Korla Viviani watched from above as the primitive primates went about their daily lives, oblivious of her presence. Perched on top a high ridge just beyond the jungle tree line, she was well hidden from the local inhabitants. The thick rainforest trees and large tear shaped leaves, some larger than herself, was both a gift and a curse. It offered superb cover to avoid detection—a necessity for her line of work—but the environment was near impossible to maneuver through quickly, and over the weeks Korla had suffered no shortage of cuts and scrapes from sharp branches and foliage. The Asari had become use to such conditions though, generally preferring field work to lab studies whenever possible. Laid stomach flat against the jungle floor, Korla opened her Omni-tool to check her operational status.
Her small transport shuttle and campsite was located about two kilometers from her current position, deep within the jungle. It wasn't a preferred setup, but the location was out of sight of the creatures she was studying, and there was an opening of the canopy that allowed cool breezes to flow through from the top. Her shuttle was on constant standby whenever she left the site, with an array of cameras and sensors ready to alert her of anything that got too close. She also checked her campsite's power supply and estimated local weather forecasts for the next few days. Satisfied that everything seemed to be in order, Korla propped herself up on one elbow to take a large gulp from her canteen.
It was roughly 'noon' time for this part of the planet. The sun shone brightly above the cloudless sky, though most of the heat was (thankfully) abated by the forest canopy. But it was the humidity that was really getting to her. She was thankful she had the forethought to over-stock on her water supply. Her original estimates on water consumption had already been passed, and she still had a week to go! Korla now estimated she should have just enough to last for the rest of the expedition, though if need be she could purify water from this world if things got desperate. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.
Humidity aside, this was a beautiful planet; an equal match to any of the great home worlds. Off in the far distance mountain ranges rose sharply into the sky, their peaks topped with ice and snow. From the base of the mountains stretched plains so flat that one could see for kilometers around if elevated by only a few meters above the ground. And further from the plains still spanned the thick, densely packed jungle she resided in. As most of the planet was covered in water, she had at first expected a world similar to the Hanar home world of Kahje; where most of the beauty was hidden beneath the ocean. Not so here. This planet offered virtually every variety of climate and geography imaginable, from vast swaths of lowland plains to unbearably hot dry-desserts and lush rainforests. A shame then, that this world would be off-limits to the greater galactic community for some time. But given the current political circumstances surrounding this region of space, perhaps it was for the best.
A ruckus not far off caught her attention.
She enhanced her optical unit, zooming in on the inhabitants she was observing. The noise was originating near a natural embankment along the stream. She spotted two groups, all males, one of three and another of four, facing each other in a standoffish fashion. Though difficult at first, over the course of her time here she had learned how to differentiate between males and females. The two groups were screaming at each other in strange noises that had no meaning to her. Just beyond the bickering sides Korla spotted two females; both standing quite erect with their chests unusually pumped out, as if trying to be noticed by the others. The females were watching the males beyond them with keen interest. It was obvious what the dispute was about.
Curious creatures they were, these primates. A male dominated society; highly social, but also extremely territorial. She had spent months observing their behavior and interactions with their environment. One thing these creatures seemed to love more than hoarding unnecessary stuff (a common trait among pre-civilized interstellar species) was fighting. They divided themselves into tight-knit groups and routinely fought each other over just about everything, and sometime quite violently. More than a few occasions she had seen one of the creatures trampled to death for trying to snatch another group's food.
The shouting match between the two sides became louder; the females continued to watch with anticipation. Apparently she could add 'sexual competition' to the list as one more thing they fought over.
She slowly maneuvered her way closer to the edge of the forest tree line to get a better view, careful not to make a sound or draw attention. As an Ethologist, part of the parameters of her profession was ensuring that she remain invisible to the creatures under her examination, as not to influence their behavior in any way. She was here to observe, not interact.
Now in a better vantage point, Korla zoomed in on the groups again. More of the primates had joined the fray, the chatter had become louder, and the creatures from both sides were beginning to pick up rocks and sticks from the ground. The two females were backing up cautiously, probably realizing the situation would rapidly turn out of control. One of the males, an alpha by the looks of it, dashed forward with a stick in hand, making angry noises along the way. Most of the creatures from the other group backed off, but one had stood his ground, holding a large rock he had picked up moments before. The alpha drew the stick back, ready to club his counterpart across the head, when—
BOOM!
The noise was deafening. The entire Pyjak colony below scattered frantically in every direction for shelter, their current feud completely forgotten. Korla looked up at the sky. What the hell was that?
