front and center."
"Sir?" He questioned, walking up to me.
"I just wanted to clear up one last thing before we go out there." I reassured, noticing his defensive stance. "Listen, as my XO and the highest ranking quarian on my ship, I want you by my side at all times down there. Follow my lead, and keep me informed if you see anything odd or unusual. OK?"
"Understood." He confirmed, standing ramrod stiff and saluting for a moment before allowing himself to relax. "I promise not to let you down."
"Good man." I smiled, nodding towards the Pit.
Two minutes later, all of us humans were dressed in nearly identical hardsuits, with the exception of me, Dan, and Dimitri. I was wearing the same suit and mask I had worn during my missions with Shepard, minus the exo, while Dimitri wore a significantly bulked up version to match his physique. Dan's had been hastily modified to allow it to work with his temporary prosthesis. The only way I could tell the other three apart in full suits was by looking at their shapes.
Lenlo and Kirva had made very few changes to their suits, with the exception of Kirva's necklace, which I had forced her to leave at her weapons station. Lenlo made a point to re-wrap his green-accented envirosuit with fresh black cloth, something I hadn't seen him do in a very long time.
He must have been as nervous as I was.
Slowly, we all gathered into the cramped port airlock, closing it with a solid clunk as the decon system kicked into gear. None of us said a word as the two-minute process ran its course, eventually ending as the world outside opened up to us.
"Well, here goes nothing." I said into our private comm channel, hitting the button that deployed the ladder. "Make sure your faceplates are depolarized, we want them to know who we are."
"Rog'." Dan nodded, following closely behind Lenlo and I as we descended the ladder, making contact with our first planet in nearly a month. Gravity was just a smidgen heavier than I had expected, likely due to the planet's slightly larger size.
It wasn't enough to be unmanageable, which was great for us. Turning to my right towards the structures, I saw two lines of figures standing at attention, holding odd spears and all dressed the same as one another. They were draped in long cloaks that blew gently in the wind. I mistook them for statues for a few moments before realizing they must have been some kind of honor guard, here to protect their leaders.
"Alright, follow my lead, spread out a little, arrow shape." I quickly ordered, walking as casually as I could without looking odd. I held my breath as we began to leave the relative safety of the ship, out into the open. The sun was rising in the distance, casting an odd, amber glow over the plateau.
It was absolutely breathtaking.
As we walked between the two rows of guards, three figures emerged from the ancient-looking stone structure, all dressed differently. One of the two in the lead wore white, with accents of yellow and gold. To his left was one draped in black, also with yellow and gold accents. Behind them was one dressed a little differently, donned in an odd black suit that appeared to be reminiscent of one of our hard suits.
While they had explained how tall they were before, it really was quite a lot more striking in person. They towered over all of us, even Dimitri, and were much bigger overall. I was very intimidated, despite my mental preparation. The other thing I noticed was an odd, blue glow their eyes all seemed to share, further piquing my curiosity.
Finally, both our groups stopped between the guards, about eight feet from one another. I wasn't quite sure what to do before the figure draped in white took another step forward, lowering his head without breaking eye contact.
"Greetings Captain Sean Michaels, I am Aspet Amisen of House Syunik, and on behalf of my people, I welcome you to Turviss." He greeted in a gravelly voice similar to Leonard Nimoy as all the guards around us took a knee for a few moments. They all stood back up as Amisen rose back to his full stature, though with his neck lowered far enough that our faces were at the same height.
"It's good to finally meet you in person, Aspet Amisen." I greeted with a long nod, hands held firmly together behind my back. "I can speak for all of us when I say we're thrilled to meet your acquaintance."
I raised my hand for a handshake, getting a head tilt and a confused look from him, as one of the two in the back looked at the other.
"Uh, sorry." I quickly apologized, pulling my hand back as I realized that the gesture might not be common for them. "It's considered tradition among my people to greet one another by grasping the other person's hand and gently shaking. It… establishes a sense of trust and familiarity between one another."
"Ah, I understand. I accept your gesture." Amisen quickly nodded, holding out his large, six-fingered hand for me to shake. It was like the talons of a bird, but looked more like two thumbs on the sides and four normal fingers in the middle. It also revealed how massive and wide his wings were.
I slowly took hold of his "hand", grasping and shaking as he did the same. We held the gesture for a few moments longer before dropping it, bringing a smile to my face.
"I'm sure we have plenty to learn from one another." I grinned, knowing the next few hours would likely be interesting for both of us.
…
A/N: Well, here we are, the 70th chapter in my long-running story. I tried to make this one as interesting as possible, resulting in a longer-than-usual chapter for all of you to enjoy. I've still got some minor details to work out with the Raloi before the next chapter, but for the most part everything else is set in stone. I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I have writing it.
Once more, I'd like to thank everyone who takes the time to leave their reviews critiquing my story, it really means a lot and every little bit of commentary goes towards making the story better, even the negative stuff helps in the long run. You're the reason I keep writing, and the biggest motivator for me in this little endeavor of mine. Thanks!
EDIT: I had to go back and fix the name of the planet in some spots, I had accidentally named their home planet Arvuna when its actually Turviss. If you see this mistake anywhere else, please point it out to me.
As always, I'd love to read any reviews, I'm always up for suggestions or constructive criticism. Stay tuned!