When Han had first set foot on the Array, he had come to realize two things: this thing was clearly not made by the Geth, and that they were possibly in over their heads. The first point had made him chuckle. Tali had already supplied significant evidence that this was the case, but something in him…well, he supposed he just had to see it for himself. The second point though? Keelah, that was a different matter entirely.
"Seeing is believing," Shepard had told him after the first biotic training session that the man had run weeks ago. It was a response to some snarky question Han had asked the man, unconvinced as he had been about the need for such biotic-centric training. Indeed, seeing the biotic tear through his marines then had shattered whatever illusion he'd had about their skills against such opposition. It was humbling, and it had opened his eyes about their own weaknesses.
He was getting much the same feeling now. He felt humbled.
Keelah, for once he was glad for Daro'Xen - if there was anyone able to get the most out of this place, it was her. She was the right person for it at the right time, though he wouldn't have thought of it so philosophically.
It seemed that she was intent on doing just that, and to that end, their preparations had been extensive and well-thought out. They had begun the actual "live" tests shortly after Han had arrived, and they'd been rather basic in nature. They had remote-piloted a few probes into the relays' target zone and sent it a few kilometers in-system, just to be picked up by one of her science vessels. Then they would study it, analyze it, and go again. It had been exhaustive, but he knew beforehand that Daro'Xen would be nothing if not meticulous. When those tests had gone flawlessly, the next logical step was always going to be to begin testing with larger ships, and with passengers.
Which brought him to the present. He was seated quietly next to one of the workstations along the wall facing the the command consoles. He'd made a point to not touch any of the long cables that snaked their way like arteries to and from the various stations in here. While he and Daro were getting along reasonably well, he still was in no mood to piss the woman off - truly piss her off - if he could avoid it.
As it was, he was patiently listening to the various goings-on as he half-studied a datapad, trying to look like he had Important Things to Attend To and probably failing miserably at the endeavor.
To the aim of testing the Array's usefulness, he'd volunteered one of the Neema's shuttles and two of his most reliable pilots to take charge of said shuttle. It had been fitted with all manner of scanning and recording instruments and was now preparing to begin the first round of live testing. With the shuttle, they'd be able to test more of the Array's transportation range. The hope was that it would remained as precise at distance as it appeared to be when using it in-system.
Aboard the venerable shuttle Neema-03, the two pilots entrusted with this endeavor were quietly confident that this maiden test flight would be a successful one. Since they'd arrived with the Neema, they'd been paying rapt attention to every test and every piece of data that was squeezed from those tests. They had to, really. Would have been negligent otherwise.
And for once, everything seemed on the up-and-up. As far as Cazet and Kita could tell, this would be no different than any other relay jump that they'd made. The main difference here was the absurd amount of equipment that was stowed in the hold behind them. They'd tried to study what all of said equipment was going to be doing, and they'd tried as best they could to learn what to do in case of an emergency. As far as they could tell, they were prepared. If all else failed, they had emergency guidelines downloaded to their omnitools.
"Cazet, how are your systems looking? We're showing green across the board. Please confirm."
"Affirmative, Neema Control. This is Cazet. We've run system's checks on the shuttle and on Admiral Xen's equipment. All systems are nominal, barriers engaged. Myself and Kita are strapped in and ready to go."
They waited for the confirmation reply from the Neema but got someone else entirely.
"Gentlemen," the radio feed was interrupted by a particularly steeled and icy voice, "this is Admiral Xen. Double check the sensory equipment to ensure that it is recording properly. I do not wish to have to run this test again. Am I clear?"
That other voice froze the pilots. Keelah, Daro'Xen. They'd never really had to interact with her, being under Admiral Gerrel's command, but stories tended to travel fast amongst their people, and there were plenty of stories about Admiral Xen. It was widely known that she was completely devoid of emotion, had next to zero patience, and was about as personable as the Geth had been. The two pilots shared a concerned glance.
