Chapter 2: Raise the Sails!

SSV Spirit of Fire, Captain's quarters

In orbit over Earth

Rear Admiral Leonard Averescu was sitting on the couch in his private quarters aboard the Spirit-Class battleship SSV Spirit of Fire, the vessel under his command. In his hand a picture of a young woman in an older issue Marine combat gear. Said woman was smiling, she was happy. She held her rifle high at an angle. His eyes were watering as his thumb was caressing her face.

Suddenly, on a small holo pedestal, the small holographic stature of a woman wearing a breastplate, steel shoulder guards and grey greaves that cover her legs from knee downwards, a coat of plates skirt–like extension of her body armor covered her upper legs. She had a sword sheathed and attached to her left slide. The woman's blonde hair flowed over her shoulders.

"Admiral, your meeting with Fleet Admiral Hackett is in two hours," she said.

Leonard wiped the tears that were forming in his eyes before talking. "Thanks for the heads up, Evelyn."

"Admiral… you alright?" she asked him.

"Weren't you spying on me?"

"I may be the ship's AI, but I refrain from intruding on someone's privacy."

"Always serious, Evelyn? You really are a warrior. To answer your question, yes… I am alright. I just remembered her. It's been 26 years… it feels like it happened just a few days ago, how she died on that God damn colony fighting rebels with her unit… at least she didn't feel any pain when that sniper round found its way into her head…" Leonard remembered.

Evelyn lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir. If you don't mind me asking… how close were you to her?" the AI asked the rear admiral.

Leonard sat up and put the picture on his bed before turning around to continue the conversation. "We had plans to get married. We knew each other since high school. She joined the Marines and I the Navy. She died in 2154, last year of the Insurrection. God, I was the angriest man in the Universe when I found out about her death. Do you know how I did?"

Evelyn shook her head, thus Leonard continued, "She didn't send a message in a couple days. Got worried. Sent her a few mails. Then… one day I received a mail from somebody. Didn't recognize the sender. Turns out it was one of her platoon mates. He told me she took a bullet to the head. I didn't even get to attend her funeral… was stuck aboard the SSV Yashuman at the time. God, it felt so good when we launched those nukes at the rebel naval base and killed the last of the bastards… She was only 21, just like me. Fresh batch deployed into combat. 27 years later… I still miss her more than anything."

"I take it you didn't entertain the idea of dating someone else," Evelyn said.

"Nope. She was the one I ever loved. Now she's dead, rotting in the ground. Only a skeleton with a broken skull is all that's left of her."

"I think I see now where your heart turned cold, sir…"

The officer chuckled at her remark. "Yes… it may be so. Don't get me wrong, I may be a cold hearted insane bastard, but I'm like that only to those who deserve it. Otherwise, I'm just a teddy bear," he said and smile like a kid.

Evelyn sighed. "You still need to put some fat to be a teddy bear, sir. Working out won't help you either."

Leonard started walking towards the door that lead into the hallway. "Evelyn, please have a Kodiak ready to depart. We're going to London HQ. And inform my XO that he's got the ship all to herself," he said as he walked out.

"Aye, sir!" Evelyn said and her holo figure disappeared.

Earth, London Alliance HQ

Admiral Hackett's office

Admiral Steven Hackett is a man who dedicated his life to the Alliance and to the Navy. Born in 2130, he's 50 years old, just three years over Rear Admiral Leonard Averescu. His talents and skills quickly earned him the recognition and respect of other military men, his ascension from enlisted man to the rank of Fleet Admiral being the stuff of legend to some. After the Insurrection, Hackett befriended Anderson and the two keep in touch with each other, off-duty acting more like childhood friends than two high ranking officers out for a drink. He even managed to get Anderson transferred to the Navy after he graduated with high scores from Academy.

Hackett was going over a set of documents when Leonard walked into his office. The Rear Admiral saluted his superior for a moment. Hackett took note of his facial features, the brown eyes, white face heavily accented by facial bones and the jawline, a beard that was stretching from temples to chin and rising to link with his moustache, short trimmed black to brown hair. He was wearing the standard formal uniform of the Alliance.

"Admiral," Averescu said as his form of greeting with a military salute.

"Rear Admiral Averescu, thank you for being able to come in such a short time. Please, have a seat," Hackett offered him.

Averescu sat down in the chair facing Hackett at his desk. "What is it that you wanted to talk to me about, sir?"

"You see Rear Admiral, we have been content to slowly explore the space in our immediate stellar vicinity. But, as is human nature to be curious, we're putting together an expeditionary fleet," Hackett said.

Leonard raised an eyebrow. He leaned back, wanting to be as comfortable as possible. "An expeditionary fleet, sir?"

"Yes. The Alliance knows from the Prothean archives found on Mars that there are other species out there. Thing is, we have no other information except the fact that they exist. The Protheans were not alone in the galaxy. And things have been put in motion to assemble a fleet to look for new habitable planets, resources such as metals and Eezo deposits, and… alien civilizations."

