Disclaimer: I own nothing.
AN: Could make a tone of excuses and whatnot for the long delay since the last chapter but I won't. I just lost interest for a while. Thank the Mass Effect 3 and the more recent Old Republic trailers for this update. I think I'm going to try making the chapters a bit longer as the fic progresses, but rest assured this is not a dead story. Hope you enjoy the update, the next one I promise will be up much sooner.
Chapter 10: Zero Effect
Element Zero was something entirely unique to the Citadel's Galaxy. The element had absolutely no mass, was easily harnessed into a light, long-lasting and effective power source for various generators and devices that were readily available to the Citadel and its adversaries. The discovery of a small Prothean data cache on Mars by humanity had propelled the species beyond their own solar system and across the galaxy within a few scant decades. Humanity had learned and grown so quickly due to the odd element that they stood as representatives of one quarter of the galaxy's slightly disputed but commonly acknowledged leadership. Element Zero had brought about a cultural and technological renaissance to humanity and all sentient races that had learned of and made proper use of it... and it had absolutely no use to Revan Qel-Droma. Quite the contrary in fact.
Baring his teeth in frustration, Revan slowly leaned back into the uncomfortably comfortable ergonomic chair at the back of the Normandy's tech lab, scowling slightly as his rage passed. Element Zero was a damned nuisance in his opinion. By no means a simpleton, Revan's technical capabilities were well known amongst those within the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire as groundbreaking and in the case of a certain rust-colored assassin droid, downright terrifying. The quarter-Taung former Jedi Knight could practically breathe life into machines, once using the Star Forge's nearly endless resources to craft and build battle droids capable of tearing apart Jedi Knights and entire Republic Platoons; Starships and fighters able to literally fly circles around and obliterate anything the Republic's finest minds could field. The terror Revan's mechanical creations had unleashed upon the Republic as the Dark Lord of the Sith were only secondary to the effect the near-human had on a battle. Revan's genius spread beyond the mechanical, allowing him a higher learning curve over his contemporaries within the Jedi Order and later those on the battlefield.
Since coming to the Citadel Galaxy, Revan had felt his Force senses weakened significantly. Weapons, armor, starships, power generators, even the omni-tool on his wrist and the gravity keeping him in his comfortable seat were based on the previously unknown to him element. Through the effects of the Biotic warriors he'd faced Revan was beginning to understand that the Force, or more accurately Midichlorians were adversely affected by Element Zero and its side effects... namely biotics. The silver lining to this particularly dark cloud in the former Jedi Knight's mind was that the detrimental effects went both ways. A biotic could very well throw a warp assault on him and have him losing his lunch just as he could fling a bolt or two of lightning at the bastards with the same results. His sessions with Shari'a and the presence of Subject Zero and her abnormally powerful biotic capabilities had made that small fact abundantly clear.
The armor that lay in pieces before Revan, a patchwork bastardization of his Battle Robes and an Onyx Mark X medium combat hardsuit he'd requisitioned from Jacob following the events on Purgatory. Resting his hand on his chin, Revan's dark brown eyes flickered over the various components arrayed before him, the tittering hum of Mordin Solus in the background as the Salarian scientist worked on a captured Seeker Swarmer going unnoticed by the former Dark Lord of the Sith.
"Not coming along as you'd hoped?"
The cultured voice was slightly mocking and Revan resisted the urge to start as he slowly slid his eyes from his project to come eye level with Miranda's chest. Raising a brow before doing the same with his eyes, Revan met the Cerberus Operative's pale blue eyes and allowed a hint of his frustration to show on his features, only visible to Miranda through a dangerous and slightly unhinged glint to the Mandalorian-born man's eyes.
"I am finding myself at a... crossroad of sorts."