Cazet cleared his throat. "Yes, of course, Admiral. Kita is running another systems check."
"Good. Do inform us once it is complete." Even over the comms she managed to sound like a…well, the kind of thing that one does not say out loud about a member of the Admiralty Board.
"Kita," he glanced over to see his co-pilot double checking the readouts of the various recording equipment as instructed, "please hurry. I do not…care for the admiral's tone."
He nodded and continued his work.
Aboard the Array, Daro closed the comms channel, stalking her way over to her opposite number, Han'Gerrel. She did not know these pilots that were under Han's command, and therefore had no trust in them. Sure, they were quarian, and supposedly the best under Han's command, but they were not her quarians. She had to be hard, she had to be cautious. They could not afford errors on on this project. She saw Han seated against the nearby wall, mask-deep in a datapad. He looked up at her before she was even halfway to him.
Gerrel had arrived out here just the day before with the Neema and two other small frigates. He had brought his concerns to the other admirals and the Conclave, and as expected, was not questioned. After all, it was sound reasoning and one which they should have picked up on in the first place. In any case, he was now here and had the Array reasonably protected - even if the reasoning given to the others had been somewhat dishonest. Even so, it really was foolhardy for Daro to have come out here with limited firepower should the need arise. After all, the Terminus had been somewhat lawless even before the war. Now that it was over and the desperation of those that had survived could have a chance to kick in? Well, it was good that they were here.
"Daro. Now that you have sufficiently engendered fear and paranoia into the minds of my men, are you confident that this will work?"
She rolled her eyes. "Your men should be prepared for that. And yes, I am confident. We've run simulations hundreds of times."
Glancing at the station along the wall past Han, she found Veetor and smiled to herself. He sat at his station, undoubtedly deep in some other test or simulation that he'd wanted to run. Despite the importance of this particular test, it appeared that he couldn't possibly care less. It was untrue, of course, but he was aware that watching this test could accomplish nothing. It would succeed or fail and there was little say he could have realistically had on the matter. So why waste time by simply watching?
Daro'Xen then recalled the series of tests that they'd run. She and Veetor had personally tested the efficacy of what they were trying to do. So far, they had deduced that each relay that comprised the array could be given a set of coordinates - x, y, and z as the original team had deduced - and thus the relay was "aligned". When all relays were given the same coordinates, they could effectively "lock in" on that location. At first, they had simply tested it the way the Geth had - as a type of long-range telescope. They were even able to find these so-called "Arks", and even peer into the edges of the Andromeda Galaxy. That was when some "personnel issues" began to surface.
Word had quickly spread that the Geth had created and launched an ark of their own, and while the plot of their course was decidedly different than those of the organic arks, the fact that it existed at all had given some of the others pause. It loomed over them like a dreadnought. They found themselves concerned - keelah, what if the Geth turned murderous again? - but otherwise had resigned themselves to simply hoping that it was a big enough galaxy for the both of them. After all, there was precious little that could be done about it anyway. In any case, the researchers were soon engrossed in the work while their theories about what this could be used for percolated just under the surface. They'd hoped that their postulating was hidden from her sight, but the admiral was a perceptive woman. As such, Admiral Xen made it a point to halt such musings where she could, but it was obvious to all of them that they were testing the thing's efficacy for transport.
"Now now, Daro. You know that simulations are one thing. But a real life test? Quite another."
Oh, that tone. She didn't accept that from any of her subordinates, and she certainly wouldn't accept it from this fossil. The woman almost growled back at him in reply. Han, the petty little det kazuat, had the gall to insinuate that she…
"Oh, I am well-aware of the nature of testing, of experimenting, of getting results. It is something you may perhaps wish to remember."
He actually smirked a little at her emphasis on "getting results". Her implication was obvious - he'd not been able to accomplish any of his stated goals regarding the Geth, and not only had Shepard done that for him, but they managed to escape to another galaxy to top it all off. He had failed spectacularly, and she knew where to hit him.
