Hey guys, I have a new chapter for you! It's a bit shorter than normal, but it's part of larger arc and I wanted to cut it off here. I have a bit of the next chapter already written, so expect it sooner rather than later.

As always, I love getting feedback on my story as it helps me tell a better tale, so please review.

Chapter 4: Parthena

(Sur Kesh, Several hours after discovery of the signal)

The vast and widespread jungles of Sur Kesh were dotted with hidden research labs, STG listening posts and bases and more covert operations than one could ever imagine. However, this day, one of those bases was having what is known to us humans as a field day. The listening post in question had discovered a signal coming from a planet close to Salarian space, although it was still a few months away from the closest operational relay. Even though it would mean that the Salarian expedition would be going on a long term mission, the potential benefit the discovery of a new species provided far outweighed the high cost of such mission. For that reason, one of the newest exploration frigates, the UWS Solaria, had been commissioned as the ship to perform this mission, crewed by a team of experienced diplomats and researchers in the hope of gaining an advantage over the other council races.

Currently the Solaria was docked in a covert hangar-base close to the listening post that had discovered the signal. The base was dozens of stories deep, and allowed for a high staffing of the Union's most expert operatives. Several levels were dedicated to diplomacy and espionage, whilst most of the other levels were dedicated to the Salarian military, which, contrary to all popular belief, does exist as an entity separate from the STG.

Apart from the Salarian frigate, the top hangar contained a few corvettes that were to accompany the frigate in case of danger. All of the ships had the same organic, slightly aquatic design that was the Salarian trademark. Each one of the corvettes was a centre point for activity, with Salarian scientists, soldiers and others bustling about around them, some entering the crafts while others were monitoring the systems from the outside. The frigate itself was also surrounded by a crowd of Salarians, most of them eager and ready to depart on their mission.

"We are ready to depart, yes?" said one of the two Salarian captains when most of the final check-ups had been performed.

"Acknowledged," replied the Captain of the Solaria, relaying the command for departure to the accompanying corvettes as well.

As the small flotilla of ships detached from the hangar bay, several high-profile Salarians were eagerly discussing the possible scientific and economic profits in a boardroom in Sur Kesh's capital city, whilst scientists all over were already wondering about the possible boom of innovations they could expect. Salarians were known as the most science-prone race among those of the Citadel, and it was a name they had earned through and through, producing countless innovations one after the other. One thing they weren't capable of, however, was to see beyond Mass Effect technology. It was as much a boon to their civilization as a crutch that halted further scientific endeavours.

One thing the Union was hoping for was an intermediately advanced race, that possessed different technology compared to their own, but not so different that it wouldn't be adaptable to Salarian society. A civilization that was too advanced would pose problems, as assimilating their tech would be difficult, and it would not be easy to access if the race in question viewed itself as superior. However, a primitive civilization couldn't possibly offer much in the way of scientific advancement. No, it was an intermediately advanced civilization the Salarians were hoping for.

(Terran High Council Chambers, Alterra, a few days after signal arrival)

Buried deep within the superstructure of the ringworld around Terra known as Alterra to most humans were the chambers of the Terran High Council. Made up of the ten representatives elected by the lower council, the high councillors served annual periods, with the exception being the Terran Councillor himself, who was always on the High Council. Currently the council consisted of the representatives of Terra, Avalon, Eden, Arcturus Prime and five others and the High Consul himself, who was also the acting representative of Everest, humanity's first extrasolar world.

The councillors were seated in a circular pattern with an empty floor lined with holo-projectors between them. Their seats also had neural access to the Confederation Starnet, providing up to date information on all the confederation encompasses.

"Greetings, fellow councillors. As I am sure you are well aware, this body has been called into session to discuss the pending contact with the Citadel species known as the Salarians," the Terran High Consul began.

"What we wish to accomplish today is provide an acceptable image of humanity to this particular species, whilst not revealing too much of ourselves or our history. All of you are well aware of the existence of Parthena, the diplomatic planet we have constructed for this contact scenario and any we may face in the future. However, what we haven't decided yet is what aspects of human technology should be presented to these aliens when they reach us in about 5 months."

Councillor Osten, representative of Avalon, spoke up, "Consul, if I may have the floor?"

The consul gave him confirmation before Osten continued, "We all know how our contact with the Oviallan Protectorate went, and the wondrous results both our kind have experienced since. However, their case was a unique one, where we could actually act like the saviours our duty requires us to be. In my honest opinion, such an attitude would prove disastrous if ever used against a species that is already well established in space. Therefore, I believe we should limit our technological prowess as much as possible. Show them our cities, show them civil tech, but do not even mention military capabilities, the existence of the super-engineering projects, planetary construction and all these "mega-scale" technologies we possess. In other words, let them believe we are just like them, albeit focussed on architecture, culture and diplomacy."