"Eezo? Sir, haven't we already found more than sufficient Eezo deposits within Alliance space? We don't use much of it and we're mining more than it is used," Averescu stated.

"Indeed. But we believe that if Prothean technology relied so much on Eezo, then there might be other species out there that use it. Thus, Eezo becomes one of the main trading resources. We could trade it for metals required to build our ships, cities… infrastructure."

"You do make a good point, sir. But… where do I come in?"

"Rear Admiral, you have been selected to be the commanding officer of the fleet," Hackett said on a matter-of-factly tone, much to the surprise of Leonard whose eyes shot wide open.

"Me?" he asked almost incredulously.

"Yes. Multiple senior officers recommended you for the post. You're an experienced soldier, you always get the work done, you're very impartial… hell, Admiral Kastanie Drescher even went as far as to say, and I quote," Hackett gestured with his fingers the quoting sign, "'a madman with a good heart and clear head who's not afraid to do the right thing, even if he pisses off everyone around him'. Alliance Command trusts you're the right person for this, Averescu. And besides, you've really got nothing else to do."

Leonard leaned forward a bit, putting most of his weight on the chair's right arm rest. "Did she actually say that?" he asked. Hackett nodded. "Damn… that kind of reputation? Admiral, what if… say we make contact with aliens who are up to no good?"

"Then you do the right thing, Admiral. As you always did up until today. Try to put emphasis on peaceful relations. Should you make a peaceful first contact and the aliens willing to talk more, then send word. A political person will come with you to represent the Parliament and the civilian sector. It would be a historical moment for mankind. Or maybe we can attach an ambassador to ride along."

"And should they not be friendly… we remember the Protocol."

"Yes. The safety of our citizens and secrecy of Earth's and our colonies' locations is of paramount importance. You should always be on standby to enact the Protocol."

"I know, sir. What ships am I getting?"

"First, the old lady, the Spirit of Fire," Hackett said only to have the rear admiral frown at him. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Not really. The Spirit is the first ship of the Spirit-Class so she kind of is 'old'. But she's still kicking," Averescu explained, "I love her, sir."

Hackett smiled, "So I take it the Spirit will be your flagship?"

"Yes. No chance you'll get me off her as long as she comes along."

"So… an Olympus-Class?" Hackett teased him.

Averescu's eyes showed once more surprise, "I'm getting a carrier?"

"Yes. We're talking about the SSV Sun Tzu. They modified the ship to be able to house two frigates dedicated to scientific research. Better have the two ships protected by the carrier and its escorts. And its aircraft complement will be reduced to 300. We can't dispatch any Reach-Class due to obvious reasons," Hackett told him. "Moving on, the Spirit of Fire won't be the only Spirit-Class battleship to be part of the fleet. The SSV Minerva will be assigned to your command."

"That's a lot of firepower. What are we looking at when it comes to support vessels?"

"You will get 6 Ares-Class cruisers: SSV Prince of War, SSV Lacrimosa, SSV Pegasus, SSV Athena, SSV Mirai and the SSV Valkyrie. There will be no frigates. Only a carrier, two battleships, six cruisers and nine destroyers. The 8 Caesar-Class destroyers are as follows. SSV Flying Dutchman, SSV Solitude, SSV Madrigal, SSV Storm Hawk, SSV Ode to Death, SSV Callisto, SSV Red October and SSV Amber Fate. And one stealth Nightingale-Class destroyer, the SSV Desert Fox."

Leonard whistled a bit in amazement. Unprofessional from a senior officer. "That's a pretty big fleet for an exploratory mission, sir. Even a carrier… I guess that we'll be expected to be gone for a while."

Hackett nodded before addressing him, "Yes, we expect this to be a long term deployment. We'll keep in touch, of course, through the QEC. We'll also have several resupply ships with ammo, food and medical supplies on standby should they be needed."

"Which direction will we be headed?"

Hackett cleared his desk of papers to reveal a holo projector mounted in it. He pressed several buttons on a small keyboard and brought the map of the galaxy. The map had highlighted 20 stars and several other locations that were of high importance to the Alliance. There was also a yellow dot in the outermost space under Alliance control.

Hackett cleared his throat before explaining the course the fleet would take, "As you can see, Rear Admiral, this here is Shanxi, preparations are made to colonize this planet," and then he pressed two more keys and more yellow dots appeared that were interconnected with yellow lines, "and these are the Mass Relays we were able to discover and map within Alliance space. There's the network. But here, at Arcturus, is a central node by the looks of it. And one relay at Arcturus is pointing into unknown space. No science vessel sent to find its pair came back with good news. That relay is pointing into unknown, uncharted space.

We've deployed extra defenses to Arcturus and quarantined the Relay. Whatever is on the other side, it won't get far from the Relay alive if they make aggressive moves. Then, there's this one at Shanxi. Unlike the one at Arcturus that points towards galactic south-west, the one at Shanxi seems to be pointing in an almost opposite direction, towards galactic north east."

