Chapter Four: First Contact
"Friendly fire - isn't."
- UNSC Marine Corp Handbook (Unofficial)
UNSC Pelican D-822
En Route to Designated Meeting Corvette
With a sense of grace that belied its massive size the Pelican rose nimbly off the hanger deck and effortlessly pushed past the atmospheric shields within the large cavernous bay. The pilot gently pushed the throttle as the Pelican accelerated into space before turning to follow the Nav markers Cortana had set to rendezvous with the distant Corvette.
Inside the Pelican's troop bay seven figures gathered around in a loose semi-circle near a vid screen as they went through their brief. Lieutenant Colonel Dare and Admiral Lasky were seated while the Arbiter and the four Spartans of Blue Team held onto the cieling-mounted hand-holds as they stood.
Dare turned toward the Master Chief. "Cortana, I assume that you have been monitoring all communications traffic in and around…this planet?" The ONI operative didn't want to say what everyone else was already thinking. This Earth?
Lasky's lips twitched in amused sympathy. He couldn't blame her. The idea of spying on your own home world….which at the same time wasn't your home world was more than a little confusing. It left him with a bad taste in his mouth and a weird feeling in his gut he couldn't quite identify.
"Only for the past twenty minutes or so, ma'am" the AI responded archly.
Dare smrked in response to the AI's whimsical humor, "Only twenty minutes? We've been here about an hour now. You're slowing down in your old age Cortana."
Rather than be offended, lithe feminine laughter echoed from the Chiefs speakers "Hardly. I spent most of that time arguing with Roland about who got to monitor what. He's rather spirited for such a young whipper snapper."
Dare turned serious, "What did you learn?"
The nearby wall screen snapped on as information began to scroll down the screen next to a picture of Cortana's face and her voice now emanated from the screens speakers.
The AI's tone shifted to all business. "I decided to let Roland handle cracking their military encryption. Hopefully he'll have access by the time we get back. I've taken to monitoring civilian broadcasts as those channels are less protected, and I've discovered a wealth of information. It's too much to brief in the short time we have, so I'll narrow down our focus to the basics of who these people are and what's pertinent to this coming meeting. The rest I'll file away in my report once we get back to Infinity."
Lasky nodded and motioned for her to go on.
"The circumstances leading up to the last few decades are frighteningly familiar. So much so they could have been ripped from the pages of our own history books, which in an of itself should be impossible. I've identified the point of divergence as of 37 years ago, local time, where the Systems Alliance charter was signed."
"It would have to be something huge to get the planet to unite, Cortana." Admiral Lasky intoned.
"Very much so Admiral," Cortana replied evenly. What prompted this big Kumbaya moment was a discovery on Mars. In March of 2148, local time, a mining team unearthed the subterranean ruins of an alien research station at the Mars South pole revealing incontrovertible proof of the existence of Alien life. Naturally this had a rather profound impact on the civilian population at large to the point where it became a near obsession. Religious, political, social and economic upheaval hardly do justice to what can only be described as probably the most important event in human history. The news of the discovery dominated the media and raised questions not only about the existence and purpose of humanity, but questions about the aliens themselves. Foremost, were they still out there? While these questions had served to fracture most religions they had a unifying effect in politics. Rather than nations fighting each other over their differences, it was now "us vs. them" and the foundations of a united human front were laid."
"The main form of government on this Earth is the Systems Alliance; a supranational government based on a parliamentary system that represents Earth and all her colonies. Established in 2149 local time, the SA treaty was ratified within the year. It consisted of 18 of Earths largest nations at the time, but it has since grown to encompass every nation on the planet. Not long after the charter was ratified the Systems Alliance military was established and it has since grown to be the primary form of defense for Earth and her colonies. All national militaries have since been rolled into it."
Lieutenant Colonel Dare looked ready to speak but Cortana promptly anticipated the question, "On our own Mars we've covered that area extensively and no alien relics or structures were ever discovered. I can only theorize that one of the local races stumbled onto this Humanity and for reasons unknown decided to monitor them. Interestingly enough the locals have apparently identified this mysterious alien race as 'The Protheans'."
"I am unfamiliar with that name, construct. How is any of this possible?" The Arbiter asked, his strong voice filling the internal compartment of the Pelican. "There somehow happen to be Humans here, space-faring Humans at that. Have you found any other races that we are familiar with?"
Cortana shook her head, "No Arbiter. I haven't found any references for any of the species that we are familiar with back home. Whether they don't exist here or just haven't been encountered yet remains unclear. I'll need more data before I can render an accurate hypothesis. However there are records of alien races we are not familiar with. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself."
The screen changed to a galaxy map where distinct areas were highlighted in various shades of green and blue along with corresponding picture of aliens. What grabbed Lasky's attention was how spread out and isolated many of these star clusters were, as if they were settled in an almost haphazard way. He pushed the thought aside. The last thing he need was to be distracted by what amounted to nothing more than idle curiosity.
Cortana's voice brought him out of his musings. "I've downloaded a civilian version of something called a 'Codex' which has an amazing amount of useful information in it. Humanity didn't just discover the existence of alien life but also technology. Over the next 8 years with the combined efforts of the Systems Alliance working in concert the world see massive technological leaps. We're talking hundreds of years almost overnight. Among the most important was the development of viable artificial gravity, working FTL technology and the discovery of the Mass Relay system."
The image on the screen shifted to what Lasky could only describe as a giant tuning fork with a bright blue-purple 'core', and gyroscopic 'rings' spinning around it. It was perhaps one of the most bizarre things he's ever seen.
"What you are looking at is the Charon Mass relay, said to be constructed by the Protheans fifty thousand years ago, which as you can guess by the name orbits Pluto. Here however instead of being an uninteresting ball of ice, the moon of Charon was was in fact a dormant mass relay that connected to an entire network of these things spread throughout the galaxy. This Humanity then reactivated it and sent a ship through. Travel is virtually instantaneous from one relay to another through the manipulation of something called 'Mass Effect Fields.' The relay here connects to its corresponding relay and creates a 'mass free corridor' then sends the ship through. How these people are able to manipulate mass so casually is something I can only guess at. But I'll wager it's something they developed from the Prothean technology they recovered on Mars."
"This particular relay lead to the Arcturus system in the constellation of Bootes thirty six light years away. Humanity hit the jackpot here as Arcturus was some form of Relay hub system with multiple mass Relays connecting to other systems."