Several councillors murmured in agreement, before Serentsov, representative of Terra, spoke up, "While I agree with you on principle, Osten, I believe we should show a little bit more of ourselves than that. If we are to accomplish our goal of protecting sapient life, however arrogant or superior a species may feel, they should respect us, and not just view us as pushovers. Culture, art and the entire plan you propose would do just that. No, let us show them our refined side, and when they think they know us, drop them a small bombshell. Say… a dreadnaught, or a city shield. We show them a small glimpse of what we are capable of and let their imaginative side fill in the rest."

Osten seemed in deep thought when another councillor spoke up, "Serentsov, you provide a solid argument, and given what we know of the Salarians from our observations, they are a species that have an extreme respect for advanced technologies. If we show them just what exactly they are dealing with, I am quite sure they would try to gain benefit for themselves, and they would try their utmost to smooth over the first contact between the two of us."

"Exactly," Serentsov replied, "We make them want to like us for their potential profit. It gives us a better position to judge whether they, as a species, are worthy allies. Can you agree to show them a few glimpses, Osten?"

Osten nodded, "Yes, I see your point, Serentsov. Showing them small peeks will make the Salarians very curious, and give us a better position during diplomacy. However, I believe we should also be wary of any espionage attempts such curiosity would no doubt lead to."

"Agreed," the councillor Arcturus Prime said, "I will make sure the Confederation Intelligence Service is well prepared for their spies."

The high consul looked around the room to see if any of the councillors were against the plan and he saw none. "If all are in agreement, let us present this course of action to the lower chambers and the directive."

"Agreed," said the other nine.

Parthena in itself was a beautiful planet. Constructed for the sole purpose of being a diplomatic haven for all further first contact scenarios, the planetary landscape had been filled with many wonders, both "natural" and "artificial". The capital city of Parthena was situated at the foot of a gigantic mountain range, with the sea being its other border. The mountains in question went all the way up to 10 kilometres in height, meaning that even the highest towers in Vigilo, as the capital was named, couldn't provide a view that looked over the mountains. The existence of the mountain range provided the citizens of Vigilo a unique opportunity to study subterranean organisms, as the cave system that had been built into the mountain was home to dozens of special species imported from all over human space.

At the other side of the mountain range one could visit the Great Plains of Elysium, providing mankind a vision of what the eternal plains would look like. There were rolling green hills covered by long grass, a lonely tree watching over them every now and again. Small creeks and rivers ran between the hills, ending in ponds enclosed by a variety of bushes and shrubs. Great herds of Antheilope, a close cousin to the terran antelope found on Arcadia, roamed the plains. Various other species from Eden and Arcadia called the planet home, interacting as if they had always shared the same planet.

Vigilo itself was a masterpiece of architecture, providing a seamless blend of modern extremes and classical themes. Most of the government buildings stood around a great square adorned with fountains and monuments to humanity. Five large streets ended at the square, all of them having a large canal in the middle, with arching bridges spanning the small gap every few hundred meters. The buildings surrounding the square had a few floors of normal space before switching to refractor walls, making sure that sunlight always reached the central square, even though it was surrounded by buildings that were miles high. The same went for most of the other buildings in the city, giving Vigilo the appearance of an older, "lower" city.

Most of the actual traffic took place below the surface, with high speed archtrains making commuting almost instantaneous. Personal travel was contained within the highway tunnels, tunnels almost a mile wide filled with flying transit vehicles. It kept the horizon completely clean and pristine, adding the calm atmosphere the city tried to establish.

In total, about 40 million humans now called Parthena their home planet, with the majority of them living in the capital city, although there were a few other settlements scattered across the planet, all them styled after Vigilo and thus showing the same artistic vision.

(Terran High Council Chambers, Alterra, one week after the first 'contact' meeting)

"Welcome once more, fellow councillors," the High Consul began, "As I'm sure you are well aware, preparations for contact between ourselves and the Salarians are well under way. However, the Directive has provided one valid point we still need to consider. One of the largest differences between Humanity and the Citadel Species is our way of FTL travel. Their use of Mass Relays limits them in one way, whilst offering a false sense of security. It is therefore deemed of vital importance that we do not show our capabilities concerning travel using our common transit systems."

Most of the councillors immediately agreed, pondering over the best course of action, when the Councillor of Arcturus Prime, Lei Wang, spoke up, "To travel by relay one does not require a completely functional Mass Effect Core. Theoretically, we could add a small core to a few of our ships, making travel by relay possible. If we then proceed to open up a relay route from Parthena to the Citadel, we can make it seem as if we too depend on the relays."