Two dotted lines appeared on the map to show what Hackett was saying. Averescu was intrigued by it. He didn't come across this piece of information. He studied the map carefully.

"And since Shanxi will be the next planet colonized, you want me and my expeditionary fleet to see what we can find that way?" Averescu asked.

"Yes. It is the only relay that we haven't yet 'locked down' and it will take us some time to do so. Shanxi is approximately 40LY from the rich titanium asteroid fields in Ergo System and just 20LY from another Relay that is part of the network in Alliance space. Do you see why we need to secure it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Of course, we'll look for planets and resources. The military's more interested in securing this backdoor. Until we can allocate resources to the Shanxi system, we're with our asses exposed to the elements."

"And why can't we relocate resources?"

"The presidency, Parliament and Government don't see it as a priority right now. They are busy with some development projects in the two former rebel colonies. Some terraforming tech just came out of the factory and they want to start cleaning the nuked city and rebuild everything. It may have been 26 years, but the two planets still bear scars," Hackett explained as he shut down the map and filled his desk with lots of papers again. "Any questions, Rear Admiral?" he asked Averescu, a sort of 'I told you everything I had.'

Averescu lazily stood up from the comfy seat. "No, sir. Should I have any, I'll try to get in touch with you."

"Alright. Report with the Spirit of Fire to the Alliance Heavy Shipyards at Reach for a check and resupply. The fleet will depart from there to Shanxi and from Shanxi onwards. It will be a couple days before it will officially commence. I'll be at Reach in two days to oversee some operations, among which the assembly and inspection of the expeditionary fleet. You're dismissed, Rear Admiral."

Averescu saluted and left Hackett's office.

Serpent Nebula, Widow System

Citadel, Private Council Chambers

The Citadel, seat of civilized galactic society. Or that's how they advertise it. Everybody has a point of view when it comes to the Citadel Council. Some see it as an almighty and caring governing body. Others simply view the Council as a triumvirate busy with consolidating their power at the loss of other individuals or groups. And by groups we can say even species.

In their private chamber, the Council was going over what they had so far. After hearing for the thousandth time the volus ambassador's request for a seat on the Council and other petitions, they decided to pull back.

Tevos, the asari councilor, was sipping from a tea cup. Sparatus, the turian, was simply sitting beside her on the couch, resting his body and mind. Valern, the salarian, was chatting with somebody on his omnitool. When he broke the silence the three of them were enjoying, the Council knew things had changed.

"It seems that STG has lost the Migrant Fleet."

Tevos almost spilled her tea and Sparatus' head snapped up from its relaxed position. "What!?"

"What do you mean the STG has lost the Migrant Fleet?" Sparatus asked, anger sensible in the voice.

"The STG was keeping an eye on the Migrant Fleet since the incident with the Eezo mine. But, somehow, in the brief window of time when the STG had no ship around the quarians, they vanished from the system they were in."

Tevos put on the equivalent of an asari frown, "Weren't we able to track such a large fleet? 50,000 vessels don't go anywhere without leaving a trace behind, Valern. Didn't we pick a major traffic increase in any of the relays in their proximity?" she asked.

"Indeed. But it was not the case. No spike in traffic at any Relay. Leaves one possibility, they used standard FTL."

"Those Spirits damned suit rats! After they had the nerve to attack the turian fleet! And those ungrateful elcor too! We should immediately send the fleets to track them down! Who knows what the damn suit rats are up to now!", the turian councilor almost shouted. Sparatus was fuming. Every time he thought about the quarians he became angry.

Tevos grabbed his arm and pulled him down on the couch. "Calm down, Sparatus. We all know the incident of the Eezo deposit was regret-" she wanted to say only to be cut short by Sparatus.

"Regrettable, Tevos!? Those pyjacks had the nerve to destroy a turian cruiser and five frigates before blowing up one of the Eezo rich large asteroids!"

"Sparatus, I suggest calming down. They lost several ships too in that skirmish. Not well for the Migrant Fleet. They suffer more than anyone involved in the incident."

"We should have put them down as soon as we had the chance! They unleashed the Geth! They undermined the Council's authority every single time! They always found a way to work around our laws and sanctions! Every decision we took that involved the quarians, they worked around it!"

"Most ingenious species," Valern said almost happy.

Tevos stood up and fixed Sparatus with her eyes, "Sparatus, stop shouting and calm down. Or leave this room and shout somewhere else. I, for one, am tired enough from today's hearings."

Sparatus, having his pride hurt, decided to leave rather than staying and picking an argument with his coworkers. Tevos sat down and sighed. She started drinking her tea again to relax herself.

"Goddess damn his angry rants. Every single time since that unfortunate incident, if you only whisper the word 'quarian' or 'Migrant Fleet' he'll start his rants."

"It could have been avoided. Turians rash, hold prejudices against the quarians. Ever since the turian unit was sent to investigate, it became a ticking time bomb," Valern said.