A quizzical look crossed Lasky's face. "So these relays can't connect to every other relay out there?"
Cortana shook her head. "Correct Admiral. Mass Relays are transit devices usually located within star systems. They form an enormous network allowing near instantaneous point to point interstellar travel. Some are gravitationally anchored to a planet, like Charon, while others are free floating in certain star system and are carefully tracked. There are two kinds of relays, primary and secondary relays. Primary relays can propel a ship thousands of light years but only link to one other relay, its "partner". Secondary relays can link to any other relay over shorter distances, only a few hundred light years.
Cortana continued. "After discovering the Charon Relay, Humanity began a rapid expansion thanks to their new-found connection to the mass relay network. Hoping to expand their territory and driven by immense curiosity about the galaxy, they began activating every mass relay they could find."
"However, in 2157, their actions caught the notice of a race called the Turians, who found human explorers reactivating an inactive mass relay known as Relay 314. A short war was followed known as the First Contact war. I'll spare you the long winded details, but needless to say this wasn't anything like what we had with the Covenant. Casualties were absurdly light and the fighting was rather civil by our standards; only lasting a couple of months with one colony being occupied and later liberated. The war ended in an armistice when an alliance of aliens known as the Citadel Alliance intervened. The Systems Alliance eventually signed a treaty with the Citadel Alliance, essentially joining the organization which they are still apart of to this day."
The human occupants shared bewildered looks at that statement. It was so far removed from the experiences the UNSC had with Covenant. The Arbiter was keen to pick up on this as well.
"What you are saying construct, is that the humans of this world have elected to join this Citadel Alliance?"
Cortana nodded, "Essentially yes. Though there are several points of the treaty that we would have serious issues with, that the Alliance seems to have accepted with minimal resistance. And if this Codex is right, humanity has come to be one of the most influential members of the Citadel, even going so far as to become a member on the governing council. Apparently, this is unheard of as other races have been petitioning for decades, if not centuries, for a seat on the council…yet Humanity did it in under four decades."
Lasky blinked. This was definitely a very different outcome than what the UNSC had dealt with. It was as if these Humans had joined their version of the Covenant and then in the span of a few short decades became a leading member. Lasky scowled internally and halted that chain of thought right then and there. He was making assumptions. Whoever these aliens were they clearly were not the Covenant. This was new territory. He would have to deal with and judge these aliens based on their own merits, not because of a passing similarity they may or may not share with the Covenant.
Lasky frowned internally. Each tidbit of information Cortana gave them spurred a dozen different questions. And as much as he wanted to learn everything he could, he had to stay focused.
"Admiral, I have the ship on scopes. We're thee minutes out."
"Thank you Jacobs." Lasky replied before addressing his team. "As fascinating as this is Cortana, and I very much look forward to reading your report, let's focus on this immediate situation. Were you able to find anything on this Admiral Hackett? I don't like going into this blind. Anything you have could help shed some light would be helpful."
Cortana nodded "I managed to find a few things in the civilian codex. Admiral Steven Hackett is apparently a bit of a legend in the Alliance. Commands the 5th fleet that's usually stationed out of Arcturus, but rotated home recently for refit and resupply. Everything I see states he's a tough, no-nonsense officer who's honest to the point of being blunt and charmingly direct. His reputation suggest he was a bit of a maverick, often volunteering for very high risk assignments with a sometimes unorthodox approach. He can be aggressive yet reasonable. We got lucky meeting up with this one, Admiral. From what I gather his peers don't stack up nearly as favorably, with the exception of one."
"So it seems that we're dealing with the Systems Alliance version of Lord Hood then." Dare put forth.
"It seems that way, yes." Cortana answered, and Lasky could feel some of the tension ease out of him, and he suddenly felt a bit better about these impending talks.
"Lord Hood is a most honorable human." The Arbiter put forth much to the surprise of all involved. "He is viewed favorably among many of the Kaidons back on Sanghelios. Even Jul M'Dama holds great, albiet very begrudging, respect for him. To make such a comparison between these two men speaks highly of this Admiral Hackett indeed."
Lasky nodded, "I concur. Cortana were you able to get anything else?"
"The meeting will be held aboard the SSV Normandy. Apparently it's some form of scout frigate. Interestingly enough the design of the ship we're enroute to doesn't match up with the public extranet records that are on file. I am uncertain as to why."
"Are these people more advanced than us?" Frederic-104 asked. "If so, then that might complicate security."
Cortana shrugged. "I don't know Frederic. Prior to 2148 their technological progression followed a path very similar to our own at that point in time. However, that changed with this mass effect based technology, which seems to be the basis for not just the Systems Alliance but the entirety of Citadel Space. Best case scenario they could be less advanced than we are. Worst case, they could be more advanced than the Covenant. I just don't have a basis to make a solid judgement."
That tidbit of information made Lasky blink. "You're saying all technology in this Galaxy is based off the same principle of manipulating Mass Effect fields?" Lasky asked.
"Yes Admiral, and all of it seems to be based off of scavenged Prothean technology."
"Sounds convenient," The Master Chief stated as he joined the conversation. "What about the Protheans themselves?" The Chief asked.
"Vanished without a trace fifty thousand years ago. It's apparently the number one mystery in all of known space."
"One minute."
The crackle of the pilot's voice over the intercomm gave them all a brief respite from their serious thoughts.
"Roland, is Plan B ready?" he heard Lasky ask.
"Aye sir, Stridents One through Three are ready to perform microjumps to your location and disable the corvette. Shadow, Crimson and Majestic teams, backed by two platoons of ODSTs are standing by. The rest of the Stridents and the Infinity are ready to create a buffer around the corvette and delay any hostile forces until you can be extracted."
"Understood. Hopefully it won't come to that. Lasky out."
"Thirty seconds."
Lasky turned towards all assembled in the Pelican's troop bay. "Alright everybody, this is it. Spartans, I'm going to do my best to keep things peaceful, but be prepared for anything. There are a lot of unknown variables here. You have permission to use lethal force, but only on my word or if there is clear and present danger. I trust all of your judgments."
"Yes sir," Chief answered for Blue Team
Lasky looked up and down the Arbiter's figure, then pursed his lips. To someone who had never seen a Sangheili, to say they were intimidating would be an understatement. Nearly eight feet tall, the Arbiter towered over Lasky, and his dark grey, ornately carved battle armor seemed to suck in the light of the bay. The Admiral craned his neck to look into Thel's dark eyes.
