This is a translation of a Russian fic, which aims to present Mass Effect universe from a different perspective, from the perspective of the late period of Soviet history.
Thus, while being partly a nostalgic story, it tells everything from the Soviet conservative point of view, since the main characters were born in this atmosphere of categoricalness, rightness and staunch patriotism.

That's why the fic may seem a bit "aggressive", especially at the beggining, but I can assure you, the story is actually much more "gray" than it may look like )

Anyway, enjoy reading!

Prologue (Part 1)

Kolesnikov looked wistfully at the podium occupied by the Citadel Council. The meeting could not begin without Udina, who, as usual, portrayed eternal busyness, to which he referred all his lateness, which had become regular. Although, it would have been possible to turn a blind eye to this, if there were not a bunch of other vices and weaknesses.

"I need to be patient. It doesn't matter that I really want to take this guy by the collar of his shirt and shake him properly. Preferably, being on the edge of a cliff at the same time," Kolesnikov thought.

"I beg your pardon," Udina began pompously, coming up to the podium. "Urgent matters in the Alliance that required my participation."

"Then maybe you should work directly at one of the Alliance headquarters, since you are such an essential element?" the turian councilor suggested.

Kolesnikov wanted to applaud Sparatus. The most mean of the Council members, he could not forgive the Alliance for a small war with his people. The USSR did not know about it, since they were exploring planets in other systems. And the Defense Committee of the Alliance was not very eager to share its victories and failures with the Soviet Defense Council, still fearing its old rival. So silly and groundless. Kolesnikov grinned at his thoughts. If the General Secretary had given the order, the Alliance armchair generals would have lost the war without having time to lift their asses from their seats.

Anyway, Sparatus treated Kolesnikov indifferently, and openly despised Udina. For sure, he was not the only anti-fan of the rude Alliance ambassador, but one of the few who completely did not hide it. The salarian councilor looked indifferently from one representative of humanity to another. The asari was looking through some datapad notes. Apparently, no one was going to stop the conflict in the bud.

"I was elected as the only one capable to correctly convey the opinion of all humanity to the Council," he said, lifting his chin.

"Does no one else in the Alliance know how to speak?" the turian asked with genuine concern.

Kolesnikov suppressed a chuckle again. He wondered if the most intelligent and capable were always chosen for this kind of activity, then how did Udina get into the diplomatic bodies? If he was one of the most gifted, then what were the others? And it would be people like him, that the whole Alliance would be judged by. And they would not see any concessions or handouts.

"Let's not solve personal problems during the meeting," the asari interrupted Udina. "Although, your lateness can be interpreted as disrespect to the Council. Is humanity ready to take its place among us if it is not able to appear at the hearing on time?"

"I beg your pardon, mistress," Udina squeezed an apology.

"That is where we should have started," the turian could not restrain himself again.

Azari looked at him reproachfully. Kolesnikov felt sad. The work of a diplomat was clearly not for him. To endure long, tedious meetings, to communicate with people like Udina, and to try by all means not to undermine the authority of the homeland. The ambassador extraordinary was supposed to be engaged in this work, but the General Secretary considered that the military mind would cope better, and appointed Kolesnikov to this position, who previously worked in the First Main Directorate of the KGB, in the service "A". In other words, he was in charge of covert operations and reported directly to the chairman of the Committee. Now there were too many bosses, and seeing his face on all Citadel monitors was completely unpleasant. To him, as an intelligence officer, it seemed a complete failure, because traces were everywhere, and every dog knew where to look for him in case of need. It had seemed that after becoming a public person, he could already forget about the lion's share of caution and relax his gluteus maximi, but no. It didn't work out. The past held him tightly by these same gluteus maximi, and old fears, concerns and habits did not seek to leave his mind. Although, such fidelity to practiced reflexes probably had been the cause of his new appointment. He was neat, collected and laconic. A typical spy in the service of the Soviet Country. Chatterbox Udina next to him looked like a talkative idiot. Well, it was a small thing, but quite pleasant.

"You asked for an audience with the Council, Comrade Kolesnikov," the asari brought him out of his thoughts.

The man shifted his gaze from Udina to the asari councilor and peered into the soft, greenish eyes of Tevos. She was the only one who addressed him with this wonderful word, that caressed ears of any Soviet person. And it sounded not in a mocking Udina's manner, but sincerely. Although Kolesnikov disliked aliens, he liked the asari. She was always calm and reasonable, unlike her impatient colleagues.

"Yes, mistress. I wanted to report to the Council about a new project being developed in the Skyllian Verge," the drawings of the station were displayed on Kolesnikov's omni-tool. "We want to make a kind of analogue of the Arcturus station, but exclusively for military needs. It is unlikely that the batarians will invade this system, but just in case."

"Do you need any financial support?" the turian asked discontentedly. "This system has been put under human control, so you do not have to report to the Council for every sneeze in the corners of the galaxy."

"I am reporting to you only because this is not a project of all humanity. This is a development of Soviet scientists. The Alliance has nothing to do with the station. As for resources, we have no problems with them. We were engaged in mining while..." Kolesnikov squinted at Udina, who was boiling with indignation. "While the Alliance was busy with other things."

He really wanted to clarify, what other things, but it would be stupid to anger Udina in front of the whole audience, although it would be pleasant.

"While the Alliance was busy fighting the turians, right?" Udina prompted. "So you want to waste resources on the construction of a completely unnecessary object, but at the same time refused to co-finance the Alliance's project to build the newest ship?"

"We are not going to waste your personal resources, are we, ambassador?" Kolesnikov rubbed his temples wearily. "And the construction of your ship did not interest our Defense Council. So, you may show your discontent at its meeting. I will be pleased to arrange one for you."