"If the elcor told us about the large eezo deposit, we wouldn't have had this situation now. It is every species' duty in Council space to report such discoveries and share it with the rest of the Citadel. It might not be a real written down law, but still…" Tevos thought before Valern interjected once more.

"And if Spectre Tela Vasir didn't blow up the quarian mining ship."

"…that would have helped big time. So, what is the STG going to do about this? We have to track the quarians and keep an eye on them before they pull another trick on us."

"I've taken care of that, Tevos. STG is mobilizing for a large search operation."

Interstellar space, Quarian Migrant Fleet

Conclave meeting

The Conclave, the equivalent of a civilian government of the quarians, was in a heated session to decide what to do after the recent events that transpired between their people and the Citadel Council.

Essentially, the quarians and the elcor came across the very same Eezo deposit in a system. There were several large asteroids rich in the element and the two parties decided to split the Eezo mined 50-50. The elcor kept their mouth shut so as to not alert the Citadel to the quarians' presence. The elcor took pity upon the Migrant Fleet and its inhabitants, a race that was effectively sentenced to a death among the stars, with the interdiction from the Council to colonize any planet and with no support from any race. The operation went smooth for two weeks until the Elcor put the Eezo for sale, the sudden unjustified appearance of the Eezo on market piqued the interest of the Council. Every Eezo deposit found was to be shared for the gain of every species in Council space. Thus, the Council decided to investigate.

Asari Spectre Tela Vasir, a legend to some, was charged with the operation and she discovered the source of the Elcors' Eezo, a cluster of large asteroids that were being mined for the resource. She also saw Quarian transports and mining ships. It is common knowledge that Vasir has a biased opinion of the Quarians, being openly hostile towards them.

When a Turian small fleet of cruisers and frigates was sent to secure the deposit from the Quarians and Elcors, things went south very fast. When Spectre Vasir blew up a Quarian small freighter, the nomads thought it was the Turians who shot at it and blew it out of the sky. As a result, a firefight ensued between the Quarian military vessels and the Turrian fleet. It resulted in many unnecessary deaths.

The repercussions were quite severe on the Elcor when news reached the Citadel. They were sanctioned for granting aid to the Quarian Migrant Fleet, going against an order of the Council that aid should not be granted to those who unleashed the Geth on the galaxy. Another offense cited was that the Elcor did not report the discovery of such a rich Eezo deposit.

Dekuuna was put under a temporary lockdown. A Council team "inspected" the Elcors' defense fleet and stated that they should reduce the numbers of frigates they employ because it threatens the balance of power. Not that the Elcor had many frigates to begin with. Furthermore, one of their Eezo mines was seized by the Council and their metal export was put under an embargo for five years.

The Elcor ambassador protested against such measures. He said that it is not right to treat the Quarians the way they are treated by the species part of the Citadel Council. The Elcor people have seen their situation as one of humanitarian need and did the sensible thing of allowing them to mine some of the very precious resource to their fleet.

Now, the Conclave was debating the future of their people while stationary in interstellar space. There was total chaos. Angry, one of the four admirals stood up and planted his fist into the table a couple times until the session came to order. It was Rael'Zorah vas Alarei.

"Enough of this useless chaos! I suggest we leave known space and head into uncharted territories, find a place to call it home and settle there, far from Council interference," Rael proposed.

"I mean no disrespect, Rael, but I thought you wanted us to retake Rannoch. Now you're saying we leave known space?" Zaal'Koris vas Qwib-Qwib asked.

"Admiral Koris, after we destroyed a Turian cruiser and several frigates, how do you think they will react when they find us? So far the Council kept them in check. But how long until a trigger happy influential and high ranking Turian sets his eyes on us? We don't have the strength to face the Turian military. Our best shot is to leave them alone to their devices and find a new home, outside of their jurisdiction and outside their reach," Rael explained.

"He is right. Although I too am a fervent supporter of the reconquest of Rannoch, it is only a matter of time until the Turians come for us. And with that Tela Vasir on the loose… she's a Spectre and can do what her blue Asari ass pleases without having to answer to anybody. And I doubt the Council will punish her if she… undertakes subtle steps to make our lives hell," Han'Gerrel vas Neema said.

"So we're just leaving?" Shala'Raan vas Tonbay asked.

"That is what I suggest. We can look for a planet hospitable to dextro based organisms. We can colonize it, rebuild. I don't expect to live long enough to see Rannoch back under Quarian rule again, but maybe our children's children will. We can rebuild as long as the damn Council is not keeping a lighter under our asses every time we want to do something," Rael said.

"A society grows when people plant the seeds of trees in whose shade they will never stand… right, Rael?" Shala'Raan asked to which Rael nodded.

"So, we have recalled those on their Pilgrimage. Are they all back?" Han'Gerrel asked.

"Yes, almost every Quarian that was on Pilgrimage is back with the Fleet. Unfortunately… some lost their lives or were taken into slavery by pirates and sold to the Batarians," Zaal'Koris answered.