"Arbiter," he said.
"Admiral," the Sangheili replied.
Lasky knew that he would need the Arbiter's support in order to present a strong front in the coming meeting. He stuck out his hand, "Unified front?"
The Arbiter looked at Lasky's hand, and after a few seconds he grasped the Admiral's hand in his own four-fingered one, a little harder than what was necessary. "Unified."
The pilot's voice came over the intercomm again. "We're approaching what appears to be an airlock. I'm going to swing us around and extend our docking tube."
"Roger that Jacobs. Hold down the fort, but be ready to exfil at any moment." said Lasky.
"Yes Admiral, good luck."
Lasky opened a compartment on a wall of the Pelican and withdrew two self-contained oxygen recycling masks. He handed one to Dare, and they both slid the clear plastic over their mouth and nose. He wasn't taking any chances with foreign contaminants, evidenced by the masks and the fact that the electromagnetic field of his and Dare's hardlight barriers were set to bar particulates from coming into contact with the skin. The Arbiter withdrew his own mask and fastened it over his head as well, the material shifting to fit his four mandibles. The Spartans didn't have to worry due to the hard-seals of their armor.
In the direction of the troop bay door, a mechanical whirring could be heard as the Pelican's specially outfitted docking tube connected with the airlock door of the meeting corvette and the nanobots in its adaptive metal alloys formed an airtight seal.
"Hands at your sides, and no sudden movements towards your weapons," said Lasky. He and Dare were carrying Magnums, but the Spartans each had an X-ACS's clamped onto their backs. The Arbiter had a plasma pistol on one hip, and an energy sword hilt on the other.
"Cortana, keep electronic surveillance to a minimum, passively observe their radio traffic as much as you like, but don't attempt any sort of system intrusion unless things go south. We don't want them thinking that we're waging any type of cyberwarfare."
"Yes Admiral," replied the AI, all-business.
The Master Chief and Kelly-087 moved to flank Lasky, and suddenly the Admiral felt significantly more at ease. Fred-104 and Linda-058 stationed themselves at the rear of the group.
As the Pelican's troopbay door hissed open at the middle, Lasky took a calming breath. He peered through the passage and saw that beyond the plain brown metal of the Pelican docking tube lay a bright white room, what he assumed was the airlock of the other ship. Lasky started to step forward, his steps mirrored by the two Spartans besides him.
As they crossed through the docking tube into the threshold of the other ship, Lasky felt the pressure of artificial gravity wash over him. It felt... different. Not like the gravity on UNSC ships that he had served on for years. It was slightly off-putting, but Lasky pushed the feeling to the back of his mind.
All seven of them passed into the airlock, and the Pelican docking tube doors slid shut behind them. Lasky and Dare were ready to activate their hard light barriers at any moment, in case there was an attempt to -
"Attention shore party. Stand by for decontamination."
Out of the ceiling an opaque mist began to spray from unseen nozzles, and Lasky's hands hovered over his barrier's activation switch.
"Cortana?"
"It's safe Admiral, readings show it's a decontamination mist, just like it said."
Lasky moved his hand back to his side, and the mist gently beaded on him, instantly evaporating as soon as it made contact. In front of them, the Admiral's eyebrows raised when a blue square materialized in the air, its sides touching both walls, the floor, and the ceiling. The square was divided into many smaller squares, and it reminded Lasky of the old hard light barrier equipment that they had first found on Requiem.
With a slight hum, the blue square began slowly moving towards them. The softly synthesized female voice they had heard earlier returned, saying, "Decontamination in progress. Decontamination in progress." The blue square passed over Lasky, and he felt a slight tingling feeling across his skin, but it quickly passed. The square passed Lasky until it passed over Dare and the Arbiter in the back of the group, then reversed direction, coming back over Lasky and the Spartans.
As the square went back to the front of the room, the female voice returned. "Decontamination scan complete. No foreign contaminates detected."
It was then when the 'wall' at the far end of the room slid open, revealing what was beyond.
Lasky's eyes took in the scene in an instant. The first figure he saw was a man dressed in what appeared to be dress blues standing at parade rest a few meters directly in from of him. He was tall, Lasky placed him at above six feet, and he had buzz-cut brown hair with a curved white scar running through his brow. Piercing blue eyes quickly surveyed Lasky, then darted to the Spartans besides him, lingering just enough to be noticeable. The man radiated an aura of calmness and confidence, and the way he wore his gold trimmed uniform suggested that he knew what he was doing. The one thing that jumped out to Lasky though, was that he was undoubtedly and undeniably human.
Flanking the man were two soldiers at attention in dark blue, sleek-looking light armor. Sealed helmets covered their heads, and dark tinted visors obscured their eyes. The fact that all three had what appeared to be a sidearm on their hips was not lost on Lasky.
The man in the dress uniform stepped forwards and looked at him. "Hello. I'm Lieutenant Commander John Shepard of the Human's Systems Alliance, Captain of this vessel. Welcome aboard the SSV Normandy."
"EDI? What have we got?" asked Shepard as he walked towards the airlock, flanked by Kaidan and another trooper, named Vega.
The Normandy's AI responded in his internal earpiece. "There are seven figures currently undergoing the decontamination process. Two humans, one male, one female, along with four heavily armored soldiers. There is also one alien being whose figure does not match any profile in the known database."
Human? thought Shepard. Hackett had told him that based on communications it was likely these unknowns were humans, but that didn't make it any less surprising. The fact that there was a previously unknown faction of Humanity that was able of such feats of engineering like that five and a half kilometer behemoth of a warship was astounding to Shepard. Who exactly were they? Where had they come from? Why were they here? Those were all questions Shepard greatly wanted answered, him and every other person in the Alliance.
He assumed the four soldiers mentioned were acting as the groups security force, but the way EDI had said 'heavily armored' made Shepard slightly nervous. However, that nervousness was trumped by curiosity upon the hearing that an unknown alien was with them. Unlike most of Humanity, Shepard didn't hold any sort of bias towards or against other species. He believed on judging individuals based on the traits and personalities they possessed, not by stereotypes.
Shepard reached the airlock, and he turned to face it, Kaidan and Vega falling in besides him at parade rest. He looked to his right to make sure that the door to the cockpit was securely sealed, then looked left into the CIC. All of the Alliance personnel that would have been manning consoles were now standing at the edges of the walkways at attention, resplendent in their Alliance dress blues.