Still, Han would leave that one be. After all, they had really just gotten started.
As for Daro, after her initial anger, she actually found it to be rather…refreshing to see that she wasn't the only one capable of pressing uncomfortable buttons.
But that was enough of the pointless distraction, and when they received confirmation (again) that the shuttle was ready to begin, Daro ordered that the set of coordinates be laid in on all three consoles. Daro herself stood at the main control console, with Han observing quietly from afar.
"Very well. I am locking in coordinates and initiating the relay sequence."
With that, her fingers were a blur, pressing all of the keys in perfect order and with deft precision. At the final keystroke, the low vibrant hum of power was felt coursing through the station. It pulsed with energy, and Daro switched to an external camera view.
From the central hub, the view was a wide angle - wide enough to have all three relays in view. The three mass relays arched away in long gray tendrils, so massive in scope and terrible in their power. Three long cables connected them together at the ends, and as the Array began to power up, the telltale crackling blue energy started to arc as the ringed eezo cores began to spin. The relatively small speck that was the shuttle began to move outward from the central ring that constituted the Array's main control center. As it passed farther out, the tendrils of energy grabbed onto the craft from three angles, triangulating on the small vessel with their icy blue fingers. The rings spun faster, glowing far more intensely.
Inside the control center, Daro felt her heart rate quicken and grow louder in her ears. After a few seconds, she found that she could not tell if it was her pulse, or the groan of the relays themselves that was causing the thrum rumbling in her ears. After so many test runs, she came to find the experience to be almost soothing at this point. It was as close a sign to her that everything was functioning as it should. It was comforting, in its own way.
In any case, as the shuttle was pulled faster outward by the crackling fingers of the mass relays, her smile grew wider; so wide, in fact, that it bore teeth. There was a monstrous bang that exploded within the room, it was louder than any they'd experienced with their prior testing. It lasted no more than a second, and when it was over Daro'Xen immediately attached herself to the controls and readouts once more.
Sure enough, the shuttle was gone, and the relays appeared to be inert once again. There was a pause as the room processed the last few interminable seconds.
"All right, let's get a bead on that shuttle! Is it where it should be?" Daro'Xen spat her orders, snapping the room from its collective haze.
Immediately, the entire was action personified, with eyes and hands moving about in a coordinated flurry. The symphony of voices soothed her as they lent sound to the organized chaos.
Daro scanned her display, probing it for a sign of anything that would confirm the shuttle's location. With the previous tests, this had nearly been immediate. The fact that it wasn't this time gave her a moment's pause. Logically, she knew that they would be precisely where they should be, just as the other tests had shown. But there was a difference now, of course.
There were actual lives at stake. And if those lives for some reason did not make it through the relay process intact?
Whatever plans she may or may not have had would all be for naught.
As alien to her as it sounded, the presence of Han'Gerrel did not help. Personally, he mattered little to her. But, as a necessity for what she planned to do, his approval and sanction were required. If this failed to work, then he would not - could not - follow through with what she deigned to be his own designs. Should that be the case, then he would give her no sanction of his own.
Even she could not, in this case, go it alone.
"Shuttle Neema-03, this is Admiral Xen aboard the Array. What is your status?"
A deathly pause.
Silently and under a cloak of a very well-maintained calm, Daro's mind was roiling. Had her calculations somehow been incorrect? How far past the decimal did she go? Had she gone far enough? Was this too much mass? Was something misaligned within the Array itself that caused a fault at this greater distance?
Then, a chillier thought.
Is this why the Geth had settled to use the Array as just a damn telescope?
She had to try again.
"Shuttle Neema-03, again, this is Admiral Xen. Respond: what is your status?"
