Archangel walked up to the Prime on duty at the shuttle bay. Vega stood behind him, eying the massive geth warily.
"I need to speak with you," the turian declared firmly.
"We would ask what it is that Archangel Mercenary wishes with the consensus?" the Prime regarded him, the lights of its sensors flaring, "Creator Tali'zorah has given us permission to speak with you on any matter regarding the investigation."
"Have any of your number gone missing on Rannoch?" Archangel began, "After the attacks. Were any of the geth missing?"
There was a brief pause, "The parts returned to us from the Creators were incomplete. Many were disassembled during the attacks and their awareness returned to us."
"Not…disassembled geth," Archangel shook his head, he looked at Vega for assistance.
"You got anyone that hasn't reported in?" Vega asked after a brief pause.
"Not…reported in? The geth do not need to report in, Vega Lieutenant. We know where each of us are at any given point," the Prime managed to sound confused.
"Is it possible to rope one of your lot off from the main herd? Y'know, make one…not show up on your radar?"
"Your speech is strange, Vega Lieutenant," the Prime pauses, "But we believe we understand your meaning. It would take some powerful technology to remove a geth unit from the Consensus and still have it remain operational."
"Can you check? Find out if there is any of your…kind…that have gone radio silent?" Archangel asked.
"Checking…" the Prime went silent. No more than a count of ten had taken place before it turned its head, and there was a note of concern its it mechanical voice, "Three units are unaccounted for. They are not amongst the damaged units. Their awareness has not returned to us. We cannot detect them on our network."
"Damn," Vega muttered.
"They have probably been shut down until these soldiers need them switched back on," Garrus replied thoughtfully.
"You think they want Rannoch? That's just crazy. This place can barely sustain life yet. No to mention two of the biggest fleets are hovering around watching over it. They only got through because they had cloaking that slipped the sensors here," Vega replied dubiously.
"They are planning something. And just kidnapped the units that have the complete knowledge about the biospheres and their defenses."
"Maybe there is something here they want. Something…" Vega rubs his shorn scalp thoughtfully, "…something valuable."
"I wonder what the quarian scientists have to say on the matter," Archangel replied softly, "I hope Thane has found what we need. Come on." He nodded at the Prime and strode toward the main buildings.
Thane sat at the terminal that accessed the entire file network for Rannoch. Tali had given him the security pass and he tapped his elegant fingers on the keys as he skimmed through pages of information. His eyes skimmed rapidly taking in vast amounts of information.
He frowned.
Retrieved other files, checked their provenance. He made a soft humming sound in his throat. He touched his hand to his comm, "Archangel. I think you and the Lieutenant need to join me when you have a moment."
"On our way," came the brief reply.
Thane activated his omnitool, accessed the information and downloaded the relevant files. He rubbed his lower lip and glanced up as the room allowed entry for the tall turian and his solid companion.
"Archangel," Thane greeted him calmly, "I believe I may have found something. You wished to know why the soldiers were coming here? Their purpose?"
"Yes," Archangel pulled up a seat, "What have you found."
"Miranda Lawson's virtual fingerprints are all over files relating to resources stored in the geth warehouses underneath Rayya Citadel," Thane pointed out the file access number he referred to, and its reappearance through several other files.
"What is so important in these warehouses?"
"Rannoch has some of the richest deposits of eezo in this system, it would seem," Thane reported flatly, "The geth have been mining it for years. And storing it below Rayya."
"What?" Vega stepped forward, a frown on his face, "And the quarians know this? And not mining it themselves? It would earn them a whole heap of credits on the open market."
Thane and Archangel turned to stare at him. Thane was the one who spoke.
"Have you ever seen a planet decimated by mining, Vega?"
"Well…no. I mean, they messed up Earth a good deal, but the corporations turned their eyes offworld when we discovered the mass relays. Earth is pretty well depleted anyway," Vega shrugged, and paused, "Oh. Right."
"The quarians don't want to turn their one chance at building a safe, functioning world into a pit of hell," Archangel leaned forward, his hands linking between his knees, "But you can better believe that these people know what's under our feet. And they want it so badly they are risking a fight with the quarians and the geth."
"And this Miranda Lawson sent them the information," Vega growled.
"Can't be sure," Thane shook his head, "But its an odd coincidence that this occurs in the few weeks before the attacks started. Rannoch has been trying to get on its feet for years now."
"If Miss Lawson has done this, shouldn't the Admiral be informed?" Vega queried.
"Are you sure, Thane? Really sure that this access code belongs to Miss Lawson?" Archangel turned his bright blue gaze on the drell.
"You have not questioned me before, Garrus," Thane chided gently.
"I know," Archangel rose his hand to his brow, "I am sorry, my friend, but I need to be sure when I go to Tali with this. Miranda has many contacts within the Citadel, not just the Alliance. To accuse her of this link with these people… it edges into politics that I tend to avoid."
Thane was quiet for a long moment. He rose his omnitool and transferred the information to Archangel, "The number she used links back to messages she sent to Ambassador Udina on the Citadel. Either she screwed up, or assumed people would not be looking for the connection. Is this sufficient?"
"Yes, I am sorry to question you, Thane," Archangel rose to his feet, "I will talk to her. Good work. Vega, I want you to link up Zaeed. This place needs to beef up its security. Now."
"I will set up observation on Miss Lawson," Thane stood also, shutting down the terminal, "We need to keep a close eye upon her."
Tali stood with her arms folded. While her expression was not discernible, her body language was. She was angry.
"Miranda's presence here has meant we have received continued support from the Alliance, and the Citadel," her voice vibrated with emotion, though Archangel could not tell if it was directed at him or at Miranda.
"Why did she stay? Why Miss Lawson and not another government functionary?" Archangel queried.
"She requested the assignment. We were friends. At least, I thought we were friends," Tali sounded puzzled, "And when Ambassador Udina offered to have someone stay that could be a political connection, I jumped at the chance! She had just helped us with the geth. I had no reason to distrust her."
"So she has had access to your entire file systems?"
"Of course not," Tali protested, "I am not that naive."
"And yet she accessed information on what resources the geth had stored here in Rayya and sent it offplanet…somewhere…"
"How can I accuse her based on numbers, Garrus?" Tali walked to the balcony railing and clutched it.
"She used the same codes to send messages to Ambassador Udina," Archangel touched her lightly on the shoulder, and winced as she bowed her head in defeat. She was silent for a long moment.
"Then she needs to be watched. Carefully. She will have all access to communications off planet revoked," Tali stiffened her spine, and her voice sharpened. She shrugged off his hand, and rose her hand to her comm, "Kal? I need you to meet me at the co-ordinates I give you."
She looked up at Archangel, "If what you say is correct, nothing is secure anymore."
Archangel folded his arms across his chest helplessly, "I'm sorry, Tali."
"I thought this was over," Tali stared out over the plains contained within the biosphere, "I thought we had peace. After three hundred years."
"We will stop them, Tali," Archangel was grim, "Thane is following Miranda and he will not be seen if he does not wish it. You know what he can do."
"I know," Tali sighed, and strode toward the door. She paused in the frame and looked back at him, "I suppose we had best prepare for war."
Archangel bowed his head.
