For this trip Francesca had chosen somewhat modest [url=https://safebooru.donmai.us/posts/4000701]attire[/url] though still somewhat fashionable.  A white, front button dress with white boots.  It even came equipped with a hidden hood that she could use if there was a need to cover her hair for any reason.  While simple, the clothes themselves were also had their own hidden features.  The high-heels on her boots were detachable so that she could run or traverse uneven group easier, in her left sleeve was a hidden knife and attached to her thigh was a hand disruptor should the need arise.  Of course these were all to be used only in an emergency and while there was the potential for them to be detected she wasn't going to go into a first contact completely defenseless.

Thankfully Francesca's mind was completely clear today so she was able to remain as calm as only a diplomat could and as white as snow.  Astrid was tense, which was understandable though perhaps a bit overzealous in her preparations considering her outfit and equipment.  The most obvious thing that stood out though was her uncertainty of anything religious.  Religions had a way of unnerving people as often they would encounter thought processes that would differ quite from their own; however, even religion often had a certain logic and rule set that could soon be discovered.  Francesca herself was actually religious, though it was much more of a private affair.  One of the key questions to answer would be how the locals viewed God, or gods, or even if there was a concept of gods in their religion at all.

Soon enough the shuttle had landed and the captain ordered them to move out.  [color=bc8dbf]"The best thing we can do now is to remain calm and try to gain as much information as possible during our first meeting.  Let's try to appear as gracious as we can and try not to make any moves that could appear hostile."[/color]

With her warning in place they marched on.

[hr]

Francesca had seen a lot of lifeforms in her time as an ambassador so the reveal of the species in front of them wasn't very off-putting.  The Holy Vei was indeed quite a large alien, with quite the intricate pattern of colors that seemed to be used everywhere on the planet.  If she had to guess, perhaps the aliens felt a very close connection with their home world, which would explain why everything seemed to be done in the same colors as well as their skin.  Of course this was all just conjecture at this point, the only real unsettling thing for Francesca as the fact that the alien had completely black eyes.  This was a bit of a pain as eyes were usually one of the easiest ways to tell what a creature was thinking, but when an eye was completely one color it made it harder to read through eye contact.

Francesca started to concentrate her mind on reading the Holy Vei's emotions.  What came back to her was...colorless, almost like a void or an emptiness.  This was a bit unsettling, usually even the calmest of creatures had at least some sort of underlying emotion to read, curiosity, annoyance, contentment even but with her there was just...nothing.

[b]
"I have a question for all of you.  Why are you here?"[/b]  It was a surprising question, considering she apparently knew they were going to arrive; perhaps, that just meant all she knew was someone or something was going to come through that wormhole and the prophecy itself was not very specific.  Since she had specifically addressed all of them with that question, that meant she didn't have to worry about leaving initial proceedings to the captain since they had all been granted permission to speak.

[color=bc8dbf]
"I hope you don't mind captain."[/color]  Francesca stated to Captain Carabello, giving him a slight nod before proceeding.  [color=bc8dbf]"Greetings Holy Vei, thank you for your invitation."[/color]  Francesca gave short bow as a sign of respect, all while concentrating as much as possible on the alien.

[color=bc8dbf]"We are explorers from beyond the wormhole.  Specifically, we are representatives of the Intergalactic Star Alliance and we would be honored for the opportunity to build friendly relations with your people."[/color]