Again silence, and this time Xen could feel Han's eyes on her. Ordinarily, she would not be intimidated because, after all, progress was a messy business. It only irked her that he was doing so at all. Despite her earlier fears, the scientist mind in her had still expected there to be a hiccup or two during this testing phase. With a sigh, she was about to have the recording data sent to her immediately so she could review what had gone wrong. Daro was convinced that whatever it was, she would sniff it out and the next test would be perfect. Her sterile perception didn't - perhaps couldn't - detect the somber mood in the room.
She began barking orders.
"All right, people. Let's find out what the hell happened, and get ready for -"
"…Neema? This…ttle-03…are…reading this?"
Daro leapt back to the comms station. "This is Xen, we read you but it is not clear. Can you give us your location?"
Static.
"Admiral Xen? This is…that you, ma'am?
She couldn't help the wave of relief that flooded her mind. There would hopefully be no need to dwell on a failed test. "Keelah, yes. This is Admiral Xen. What is your status?"
All eyes lasered in on her - everyone's - but this time she felt none of them.
"Yes, ma'am." The signal had cleared up immensely now. "I apologize. The jump somehow messed with our systems, fried them for a moment. Doesn't look to be anything serious. Might have just had more power than our shuttle was designed for, ma'am."
Daro tapped a finger against the console. Her coldness had returned, its comfort more than welcome.
"Understood. Let's keep the speculation to a minimum. Are you able to return to the Neema? Did you exit the jump at the correct coordinates?"
"Apologies for the speculation, ma'am. Yes, it appears we have full control and we exited at the precise location we should have. We are beginning our return trip now. ETA is about 73 minutes, ma'am."
She breathed a sigh of relief - this whole excursion hadn't been a complete waste. She turned to see the appraising eyes of Han'Gerrel upon her, his arms crossed smugly in front of him. Somehow, he knew that her veneer of cold calm had been nearly shattered.
"Han, do not say a word to me," she ordered as she stalked past him.
Knowing better than to test her patience this time, he said nothing, not bothering to watch her leave.
There was a soft knock on the door to her quarters, and Daro simply stared at the damn thing, not really believing what she'd heard. Who the hell would have the gall to come to her actual quarters and knock, of all things?
"This had better be good," she grumbled with an annoyed sigh. "Enter," she called out without getting up from her desk.
Almost instantly, her countenance softened and she almost relaxed.
Almost.
"Veetor, what are you doing here? Can I help you with something? Are the others being -"
The young man took a few uncertain steps into her relatively dim quarters, hands clutched together at his waist.
"No, no. There is…nothing like that, A-Admiral Xen. I'm sorry for bothering you p-personally, but I found an…answer."
Daro gestured toward the empty seat in front of her desk, and he sat down a little hesitantly. When he dared not look into her eyes, choosing to stare at his lap, she actually tried to put him at ease.
"Veetor, I know that my…reputation precedes me. But my ire is directed at incompetence and stupidity. I have found in you neither trait. But, I am impatient, so please get to the point." He nodded his understanding. "Now, what 'answer' are you talking about?"
Daro's moderated harshness seemed to have awakened him, as he now placed his hands on her desk and pierced into her eyes.
"I am t-talking about the 'directional' answer, Admiral." He began to gesture animatedly with his hands after he pulled a datapad from one of his pockets. "I th-thought that a device like…this would be p-pointless if it could only go to one place."
A small smile softened onto her face. Daro understood where he was going with this now. "You have my attention. Go on."
Veetor turned in his chair, showing her the datapad's screen. There were twelve green dots - two each sat on the top and bottom of each relay. "The points - the green dots -are…are th-thrusters, I think. I've been studying the p-power flow as we've used the A-Array and there is an inordinate amount of power that is not pulled. And, um, it's these points that maintain their power…readings. A-and based on their positions, it only seemed…logical."