Intrigued, though she did not allow it to show on her features, Miranda slowly approached Revan's workspace, her sharp eyes flickering over the man's armor and noting immediately the lack of an Element Zero power source. Furrowing her brow slightly, Miranda searched the workbench briefly before she spotted the Element Zero micro-fusion core in Revan's gloved and clenched hand. Noting the slightly defensive posture Revan had adopted in his seated position, Miranda paused briefly to reconsider her presence in the Normandy's lab before her pride pushed aside any unease she felt at Revan's presence. Unknown factor or no, she had business to discuss with the former Jedi Knight.
"Having a problem with the power core? I'm sure quartermaster could manufacture another... or perhaps your Quarrian companion can have a look at it?"
Revan remained silent, his features darkening slightly as he held Miranda's gaze. Growing uncomfortable, the Cerberus Operative crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing slightly at Revan's lack of involvement in their conversation.
"If one would go so far as to call it that."
A mocking voice that sounded irritatingly like her father echoed in Miranda's mind. Drawing in a calming breath, the genetically enhanced woman sighed slightly at the thought of her distant but certainly not missed father. The news she'd received of Oriana's location potentially being compromised had left her restless and she'd left the normally comfortable confines of her office to scour the ship for a distraction. Subject Zero, or Jack as the Commander insisted everyone call the unstable escaped criminal was a distraction that Miranda knew would have been vastly unhealthy, so she'd avoided the Engineering deck and Cargo Bay altogether, the low lighting of the Normandy's night cycle chasing her from the nearly empty Command Deck once she'd had her fill of Mess Sergeant Gardner's, in her opinion pointless babbling and Joker's snide comments. Shepard had been locked away in his quarters, getting some well earned rest and it wasn't quite time to be confronting Shepard over her sister's fate. She still had to confirm with Niket and check her own well informed Information Brokers before she would risk the Illusive Man's ire by diverting Cerberus resources for something he would view as personal and trivial.
Revan's expression had shifted slightly as his enhanced senses picked up on the internal conflict within Miranda. A single brow raised in surprise while a slight grimace pulled on his lips. He was being a bit of an ass and it might actually be worthwhile getting someone else's opinion, though not to the point of revealing a potential weakness. He could stomach the small Mass Effect cores of his guns as well as the armor, though it was becoming distracting to know the source of all the technological wonders the Citadel Galaxy's people had access to were clouding his senses.
"Element Zero doesn't exist where I am from. I'm trying to combine the aspects of your galaxy's armor with my own and the results are... less than impressive."
Having examined most of the items Revan had brought with him from his own galaxy, Miranda was intrigued. This would be a welcome distraction to the upcoming mission to Korlus and the headache a Krogan crewmember would bring.
"What exactly is the problem?"
Miranda's inquiry was met with silence as Revan rolled the small Mass Effect power source within his hand, his expression blank as his sharp eyes flickered over the hybrid armor before him.
"Element Zero is having an adverse effect on the micro-dampening field generator on my armor. The power output is all well and good, but there is really no way I can make the devices compatible. I'm trying to decide which one I need less."
Mandalorian armor was not simply plates of super-dense and strong metal, but a complex envirosuit mixed with a powered exoskeleton and inertial dampener that would allow Mandalorian warriors to survive plummeting through an atmosphere atop an exposed Basilisk War droid. Each suit of armor was in essence a small lifepod that allowed Mandalorians to take brutal punishment on the battlefield while surviving speeds and maneuvers that would otherwise liquefy the internal organs of most sentient lifeforms. As such, the Element Zero microfusion core would give off a small Mass Effect field that would disrupt the inertial dampeners, but at the same time offer power to the armor's kinetic barriers, exoskeleton and combat display systems. Consequentially, his battle robe's power source would instantly flash fry anything based on Mass Effect technology save for his omni-tool that was powered by a separate and shielded power source.
"I suppose it comes down to what you can do without. You're highly unlikely to come across any type of energy weapon not fixed to a ship and it's unlikely you'll need an inertial dampener unless you feel the need to fall from great heights or perform ill advised maneuvers on some primitive craft that doesn't use Mass Effect Fields."