"Bosh'tets all of them Batarians!"

"We should attack one of their colonies in revenge for all they did before we leave!"

Those came from the captains. This angered Rael.

"Listen to yourself, you bosh'tet! What good comes to us if we bomb a Batarian planet? It will be the Council's excuse to finish the Geth's job!" he told.

"The Council allows the Batarians to take slaves and doesn't take a single step to stop them! They won't pick a fight with us! They'll cite that Terminus war crap of an excuse."

"WILL THEY!? The Hierarchy will be more than happy to help the Batarians get their 'justice'! A bribe in the right places and they get us! So, I suggest we leave the explored space. Go out there, find a planet and live a peaceful life. This is my suggestion to the Conclave. Will it be accepted?" Rael asked.

After a minute of debate in everyone's mind, an overwhelming majority accepted Rael's proposal. And so, the Migrant Fleet set sail into uncharted space. A move that will bring them salvation… but equally likely… death. But, somewhere in the great scheme of events, several cogwheels turned the right way and put in motion certain events that will further change the face of the galaxy and the balance of power.

SSV Spirit of Fire, CIC

In orbit over Reach with the fleet

Almost two weeks passed since Rear Admiral Leonard Averescu spoke to Admiral Hackett about his new mission. Now, he was in the CIC of his flagship. Instead of making the carrier, the Sun Tzu his flagship, Averescu preferred to command from aboard a vessel he knew all too well and loved, the Spirit of Fire, lead ship of the Spirit-Class of battleships.

The CIC had a large tactical table with holographic projectors and holopads. He was now analyzing the fleet's formation in 3D as the holo projector showed. The Sun Tzu was in the middle, flanked by the two battleships, the Spirit of Fire and the Minerva. The cruisers Prince of War, Lacrimosa, Pegasus, Athena, Mirai and the Valkyrie were screening the two battleships and the carrier. The destroyers formed a protective bubble around the central ships. They all appeared with a small nametag under their icons on the 3D holo image; the Flying Dutchman, Solitude, Madrigal, Storm Hawk, Ode to Death, Callisto, Red October and Amber Fate. The stealth destroyer SSV Desert Fox was ahead of the fleet, acting as a scout. The two frigates fitted for scientific research were docked inside the Sun Tzu.

Averescu reached for the intercom beneath the tactical table, a piece of technology dating back to the first spacefaring ships humanity built. Even if today's vessels can operate without them, the designers decided to keep them, something some of the more nostalgic members of the Navy appreciated. The intercom was connected through a cable to the systems.

"Evelyn, please patch me through to every ship of my fleet," Averescu told the ship's AI.

"Done, sir," Evelyn said after her avatar appeared on the holopad.

"Attention, this is Rear Admiral Leonard Averescu speaking, senior officer of the Expeditionary Fleet. In a few minutes we'll be leaving known space and head into the unknown. Our primary objective is to look for resources, habitable planets, find Mass Relays and map then, and see what else lies beyond the Mass Relay that's in Shanxi's system. We might as well meet aliens… or nothing at all. I expect nothing but the best from you. You've been trained for every scenario the Alliance could come up with. Now, as the crew of the Forward Unto Dawn made history on Mars 131 years ago, so can we. Raise the sails! All ships, engage hyperspace jump."

And so, the Expeditionary Fleet disappeared in a couple seconds into hyperspace.

Evelyn was staring at the admiral with a grin on her face.

"Something funny, Evelyn?" he asked.

"Your speech sucked. Didn't know if I should laugh or cry…"

He laughed at that. "You women love long poems and sweet talk, don't ya? Would your code have had a… surge in power consumption if I said something sweeter?"

"You're terrible, sir… no wonder you didn't date other women," she threw back.

"Careful now, lady. Let me know when we drop out of FTL, I'll go get a coffee. This is going to be a long day."

"Aye, aye!"

As the admiral left the CIC into a hallway, he bumped into his XO, Commander Natalia Novitska, a woman of Polish origin. Her smaller frame wasn't a match to the more massive male and fell on her butt. She fought the urge to swear, moved her chestnut straight hair from her right eye and looked up to see her CO.

"Commander, sorry for that," Averescu says and extends a hand to help her up.

"Admiral! Sorry, sir!" she apologized and accepted his help.

"Is everything alright, Commander?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. The Spirit is ready for anything the Universe can throw at us."

"Good. Report to the CIC. I'm going to grab a coffee, you want one too?" Averescu asked her.

"Wouldn't mind. Thanks, sir," she thanked and entered the CIC.

Serpent Nebula, Widow System

Citadel, Private Council Chambers

Just as the Alliance's Expeditionary Fleet was leaving Reach, two weeks after the STG lost track of the Migrant Fleet, the three councilors were discussing the disappearance of the Quarians.

"Valern, did the STG find the Migrant Fleet? It's been nearly two weeks," Tevos asked.