Some of the councillors nodded in agreement when the Councillor representing Eridanus spoke up, "You bring up a valid plan, Wang. However, there is one small problem… There are no relays near Parthena, we chose its location for this exact reason. Even though we could easily construct them ourselves, would it not be a foolish endeavour to give them access to a world that is relatively close to confederation space?"

"Ah, but there you mention the exact thing I was hoping for. Yes I suggest we build these relays, and yes it gives them access. However, what they won't know is that we can add certain 'parts' to the relay. From our empirical data we know that travel between Primary relays sometimes consists of over 10.000 light-years. Say we place Parthena and a special "gate" relay in between a set of these primary relays. Then, we would program in a specific IFF to tune up to the gate relay, leading to Parthena. If this IFF is not present, the travelling craft would simply reach the other Prime relay, none the wiser of Parthena's location."

"That actually is… brilliant," Serentsov said, "It would give us a perfect opportunity to hide the Archdrive and the transit corridor system. However, it mustn't be too obvious to them that we are able to manipulate relays with such ease. I would suggest a small Hijacking SI to be sent into council space and embed itself in every single council ship. The program would then use the relay communication system to check for IFF clearance with Parthena."

"I agree, Serentsov," said Wang, "Such a program would do the trick nicely. Perhaps hide it as a part of the normal communication systems the Citadel species use. They would be none the wiser with their complete fear of Artificial Intelligence."

"I concur, it sounds like a solid plan," Serentsov said.

The High Consul nodded in agreement, "All in favour?

"Agreed," replied nine other voices.

"Good, I will present our plan to the lower Council and the Directive this afternoon."

(UWS Solaria, En route to Parthena)

The crew of the Solaria was getting used to their daily routines, having already spent two uninterrupted months in space. Everyone was still doing their work diligently, from the lowly comms' officers to the leading military officer, Jadum Bom, and the head scientist, Alum Solus.

Interaction between the frigates and accompanying corvettes was minimal as the amphibian crafts sored through the endless abyss of space. In order to maintain a top speed of almost two dozen light years per day the ships had to be in transit almost constantly, leaving only core discharges as moment for mingling between the crews. It was during one of these mingling moments that Bom and Solus had an avid discussion on what to do with certain different first contact scenarios.

"The possibility of us encountering an advanced species is disproportionally high. It is imperative that we adhere to proper procedures when we meet them, Solus. I know your scientific curiosity is not easily satiated, but in the name of duty, reel it in!"

"Commander, I know you like you rules. I like mine. There is something out there, I feel it. I know it. And I want to discover it… properly. Normal procedures are already being ignored, or this would be an Asari ship, no? So let me tell you this commander, what I do will benefit the Salarians. We will get an edge over our fellow council races. I will see to it."

"Solus, be reasonable! We don't even know what it is we'll encounter out there. We only know that we received a onetime signal from a very specific source, almost as if we were being targeted. I don't about you, but this… feels off for some reason. Like we're walking into a trap. I want to use caution. Your goals are admirable, truly. But I care about the people on my ship more than you know, and it is my duty to keep them safe. If not for protocol, keep yourself in check for the crew."

"Commander, I won't harm the crew by performing scans and deploying drone swarms. I simply need data, so we can actually tell something about our adversaries when we do finally meet them. What I do will help us secure a better deal. It is a risk I am willing to take."

"And I am not, Solus," Bom said with a sigh, "We will continue this discussion properly once you get it into your head that your grand plans are risking my crew!"

Solus stared at the commander, wondering if one of the Corvettes' captains would be easier to convince. But they all reported to Bom, so he really needed to convince the commander that this was the right call…

"I agree, you will see reason, Bom," Solus said with a sneer.

The next few weeks on the ship were unpleasant to say the least, as the two most important Salarians on the ship were hardly speaking, both of them working on their own version of ideal contact. Soon after both of them finished describing their plans in the utmost detail, they headed to the discussion table once more.

"I have given it some serious thought, Bom," Solus began, "and I agree with you that the safety of the crew should be maintained at all times. We are very far from home and an accident would end hundreds of lives. However, we also have an opportunity here, one we should not squander. Therefore what I propose we do is we follow the normal procedure for first contact; establish diplomatic ties and all the likes, and get the conversation with the new species going. While we do that, we deploy our drone swarms from one of the STG Corvettes that is equipped with active stealth systems, masking their heat presence. And finally, this deployment would be your call to make, after having judged what our new contacts are like. Is this acceptable?"

"It seems… reasonable," Bom said, "We do really need all the information we can get. If the aliens we meet are not too hostile I will give a green light."