Revan considered Miranda's input before shaking his head in frustration. He wasn't going to give up either his homegrown shielding systems for something that only absorbed kinetic energy. His armor could take the physical damage the Mandalorian dueling shields couldn't deflect and his senses, while clouded; weren't entirely useless. It made him wary of trying to deflect or simply vaporize the accelerated projectiles with his lightsabers, but it wouldn't do to give up an advantage to his defenses that any of his potential opponents would be ignorant of.
"I've interlaced most of my own armor with this hardsuit, but there isn't much I can do to restore the energy my own equipment uses. Its power levels are too high for anything short of a dozen microfusion reactors to recharge in a battle situation and... Well, I'm not as familiar with your galaxy's technology."
Peering over Revan's shoulder at the equipment carefully laid upon the workbench, Miranda frowned as she considered the unknown power cells of Revan's alien devices and the apparent incompatibility a Mass Effect Core had with his shields and if her genetically enhanced eyes weren't deceiving her; the small fiber-like weaving of the undersuit she knew wasn't standard issue for the Onyx armor.
"I've handled most of your equipment, save your mask in the last several weeks. I couldn't make heads or tails of most of it, but this... this weave here, is it a type of armored enhancement? I can see it takes power from this aperture here but... Ah, it's a powered exoskeleton isn't it? And with inertial dampeners? I've seen the resilience of your armor firsthand, I don't suppose there is any way to reproduce your technology here on the Normandy?"
Revan sat back from his project, crossing his arms over his chest as Miranda absently brought up her omni-tool and did a quick scan of Revan's armor. In the days since Purgatory, Revan had been able to nano-weld his old armor over a very expensive set of Onyx Mark X medium armor and strengthened it by removing the standard issue undersuit and replacing it with his own version. With careful precision, Miranda slowly scrolled over the data before her, noticing the ingenious if unorthodox spot-welds Revan had done to keep the entire system functional. The only issue really was a power source and if her scans were correct, there was no way Revan would get what he wanted with the limited resources he had from his own galaxy.
"You're going to have to give up your shield generator power cells if you want to power this thing for any extended period of time. I can't think of anything besides a micro Mass Effect core that would even approach the power requirements these devices need... unless..."
Miranda's cool blue eyes slid to the twin cylinders Revan kept on his belt. She'd noticed the man carried the devices almost nonstop since she'd returned them and while she understood they were a type of energy blade, she could not see the practicality of having such a dangerously unstable and short-range weapon when one could simply shoot you to death long before you were within reach.
"You could scavenge one of the power cells from your lightsaber. I fail to see their practical use in any of the situations this crew is likely to find itself in in the foreseeable future. Perhaps a last-ditch defense if we're cornered or a lovely nuclear-powered grenade."
Revan scowled at Miranda's ignorance and the slight hint of mockery her voice took on in regards to his lightsabers. He hadn't used his lightsabers since his duel with the Sith Emperor and to be honest, he'd been trying to avoid using them to keep a low profile. There was nothing even remotely like it in the Citadel Galaxy that he'd seen so far and Revan drew in a calming breath before turning his gaze to the small Mass Effect Field generator in his hand.
"Can't have everything, can I? No that would just be too bloody easy."
Miranda slipped her eyes from her omni-tool to the former Jedi Knight. The previous indecision was gone and she watched in mild amusement as Revan forced the power cells from one of his lightsabers with a speed that belied the inherent danger in the act. The process took the former General no more than a minute and the power cell was cannibalized and used in tandem with the one salvaged from his defunct wrist communicator.
"Can't believe I'm bloody doing this."