"Stay on your toes you two," Shepard said to his two squadmates, "We're expecting a peaceful contact, but be ready for anything." He saw two heads nod out of his peripheral vision.
As the commander of the Normandy and one of Humanity's most capable soldiers, Hackett and Anderson had deemed that he would be the first to make contact with the unknowns. Shepard's job was to exchange pleasantries, hopefully ensure that no shooting took place, then lead the delegation to the Normandy's conference room where Admirals Hackett and Anderson were waiting, and where the meeting would take place.
It sounded easy enough, but Shepard knew that everyone was on edge. Humanity's previous First Contact hadn't gone the way they had hoped, and everyone was taking steps to make sure that this one would go better. Nonetheless, they were prepared for the worst, two heavily armed eight-man teams of Marines were waiting if worse came to worse, one in the elevator, and one in the war room just beyond the conference room.
"Commander, the delegation party has completed the decontamination process. No foreign contaminated were found," relayed EDI.
That was good, it meant they wouldn't have to be worrying about any potential diseases. However, it was very unusual, at least to Shepard, that there wasn't some kind of particulate that needed to be eliminated.
"Shall I open the door Shepard?" asked EDI.
Shepard straightened his posture and made sure his face was as neutral as possible. "Do it."
The red lock circle on the airlock door turned green before disappearing, and the entryway began to slide upwards, revealing the figures waiting behind it.
Shepard's eyes immediately fell upon the human in the middle, and eyes honed by years of combat absorbed every detail.
The man was a few inches shorter than Shepard, and was dressed in a blue and gold-trimmed dress uniform, cut in a style that looked familiar, yet different at the same time. His chest was void of any medals or insignia, much like Shepard's, but there were a set of four silver stars on either side of his collar. He had short light brown hair, and under the clear mask he was wearing an unscarred face and thin lips that betrayed no visible emotion. Smart, dark brown eyes surveyed Shepard with the same curiosity and intensity that he found himself doing to him. The soldier's part of his mind noticed what looked to be a large pistol on the man's right hip.
With his second-long survey of the middle figure complete, Shepard's eyes darted to one of the hulking armored beings to either side. Shepard blinked as his mind processed how exactly large these figures were. The one he was looking at was at least a head and a half taller than he was and was encased in bulky, dull mute-green armor that looked as if it could shrug off a direct hit from a Mako's main cannon. It was sleekly angular, with thick armor plating covering almost every part of the body, and a charcoal black bodysuit underneath. He, at least Shepard guessed the person inside was a he, if in fact there was a person inside, was wearing visored helmet, a non-reflective orange hexagonal visor looking right back at him. Like the unarmored man besides him, this armored hulk was also sporting a pistol on the hip, and the stock of a silver rifle peeked over his right shoulder. Even though Shepard knew almost nothing about this being, something in his gut told him that he was extremely dangerous.
Shepard glanced to the other soldier and found that he was similarly armored, yet his armor was a dark blue and less linear than the green-armored soldier. His eyes flitted to behind the first row of figures, and the next person he saw was a woman, silver-blonde hair tied up in a simple bun and sharp facial features contained by a clear breathing mask. She seemed to be dressed the same as the man he had first seen, yet her dress uniform was a dark black, with absolutely no other colors or insignia visible. Her icy blue eyes seemed to be analyzing and judging Shepard, and his instincts screamed spook.
However, what really caused Shepard to pause was the alien besides the black-clothed woman. It was huge, almost a foot taller than even the already large armored soldiers, and was just as thick. It was also wearing armor, this make a very graceful, elegant dark gray marked all over with intricate etchings. At the end of a long, curved neck was an elongated head encased in a clear helmet, much like the breathing masks the two other humans wore. However, through the transparent material he could see that the creature didn't have a 'mouth' per say, but what instead looked like four distinct mandibles. Orange eyes with beady black pupils peered back at him, and out of the corners of his vision Shepard saw that the creature had long, four-fingered hands and backwards knees, much like some of the other Citadel species. That was were the similarities ended however. The creature was so different that Shepard couldn't make any sort of comparison to its figure, he just had to take it for what it was.
To their credit, neither Kaidan nor Vega so much as outwardly twitched in the face of four gigantic armored beings, an even larger armored alien, and two humans from a faction they had never even heard of.
After the initial seconds of intense observation, Shepard decided to get the show on the road. He stepped forwards and addressed the central man, who he assumed to be in charge. "Hello. I'm Lieutenant Commander John Shepard of the Humans Systems Alliance, Captain of this vessel. Welcome aboard the SSV Normandy."
After a brief pause, the central figure stepped forwards as well. "Admiral Thomas Lasky of the United Nations Space Command, Captain of the UNSC Infinity. It's an honor to meet you Lieutenant Commander, this is a fine vessel."
"The honor is all mine Admiral." Shepard replied respectfully. He gestured down the hallway towards the CIC. "Now if you will follow me to the meeting room, Admiral Anderson and Admiral Hackett, the man you spoke with briefly on the comm, are both waiting for you."
The airlock opening slid upwards, and Chief got his first glimpse of the figures on the other side. The first thing his combat-honed mind noticed were the two soldiers flanking the central man waiting for them, dressed in blue tinted light armor, each with an unknown make of sidearm on their hips. In between them was a tall, confident looking man dressed in a formal uniform that Chief couldn't help but notice looked a lot like UNSC Blues. He had a sidearm on his hip as well.
With a pair of blinks, the Chief highlighted the two soldiers in his visor, then marked them as priority targets, replacing the previously blue outlines with a dark red. He highlighted the central figure, then thought for the briefest of milliseconds. He was going to mark him as a secondary target, but decided against it. Even though he was unarmored, there was a pistol on his waist, and the fact that he was the first face to greet them must have meant something. Chief's intuition told him that this man was of some importance, and potentially dangerous. With another blink, the Chief highlighted him red as well.
Cortana's voice piped up in Chief's ear. "Chief, I'm getting back infrared and thermal scans from the rest of the ship. There are ten unarmed personnel at attention in the hall – " Chief had seen them, and had highlighted them all yellow, secondary targets, " – there are sixteen more in the ovular room at the end of the hallway. They are also unarmed, I'm guessing all of them to be crewman."
"Roger. Secondary targets." Chief said. It was then when he noticed that the central man was looking at him. The Spartan shifted his head ever so slightly so that his helmet was returning the stare, and Chief was surprised at the man's facial expression.
