Mass Effect is the property of Bioware, Alien is owned by 20th Century Fox

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To everybody that has been reading this story, thanks for taking an interest!

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USM Anzio

The United Systems Military Rapid Deployment Vessel Anzio had been observing the situation for over a week, carefully hiding behind a gas giant in the outer system as its remotely operated drones kept an eye on both the Calypso, and the unknown vessel that seemed determined to stick its alien nose where it didn't belong. So far things had been quiet, but the latest, unexpected data-transfer from one of its drones had started a flurry of activity, culminating in a hasty meeting in the briefing room.

"What the hell are these people doing?" captain Ramirez snarled as he looked at the latest images. It was clearly meant as a rhetorical question. Even so, one of the two other occupants of the briefing room decided to answer.

"What else did you expect them to do? Sit in their ship and stare at the Calypso for the rest of eternity. What would we do in their place?"

If looks had been able to kill, the blond woman in the grey business suit would have dropped dead on the spot. As it was, captain Ramirez had to content himself with a verbal response.

"Ms. Vickers, I think we are all aware what you and your employers would do in this kind of situation. You've already done it and a lot of people paid the price. I guess I'm naïve enough to hope that somewhere in the universe is a species that is a little more cautious about boarding unknown spacecraft."

Meredith Vickers had the grace to look at least somewhat embarrassed. "Captain, I'm not trying to make excuses for what happened at LV-426. It was a bad call, I admit that. So was that mess on Sevastopol station. But that was decades ago and I'd like to believe that we have learned from our mistakes. You know as well as I do that Weyland-Yutani have also paid a price. That is why we told the United Systems the moment we found out about the Calypso and that is why we offered our assistance in containing this situation. As for what's happening now, I don't think anyone could have predicted that we'd find some alien species sniffing around. I mean, the odds against this happening are astronomical. Still, the situation is what it is and we have to deal with it. I told you from the beginning that waiting was not going to get us anything. Either we leave these aliens to their fate, and I think we all know what that fate will be, or we act. Just sitting on our hands while the situation goes from bad to worse is not the solution."

Captain Ramirez took a deep breath to calm himself before he answered. Truth be told, he had nothing against Meredith Vickers personally. Unfortunately, the loss of an entire Colonial Marine unit at LV-426, followed by subsequent and equally unnecessary losses as Weyland-Yutani and its fellow corporations tried to contain the situation, had left a legacy of distrust that was difficult to overcome. Ultimately the military had benefited enormously from that mess, because the resulting emergency had allowed its officers to grab a lot of power at the expense of the increasingly ineffective corporate boards. On good days captain Ramirez was quite willing to be generous and let bygones be bygones as long as the representatives of corporations remembered their new place in universe and especially if, like Vickers, they happened to be easy on the eyes. This was not a good day, but still...

"Point taken, ms. Vickers. Point taken. Still, that does put us on the spot. As you say, we either leave these people to their fate, or we interfere." He looked at the third person in the briefing room. A tall, squarely built man with a dark complexion, wearing the uniform of the United Systems Marine Corps. "Lieutenant Anderson, are your marines ready for a boarding action?"

"For boarding, yes sir; but for first contact? Not to put too fine a point to it, captain, but as far as the marines are concerned the answer to all things xeno is to shoot them full of holes."

"Oh for..." For the first time Meredith Vickers seemed to be in serious danger of losing her composure. "Lieutenant, I don't think you fully understand the situation. For all we know, these people have a fleet ready to back them up. I understand your marines want to live up to their reputation of bringing peace through superior firepower, but right now that is just not acceptable."

"Ms. Vickers, whoever, or whatever these new aliens may be, there are almost certainly life xenomorphs on board. Now, I can understand your desire for a peaceful first-contact, but my name is NOT Gorman and I'm NOT going to let the xenomorphs wipe out my unit. For that matter, the time that Weyland-Yutani had the power to make such things happen is fortunately a thing of the past."

"I am well aware of that, lieutenant. Which is why we are trying to limit the damage. Not increase it."

"I'll be the first to applaud your attempt to turn over a new leaf and clean up your mess, ma'am, but the fact remains that these are the absolutely worst conditions to make first contact with anyone. If I have to board that vessel, I have to do it as a combat mission, not a diplomatic endeavour. It's not going to be pretty."

"Enough!" Ramirez' voice cut through the argument. "Our bickering is not going to settle this. Anderson, I want your unit ready to move by the time we hit orbit. I'll dust of the first contact protocols. They have to be somewhere in the database, even though we've never used them, and with a bit of luck they'll keep those aliens from shooting at us as we approach. After that, it will be up to you. As for you, Ms. Vickers?"

"Captain?"

"I suggest you start putting together some visuals that will explain to these aliens what is going on. That is, of course, assuming that they actually have eyes."

"Of course, captain."

Vickers left the room, leaving captain Ramirez lieutenant Anderson behind. Ramirez looked at the junior officer.

"Something you wanted to say, lieutenant?"

Lieutenant Anderson took a moment to collect his thoughts, trying to come up with an argument that would convince the captain.

"Sir, I think this is a recipe for disaster. My people will be boarding the Calypso, weapons hot and ready to kill. I don't know who, or what, these aliens are, but at the very least they are going to be startled. At the worst they will think we intend to kill them. One way or another, someone is bound to panic. It doesn't matter who fires the first shot, the damage will be done; and that doesn't even begin to take into account what will happen if we have to engage the xenomorphs. It's bad enough when our own civilians are running around a combat zone. Some unknown alien species? We have nothing! No way of communicating, no way to warn them, no way to explain … Like I said, captain a recipe for disaster."

"Lieutenant, I fully understand your reservations, but consider the alternative: Do you really think it wise to introduce ourselves to these aliens as though we're the idiots that leave ships full of xenomorphs for unsuspecting people to find?"

"It might be closer to the truth than we like, captain." Anderson shrugged. " I understand your point sir, hell I understand Vickers' point. Still, I cannot give any guarantees that this will go peacefully."

Captain Ramirez snorted.

"I know lieutenant. I'm well aware under how much stress everybody will be and how easily it can end in tragedy. I'm not Vickers. The sad thing is, that I think she's sincere. She wants to clean up this mess. Wants to see the corporations go in a more positive direction. And she certainly wants to make peaceful contact with this new species. Think about how much goodwill that will buy for herself and her employers. Now, if she could just rid herself of that stupid corporate arrogance... She still believes that the fact that she wants something will automatically make it happen." He took at deep breath. "Just do the best you can to avoid bloodshed. Don't risk the lifes of your men, though. That is our ship out there. The aliens chose to board it, if it goes wrong the consequences are on them."

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OK, that introduces all the main characters, except one, and establishes the timeline.

For the ME universe, I see this story as taking place around the time of he First Contact War. For the Alien universe, it would be about 50 years after the events of Aliens. At first I hadn't intended to use any of the canon characters from the Alien franchise other than mentioning them posthumously, (most of them don't survive the movies anyway), but I decided to import Vickers from Prometheus. It annoyed me that they had an actress like Charlize Theron and wasted her on a part that was ultimately useless to the story. Besides, I kind of liked Vickers. She seemed the only person in the whole movie that had an ounce of common sense.