Revan grumbled as he scavenged several components from his old Jedi lightsaber, his dark eyes flickering over the crystal briefly before his lips curved slightly as a thought occurred to him. Lightsaber crystals were horribly unstable when charged with an outside power source and only the carefully Jedi or Sith-crafted focusing lens could properly control its chaotic energies. The Mandalorian-born former Jedi knew his saber's dampening fields would fail almost instantly and the resulting explosion would easily cripple or destroy a frigate-sized vessel. Of course, Mass Effect-based tech came with the added bonus of a micro-dampening field that could potentially stabilize the crystal and create in essence a starship generator that could fit in the palm of his hand... minus the emitters of course, otherwise he'd merely be making an overpowered blowtorch that would superheat the air around him and kill... well, everyone. Now there was a thought.
"You wouldn't happen to mind filling out a requisition order would you?"
Revan asked after several moments of stillness and silence as Miranda inspected his work. The Cerberus Operative shut off her omni-tool and gave Revan a slightly imperious look. She would answer to Shepard and the Illusive Man, but in regards to the rest of the crew, she was the XO and they her subordinates. She had to make certain Cerberus' investments in Shepard and the rag-tag crew he was putting together would not only find the reason for the disappearance of the Colonists and put an end to it, but also not bankrupt the organization in the process. There were still the Reapers to deal with after all.
"What exactly are you planning on ordering- no, making with Cerberus resources?"
Revan was silent a moment as he rolled the pale blue lightsaber crystal in his hand, his eyes shifting over his new suit of functional armor and the old housing of his lightsaber.
"What do you think Shepard would say to weapon capable of taking out a frigate that he can carry around on that magnetic harness of his?"
Intrigued, though slightly skeptical of such a weapon being possible, Miranda gazed down at the blue lightsaber crystal before raising her omni-tool and bringing up her previous scans of the very same crystal during her studies of Revan's gear weeks before.
"I'll have to clear this with the Commander as well as the Illusive Man, though I fail to see how you'll manage this without a ship-sized core."
The former Dark Lord of the Sith used the Force to levitate his lightsaber crystal, his dark eyes reflecting the pale blue glow of the crystal in the dim lightning of the Normandy's lab as Mordin Solus made a random exclamation of surprise, drawing Miranda's attention briefly away from him.
"Is there a problem, Professor?"
Miranda's clipped voice echoed across the lab and Mordin looked up from his work, his bulbous eyes taking in Revan's armor before moving to Miranda.
"Problem? Many problems, Operative Lawson, many. Seeker swarms unpredictable, unaccountable. Invisible to sensors, difficult to track, just as difficult to evade. Much work to be done if countermeasure is to be developed. Biometric creatures, difficult to fool. Difficult, but not impossible! Must find solution, perhaps chemical agent to counter effects of stasis? Unknown, possible nanite infection cause of stasis in victims... nanites? General Qel-Droma, your body filled with nanotech, perhaps I could have sample?'
Revan drew his attention from the crystal to regard the scientist that had cured him of the plague on Omega. Honestly he was surprised the Salarian scientist wasn't carrying any of his nanites around after the injection he'd received in the medical labs in the quarantined district. Knowing the nanites would replenish themselves if necessary; Revan offered a careless shrug as he pushed himself away from the workbench, moving across the lab to the Salarian's side and offering his arm.
"Not like I can't spare a few hundred thousand of the little buggers. By all means, if it can help counteract this-"
Revan's eyes fell to the Seeker Swarmer and his face lost all expression. Staring at the small biomechanical creature, the former Jedi's eyes flashed gold briefly as his Force-senses saw the creature beyond the veil of simple physical limitations. The creature felt like a drone, separated from a hive mind of infinite scope and the former Jedi didn't even notice the slight pinch on his arm as Mordin drew his blood and several hundred thousand nanites as well, chattering happily about the possibilities. Miranda seemed to notice the stiffness in Revan's posture once she looked away from the crystal that had fallen to the ground when Revan's attention had focused solely on the Seeker Swarmer.
"Revan?"
