And we're back for chapter 3!

Enjoy!

Chapter 3: The night sky is clear and the moonlight illuminates their blades and spears

Reginald POV

There was a moment of shock. The concept that a man they had known for several years was suddenly completely different. The fact that he might be able to do things like the Imperator people was terrifying to them. Reggie smirked. It was good to know that his power could interpret aliens in the same way it did people. He had always believed he had been chosen for a purpose, and it might be in helping diplomatic relations along. While the Captain and Lung worked on resuscitating the Salarian, Reginald stepped forward to fill the gap. "Honourable Councilors, I must apologize for the events that happened here today. With luck, and a good portion of patience, we will be able to work this out in a calm and orderly manner. With your consent, we will bring the unfortunate Councilor on board our ship, where we can help him adjust to what he is going through."

"Wait, how can we trust you? As far as we can tell, he has simply collapsed, admittedly after shooting a member of your party in the head, yet you stand there making claims that he is abnormal. Explain, and we will not turn the might of the Citadel Fleets against your people.

Empty threat, knows that there is no chance of victory in such a situation. Bluffing about fleet strength, believes that a ship of the Imperator's size would easily tear through the ships of their fleet. Doesn't even know about Tinkers, still terrified. Easy to intimidate, despite secure belief that the Turian might is the greatest out there.

Reginald held his hands out in a placating gesture. "While I understand that it is hard for you to believe, I would like him to be in a place where we he can have things explained to him in a calm and orderly fashion, rather than here, where any number of crazy things could happen. While it does not happen often, there have been cases in our history where an accident on board has resulted in such an incident occurring. If you want, we would happily allow up to ten diplomats, plus five security personnel, from each species to come along on board. While there, negotiations can be entered about various things, like mining rights, migration restrictions, and restricted space."

Reginald could see the Council calming down at this point, as the conversation had gone from the bizarrely unknown to the familiar. Tevos in particular was more used to engaging in backroom discussions then new discoveries, and calmed down when things were quantifiably solid and tangible. With luck, there would be no declarations of war today, or in the near future. So long as the peace was kept, the Imperator could mine some metals, talk to some people, engage in cultural exchanges, and then bugger off. It had taken a while to get out of the Empty Band, and there were hopes that this new, populated universe indicated the beginning of a populated sector. Sixty years of being the only detectable sentient life grew boring rather quickly.

"If you would like, Councilors, we will return to our ship. You may either come with us now, or bring a ship of your own into one of our hangars. Just make sure that the ship in question is no more than half a kilometre in length, and we should be able to accommodate it."

Tevos nodded. "We shall be bringing a ship of diplomats soon. Can you send across a data package as to what sort of environment you run on your ship? "

"Absolutely. You will have it as soon as possible."

He nodded to the Captain, who had his hand on Valern. "We will leave now. Siren!"

And the group disappeared in a flash of fire, leaving no evidence that they had ever actually been there.

Shepard POV (yay!)

"Well, Anderson, I hope you're proud. All of humanities goodwill with the Council may just have been lost by your actions today."

Shepard turned around, not really surprised to see Ambassador Udina on the balcony, trying to browbeat the Captain into submission. Why the Ambassador had such a vendetta against any person other than himself, it was unknown, but the vendetta was there. He decided that it was time to defuse the situation. "Ambassador, do not be so quick to make conclusions. If the other humans prove an aid to galactic society, it is highly likely to reflect well on us, and humanity as a whole. Failing that, we will have been the people who identified and reached out to a new galactic power. I see no possible downside. Merely assemble eight more diplomats, to supplement yourself and Captain Anderson, and we have a human delegation. Subtly alert the other species about the situation, let them know, and you gain even more goodwill."

Udina looked surprised at his political savvy, as he had seen many times before, on many people. "And just where does this insight come from, Commander Shepard? I would have thought a dumb soldier like you would have no insight other than 'Alliance good, Council good, others bad'."

William smirked. "Many people look at me and only see the Soldier. I have taken notice of that assumption, and used it to my own advantage. As for the goodwill, consider this. The Imperator specifically mentioned that all species could present ten diplomats, not simply the Council Races. Let the Krogan, Volus, Hanar, etc. know about the offer, and you not only gain goodwill with their governments, but the people on board the Imperator will view you as fair and honest, making them more likely to prefer you as a political liaison with Citadel Space."

"A fair point young lad, but why would I bring Captain Anderson with me? I would believe there to be more suitable diplomats on board the Citadel, or close enough that they could arrive before the diplomatic mission."

"Indeed, but he already has a standing invitation. Allowing him along will show respect to the desires of the Captain, by showing that you are willing to sacrifice a spot for a more talented diplomat in order to accommodate his wishes."

Udina nodded, seeming to understand the logic behind his reasoning. "Any chance you will join the diplomatic party yourself? I would appreciate someone of your hidden talents as a hidden card."

Will shook his head. "As much as I would like to, I would rather take this time of distraction to find more evidence against Saren. He is still out there, plotting his next move against humanity. Please, enjoy yourself Ambassador. It is likely that it will be a last moment of calm before a raging storm."

And with that he excused himself, leaving to go find evidence against Saren.