"Thank you," Solus said, a grin appearing on his long face.

During the months of travel some interesting things happened in human space. The relay system suggested by the high council was easily accepted by both the Directive and the lower council, and construction was greenlighted almost the same day. It took the scientists a few hours to completely manipulate the relay network, but when they were able to the special Parthena relay was constructed in the Arcturus system rather quickly. A large Erebus construction ship took the relay to Parthena, where it was placed in orbit around the planet itself, providing easy access for the council ships that would be arriving soon.

During these same months, the Oviallans on Celestia developed a special gene therapy that allowed them to artificially inseminate thousands of eggs. With help of some human geneticists they developed a system that would allow them to directly impart knowledge into the embryonic brains, creating the necessary neural connections that would normally take years to form. In order to preserve parts of the upbringing process, only basic knowledge was imparted, such as speech, motor control, both the human and Oviallan tongue and logical reasoning. Most other skills would still need to be learnt by the children, but all in all the number of years it took to double their population decreased drastically.

Another important decision made by the three governing bodies of humanity was to allow further expansion into the Orion arm of the galaxy. Explorers had already found dozens of planet teeming with life to be studied or rocks to be terraformed. Policy for colonization was rather straightforward, as any life-bearing world would only be used for establishing research posts. Barren rocks were always green for terraforming, including changing the orbit of said planets to provide pleasant living conditions. Gas giants were used as fuel depots and starmines were deployed at every new colony, as they were needed to create the mandatory defence network. As a rule of thumb a new human colony required at least a complete orbital defence network and a planetary energy shield. Both were engineering feats that were accomplished within a day if starmines were readily available, hence the deployment of the mines.

When the day of Salarian arrival finally came, humanity had already established fifty new worlds outside the 100 light year core bubble, which was aptly named The Core for its absurd number of colonies and planets. (On average each system contained three garden worlds terraformed from rocks, and a lot of systems were also boasting artificial planets. Even brown dwarf stars.) In total there were more than 10.000 stars in the bubble, with the majority of them being brown dwarfs. About 4000 of them ranged from red dwarf all the way to blue giant, and all of them had colonized planets or stations in orbit, leading to a quickly growing lower council, with over 40.000 worlds now being represented, although most of the High Council still consisted of the old core leaders.

(UWS Solaria, Edge of the Parthena system)

The entirety of the Salarian exploration fleet was feeling the excitement. Finally they had arrived, and the sight was majestic, with a small blue star off in the distance, engulfing the crews of the frigate and the corvettes in natural light again.

"Scanners are performing a system wide scan, commander. I'm already picking up some interesting pieces of information," said the officer in charge of the long range scanners.

"There appear to be four large planets in the system sir, one of them definitely a garden world. I would guess that's our target world. There are two more planets that appear to have an atmosphere and one gas giant in the outer edge of the system."

"Very good," said Commander Jadum Bom, "Bring us closer to the likely target,"

"Acknowledged, sir," said one of the helmsmen as he started navigating the ship towards Parthena. It took the Salarian craft a few minutes to get close enough to activate the more detailed scanners, but when they finally were able to activate them, they were blown away.

"Sir, detecting a mass relay in orbit around the planet!"

"Are you serious?" said Bom with an edge to his voice.

"100 percent, Commander,"

"Is it active?"

"Yes sir, it seems so…"

"Interesting," Bom mumbled, "I wonder where it leads."

"That's not all, sir. The planet contains cities. A rather large one to be precise, although from the widespread stretches of nature and the close collection of artificial structures I am certain this is a colony."

"I agree; that seems to be a logical conclusion."

The planet in question was then projected in the command centre of the frigate, with the points of interest given a highlight.

"Our guess is that this is the main colony," said one of the officers as they pointed at Vigilo, "It would be the best place to make ourselves known if there are no ships in orbit."

"No need to worry about that," said another officer who was looking at a few orbital scans, "I've got multiple stations in orbit around the planet, including traffic going from and to the planet. All we need to do is broadcast a signal and we will be able to start the first contact procedures."

Bom nodded, "Alright. Do it."

Just as an officer was ready to send out the signal, the scans officer cried out, "Wait! The mass relay is activating…"

Suddenly all eyes were fixed on the large construct in orbit as it's inter-spinning disks started giving off a bluish aura, signalling its characteristic activation. And out came a ship that dwarfed the largest ships in citadel space, with only an ongoing Asari project named Ascension coming close to matching its size.

And that's it for today. A collection of snippets leading up to contact is what I would call this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, and I'll have the next one ready for you guys as soon as possible. Possibly next week! (I have some more free time again.)