Revan heard the echo of his name in the back of his mind, but continued to focus on the Swarmer, his eyes glowing with Force-energy as he sought the source of the strange tremor in the Force the biometric creature gave off. It seemed to stretch across the galaxy, spanning on and on to the very edge of his senses before his body responded to the pressure and heat at his back and he snapped out of the Force-trance that had taken him over momentarily.
"Are you alright, Revan?"
Miranda's voice lacked the normal harshness and mockery it usually held as she stared at Revan's ashen features with concerned and slightly wary expression. Something was definitely off, but she had no way of knowing what and before she could try to pry any information from the former Jedi Knight, Shepard's voice sounded over her Omni-tool.
"Miranda, we've just entered the Imir system. ETA to Korlus is twenty minutes. From the chatter EDI and Joker have picked up and the Intel Chambers forwarded to me we're probably going to have to go in quiet. Jack may be a powerful biotic but I think we need a more subtle touch for this one. Make sure Lia's awake so she can help EDI and Joker monitor the frequencies these Blue Sun Mercs are using and see if you can't find Jacob. He hasn't been answering his comms and EDI says he's down in the armory doing god knows what. I don't want to disturb Mordin's research and last I checked Revan was hunched over his armor in the lab trying to find the answers to the universe so-"
Revan chose to interject that moment as his face regained some color. He needed to kill something... badly. What he'd seen in the primitive mind of the Seeker Swarmer wasn't something he wanted to dwell on in that moment and a combat situation would be the perfect distraction.
"My gear is set if you need me, Shepard."
Miranda frowned at the rudeness of Revan's interruption and from the pause on the comm line, Shepard was mulling over his own annoyance as well. After several moments, a barely audible sigh was heard over the line before Shepard finally responded.
"Revan you're on ground team with me then. We'll take Garrus as backup, might need his sniper rifle and we'll definitely need his tech experience. Miranda, keep Zaeed, Jacob and Jack on standby in the shuttle if we need some heavy hitters. You're in charge of the Normandy while I'm down there. Keep Shari'a and Lia close in case the Mercs try to hit the ship."
The channel cut before Miranda could voice her comment so Revan and Mordin were the only ones to hear.
"Obviously, Commander."
With a roll of her eyes, Miranda collected the list of items Revan would need for his project on her Omni-tool for later assessment and a mental note to clear it with both the Commander and the Illusive Man before she moved to the Command Deck, leaving Revan to don his modified armor.
With a care for detail few could match, Revan went about the task of removing his armor from its place on the workbench to slowly fitting each part over the black Jedi robes he wore while not on a combat mission. Mordin occasionally glanced in the former Jedi Knight's direction asking questions over the nanites that Revan calmly and dutifully responded to before he was suited up in his modified armor. A combination of the battle robes he wore as Dark Lord and a set of Onyx Mark X medium armor, the black hardsuit and combat skin beneath blood red plates of Mandalorian style armor made for a menacing, if more streamlined battle suit. Gone were the Kevlar-like fabric weaves of his battle robes and cloak, replaced by matte black hardsuit contours and harsh, battered segments of Mandalorian armor that still allowed the former Jedi ease of movement and the best protection two galaxies could offer against most small arms both galaxies' sentients had created to kill one another with. The added protective layer of Mandalorian dueling shields and Echani energy shielding made Revan Qel-Droma quite literally a walking tank. Donning his mask and shifting slightly to test his range of movement, Revan calmly attached his last remaining functional Sith lightsaber to his belt before adding heading to the armory to grab a heavily modified M-5 Phalanx heavy pistol the Normandy's quartermaster had cleared for him as well as several spare thermal clips and carefully placing them in the added pouches of his armor and belt. Casting a glance around the armory and spotting Shepard having a slightly personal-looking conversation with Jacob, Revan decided to forgo heavier weapons.