Or rather, lack thereof. The man's strong facial features and sharp blue eyes betrayed almost no signs of emotion directed towards the Spartan, which was highly unusual in Chief's opinion. Usually, someone who saw a fully armored Spartan for the first time expressed a variety of different things: surprise, apprehension, gratitude, awe, respect, fear, disgust. However, this man displayed none of those, his face professionally neutral. If anything, Chief thought that he could see a hint of curiosity in the man's eyes.
As the man shifted his eyes towards Kelly, Cortana spoke up again. "John, I'm reading two eight man teams of heavily armed and armored soldiers out of sight, one behind a large door at the back of the ovular room to our right, another past them in another space of this deck. Two are also two visible armed guards posted outside an entryway on the left side of the ovular room."
"Quick response fireteams. Tag them all as priorities, and make sure the Admiral knows. Any sudden moves from them, tell me immediately."
"Now if you will follow me to the meeting room, Admiral Anderson and Admiral Hackett, the man you spoke with briefly on the comm, are both waiting for you." said Shepard. With that, the Commander smartly turned and began walking down the corridor towards the ovular room beyond, flanked by the two soldiers accompanying him.
Lasky gave a quick glance to Dare, then moved to follow Commander Shepard. Kelly and the Master Chief fell in besides him, while Dare and the Arbiter started walking behind them.
As they followed Shepard down the corridor, Lasky couldn't help but glance at the crewmen bordering either sides of the walkways. They looked so... normal. If he had met them anywhere in UNSC space, he wouldn't have given them another thought, but the fact that they were from a completely different galaxy gave Lasky some pause.
They continued down the corridor and down a couple of stairs into an ovular room. Orange consoles set into the floor lined the outer walls, and in the center of the room a thick waist high railing formed a sort of arrowhead shaped, a few consoles lining them as well. In the air in the center of the arrowhead railings hovered an orange hologram of the Normandy itself.
Lasky spared the hologram a glance. The ship was slightly curved at the top, thicker at the back, and thinned out in the front. It was long and sleek, but the main body of the ship wasn't very wide across. Two 'wings' near the back of the ship contained four independent engine nacelles, and there were two vertical tail-fins near the back as well. The Normandy was about half as large as one of his Strident frigates, which classified it as a corvette, but to Lasky it looked strikingly similar to an ONI Prowler.
At the point of the arrowhead the path split into two directions, one going left and one going right. Shepard took the left path, and Lasky followed him until they reached an entryway bordered by two armed guards. Shepard motioned for his two soldier companions to go ahead, then he turned towards Lasky.
"The meeting is just past this security checkpoint Admiral." he said. Pointing to the pistol on Lasky's hip he said, "I'll have to ask that all weapons be surrendered as well."
"There was nothing in the communique about surrendering our weapons," Lasky said for all of them, making sure that just the right amount of firmness was being protrayed through his tone.
Lasky was in the process of narrowing his eyes when Shepard spoke again, anticipating his question. "Just a safety precaution Admiral, we won't be armed either. You can leave you breathing masks here as well, our scans didn't show any signs of contaminates."
After a brief second of consideration, Lasky decided to act on a leap of faith. He nodded his head. Even without weapons, he had faith in the Spartan's abilities to keep him and Dare safe. As for the Arbiter... something told Lasky that he would be able to take care of himself.
"104, 058, remain here. Everyone else, do as Commander Shepard asks," Lasky ordered.
As Lasky passed through the threshold into the security checkpoint, he saw that directly in front of him was another large blue square barrier, just like the one they had seen at the airlock. To his left was a metal inspection table, illuminated by harsh white lights above, half of it in front of the checkpoint, half of it beyond. Two not so wonder-faced female crewmen manned the checkpoint, regarding the whole scene with eyes wide.
The two soldiers that had accompanied Shepard were already through the checkpoint into the room beyond, their two sidearms already on the far end of the table. Shepard detached his pistol from his own hip and placed it on the table, then stepped towards the square blue field. The field passed back and forth over him once, then Shepard walked into the far room before turning around and looking at Lasky, nodding at him to do the same.
The UNSC Admiral hesitated for just a second before detaching his own pistol from his hip holster and laying it besides Shepard's with a weighted thump. He gave a cursory examination to the other weapon, noting that although it had roughly the same dimensions as his own Magnum, it was slightly more blocky and angular than the smooth curves of his own pistol. Next he removed his breathing mask, the object giving a quiet hiss as the seal was broken. Lasky took a cautious breath through his nose. As far as he could tell the air felt normal, but had the same stale, recylced taste that seemed to be aboard any warship.
After depositing his weapon and mask on the table Lasky stepped towards the blue field as well, letting it run over him a couple of times. He noticed that the crewman on the other side of the checkpoint was glancing at a monitor, probably connected to the square scanner. After receiving no signs of distress, Lasky went on through and joined Shepard to wait for the rest of his contingent to pass through the checkpoint.
Dare was next, following Lasky's example by removing her sidearm and mask without hesitation. She then underwent the same scan as Lasky did before joining him on his left. With fluid precision, the two Spartan's detached their pistols as well, laying them gently on the table before slowly and unaggressively reaching to their backs and withdrawing their X-ACS's. They set the shining silver rifles down next to their pistol, and Lasky could see a curious glimmer in one of the security crewman's eyes. Chief and Kelly went through the scanner together, but suddenly there was a sharp, shrill beeping sound coming from the inspection console.
Lasky shot a look at the crewman manning the console, and she gave him a nervously apologetic smile. The woman turned to the two Spartans, asking in a voice trying to be confident "Could you both step through the scanner again?"
Without a word, the armored soldiers stepped back, then underwent to back-and-forth field of the scanner for a second time. Still, the same beeping alarm sounded.
Lasky looked to Shepard. "It's the armor."
He thought he could see the Commander Shepard narrowing his eyes ever so slightly in suspicion, but nonetheless he nodded at the security crewmen, who then waved the two Spartans through.
Last was the Arbiter. The Sangheili surrendered his breather helmet easily enough, but his weapons were another story. He grasped his energy sword hilt and his plasma pistol in separate hands and very slowly set them on the table, all the while glaring menacingly at the security crewman. After releasing his grip on the two weapons the Arbiter took a step towards the woman, craning his long neck down at her. Lasky could see the woman's lips quiver.