She studied the information on the pad, flicking through a few pages before responding. "Well, that is interesting. Maybe they are secured power units? Designed to always remain online? And here we've had our research teams scouring everywhere. Our numbers are spread too thin. We'll have to -" the admiral cleared her throat. "I'll give the order to redirect our teams to those locations." He nodded his understanding. "Veetor, you have done exemplary work out here. I…thank you for it."
For a moment, he just stared back at her, unsure how to respond. "Um, I…I mean…" A deep breath calmed him down. "You are welcome, Admiral. I am just doing my d-duty to the Fleet."
Daro wagged a finger in front of him, looking to correct him. "No, Veetor. Not the Fleet, but for our people. We are more than the Fleet now."
A quiet nod, and he began to get up from the chair before stopping. He rested himself back down and stared at the hands in his lap. After a curious moment, he looked at the admiral. It was his turn to bore into Admiral Xen's eyes.
"Admiral Xen…how are you?"
What?
She nearly gasped, surprised as she was by the question. Two parts of her considered her response. The first part - the "Admiral Xen" part of her - wished to lash out for his impropriety. It wished to chastise the young man; after all, who the hell did he think he was to ask her such a thing? The other part - the "Daro'Xen" part of her - was a quieter voice, but just as powerful. It heard in him a quality that she'd not heard in another quarian voice in a long time.
It was the part of her that missed it.
"Veetor -"
Before she knew it, her stern reply had attacked him before she could stop it. She watched the young man recoil at the sound, a natural threat response. Her voice had been hard and icy, and as soon as she had heard it, the other part of her sorely wished for a retraction. Much to her own surprise, it was that second, often quieter, part of her that won out. Daro cleared her throat - a precursor to an olive branch - before he could get up to scurry away from the monster that had answered him.
"Veetor, I apologize." Somehow, she hoped that he could see the contrite frown that she wore.
Her words hung in the air like a mist, as the last remnants of a cold and dour night.
Watching her body language as much as he heard her voice, Veetor considered a number of things at once. First, he recalled her voice when she first responded. It had lanced him, hurt him; he had not been expecting it. Why should he have? After all, he and Admiral Xen had already had a number of reasonably pleasant interactions. Granted, they had been in the context of their work, but she had always seemed to be pleased with him. He knew enough to know that Daro'Xen valued competence and focus, and he was told that he possessed both traits in more than adequate amounts. So why had she responded this way?
There was a flash in his memory as he recalled her answer to his question about her friends.
Frowning with introspection, Veetor wondered if he had crossed a line.
"I-it's all right…I shouldn't have -"
The admiral softly shook her head, denouncing his feeble retraction.
"No, Veetor. I believe that maybe you should have. I was simply caught off guard." She sighed, but her eyes remained hard. "I have not been asked that question - without pretense - in a long time." She huffed a breath before forming a small smile. Maybe this once…
"I am…well enough. We have done important work here and it leaves me satisfied that we are able to accomplish this much. It gives me…hope for our people. That we can be strong again." The admiral paused, before offering her own rather tentative inquiry. Could she remember how to do this properly?
"How…how are you, Veetor?"
The young man allowed the smallest of smiles to touch him. " I am okay." His head cocked, reconsidering. "Yes. I am okay, Admiral. Keelah, I enjoy the work. I feel good doing it. It keeps…" Uncertainty tried to snake around his brain, and he muttered quietly under his breath as he tried to pinpoint the response he wanted. "It keeps me focused and…I don't remember."
She actually frowned. "Don't remember what?" The admiral was caught in a no-man's land with her hands. She didn't know what to do with them. They were on the desk, then one started to reach over to him, then it got pulled back. Finally, she settled on resting her hands on the cool surface with her fingers interlocked. Just what the hell was that all about?
"So I don't remember the…the pain." Before Daro could ask him about his pain, he forged ahead. "I…of…Elan. It is…her."
The admiral's eyes lost their hardness, and her shoulders slumped slightly. There was a queer mix of jealousy, apprehension, regret, and disdain. How would she balance these? Hell, could she? The admiral drew in a quick breath.