It was time to stop hiding his abilities amongst the nameless masses of the galaxy. If what he'd seen with his senses when they'd delved into the Seeker swarmer and its source was any indication, the Citadel Galaxy would need all the help it could possibly get. If that involved exposing himself to the Citadel and those who'd so quickly condemned him when he'd first arrived, Revan no longer cared. He'd finally found something worse than the True Sith. Hell, the True Sith were positively cuddly when put alongside the Collectors and their Reaper masters and no one deserved the fate the Reapers or their indoctrinated slaves were bringing to the Citadel, to their entire galaxy.
"We'll look into it, Jacob."
Revan broke out of his lost train of thoughts to see the Cerberus Operative thanking Shepard, though a short uncomfortable silence followed when both former Alliance Marines noticed their audience. Revan merely raised a brow, the gesture obscured by his mask before annoyance crossed Shepard's features. Gesturing to the red and black armor, Shepard gave Revan a slight glare.
"This is what you think when I say subtle?"
Revan calmly picked up a specially designed and highly illegal silencer modification for his weapon, making certain the device was clearly visible as he removed his M-5 from the magnetic hip holster he'd adopted for it and slowly screwed the threaded sound suppressor into place. Jacob's emotions were conflicted, though a hint of amusement shone in the Force briefly as a wry smirk crossed the former Corsair's lips and Shepard merely pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. The three men stood in silence for a moment before Zaeed, Shari'a and Garrus all entered the armory, the trio pausing to take in the Commander's exasperation and Revan's new appearance.
"Shepard."
Garrus finally greeted, nodding to the Commander as his mandibles clicked in curiosity. Shaking off the awkwardness of the moment, the Turian made his way to one of the larger and consequently louder assault rifles he could find in the armory, causing Shepard to sigh in defeat before he reluctantly grabbed a grenade launcher from the heavy weapons rack.
"We can try for subtle Shepard, but you and I both know we're going to be shooting our way out of this at some point."
The former N-7 Commando relaxed slightly at Garrus' frank tone, fixing his various weapons to his N-7 armor and allowing a bitter expression to cross his features.
"I can always hope otherwise..."
Attaching the M-15 Vindicator to his hardsuit, Garrus glanced at Revan's light combat load as a Turian frown made its way to his scaled features.
"I know you're some weird kind of Biotic or whatever, but one gun?"
Revan glanced at the lonely pistol strapped to his magnetic hip holster before shrugging. If worse came to worse he could always use the Force to steal his enemy's weapons from them and the added weight and bulk of the heavier assault weapons would only encumber his... in Shepard's galaxy; unique abilities.
"I have some surprises for this one, Vakarian."
The Turian vigilante's eyes shone slightly at a private thought that Revan easily accessed through the vast Force powers available to his command. Archangel was obviously remembering Tarak's demise on Omega.
"Just Garrus is fine. I know I'd feel better if you had a stronger weapon. These are Blue Sun mercs on a training world we're dealing with. They'll have heavy armor and heavier weapons if Shepard's luck holds true."
An indignant "hey!" was issued by said Spectre which both Revan and Garrus ignored as the two men exchanged smirks, Garrus' difficult to read through his avian features and Revan's obscured by a full mask.
"The radio traffic EDI has been able to pick up also indicates a number of rogue Krogan that the Blue Sun forces are battling. Perhaps at the very least a proper ammo modifier would be advisable."
The calm interjection of the Asari Matron drew a close to the ribbing between Garrus and Shepard, both men turning their attention to Shari'a as she finished attaching her weapons and securing her armor. A faint curve was evident on her lips as she eyed the men in the room, Zaeed having been the only one to think of bringing disruptor rounds, and only then out of habit. Armor was a bitch, but shields were worse in the grizzled mercenary's opinion.
"Right... I was getting to that."
Garrus finally bluffed, drawing amused looks from Shepard and Jacob while Shari'a merely raised one of her brows and fixed her former C-Sec contemporary with an imperious look. Garrus turned his blue eyes away first, sighing as he collected a shredder ammo modifier for his assault rifle.
"Just like old time, Shepard."