Valern blinked once before lowering his head a little. He was ashamed, the other two could see that. And they knew the answer already. "No, the STG's efforts proved fruitless," the Salarian said.

Sparatus' mandibles flinched. "The STG is getting too soft. You should've let me talk to the Primarch and dislocate ships to aid in the search. Your holding back might come to bite us in the ass later on when the Quarians pop out of the blue," he said.

Tevos, always thinking of politics, rolled her eyes and pointed out what she thought was not right with Sparatus' offer, "Sparatus, that would stain our image. There's a reason the STG is tasked with this – because it is supposed to be secret. What would the people think if we publicly announce that we lost the Migrant Fleet? And send Turian ships? Why, to shoot at them? After the incident?"

"Yet it might be better to say we don't know. The people must understand that we can't always control and know everything. It is only natural," Valern said.

"And we can use this to show the Quarians as more untrustworthy and mischievous with their sudden disappearance. And I'm still amazed you Salarians didn't pick up on when every Quarian left the Citadel a week before the Fleet dropped off our radars," Sparatus said, shocking Tevos a bit with his first suggestion.

"I'm too. They wanted secrecy, shared the info by word of mouth. Resourceful people," Valern admitted.

"Sparatus! I disagree with that. We can't turn the Quarians into the boogeymen of the galaxy like that. It's not fair!" Tevos pointed out. Oh, the irony. As if, from an objective point of view, anything the Council did was fair when it came to the Quarian species.

"So, what will we do?" the Turian asked.

"STG will continue its search for one more week. They can't be stuck with this assignment for long, they have other important missions to attend to, such as Urdnot Wrex trying again to unite the Krogan. In a week they'll call off most of their ships. I'm afraid we'll be on our own then," Valern informed.

"Who supports my idea of a public statement and sending extra Turian ships?" Sparatus asked with a talon raised. Valern refrained from voting favorably.

Tevos sighed heavily. "Goddess forgive me, but this'll be for the better," she said and raised her hand, outvoting Valern 2 to 1.

Sparatus cracked a smile. "Good. I'll go work on a speech for tomorrow."

CITADEL NEWS NETWORK

"Good morning, fellow citizens, and welcome to Citadel News Network. We're bringing you now the Council's public announcement regarding a major development in the relationship the Citadel has with the Migrant Fleet," an Asari news presenter said. "We're relaying their message now."

The screen changed to show the three councilors standing side by side, facing a crowd of press and other civilians. The first to speak was Tevos.

"Dear citizens of the civilized galaxy, I thank you for being able to listen to our important announcement today. We want to call for your help in what may very well be a matter of galactic peace. Our military has lost the Migrant Fleet's trail, they effectively disappeared and we were not able to find them so far. Why it is a matter of concern? I will let Councilor Sparatus explain," the Asari began.

"Thank you, Tevos. The reason we are asking for your help is because the Quarians turned out to be a grave threat to galactic peace and stability. Ever since they attempted to steal an Eezo rich deposit from the Elcor and destroyed Turian warships when we stepped in to secure the resource from this immoral race and give it to the Elcor, the already stretched relationship we had with them was severed. Maybe you've noticed too that there's no Quarian left on the Citadel… or any planet or station we know of except the Terminus. Every Quarian that was on its pilgrimage was recalled to the Flotilla… and then, the Flotilla went missing. We fear that they might be planning to hit us somewhere it hurts us, put many innocent lives at risk. They are an untrustworthy species of thieves and upstarts who've never listened to our wise counsel along the years, the Geth are a proof of that.

The Turian Navy will dispatch ships to mount up a search operation. It is of upmost importance that we find them and keep an eye on them before they do something rash and violent. But not even we are all knowing and all powerful. We're just mere mortals who are leading our peoples in dark and good times. And we can't do this without you. We thank you for your c-" Sparatus was suddenly interrupted when a piece of metal was thrown at him and he dodged.

"Liars! You're all a bunch of liars!" somebody from the crowd shouted. The camera shifted and focused on a Turian who was immediately apprehended by C-Sec. As he was carried away, he kept shouting, "They're lying! Vasir blew up the Quarian ship! They all covered it up! I've lost the woman I loved aboard that ship!" and his voice faded.

Sparatus knew he could use this outburst to his advantage. He resumed his speech, "As I was saying, the Quarians are extremely dangerous. You can see they were even able to fool a Turian, out of them all. Filled his head with lies. A species without any shame whatsoever. So, returning to our request towards you, we ask for your help. Anyone who offers information on the Migrant Fleet's location or whereabouts and they prove to be accurate, will be rewarded for their efforts. Should you come across them in your travels, inform the nearest Council authority, that includes military personnel. We will issue a contract template to make sure everything is respected, since information is one of the assets that can be easily stolen… or fabricated. Thank you all."

And the feed ends.

Citadel, C-Sec HQ

Garrus Vakarian

In C-Sec headquarters stood Garrus Vakarian, watching the broadcast with a friend and coworker. He couldn't believe his ears.