Udina narrowed his eyes, peering into Kolesnikov's typically Slavic blue eyes. Probably, he tried to kill with a glance, but it was hard for a clerical worker who had not lifted anything heavier than a glass of whiskey in his life to compete with the heavy piercing gaze of a Soviet intelligence officer. Udina lowered his eyes, admitting defeat. Kolesnikov promised himself: he would certainly drown this upstart in the Presidium fountain when the Gensec finally recalled him from this unpleasant service. His professional instinct told him that he was an unreliable, corrupt person. But right now, he couldn't allow himself to offend Udina, even when he was alone with him. This swindler could well have a bug in his underpants, and he, poor fellow, of course, would expose the Soviet ambassador's misconduct to the public. Kolesnikov himself did not try to seem better than this Alliance diplomat. In his humble opinion, Udina easily made a fool of himself, that is, he coped with the unspoken operation of a former intelligence officer himself. Well, at least he succeeds in something.

"We do not understand your division of power," the asari said. "Why cannot the Humans reach an agreement and create a single government? It is very inconvenient to work with you."

"It is impossible to negotiate with the Communists, madam," Udina saddled his favorite hobby-horse. "Most of the negotiations with them even before the First Contact ended in scandals."

"Which were arranged by the Alliance," Kolesnikov finished for him. "As for the unified government, the solution of this issue is only in the competence of our leaders. I have no right to discuss their decisions."

"You are very careful with your words, it is close to the asari policy," Tevos said.

"They are not only careful with words, mistress," Udina could not calm down. "They are carefull with everything. Carefully did not get into the war with the turians. And they probably laughed while listening to the news from the "Blitz"."

Kolesnikov turned off the omni-tool and looked at the Alliance ambassador again. He was tired of explaining that the USSR had been searching for resources in remote systems and had not meddled in the Alliance affairs. And the Defense Committee had been not very keen to bring "these damned communists" into their troubles. As a result, everyone got their own: the USSR - resources, and the Alliance - a mini-war with one of the Council races and the disgrace of Elysium. Although they didn't consider it a disgrace that one, not very smart (in the view of the USSR) soldier staged a bloodbath, sparing neither his soldiers nor the enemies. Everything was secondary to the Alliance. All ended up in quickly corrected facts about losses, almost canonized image of a suicide fighter and a couple of heroic films, from which the Defense Council sobbed with laughter, looking at the brave, but funny Alliance landing, presented in video chronicles.

"I am not going to discuss this with you, Udina. I can only re-suggest a meeting with the Defense Council," Kolesnikov allowed himself to smile. "And I would give a lot to attend it."

"You do not seem so different to us that you cannot agree. I express the hope of the entire Council by saying that I want to see only one ambassador in front of me," Valern spoke up. "The meeting is over."

Kolesnikov bowed his head and slowly headed for the exit. Udina soon caught up with him and walked beside him.

"Doesn't your red armband squeeze?" He nodded at Kolesnikov's arm. The spy's scowl was his answer, and Udina hastened to change the subject. "With your standard thinking, you can hardly imagine the scale of the construction of the Normandy project. The Central Committee will regret its ignoring more than once. Or does communism, as an ideology, forbid working together with a democratic state?"

"Screw you, Udina," Kolesnikov responded peaceably. "As long as democracy, as an ideology, keeps Indians in reservations, I don't even want to talk to you, slave owner."

Catching the ambassador's uncomprehending gaze on himself, Kolesnikov sighed:

"Learn history, dude. And as for the project... spending money on one ship, although you can build a good hundred for them, is ridiculous. There is no need to be an accountant here to calculate what is more necessary and profitable."

"But we should cooperate!" Udina said, somehow lost.

Kolesnikov stopped, examining the ambassador. He was ready to swear that for the first time in all their communication, his voice sounded sincere, without affectation. But still, it's better to be careful with him. You never know, what if the Alliance trained its diplomats in acting schools? Doubtful, but the eternal spy's "what if" did not go out of his head.

"That's what we're doing. Maybe not in the manner the Council wants, but it's still progress. We speak the same language and stand on the same podium. It's not bad for a start," Kolesnikov even patted Udina on the shoulder.

"Building a station in that system is a reinsurance. You can be more rational," Udina was still thoughtfully looking at his own shoes.

"No one has died from excessive caution yet. History will judge what is better – one ship or a station with several hundred fighters. My job is to bring this to the Council and to you personally," Kolesnikov approached the taxi parking. "But now I'm sorry, I have a report waiting for me."

"Are you not interested even in the Spectre status? I don't understand the way of thinking of the General Secretary. After all, it gives power and elevates humanity to a higher level," Udina stopped Kolesnikov.

"If it gives you power, then become a Spectre," the intel officer smiled.

"The Alliance hasn't succeeded yet…"

"Then don't," came the reply.

Already in the aircar, Kolesnikov thought about Udina's words. Gives power, elevates… Well, let them elevate themselves as much as they want. It's even interesting to see what the Alliance can achieve in the Galactic arena. And if suddenly they unexpectedly succeeded, and they decided, as usual, that the USSR was very much in the way, the war would not be very long. And nuclear weapons would not be even necessary here. It would be enough to create a sabotage squad that would steal rations from the Alliance biotics.

Thanks for reading!

Do not hesitate and write about all mistakes, translation screw-ups and your impression of the story itself)

Credits:

Author: Екатерина2 ( ficbook /authors/724290)

Fanfic: "Из СССР с любовью" ( ficbook /readfic/3443325/9028842)