Remembering Ashley giving both of them a similar, though much more blunt dressing down before the mission to Therum two years before, Shepard allowed a smile to cross his features, the effect reaching his eyes as he shared a moment of camaraderie with his former Normandy crewmate.
"The fuck is this, squad bonding time?"
Jack's harsh tone cut through the armory, causing all of its occupants to case the powerful biotic former convict differing glares.
"You're on support, Jack. I want you with Zaeed and Jacob on the shuttle. Pack heavy and make sure you got something modded that can get through Blue Sun armor or stop a Krogan."
Scoffing at Shepard's advice, Jack none-the-less grabbed a vicious M-22 Eviscerator shotgun and an M-6 Carnifex pistol before charging a small ammo pack with a biotic charge, a vicious smirk crossing her features as the warp-ammo modification indicator lit up on her weapons.
"Fuck that Shepard, I'm coming with you."
All movement besides Jack's in the armory stopped, causing the ex-convict to turn an amused look towards the silent and blank expressions of her crewmates. The Hell with Cerberus and their cronies. The only reason she hadn't killed them all was Shepard and the files he'd promised her... that he'd actually delivered on. The expression on the cheerleader's face had been funny enough, but it wouldn't buy her loyalty. Still, something about the Collectors and some of the things she'd seen in a few of the unofficial files she'd stolen were disquieting to the former convict and Jack's amusement vanished as she thought of all those poor suckers missing on the colonies. Hell that could've been her if she hadn't been on Purgatory. The colonies in the Terminus systems were prime hiding spots for people like her.
"I made you a promise, Jack. I kept it. I expect the same in return. You agreed to join this crew and you will follow my orders. You got a problem with that you can walk out the nearest airlock, whether we're docked or not. Are we clear?"
Jack had to admit, Shepard could definitely bring down his authority when he wanted to and she was rethinking her first words to the Commander on Purgatory before deciding to save face in front of the other crewmen and women. Rolling her eyes flippantly, Jack shrugged as she offered a neutral answer.
"Whatever Commander. I'll sit out this time, but you better get me some action before I get bored and start looking for a fight a little closer to home."
Miranda chose that moment to enter the armory, her blue eyes narrowing at the meaningful glare Jack threw her direction. Ignoring the unstable biotic, Miranda moved towards Shepard, grabbing a simple M-3 Predator and her M-4 Shuriken. A quick check of her kinetic barriers drew her attention away from her load-out and to Revan.
"I forwarded your requests to the Illusive Man. The next time we hit a friendly port, we'll have your items. Save the most important. That will take some time."
The Illusive Man had given her enough information on the agreement he and Revan had made to know it wouldn't interfere with Cerberus' overall mission. There were risks in trying to get the Conduit from Ilos that the Salarian Union's STG had acquired, but it wasn't impossible and with the right amount of credits and threats, Cerberus would have the final piece of Revan's request for his services on their current mission within several weeks, perhaps a month at the most. Shifting slightly under the curious stare of Shepard, Miranda pushed aside her misgivings. She believed in what Cerberus stood for and Revan's requests were minor in the grand scheme of the Reaper threat, let alone the Collectors and the weapon Revan had mentioned once he'd heard the threat against their galaxy was mechanical in nature had been as ridiculous as it was ancient... well, as ancient as nuclear weapons were. EMP based weapons that delivered their electronic-damaging payloads in self-contained ion charges were beyond the abilities of the Citadel and Terminus worlds, but apparently child's play to Revan.
"I suppose you'll want the schematics?"
Revan muttered, ignoring the frown on Shepard's features. Ion cannons were hardly the most dangerous thing he could hand over in regards to his galaxy's technology. The Reapers had to be stopped, that was infinitely clearer after his experience with the Seeker swarmer and Revan brought up a rough schematic he'd been working on, stored in his Omni-tool, the pale blue light of his modified device in stark contrast to the orange of Miranda's as she accepted the upload.
"Something you want to tell me?"