"So that did just happen…" Garrus said.

"Yeah. Can't believe they'd go that far," his friend said.

"I'm telling you, the way they're treating the Quarians will come back to bite everyone in the ass. That's not fair. That jerk Sparatus is putting all the blame on them. Valern seems to not support them at all. Tevos… she's just up to her Asari attitude and all that crap," Garrus added.

"You really holdin' a grudge on 'em, Garrus?"

"That's ridiculous. They are letting petty grudges influence their decisions. Spirits damn them all. And when I'm thinking that I'm here, cleaning their precious Citadel of real thieves and thugs. I'm telling you, we should bust into the Presidium and arrest Tevos and Sparatus, not so sure about Valern."

Executor Pallin walked inside the room they were in. "Vakarian! Come with me!" he ordered.

Garrus sat up and followed his superior. "What's going on, sir?" he asked Pallin.

Pallin's voice came a bit harsh, "You're going to act as security aboard one of the frigates C-Sec dispatches to help search for the Flotilla."

Garrus smiled bitterly. "So, I guess you all had enough of me? How much did they pay you, Pallin? For keeping their asses clean," he said with sarcasm and anger. "Or are you doing it for free?"

"Vakarian! Next time you say that kind of shit I'll have you discharged from C-Sec. The only reason you're still here is because of your father. Now shut your smart ass mouth and get in that frigate and play Marine!" Pallin ordered him. "Your ship will be sent into the Traverse."

"Oh joy! I can already see hordes of pirate ships looking for the Migrant Fleet, ready to snatch a nice reward on information and by selling some of them into slavery to the Batarians. So, when am I leaving?"

"In two days. The ship is being checked thoroughly before departure. You go ahead and report to dock 411."

SSV Spirit of Fire, CIC

Expeditionary Fleet, Unknown space

Days passed since their departure from Reach. The fleet began by surveying every system that was observed by astronomers from the orbit of Shanxi. They found no habitable planets and no Mass Relay yet. Rear Admiral Leonard Averescu was in the CIC reading reports with his XO, Commander Natalia Novitska.

"Anything interesting, Commander Natalia?" Averescu asked.

"No, sir. Just an asteroid belt with some Eezo. You got anything?"

Averescu was paying attention to a piece of paper in particular. "Maybe. Give me a holo map of the system we're in, please."

She pressed a few keys and brought up the map. Averescu seemed to be correlating what he had in the report with the map.

"Log this planetoid," he indicated with his index on the map, "for future mining operations. Rich in metals. That'd be all. What's the status on the Desert Fox? Has it returned from the recon of the next system?"

"No, sir. No QEC messages eit-" the XO wanted to answer when the LADAR operator interrupted her.

"Contact! It's the Desert Fox. She's early by an hour."

"Comms, patch me through to her," Averescu ordered.

"Line's established, sir. You're live."

"Spirit of Fire Actual to Desert Fox, come in Desert Fox," Averescu said through the intercom. His XO rolled her eyes. He really loved that intercom even if he could simply speak and the tactical table's microphone pick him up and focus his voice.

On speakers came the Desert Fox's commander's voice. "Desert Fox Actual here. Admiral, I will cut straight to the chase. We've found a Mass Relay in the next system. It's dormant. We've also detected on long range sensors thousands of gravitational anomalies. I'll be sending the data to the science vessels and then compile a report for you. But here's the bombshell, the anomalies are consistent with Eezo based FTL, sir."

The flagship's CIC was stunned into silence. Natalia's eyes looked like they were struggling to leave her skull.

"Are you 100% positive, Captain?" Averescu asked after he assimilated what that meant. They were in for possible contact with an alien spacefaring race.

"Yes, sir. We used and still use, although at a smaller scale now, Eezo based tech and FTL on a few civilian ships. What troubles me is that there were thousands of ships and they looked like they were headed for the system we were deployed in. They should arrive there within the day," the CO of the stealth destroyer reported.

Averescu brought the intercom to his mouth after thinking for a couple seconds, "Captain, forget compiling the report, just send us everything you've got. Have your ship ready for immediate redeployment to the same system. I want you to keep an eye on those aliens, if they truly are alien vessels in FTL transit. Send a QEC message with your status and anything new every 30 minutes. And once these extraterrestrials arrive in system, have your shipboard AI ping their vessels and mine some data. That is if they don't detect you. Engage silent running mode and maintain it until I say otherwise. Be very careful, I don't want them to think we're hacking their ships with bad intentions."

"Copy that, Admiral. Desert Fox Actual out."

"XO, get the fleet in order. Maintain the CAP for now, recall every other ship to the fleet, have the science frigates dock with the Sun Tzu. Get in touch with the Sun Tzu's captain and tell him to prepare his ship for action and to inform Ambassador Goyle that we might have a first contact scenario on our hands. She'll be happy to finally do her job," Averescu instructed her. Then he called out for the AI of the ship, "Evelyn, get me Hackett on the QEC."