Another boom, though this time not as loud, was followed by a familiar sound, one she had heard many times before. Standing up, Korla dusted the dirt off her blue skin and walked outside the jungle tree line to get a better view. The sound became louder, though she still couldn't see anything. Until…there. Flying high above the forest was a transport shuttle nearly identical to her own. At first just a small blue dot, as it got closer she immediately recognized the insignia on the vessel's side. The University of Thessia? What are they doing here? Confusion also gave way to anger. She had been studying this particular Pyjak colony for weeks, taking extreme precaution to ensure that no outside influence disrupted their behavior. Now her progress had come to a halt. And all because these morons apparently didn't possess the simple courtesy to send her a message via Omni-tool instead.
The shuttle came to a hover about 10 meters from her position and then gently landed near the tree line. The engines were cut off and the side door opened, revealing two Asari who wasted no time heading in her direction. As Korla moved to meet them half way she studied them closely. One of them, the one with a slight gait in her walk, looked quite aged, though clearly not yet a Matriarch. Korla would guess she was roughly 600 years old. She had weary, tired eyes, and her face was beginning to show signs of wrinkle. Her facial markings were of little note; six red dots, three on each side of her face. The woman wore a green and white lab overcoat with the University's insignia embezzled on the left sleeve. One thing that quickly caught Korla's attention was the Matron's right hands. One of her fingers was missing completely, and another had been cut in half. Korla averted her eyes, not wanting to stare.
The other Asari really caught her attention. She was dressed head to toe in full combat armor. The woman didn't have a weapon drawn, but she did have a large gun attached to her back and a pistol on her hip. There was no mistaking the woman's demeanor; she was obviously a commando. And by the looks of it, a highly trained one. Her confident, powerful stride and alert, sharp eyes offered quite a contrast to the frail woman walking beside her. As they got closer Korla recognized the weapon on the commando's back as a shotgun. A Vanguard perhaps? Korla began to worry. Vanguards were among the galaxy's most elite Special Forces. They weren't just deployed by Asari worlds casually. What's going on here?
The two came to a halt in front of her. It was the older, frail woman who spoke. "Are you Korla Viviani?"
"Who are you?" She eyed the commando suspiciously.
"Ranos Septia. Lead researcher of the University of Thessia." She gestured towards her counterpart. "This is Riela S'Porey, Commander of the 42nd vanguard shock infantry unit."
Korla wiped some of the grime off her face as she activated her Omni-tool. "I was commissioned for this assignment for three weeks," she said. "I was promised that there would be no interruptions or unannounced visits during my examinations. Why are you here?" Perhaps she came off as a little harsh, though the frustration she was feeling more than justified it.
Ranos raised a brow, and then proceeded to thoroughly examine her up and down. It was then that Korla realized how filthy she must look. Mud and dirt was baked onto parts of her skin, face, and scalp crest. Her clothes were ruffled and stained from the jungle foliage. And the closest thing to a shower she had had in two weeks were the sanitation wipes she used at camp. Korla suddenly became very self-conscious.
"You landed in the middle of a thriving Pyjak colony," she continued. "One that I have been carefully studying for weeks. And now, I have to start over again." There was clear bitterness in her voice.
Ranos showed no sign of sympathy when she replied. "I'm sorry to have interrupted your…important work. But I'm afraid the University will have to cut your project short."
"What? You can't do that! I was promised three weeks of—"
"Yes, actually, I can," Ranos interrupted. "You've been reassigned to a different project. You have one hour to pack you gear before we head back to Thessia. Don't worry about the shuttle. We'll take care of that."
Korla shook her head. "Reassigned? I don't understand. Reassigned to what?"
"I can't say, not here. Not until we reach Thessia. It's classified."
"You're pulling me prematurely from my research without even an explanation?"
"Dr. Viviani." The Commando spoke for the first time. "I'm Commander S'Porey. I apologize for interrupting your work, but please understand that the matter is urgent." The hardened commander's apology seemed more genuine than the old professor. "I'm under orders from the Thessian Council itself to bring you back to the home world for a debriefing and preparation from your next assignment."
Korla's eyes widened. "The Thessian Council? Is…is everything okay? Am I in trouble?"
"No, quite the opposite in fact. We require your expertise on a matter that has recently surfaced. Urgency and Secrecy are the utmost importance. The Council has respectively requested that you come to Thessia for a conference."
"The Council requests an audience with me?" Korla tried her best to hide her astonishment. "Do I really have a choice in the matter?"
"We don't have time for this." Ranos sighed. "Ms. Viviani, when I gave a list of candidates to recommend to the Council for this assignment, you were not my first choice. Nor second or third. You weren't on my list at all. Your performance in your field is adequate but hardly stellar. If it was up to me, you would have never come to the attention of the Council at all. You were selected because someone very high up in Thessian politics liked you enough to pull many favors to get you onboard.
High in the ranks of the Council? Korla knew of only one such individual. Trilana!