Shepard asked as he approached the two. The rest of the crew had slowly filtered out, ignoring the conversation between the Cerberus Operative and former Jedi Knight, leaving the three alone, aside from EDI's watchful presence. Miranda cast Revan a blank look, leaving the point of their discussion up to the former Jedi Knight. Revan's masked features lowered to his Omni-tool once more before bringing up a rough schematic of an Ion-Cannon's interior, modified to accept nuclear-based fission reactors as the Mass Effect fields of the micro-fusion power cores of standard weapon load outs from the Citadel galaxy disrupted the focusing matrix and effectively made the weapons over designed and expensive bombs.
"During my time on Omega I spend several weeks trying to design my galaxy's weapons using Mass Effect based tech as a basis. About all it did was grant me the ability to create new and expensive ways to blow things up. I decided to take a deeper look in the codex Lia provided me and came up with a solution to at least one of the problems. Ion cannons can be powered by nuclear fission reactors and... if I can find a way to shield the power sources from Element Zero fields without compromising the power flow... well; that will take time, years even. Until then I can give you a ship-mounted gun that can effectively kill a Reaper."
Like most of the crew, Revan had been given access to sealed and classified files on the previous Normandy's actions against Saren, the Geth and Sovereign. It was odd at first, but Revan had merely taken it in stride, focusing on the schematics of an Ion-cannon he'd had to built from scratch with absolutely zero familiar components to work with. There would be drawbacks of course; charging the weapon, heat output that would fry any of the cooling systems the Citadel galaxy... but it would be possible as well as devastating against a mechanical enemy who's only defense was a shield designed to stop kinetic energy. And armor... lots of armor.
"Any way you can get this on the Normandy?"
Shepard finally asked, intrigued by the information uploaded to his own Omni-tool. Revan shrugged his shoulders, already having spent hours on the issues mixing the technology or trying to build it from scratch entailed.
"I'd have to do most of the work personally... and the resources are especially volatile... but I think I can do it."
Miranda chose that moment to rejoin the conversation, her arms uncrossing as one rested on her hip while the other gestured to the active hologram displayed on Shepard's Omni-tool.
"Either way the Illusive Man has committed significant Cerberus resources to this project. The best minds we have at our disposal have gone over the concept information Revan gave them and they agree it is viable. These schematics will undoubtedly level the field against the Reapers, Commander."
Shepard was silent for a long moment, his blue eyes focused intensely on the image on display before him before his shoulders lowered slightly as a long, heavy sigh left his body and a genuine smile crossed his lips.
"Revan... I really don't know what to say. This weapon could save the entire galaxy."
The former Dark Lord of the Sith ignored Shepard's praise. The designs were rudimentary at best and despite his confidence in being able to assemble a working prototype given the right materials, it would still take time.
"This technology is in its infancy at the moment in your galaxy, Shepard. It will take time as well as a significant commitment to field it, let alone mass produce it. I still have to work out a way to shield the devices from the effects of Mass Effect fields, but I've been reading into that on the extranet and with the materials coming to me from Cerberus it's only a matter of time."
Shepard's enthusiasm passed as he considered leaving Revan on the Normandy and taking someone else for the next mission. The former General had just become an asset to the galaxy that they couldn't afford to lose. Reading Shepard's thought, Revan finished the systems check of his armor, pleased to note that the modified armor did not encumber his movements.
"Let's go get this Krogan, Commander."
Narrowing his eyes briefly, Shepard's blue gaze focused intensely on the former Jedi Knight before he nodded reluctantly. He'd seen Revan's battle prowess and as important as Revan's technical skills were, there were more immediate concerns and he had to trust his squad mates abilities both on and off the battlefield.
"No unnecessary risks."
The former N7 Marine ordered, Miranda mirroring his orders with a nod of agreement. Revan allowed himself a bit of amusement as he agreed. Neither the XO nor the Commander had any idea the risks he was planning to take on the upcoming mission were only going to appear suicidal.