The Arbiter pointed a long, muscular finger at the hilt of his energy sword. In a deep, low voice laced with the smallest hint of threatening malice, he said "This blade has been in my family line for dozens of generations. Hundreds of those most-worthy warriors had wielded its power, and thousands upon thousands have been slain at its tips. If it is misplaced, or damaged in even the slightest way..."
With that, the large alien turned away suddenly and strode right through the blue scanner square, not heeding the alarms he set off in the slightest. The Arbiter peered at Shepard and Lasky before stating, "Let us get started Humans, I am growing restless."
Inwardly Lasky grimaced. Though the Arbiter's slight hostility could work in their favor, as a little intimidation did have potential benefits every now and then, Lasky was worried that the Sangheili might take it too far.
"Um... yes. The Admirals are just beyond this door." Shepard said, before pressing a series of keys on a pad near the entrance. The holographic red circle on the door flashed green, then the doorway slid open from the middle.
Shepard and the UNSC/Separatist delegation stepped into the next room, and found that to the left there was a rectangular table surrounded by clear glass panels. The table looked to have wooden surfaces bordered by silver metal, and gently curved along its edges. Six simple chairs surrounded the table, three on each of the longer sides. There were a trio of wide windows where one could look out into the white-dotted blackness of space, behind which stood two men dressed in neatly pressed dark blue, gold trim lining thin shoulder pauldrons. The two soldiers who had previously accompanied Shepard were standing at parade rest a couple of meters away from the short end of one side of the table, their backs pressed against the clear glass panes.
At the sound of the delegation's entry, the two men facing the windows turned around, giving Lasky his first look at them.
They were both dressed in the same formal uniform as Commander Shepard, and like the Commander, Lasky couldn't see any visible insignia on their chests. One of the two, a grizzled looking man with rough white facial hair and eyebrows, was wearing a cap with a symbol comprised of what appeared to be a curved arrowhead with three stars in the center emblazoned above the hard bill. A noticeable scar ran from the bottom corner of his right eye, down his cheekbone, and ended at the top of his lip. Light blue, almost grey eyes flicked back and forth between Lasky and his compatriots, narrowing slightly at the sight of the two Spartans and the Arbiter. Weathered lines crinkled around the corners of his mouth and eyes, leading Lasky to believe that the man was somewhat aged. In a way, the man almost reminded Lasky of Lord Hood, just as Dare had said.
The other figure was dark skinned, with large ears and thin black hair. Soft brown eyes and a friendly expression showed that the main had an air of ease about him that seemed to be lacking in his compatriot. When he made eye contact with Lasky, the corners of his mouth upturned in a small smile which the UNSC Admiral didn't return.
Commander Shepard stepped into the 'enclosure' gesturing for everyone else to do the same. They all settled themselves, Shepard moving to the far side of the table to take his place at Hackett's right side, while Anderson was to Hackett's left, closest to Vega and Kaidan standing guard a few feet away. Lasky situated himself across from Hackett in the center of his side of the table, while Dare stepped to his left and the Arbiter his right. The Master Chief and Kelly-087 simply mirrored the postures of the Alliance soldiers, stood at the opposite end of the table as them.
With everybody now standing behind their chairs, Hackett tried to banish the nervousness fluttering in his stomach and began to speak, making sure to make eye contact with each of the individuals opposite him. "Welcome aboard the SSV Normandy, it is a great honor to finally meet you. I am Admiral Steven Hackett of the Systems Alliance."
Hackett tilted his head towards Anderson before continuing. "This is Admiral David Anderson, and you've already met Commander Shepard." The two mentioned individuals both nodded towards the figures on the other side of the table.
Lasky took that as his key to introduce himself and his companions as well. "My name is Admiral Thomas Lasky of the United Nations Space Command." Looking at Dare he said, "This is Lieutenant Colonel Veronica Dare, Office of Naval Intelligence."
Shepard blinked at the blonde woman across from him. He knew she had been a spook.
Admiral Lasky then looked up at the Arbiter. "This is Arbiter Thel 'Vadam of the Sangheili." The Arbiter gave a low grunt of acknowledgment at the title.
Now that introductions were out of the way, Hackett motioned towards the chairs. "Please, sit."
With the scraping of metal on metal, the six figures took their seats. The Arbiter hesitated for a moment, unsure of the chair's capability to support his weight, before slowly easing himself into the seat. Aside from a quiet groan, the chair held firm.
Lasky leaned his forearms on the table and clasped his hands together, the skin on the bottom of his hands brushing against the cold metal of the outer edges, then the smooth, polished surface of the wood. He was about to talk before Admiral Hackett beat him to it.
"I'll be frank Admiral," addressed Hackett to Lasky, leaning on his forearms as well. "You and your vessels are trespassing in Systems Alliance space, and it's unnerved a lot of people in high places. How did you get here? You'll have to understand our alarm when twelve ships completely bypass all of our early warning systems."
Now that Lasky was face to face with his counterpart, he was once again presented with a critical dilemma: what exactly should Lasky reveal? He needed this Systems Alliance to at least somewhat trust him, and if he withheld too much that could be jeopardized. However, if he revealed too much, he risked the chance of looking like a madman and alienating their only current source of support. The things that Lasky knew, or at least what he thought he knew, had the potential to rock this other Humanity to its very core.
Lasky's thought process lasted maybe a second at most, and he responded to Hackett with "The simple yet unfortunate truth is: We don't know. We were investigating an artifact in deep space when it sent out a... wave of energy, which temporarily shut down our systems and transported us here."
To say that Hackett was skeptical was an understatement. "An artifact huh? What kind of artifact?" he asked.
"We don't know Admiral, hence the investigation," answered Lasky neutrally.
There were a few seconds of silence as Hackett's blue-grey eyes looked deeply into Lasky's browns. Then, Hackett asked the question that they had all been waiting for. "Who are you? You're Human, I can tell that easily enough, but I've never seen ships like yours, and I sure as hell haven't heard of this UNSC. Where did you come from? How have you stayed off of the Alliance's radar for so long?"
Not yet finished, Hackett turned to the Arbiter. "And you, I've never seen your species before. I address the same questions I've asked Admiral Lasky to you, Arbiter 'Vadam."
Halfway through Hackett's questions towards the Arbiter, Cortana spoke up into Lasky's hidden internal earpiece. "Admiral, Roland has just completed compiling copies of local star maps, and upon comparing them with charts we have on record, forwarded his analysis to me. Though the system of Sol is exactly the same, our original star map and the new one are completely different."