The haggard Asari continued. "Frankly, I think choosing you was a mistake. But I have my orders and must follow them." She glared pointedly at Korla. "And so do you." She turned back towards the shuttle. "And please remember to clean yourself. When we arrive at Thessia you must be presentable."
Riela gave her a sympathetic nod. "We'll give you a lift to the camp site. I'll help you pack your things."
Korla nodded back and followed the Commando to the shuttle. Her mind was buzzing. The Council wants my expertise? For what? She couldn't imagine what value she could offer the council. As much as she came to immediately dislike Ranos, the woman was correct in one regard; she was hardly remarkable in her field of work. Korla could list five researchers off the top of her mind who had much better qualifications than herself. She knew that somehow Trilana was involved in this. Korla would see to it to speak with her as soon as they arrived to Thessia. She hadn't spoken with her mother's lover since…she pushed the thoughts away as they boarded the shuttle.
The engine whined as they ascended towards the sky. Down below Korla could see the Pyjaks she had spent weeks studying jumping up and down in the open fields; vainly throwing rocks and sticks at the invading noise. Riela tapped her shoulder, speaking loudly to be heard over the engine. "Remember, we have a deadline to catch. The Council will be convening to discuss the project in less than 42 hours. We must hurry."
Korla nodded, sparing one last glance on the creatures that she postulated could, perhaps one day, become a sapient society.
"I'll be ready."
Omega
Vana ensured her room was completely secure and the link encrypted before taking the call. It was rare to be contacted by the actual Shadow Broker. In most cases, she was simply given orders by other agents higher up in the Shadow Broker's network. Assuming of course this was indeed the Broker; it could very well be a false front for all she knew, yet another agent being told to imitate the big boss(es). Still, either way, whenever a mission critical assignment was given to her, it was delivered by the horribly distorted voice that was contacting her right now. She pressed a key on her computer console, accepting the call.
"Operative Vana, I have a new assignment for you." The voice, as always, was deep and extremely synthesized, sounding more along the lines of a low rumble. The Shadow Broker took great care to ensure he/she/they could not be identified in any way.
"It has come to my intention that a new civilization has been discovered by a Thessian exploration vessel."
Vana raised a brow. She hadn't been expecting that.
The Broker continued. "The species is a pre-space flight civilization located in a system beyond Relay 314. I also have reason to believe that upon further inquiries into this supposed system, the exploration unit discovered a dormant Mass Relay within a captured asteroid moon in the outer system. They have yet to activate it."
Vana listened silently, not daring to interrupt the Broker.
"The Thessian Council will convene soon to discuss the logistics of a research program that is being devised. As per protocol put into place six decades ago, Thessian researchers will not attempt to make contact with the species, nor will this discovery be made to the public or to any other government. However, they will set up opportunities to observe and research them. You will go undercover on one of the research vessels and learn everything you can about this new species and the area beyond Relay 314, including Thessia's plans for future colonization."
It wasn't surprising to Vana that the Broker wanted to learn about the secrets beyond Relay 314, including this new species. Information was the Broker's trade, and this knowledge could prove extremely lucrative. But immediately she had many questions. "How will I gain access on one of the research vessels? I'm sure the Council will screen every member thoroughly."
"You will soon receive a message detailing your new identity as a decorated soldier from Illium, with recommendations from half a dozen Matriarchs. Through my contacts on the Thessian Council I have ensured that you have been selected as security detail for one of the research teams."
Vana knew that the Broker's reached extended further than most would ever realize (or admit), but even she occasionally found herself surprised by the Broker's power.
"Operative Vana, you will go to Thessia to attend the summit. Your mission details and dossiers will be detailed in a file after this transmission ends."
"Understood, Shadow Broker."
"Shadow Broker out." The transmission ended. Seconds later her Omni-tool beeped, indication she had received a large file.
Vana had to admit, out of all the missions she had been all, this one was the most intriguing. Perhaps it'd be a little boring; she didn't think she would see any action in the situation that the Broker described. But after her last operation (which included a run-in with three different merc groups, and the Illium police), boring sounded rather enticing. And credits were credits after all. She briefly wondered how the Broker would profit from this new species. There had been another precedent before this, with the Raloi, though that was before the new First Contact procedures were put into place. Regardless, the Broker profited greatly from that pre-space flight civilization. The Batarians paid the Broker handily for critical information that had allowed the Hegemony to capture the avian creatures' home world, offering the withering empire a great new source of slave income like nothing before it.
Vana shrugged off her curious thoughts and opened the large encrypted file, allowing the contents to download into her datapad. In the end, this would be like any other operation. As long as she did her research and kept a sharp mind, she would come out on top.
Little did she know that this mission would one day decide the fate of the Galaxy.
AN: The idea of the Raloi being enslaved by the Batarians came from the story 'From Hell's Heart' by gtamaster316, which I highly recommend.