Hey guys, TheDoctor1998 here with another chapter! Last time we saw Sauron infiltrate the Bird of Prey, and doing his best to make life difficult for the Turians. Now, on with the show!
XXXXXXXX
1st July 2657
Unknown ship
Interstellar space
En Route towards unknown system
Alice was fearing for her life. Here she was, doing some peaceful exploration, when suddenly an alien armada decided to open fire on her ship and capture the people who made it to the escape pods.
And now, she's stuck with several people in what looked like a cargo hold, having been shoved in there by what looked like the bastard child of a Sangheili and a Kig-Yar.
And to top it off, Liz, her friend for 4 years, died. At her own insistence, she deleted herself, making sure that the aliens had no chance of getting the data in her chip.
Oh, and everyone in the hold was buck naked, because apparently these xeno bastards were extremely paranoid about them using whatever they've got as a weapon. Or, at least, that's the only explanation that the embarrassed and angry Alice could think of, other than them doing this for shits and giggles.
The people in the room had divided themselves by gender, the guys being on the other side compared to her own group. It was accepted by everyone to do this to try and preserve some of their dignity.
"This sucks." Alice sighed.
"Yup." An asian woman next to her said. "Still, I guess we all get some eye candy from this, embarrassing as it is."
"I don't think we can really check the guys out from here."
"I… wasn't talking about the guys." The woman said.
"Oh. Oh!" Alice's eyes widened, realizing what she was talking about.
"Anyway, my name's Sarah Yin. What's yours, gorgeous?" The woman unapologetically held out her hand.
"A-Alice Smith." She muttered, shaking Sarah's hand out of reflex before covering up again.
"So, what position were you in before these fuckers got us?" Sarah asked.
"I was the Shipmistress of the Giant Leap." Alice said.
"No kidding!" Sarah smiled. "I was the head engineer over there!"
Alice couldn't help but look over the other woman, noticing the scarring, the biceps and the abs.
Sarah noticed the ogling. "See something you like?"
Alice broke in a blush, looking away. "S-sorry! I-I-!" She was cut off by the doors opening, letting two of the aliens in.
One of them barked something in its bird-like language, pointing at Alice. The other one immediately stepped towards her and grabbed her by the arm.
Sarah, however, was having none of that. "Hey, get your claws off of her you damn dirty bird!" She tried to punch the thing square in its face.
Unfortunately, this was a trained soldier, and knocked her down before she could do anything, growling in its harsh chirps.
"Sarah!" Alice called as she was dragged away.
The only thing she could think about, aside from the fact that it wasn't exactly nice to walk on a cold metal floor on bare feet, was what these things could possibly want with her.
XXXXXXXX
1st July 2657
Citadel Tower
Citadel
Widow System
"He did what?!"
Councilor Sparatus sighed, letting his guard down slightly in the knowledge that there were only two other beings in the room with him. "I said that Admiral Desolas, under the assumption that he was fighting against pirates who'd illegally activated a Mass Relay, fired upon and subsequently invaded a planet belonging to a newly discovered species, several of whom are currently captured on a ship that's on its way here."
His Asari counterpart, Tevos, pinched the bridge of her nose. "By the goddess, does he have any idea what he's done?!"
"I'm sure he's well aware of the situation." Sparatus said dryly.
"Impressive engineering." The Salarian councilor, Milnori, spoke up. "Their dreadnought was easily capable of standing up to its Turian counterpart, even without any element zero." She breathed in, and started talking faster, lost in her own thoughts. "How did they stop the slugs without kinetic barriers? Magnetic fields? No, wouldn't work, slugs far too fast. Heavy armor? Maybe, could work if it's dense and thick enough. But how did they generate grav-"
"Milnori." Tevos spoke up, softly but firmly trying to get the Salarian woman back to the present.
Milnori blinked. "Apologies, merely thinking about what a species that could create such a ship without element zero could do for us." She then looked at the Turian in the room. "What are your intentions with the-" She then looked at her omni-tool. "Ooh-Mun prisoners Desolas brought to us?"
"I was hoping we could have an Asari meld with one so we can finally talk to them." Sparatus replied.
"Good thought." Tevos said. It made sense, after all. The Asari had the unique ability to connect their nervous systems with those of other sentient beings, allowing thoughts, feelings and information, among other things, to be transferred from one individual to another. It was also key to their reproductive abilities, allowing them to have children with anyone, regardless of their race, even if the child would always end up as an Asari. "I'll contact an associate of mine. She'll be more than capable of the job. Now, what should we do with the Ooh-Muns once the translations are complete?"
"I suggest that a diplomat will be sent to their homeworld." Milnori said. "Maybe pay some reparations for the damages that occurred in the invasion as an apology before offering them an embassy on the Citadel."