"Forgive me if…I should not ask, but…does she care for you, Veetor? Is that what bothers you?"
He could only produce the smallest nod - tentative, but there nonetheless. "Yes." He paused, uncertain himself if he should continue. "I miss her." He stood there, hands clasped in front of him.
For once, Daro'Xen was quite uncomfortable with herself. This was not her area of expertise and, Ancestors, why the hell was she doing this now? "In that regard, I cannot help you, except to keep you busy. That is the best I can offer you until you are scheduled to go home. Is that…enough, Veetor?"
He noticeably brightened at the prospect of his work. He truly did love it. "Keelah, yes. It keeps me focused. It h-helps." He saw her almost imperceptible nod. "Would…would you like to…" He shook his head defiantly. "Th-thank you, admiral. I have to…I have to go."
What had he nearly asked her? Dismissing the question, Daro instead extended a hand and indicated that he was free to leave. Before he took more than a few steps, she called out to him.
"Keelah, Daro…what are you doing?" She half-scolded herself with a quiet whisper.
Louder now, she called to him. "Veetor? Do you…do you still have the puzzle application? The one you showed me?"
"Yes." A simple answer; direct.
"Would you…would you transfer it to my omnitool?"
He took a few steps to her, his omnitool lightning up as he began the copying process. "Y-Yes, of course."
After he left, she found herself busy late into the night trying to put the pieces of Daro'Xen nar Chayym, along with that girl's parents, back together again.
"Ha, you were always a bosh'tet, Rael."
The desk was cool to the touch, but Han could of course only feel a portion of it. It was pleasant, he thought, the cold that is. He appreciated it, as it contrasted so nicely with the warmth he felt. It stood out to him as a reminder of the contrast. Han had his NerveStim turned up this evening, though were he to be asked why, he would not be able to answer with any certainty. Of course it wasn't just the desk that gave him comfort. No, tonight he was finding heat from his brandy, its warmth rather comforting.
He breathed a quiet laugh in qualified satisfaction.
Why should he not have?
After all, things had worked out better than he could have hoped. Daro, as usual, was quite correct. Even though when she had first left, she had stated that she had a purpose again, he had had his doubts. After all, how could he have known? But after seeing all that he could accomplish – keelah, his aim was still in sight, after all. It was still achievable. And now that he was nearing the cusp of it, he thought that he might spare a thought for his old friend.
"But of course you were. Your single-mindedness was something to be admired in some corners, pitied in others, and hated by yet others." He silently took another drink. "You would find it humorous to know that I…have changed my stance in this old argument, my friend."
He snorted a laugh.
"Well, perhaps that's not true. Perhaps you would not find it funny, after all. Shala is not the only person who remembers the old you, Rael. Tell me, would he have approved of this 'new Han'? I expect that he would not."
He still stood, but took a few circular steps around his sparse quarters. He had taken down his clan colors days ago and locked them away in his footlocker like so many other mementos from a life that had passed him by. He had swept them under the rug, like so many other things.
"Which is actually pretty funny now, wouldn't you agree?"
Another sip of brandy.
"And I see why you had so much faith in Daro'Xen. She is eccentric, yes, but keelah, she is as determined a person as I have ever met. And considering who I'm talking to, that is quite a statement, no?"
After a quick and subtle shake of his head, he sat back down, placing the sealed container on the desk next to him.
"But I am ready, Rael. I am ready to return to her. Jana told me, I think she did…I am not so sure of what she said to me anymore these days…that it is almost done. We will try to do this the right way – to get the blessing of the Conclave and our people."
One last sip, and then his only hope for sleep this evening had been transferred completely to himself.
"If they do not give it, well I will just have to do this the hard way. Because there needs to be recompense, the task must be completed."
Han laid his head back, hanging it over the back of his chair.
"I gave my word to her, Rael. My word. And I mean to keep it."