Beneath his facade of neutrality, Lasky inwardly frowned. So, his suspicions were correct: the Artifact had sent them to a different galaxy, the same one that the human-carrying Forerunner seed ship had passed through millennial ago. At least, that was what the 'evidence' he knew, the vision included, suggested. But two questions still raged in Lasky's mind. If this was a different galaxy, why was the Sol system exactly the same? Also, how the hell were they supposed to get home?
He didn't know the answer to the first question, but something told him that the first step in answering the second involved the three humans on the opposite side of the table.
As Hackett finished his own questions, Lasky began to try to answer them. "Admiral Hackett, as you can probably tell we're not exactly from around here."
"Yes, that much has been established," said Anderson, "But where?"
Lasky glanced at Dare. The ONI officer was wearing an earpiece as well, and she had heard what Cortana had told him as well.
Lasky let out a sigh, then said "We're uh... we seem to be from a different galaxy."
The silence and blank stares from the Alliance side of the table didn't surprise Lasky in the slightest.
It was Commander Shepard who broke the silence. "A different galaxy?"
"Yes, it appears that way," replied Lasky.
"And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" asked Anderson, crossing his arms.
"One of our Artificial Intelligences have completed a star mapping of our new surroundings, and upon comparisons of our own, there are zero similarities. This, combined with -"
Lasky was interrupted by Hackett, who had just shared a rather grave-looking glance with Anderson.
"I apologize for interrupting Admiral, but did you say Artificial Intelligence?" said Hackett, peering at Lasky.
A look of confusion crossed the UNSC Admiral's face. "Yes? Why?"
Anderson leaned forwards. "Artificial Intelligences are, er... banned in our galaxy."
"Banned?" asked Dare.
"For hundreds of years. Ever since a race of AI's called the Geth rose up and nearly exterminated their creators, the Quarians, the Citadel Council has banned truly Artificial Intelligences throughout the galaxy," said Hackett.
Lasky put a hand to his temple in confusion. "You're going to have to slow down Admiral. Geth? Quarians? Citadel Council? We're not familiar with any of these terms."
"Right, we apologize." said Hackett, mentally kicking himself. He had to assume that they had absolutely no knowledge of their galaxy, the Systems Alliance one, that is. "If you truly are from another galaxy, there is a lot you need to learn about this one. But for now, I suggest we focus on learning about each other before anything else. That being said, we're going to have to talk about this... potential AI problem."
Lasky was slightly worried about the emphasis on AI's, but nonetheless he slowly nodded in approval. As curious as he was to learn about this new galaxy, the practical part of his mind knew that any information about these new humans took absolute priority.
"That sounds like the most practical plan right now, Admiral Hackett." said Lasky.
"Alright. Well, I think it's only logical that you go first Admiral Lasky. You said you were affiliated with something called the 'United Nations Space Command' if I recall correctly. What is that?" asked Hackett.
Lasky took a deep breath. Before they had departed for the meeting, Lasky, Dare, and the Arbiter had agreed not to mention Earth, their Sol System, or the Human-Covenant War in the slightest, at least not at first. The reason being was simple: In their situation, information was power. The less that this Systems Alliance knew about the true history behind the UNSC and the Covenant Separatists, the better.
"The United Nations Space Command," Lasky began, "is the military, exploratory, and scientific force responsible for protecting and advancing Humanity and its colonies. Of our galaxy at least."
"I see." said Hackett. "So you're a military entity. Do you report to any type of civilian government?"
Lasky pursed his lips. "Technically... yes. There was a government that unified all of Humanity's colonies, to which we reported to."
"Was?" questioned Hackett, eyebrow raised, catching that little distinction.
"This government proved... ineffective. It has been replaced by the UNSC, with each human colony now governing themselves under us."
"So a military dictatorship? Or junta?" asked Anderson.
"Essentially correct," replied Lasky. He spoke without reservation or shame. The dismantling of the UEG, and the subsequent 'takeover' by the UNSC had been deemed necessary for Humanity's continued survival. After the horrors of the Human-Covenant war, Humanity as a whole had vowed not to get caught unprepared again. They needed to rebuild and rearm, and the only way that was going to happen was through the organization and power offered by the UNSC.
Hackett put a hand to his chin, scratching at the grey-white stubble. "Interesting... There is another faction in our galaxy who has a government very similar to yours."
"Is that so?" said Lasky. "In that case, I hope this doesn't cause any problems between us."
"We are in no position to judge your methods of governance, but only time will tell." Hackett glanced to Dare. "And what about this 'Office of Naval Intelligence?"
"The Office of Naval Intelligence is the Intelligence branch of the UNSC," replied Dare cooly.
Hackett just nodded coolly. Now looking at the Arbiter, he asked, "And what about you? What is your relationship with Admiral Lasky and Captain Dare? Are the Sangheili part of the USNC as well?"
The Arbiter almost snorted at that. "No, we are not a part of the UNSC, although we are... allies. My ship, and my people, are of our own sovereignty."
"Your ship?"
"Indeed. I command the Sangheili Assault Carrier Shadow of Intent."
Hackett thought back to the Kilimanjaro, when he had first seen the two behemoths appear above Earth. 'Sanghieli.' The word sounded unfamiliar in his mind, but just by the design of the alien's armor... "Let me guess, silver-white? Bulbous front, thin back?"
The Arbiter nodded.
"So that would make the other one yours, Admiral Lasky?" reasoned Hackett.
"Yes. The UNSC Infinity."
"The Infinity and the Shadow of Intent..." said Hackett, rolling the names over his toungue. "They look like incredible ships, although I will have to ask later how you managed to get them so large."
"Er... yes, I would be happy to discuss more about the Infinity later, provided that you were willing to do the same with your own vessels. But now that you know a little about us, I would like to know the same about you. What is the Systems Alliance?"
Lasky was interested to see what these two men said about their own government, and if it matched with the limited information Cortana had procured for them.
"The Systems Alliance is the representative body of Earth and all human colonies in Citadel space. It is responsible for the governance and defense of all extra-solar human colonies, and represents humanity on the galactic stage. We" – Hackett gestured towards himself, Shepard, and Anderson, – "are part of the Alliance Navy, the military arm of the Systems Alliance. Unlike your UNSC, we report to a civilian government, which consists of a parliament made up of representatives from all of Humanity's colonies."