Sparatus frowned. "No race has been offered an embassy within less than a decade. To offer them one when we've just finished the translators would be insulting to the other races."
"Then we'll twist the story." Tevos said. "All these races were given an embassy during an era of peace, even the Batarians entered the fold with minimal resistance. These beings were encountered in a hot first contact, with people on both sides having died already, so we'll say that this rapid progress would be an offer of peace. The Ooh-Muns would likely be placated once they hear of this, and the other races will have less ground to stand on in their arguments against this decision."
"I agree." Milnori replied. "Even the arrogant Batarians can't claim they openly fought against a Turian invasion, even if the initial attack was caused by a misunderstanding."
"Seeing as I'm outvoted on this matter, I will relent with my complaints about this course of action." Sparatus said. "That said, I would like to put it on record that the Ooh-Muns should not be given this special treatment, regardless of the attack."
"Then it's settled." Tevos said. "I'll contact Ambassador Benezia straight away."
XXXXXXXX
1st July 2657
THV Raging Claw
Citadel Defense Fleet
Widow System
"So, that's one of the Ooh-Muns?" Matriarch Benezia asked the Turian next to her.
"Yes ma'am." Crala said as they were watching the alien on the Asari friendly metal seat, shivering and covering its, her, mammary glands and genitalia up.
"Why is it naked?" Benezia asked. She briefly wondered if it was a cultural thing, like with the Elcor and the Hanar, but she disregarded that thought when she saw that the Ooh-Mun was far from comfortable.
"Standard procedure when capturing an unknown race." Crala said. "We do not know all their strengths and weaknesses, and it's entirely possible that they can hide weapons within their clothes, or use any item within their possession as a weapon."
"I see." The Asari said. She didn't like what the Turians did, but she supposed she could make due with the situation. When Tevos contacted her about needing translations with a newly discovered species, this was not what Benezia had in mind. Of course this had to happen on one of the days that she'd be on the Citadel, enjoying one of the increasingly rare lunches with her daughter. "Take me to it. Let's see if I can fix your mistake."
Crala flinched, but she didn't deny it. What they did was a mistake, and spirits be damned if she'd do nothing to fix it.
XXXXXXXX
1st July 2657
Unknown ship
Unknown fleet
Unknown system
Alice was shivering from the cold metal seat she was forced to sit in. She didn't know which of the aliens thought of this sick joke, but whoever it was, she'd tear off their genitals with her bare hands before force feeding them the mutilated piece of flesh.
She was interrupted from her extremely violent and Jiralhanae-like thoughts by another alien entering the room. However, this one was clearly of another species than the bastards that killed so many of her crew.
This one looked almost like a Silurian, a species that already looked ridiculously Human if you didn't count their various subspecies. However, this being was blue where the mainline Silurians were green, and her scales were so small that her skin seemed to be even more Human-like then the reptiles who shared a homeworld with her own people. And where the Silurians had three ridges on their scalp, this woman had multiple things that looked like tiny tentacles.
All in all, she looked like she stepped straight out of an old Human science fiction story where the actors were simply given some makeup and props, like Star Trek.
Then, before she could do anything, the woman stepped towards her and put her hands on her head. The blue alien said something in another alien language, her eyes turning black. Then, something happened that, in that moment, she did not understand.
XXXXXXXX
1st July 2657
Unknown ship
Unknown fleet
Unknown system
Alice knew she wasn't awake, not entirely at least. She didn't know how she knew, but she knew nonetheless. She looked around the room she was in, and instantly knew it was some kind of alien architecture. It was reminiscent of the architecture used by the former Covenant races, but softer. Art for the sake of art, not for the sake of worship.
She then saw the blue woman who touched her earlier, sitting next to a table. "Greetings."
Alice blinked in surprise. "How the fuck do you know my language?!"
"I don't." She said, sipping something that looked like tea. "I connected my nervous system to your own, allowing us to share information. I simply gave you my language so we could talk."
Alice realized that she was speaking the truth, now realizing that they weren't speaking English. Rather, they were speaking in a language she never even heard of. 'High Thessian' her mind provided.
"So you plugged into me like a computer and put what you wanted into my head?!" Alice said, panicking. For all she knew, the alien in front of her was using some kind of mind control or hypnosis on her.
"In a way." She said, still sipping her tea. "Though, I can only put raw knowledge in your head, I cannot alter your thoughts or give you falsehoods. Equally, I can only take whatever knowledge you're willing to give me."
Alice sighed in relief. "So, where are we?"
"Technically speaking, we're still in the same place we were when I bonded with you. This place, however, is a mental representation of our intermingling thoughts. I've chosen to model it after my own home on Thessia, the homeworld of my people." She sipped her tea again. "Though, I think it's time for some proper introductions. My name is Matriarch Benezia T'Soni, a diplomat of the Asari people."