Captain Anderson POV

Forty-eight hours later

Bridge of the Turian cruiser Thracia's Pride

There were one hundred and forty seven diplomatic and security personnel assembled for the transfer, from eleven different races. While it took a lot to gain some measure of interspecies co-operation, a diplomatic mission to a Citadel-sized alien ship was enough. There was a lot of friction, of course. The humans shot evil looks at the batarians, the krogan kept staring at the turians and salarians and rubbing their guns, and the quarians were frowned on by just about everyone. They were on a turian ship for many reasons, the major one being that they were technically the military arm of the Citadel government. Also, they agreed to bring fewer diplomats if one of their ships was used for the transport, as well as entrusting the safety of their five diplomats to the Asari Commandos present.

"Greetings, various diplomats, and welcome aboard the Thracia's Pride. I am Captain Morus, your transport to what has been identified as the Imperator. We will depart the Citadel, and travel for approximately three minutes before reaching the ship. Once there, all diplomats and attached security personnel will depart my vessel, and I will retrieve you when a six of the eleven removal beacons have been activated. I hope you enjoy your stay, and try to not to piss off the forty kilometre ship parked outside the galactic capital."

Anderson sighed. It was all well and good that they would pick a Hierarchy vessel, but would it have been beyond them to get one that did not remind him of the Normandy's own pilot?

With a couple of groaning noises, the relatively small cruiser detached from the Citadel, and flew out into the gas of the Serpent Nebula, headed for the massive ship. While the ship in question was by no means necessarily a warship, many people had begun referring to it as one, seeing as how it practically radiated lethality and intimidation. The various responses to attempted boarding had also proved their strength, as Anderson remembered well

Flashback

24 hours ago

David was standing out the window of his quarters on the Normandy, as he had been for several hours now, simply staring at the Imperator. It was a massive ship, but it seemed to be a slumbering dragon, as far as they were concerned. No transmissions in or out, no discernable change in status, nothing. It was completely silent. For all they knew, everyone on board was dead.

He frowned. A Batarian ship had just arrived through the relay, carrier class. Despite all warnings by the fleet, the ship made an approach vector towards the behemoth, clearly wanting to board it. As the ship turned, David received a ping on his Omni-tool. The fleet had identified the carrier, it was one used during the Skyllian Blitz, one of the few that escaped. Its presence here could only mean that the pirates who ran it had decided that the Imperator would make a fine target for a slave run, seeing how it was not yet affiliated with any galactic power.

The ship drew near to the foreign ship, and launched a harpoon from a central cannon. The harpoon sailed through the void, only to be shot down by… something. Whatever it was, it fired, and the harpoon simply stopped being. A flurry of harpoons were launched, though again, they were shot down, though each cannon seemed to do something different. Disintegration, transformation, paralysis? Weird ones as well, ones that made no sense.

In a sudden maneuver, the carrier suddenly accelerated, on a direct collision course with the Imperator. It kept going, until suddenly…

It was inside out, and going back the way it came.'

That was the only time an attempt to interfere with the Imperator had been made.

Present time

The Imperator was drawing ever nearer, and they saw now that a small port was open on the side, with glowing lights pointing towards it. Oh, and a giant sign on top that literally said, in glowing block capitals, "DIPLOMATIC PARTY HERE!"

It seemed that their alleged lack of subtlety was true. They were indeed so not subtle as to send a man to knock on the outside of the Council Chambers' windows.

"This is the Thracia's Pride, requesting permission to board the Imperator, bearing a cargo of-"

"Yeah, yeah, diplomatic party. Come on in, what took you so long?"

The various diplomats listening in across the ship perked up. Given their eagerness to talk, maybe there would actually be an interspecies negotiation that was not fraught with tension.

The cruiser coasted into the hangar, where a small assembly of people were milling around, with paper party hats and bunting. Across the back wall was a massive banner that read "Diplomatic Party!".

The cruiser touched down, and began disgorging groups of diplomats and bodyguards, each of which had a drink pressed into their hands, and given directions to the buffet table and the dance floor. The confused representatives just stood there, until, with the most stereotypical record scratch possible, Captain Mortland stopped the music. "Parahumans of the Imperator, just what in Simurgh's name are you traumatising our guests with this time?"

Many of the assembled non-Citadel humans scuffed their feet, and developed an interest in their boots. Only one stood forward, the one who knocked on the window of the Council Chambers. "Well, Captain, a group of us, myself included, decided that the planned events were quite dull. So we got a few tinker buddies together, worked some things out, and got this thing put together."

"Mr. Davis, you are temporarily relieved of duty. Now, pack it up, move it out the hangar, and we will see what can be done when the actual negotiations are over."

With murmurs of "Yes, sir.", the assembled people grabbed the buffet, bunting, the banner, and the dance floor, and cleared out, leaving the diplomatic group alone in the hangar with Captain Mortland.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Imperator. I will be guide for the duration of your stay. I hope you enjoy it, and that you have an open mind to what you see."

The End!

Just a couple of questions, review or PM me your answers.

Any suggestions for Valern's power?

Should I keep uploading as I write it, or simply write the whole thing and then upload it?

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