So far this mostly aligned with everything Cortana had uncovered, but it did confuse Lasky on one point.
"Hold on a second Admiral, I'm confused." said Lasky, leaning forwards. "Why is it that we're only meeting with the military portion of the Systems Alliance? What does your civilian government think of our arrival? Or is this just a First Contact precaution, to use the military as your first face?"
Hackett sucked in through his teeth before exhaling heavily. "I'll be honest Admiral. Your sudden appearance scared a lot of people, and while you may not have anyone you have to answer to, I do. Our civilian council can be...unpredictable to say the least. I've been delaying communications with them, but eventually I'll have to report back to them. And when I do, I could be ordered to do any number of things. The way they may see it, twelve unknown ships materialized above our home planet as if by magic, bypassed every one of our extensive lines of defense, and almost instigated a large-scale conflict. They could label you a hostile entity and order me to 'remove the threat' so to speak. Or, with the revealance that most of you are human, they could think that they have jurisdiction over you and your crews regardless of where you come from. Immediate surrendering of your ships, interrogation of your crews, you get the idea."
Lasky bristled at that. "I'm not going to surrender anything Admiral. The UNSC is its own entity, and we don't abide by Alliance laws." said Lasky firmly.
Hackett raised his hands in self-defense. "I am well aware of that fact Admiral. Clearly the circumstances surrounding you situation rate as 'unique' to our rules. At least, that's how I see it. You all have been willing to keep things peaceful and civil, and until we can figure out what exactly is going on, I want to do my best to keep it that way."
"But you just said yourself that you might have to engage us based on the will of your council." remarked Dare dryly.
"I am well aware of that Colonel, and I think I have a plan to prevent just that from happening." retorted Hackett.
"Do tell human, as it would not be wise for you to challenge us." growled the Arbiter.
Hackett shot a glare towards the Sangheili, who looked back on him with what looked like... humor? He was slowly coming to dislike to large alien.
"Yes, well... As an Alliance Admiral, it is within my power to form temporary treaties and agreements with other forces as I see fit. Needless to say, the political backlash of our Council trying to undertake hostile action against a faction that has peaceably entered into a treaty would be significant."
"How significant?" asked Lasky.
"Enough to severely harm their reputation throughout galaxy, not to mention serious blow back from the Citadel were it to become known they needlessly instigated a fight. Something they wouldn't be willing to risk."
"But this isn't a definite solution, is it?"
"It's as definite as a man of my authority can make it, provided we come to an amicable agreement we can both abide by. If we do, then the Systems Alliance Council would likely ratify it, albeit begrudgingly."
Lasky leaned back, contemplating Hackett's words. It appeared they didn't have much choice. Either sign a treaty, or be forced into defending themselves. It was a simple choice really, any chance they had to extend the time to figure out what was going on was something Lasky couldn't pass up. Then there was the fact that Hackett was putting himself out on a limb to ensure things didn't turn hostile, which was something that was rapidly winning him over. Cortana had apparently pegged the man right. Bluntly honest, aggressive, yet reasonable. His plan to establish relations between the two sides was…inspired to say the least, and he felt compelled to meet the man half way.
"Very well. The UNSC Infinity and her escorts will agree to any sort of treaty that establishes and keeps our status as a sovereign and independent faction. The same for the Arbiter; his crew and ship will remain independent as well."
Lasky briefly noticed the Arbiter glanced at him as his mandibles twitched in in surprise appraisal.
The UNSC Admiral then looked expectantly towards the Arbiter. After a brief pause, the Sangheili said, "The Shadow of Intent and her crew will... also agree to these terms."
Hackett inwardly smiled, they were making progress. "Excellent. Whether they know it or not, the Systems Alliance will do all in their power in order to help the UNSC and the Sangheili Separatists. I'll have the documents drawn up imminently. As of now consider yourselves guests of the Humans Systems Alliance. We will extend all courtesies we can to you. Now that that's settled, we still have much more to talk abo – "
Suddenly, a synthesized female voice came over the meeting room's intercom, interrupting Lasky in the middle of his sentence.
"Admiral Hackett, the SSV Belfast has just arrived in-system and appears to be heavily damaged. Her Captain is requesting a priority communication with you via the Normandy's QEC.
Alarm bells started to scream in Hackett's head. The SSV Belfast was one of the four Alliance warships that comprised the task force sent to investigate the sudden blackout of two of their outermost colonies along Batarian space. The same task force that had been declared MIA not ten minutes before the UNSC and Separatist vessels appeared above Earth.
Lasky picked up on the change in his Alliance counterpart's facial expression. "Is something wrong Admiral?"
Hackett looked grim. Midway through a First Contact scenario, this was probably one of the worst possible things that could happen. "I dearly hope not. I severely apologize, but you will have to excuse me for a moment."
"It's not a problem Admiral."
As Hackett stood up, he looked at Shepard and Anderson. "Answer any questions they might have. I'll be back momentarily."
With that, Hackett walked around the table and through the partition in the glass, turning left towards the Normandy's War Room. He inputted the code to open the door, and quickly stepped into the circular space.
Eight Alliance Marines were waiting for him on the other side of the door, one of the two fast-reaction teams that were standing by, and their Lieutenant stepped forwards.
"Is everything alright Admiral?" he asked, concerned.
"Yes, I've just got a message on the QEC I need to take." replied Hackett, striding past the armored soldier. He made his way around the central holotable, then up a short set of stairs into the room that contained the QEC. Hackett hesitated for a second, then sealed the door behind him. Stepping towards an already flashing panel, he pressed the activation button and stood up straight, hands clasped behind his back.
Hackett grimaced as the picture of the Belfast's Captain materialized on the QEC. His uniform was singed around the edges, and his left arm was in a makeshift sling. His face was gaunt, and his eyes had a wild, almost maniac gleam to them, like he had seen something indescribably terrible. The Captain was clearly on the edge.
"Captain! What the hell happened? Where's the rest of the task force? What's the status on the two colonies?" asked Hackett urgently, though he feared he already knew the answer.
"They're all gone Admiral," the Captain said, panic bleeding through his voice. "The task force, the colonies... gone."
"Gone? How?" pressed Hackett as he felt his stomach leap into his throat.
"It's...oh God Admiral…its them!…It's the Reapers!"
Special thanks to my beta JonHarper