Alice was silent at first, pondering on what information she could share. "Alice Smith, former Shipmistress of the UNSC Giant Leap. Human."
Benezia smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere, Alice Smith. Now, as I've given you the ability to speak and understand High Thessian, would you be willing to share the same courtesy with your tongue?"
"No." Alice said. "Those asinine birds that dragged me here-"
"Turians." Benezia corrected.
"Those asinine birds committed an act of war during first contact." Alice said angrily. "I won't give you anything that you can use against us, no matter how insignificant it might be."
"Oh come now." The blue bitch had the audacity to laugh. "It's all just a misunderstanding. And it's not like you'd be able to do anything, we've already surrounded your homeworld and destroyed your only dreadnought. Honestly, if you'd give us your language we'd be able to hasten peace talks, which would be in the best interest of a pre-FTL civilization like yourselves."
"Why do you think we're a pre-FTL civilization?" Alice asked. Did they not notice any kind of Slipspace technology?
The bitch only laughed more. "Dear, the only traces of element zero that we've found in your home system were either within the Mass Relay or brought there by ourselves. There's no way to achieve faster than light travel without it."
Alice then realized what Benezia was talking about. They didn't know about Slipspace, and thought that the dark neutronium, element zero she called it, was the only thing in the Universe that could breach the light barrier. So why not play along? "That just gives me an even bigger reason not to give you the ability to understand what we say."
Benezia sighed in disappointment. "Really, you should see the bigger picture here. If we're able to talk to your leaders, we'll be able to stop this little incident. Really, in the long run it might be a good thing for your people."
"A good thing?! People died you blue bitch!" Alice exclaimed in righteous anger.
"Yes yes, I know." Benezia waved her off, as if people getting killed meant nothing. "But the Council was talking about accelerating your people's inclusion into the Citadel because of it, as the other races usually have to wait at least several decades before even being granted an embassy."
"And what if we don't want to be part of this Citadel?" Alice asked, knowing that, as things were, Humanity would never join this group.
Benezia only laughed, as if somebody told her a particularly funny joke. "Dear, the Citadel is a galaxy wide alliance, with cultures of multiple races intermingling and protecting each other from a potential threat. Even just being an associate of ours would grant your people the protection of our militaries from anything that could threaten you. Our ultimate goal is a peacefully unified galaxy, in the end."
Alice called bullshit on that. For one, if they were really a galaxy wide organization, then the Systems Alliance would've encountered them long before. And second, their "military might" wouldn't be all that impressive if they mistook a fucking frigate for a dreadnought. "Then why the hell did those birds attack us in the first place?!"
"As I said, a mere misunderstanding." She easily replied. "Admiral Desolas believed your expedition to be a small pirate fleet that had illegally activated a Mass Relay. By the time he'd discovered his error, his men had already invaded your homeworld." She then looked Alice straight in the eyes. "Now, will you finally give me the knowledge of your language? The faster we'll start peace talks, the better."
"Again, no, you blue bitch. I won't betray my people by giving you assholes any intel." Alice snarled.
"A pity." Benezia sighed. "As it's clear that this bond will achieve nothing, I might as well end it now. At least you'll be able to use an omni-tool for translation now, if your people need anything."
And before Alice could say anything, this weird dreamscape vanished.
XXXXXXXX
1st July 2657
THV Raging Claw
Citadel Defense Fleet
Widow System
"So she refused to share anything?" Tevos said over the communications.
"Vehemently so." Benezia replied. "Aside from her own name and the name of her species, Humans they're called, not Ooh-Muns. And the name of her ship, the UNSC Giant Leap, which she was the "shipmistress" of. From context, I assume it's their word for captain." The diplomat sighed. "Honestly, I hope that the rest of the Humans are more amicable than her, as I was unable to convince her of the greater good that is the Citadel."
"You have to understand," Tevos began. "The Turians did attack their homeworld, likely leading to a culture wide xenophobia. If the Turians attacked us during our first contact, we'd likely respond in kind. Even when they'd claim it's for the greater good."
"I suppose." Benezia admitted. "Still, I hope we can put this war to an end."
"That, we can agree on." Tevos agreed before she cut the communication, leaving Benezia alone with her thoughts.
XXXXXXXX
And that's a wrap. The first actual talk happened between someone from the Systems Alliance and a member of the Citadel, and the Council has learned of Desolas' blunder.
Also, Benezia has made an appearance, trying to act like a diplomat to a supposedly primitive race that she believes to be at the mercy of the Turians. Though, as you all likely know, this illusion will not last forever.
TheDoctor1998 here, signing out!