"Aye, sir." Evelyn said and complied. Averescu left the CIC and made his way to the QEC room that was just across from CIC.

"Admiral Averescu, what is it that I can help you with?" Hackett's hologram asked.

"Sir, I'm forwarding you everything I've got right now. Please go over the latest batch of intel from the SSV Desert Fox. Long story cut short, we might have a first contact scenario on our hands. Our stealth destroyer detected ships in Eezo based FTL transit with the destination being the system we were planning on jumping in next. And there's a dormant Mass Relay in that system. It looks like it's the pair Relay of the one at Shanxi. Coincidence? I don't think so."

Hackett was surprised. "Could they be the Protheans? No, the Mars archives' VI said that they were extinct. Must be another species that based their technology on Prothean tech, just like we planned to do at first. How many ships?" the admiral asked.

Averescu hesitated for a moment. "No fix number, but it looked like thousands of ships. Couldn't get an exact number due to distance and how the gravitational anomalies seem to rather give the impression of a single huge one. Sir, I fear the possibility of dealing with an invasion fleet here."

Hackett seemed deep in thought. "Rear Admiral Averescu, you can initiate contact with them. Let's hope they are not an invasion fleet, although that seems to be most likely scenario. Thousands of ships don't simply go herp-a-derping in the galaxy like that. Remember the Protocol, Admiral. And if the aliens prove to be hostile, try to get out of there and blow up the Relay to smithereens. Use all your nuclear ordnance if need be. Earth and her colonies above all," Hackett told Averescu who in turn nodded.

"Understood, sir. I've ordered the Fox back in the system, keep an eye on them and mine data if they can. Admiral, I'll be broadcasting live through QEC as we meet them."

"Very good. I'll prepare the Navy, raise the alert level and have everything on standby. And talk to the president too. Good luck, Averescu. Hackett out."

With that, Averescu returned to the CIC. A good look at everyone's faces was enough to tell that they were nervous, big time.

"Evelyn, status!" Averescu said.

Her avatar turned to face the admiral. She stood ready to fight, like the warrior woman her appearance was copying. "Admiral, the fleet is standing by. We're green all across the board," she said.

He sighed. He was nervous, he could feel it in his entire body. "Patch me through to every ship," he ordered. When Evelyn gave him a nod, he picked the intercom, much to the AI's and XO's amusement. "Attention, Rear Admiral Averescu speaking. Not long ago, the SSV Desert Fox picked up on long range sensors a massive alien fleet headed for the system that was supposed to be our next destination as well. Admiral Hackett gave us the go ahead to make contact with them. Our goal is to establish peaceful relations. But we must be aware of the fact that this fleet might be a military one with invasion plans. If shit hits the fan and everything goes FUBAR, we're to destroy the Mass Relay with nukes and bug out. Why nuke it? 'Cause this Relay leads to Shanxi. We can't have a hostile fleet at our doorstep with an open door. So, to sum this up, we're looking at the possibility of a war that will bring ruin to mankind or another age of prosperity. Whatever happens, remember your training and your duties. Don't be trigger happy, remember and stand by to enact the Hackett-Anderson Protocol and give it your best. Averescu out."

Evelyn smiled. "You're getting better at this," she said.

"Oh why, thank you!" Averescu almost bowed like an actor after playing a scene in a theater.

"No time to court me, Admiral. We're getting almost real time feed from the Fox. Bringing it up on the tactical," the AI said and showed the map of the systems. Ten ships appeared at the opposite side of the system in relation to the Relay.

"Interesting design… obviously nothing like we have, sir. We might be looking at a genuine alien ship," Natalia said.

"The Fox is trying to get some language. Good thing we took note of the communication technology and protocols of the Protheans, ey? Looks like it comes in handy now. The aliens are not Protheans but based their technology on theirs. I'll keep you updated as more info comes through the QEC," Evelyn reported.

"Evelyn, General Quarters, fleetwide! Shields at maximum, weapons cool," Averescu ordered. "Let's not look hostile but don't go undefended either."

"Aye, sir!" Evelyn answered and sounded the alarm aboard the Spirit and relayed the admiral's orders to other ships too.

A red light turned on and off every two seconds as an alarm filled the ship. It wasn't too loud but not too low, just adequate. Then, Evelyn's voice came on speakers.

"This is not a drill, this is not a drill! General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations!"

The crew, human and AI alike, jumped from their bunks or mess hall or whatever they were doing and rushed to their posts. Gunners were rushing to their posts, marines were running to armories to get in their armor and grab their rifles, damage control parties were preparing to keep the ship alive.

"All hands reporting in, sir. All ships are reporting battle readiness. CAP is back aboard the Sun Tzu. We're clear to jump, Admiral," Evelyn informed.

Averescu locked eyes with Commander Natalia. She gave him a hopeful nod as an encouragement. He breathed in long.

"Initiate hyperspace jump!"