Havarl sprawled out like a wild Jurassic Park giving everyone something to marvel at and cringe from. Suvi camped out on the ramp and set up monitoring equipment to capture every it of data she could humanly gather. Kallo fret about the fauna overtaking his beautiful darling while Gil refitted components within to work for the new demands. The team split up into alpha and bravo teams - Jaal and Drack went with Scott while Liam and Peebee followed Sara on a sample collection quest. Vetra and Cora stayed behind to protect the ship because the 'fancy' windows would be blown out if guns were installed.
Sara's quest for a stable sample lead to a dead end and by dead end Liam saved Peebee from a toxic burn and Sara almost broke her neck tripping over a root that grew rapidly in a matter of minutes. " Stupid, rotten, ungrateful planet," Sara muttered in pure contempt as Peebee hurried after her.
" Oh yes, you can believe it? The life here is just unrestrained. I wonder at how anyone survives here, even if it is breathtaking," She gazed up at the 'flying whales' in awe. Sara joined her after dusting the dirt off her armor and helmet. She still looked like part of the environment from the slips and tumbles compliment of the forest.
Liam stood behind them a hand on each shoulder. " I could live here,"
Peebee's obsession with remnant tech kept her attention on the very obvious remnant structures en masse around them towering into the sky.
" Unlikely given their distrust of aliens," Sara sighe. " More so, the fauna is trying to kill us,"
" Tuchanka," Liam mused.
Sara elbowed him. " Man eating plants aside, I prefer Eos. We can hold off radiation," She almost tripped again this time over a remnant device of strange origin. Peebee lowered to one knee to scan it. Liam tracked the passing adhi with his loaded rifle. Both ladies dislodged the device with combined biotic and physical exertion. They finished each other's sentences and argued about who should study the artifact first.
Liam left them to their discovery and protected their backs.
" I forgot how - which direction did we take from the ship?" Peebee gave up after they circled back twice. Sara accessed the map on her omni-tool, frown lines deepening. " How much time has passed?"
They took up a position on high ground. Sara casually unloaded two rounds into a wild adhi before scanning the physical surroundings again. " I hope Scott is making out better than we are,"
" He has Jaal," Peebee moped. " Jaal is so…"
Both Sara and Liam raised a brow. " This way ," She pointed them to the north. When all else failed, pick a bloody direction!
That approached lead them to a monument containing animation suspended angara. Sara checked her shotgun after they cleared out local remnant. Peebee cautiously walked around the individuals and Liam checked out the corners, pits, and ceiling. Sara radioed her brother. " Scott, we found the scientists, and not on purpose,"
" Stay there. We're on the way," Scott answered a moment later.
Sara cleared her throat. " Team, the other half are enroute,"
" Okay," Peebee carefully acknowledged as she collected the video and scans. " i wonder why we didn't encounter this on Eos,"
" I was on the Nexus at the time," Sara grumbled. She dared to wave her hand in front of the angara one by one. " But I will accept your word as substitute,"
Liam finally perched on an irregularly shaped ledge. He turned his head as the voices of Scott and Drack filtered toward them.
"...a bloody waste,"
" Is that the armor or the weaponry?"
" Both. To be wasted on xenophobic aliens,"
Jaal jumped down next to Liam. " Hmph," Sara waved in his direction before stepping back and accessing her omni-tool. " Sara, what is the conclusion?"
She paused in her work. " Well, SAM informs me they upset a trigger. We can undo it, but I am weary about it. I would like to know how big this field potentially will grow,"
" And rapidly," Jaal added. " You're covered in dirt," He motioned her body head to toe.
She glanced herself over. Dirt rubbed into blue and white armor creating a blurred image of the markings," Adventuring is a messy profession," She winked.
He absorbed the flirt in due respect. " What a wonderful profession to host a lovely lady,"
" Oh you do me great honor, Jaal, but the Roekaar will string you up," She shook a gloved finger at him. " Besides, I'm rife with other troubles. I hope Scott hasn't jumped in head first,"
In almost instantaneous reaction, Scott flipped her off. She readied her shotgun. " Please tell me you have a map back to the ship," She begged of Jaal in a whisper.
His rich laughter played on her ears.
" Damn it, Jaal," She grabbed hold of his rofjinn. " I'm serious,"
He laughed harder. Sara huffed at the refusal. Drack put her short arm around her. " I have you covered, kid,"
Sara sighed. " Thanks, Drack,"
" Drinks are on you if we end up on Kadara,"
Sufficiently warned, Sara kept her weariness to herself. " Scott, SAM finish his scanning yet? She leaned against Drack despite the offensive smells radiating off him.
SAM replied directly to her. " I am almost finished, Sara. Do you require assistance?"
Her brow lifted. " No, SAM, thank you,"
" Are you certain, Sis?" Scott teased as he approached the console to unfreeze the scientists. " Because lately you've been talking more to SAM than anyone else,"
" I hope SAM remembers the meaning of confidentiality," Sara pulled her helmet back on. " Well, Drack, I'll take those maps and be on my way,"
Drack kept his arm around her, using his weight to keep her next to him. " You missed the last vault. You want to miss this too?" Even though she glared at Drack, her will kept her at the ancient krogan's side. " I knew you were a real scientist,"
She rolled her eyes. " I miss Tann already,"
" Hey! Tann is my bureaucrat. I am supposed to make him miserable, not you,"
Scott lifted his hand. " Possessive much?"
" No, but Tann is mine. One day that is not today," She glared up at Drack. " Not a word. I already knows he hates krogan. Nobody's perfect,"
Everyone let the subject go. Jaal tried to understand Sara's attraction whilst knowing the faults of the man. Unfortunately for his curiosity Scott released the scientists from the time bubble and Sara witnessed pure confusion from an alien race. It fascinated her enough she put aside the fear of being lost in a wilderness alien to her and volunteer to do what was necessary. In the name of science, naturally.
Liam and Peebee recorded everything on the trek back to station.
" I can't believe this used to be a city at one point," Peebee said in awe.
Sara wondered if they left Peebee on Havarl how long it would take for her grow bored of the place.
Jaal shook his head. " How old are you?"
" Hey, I've seen some shit," Peebee snapped back at him.
Liam chuckled. " She acts like she's 12 but she's probably 400,"
" How long do Angara live?" Sara asked as she hopped over a massive root.
Jaal caught her and guided her away from the toxic plant. " Long enough for the kett to kidnap us and enslave us and leave behind families to mourn us," Sara shook her head. " You did not specify how I should answer,"
The party ahead bantered about something else entirely as the four determined it was better to just comment on the environment.
I have excellent news for you, and I trust that you will pass it along to your brother. Director of Colonial Affairs is tendering her resignation and desires Liam Kosta to replace her. I informed her proper preparations must be taken. That includes the Pathfinder find a replacement. There is no current reliable protocol to properly replace Pathfinder team members. These circumstances prevent the proper testing and environments to create the same standard that originated in the home galaxy.
You are welcome to share drinks with me when you return to the Nexus. I am always in need of your insights and wish to consult you on a personal matter. I ask your forgiveness beforehand.
Tann
Tann's finger hovered before sending the message against his better senses. He checked to ensure that he was alone in the new expanded office before referencing a video on romancing humans. He settled back for an hour of dry teaching that held his attention.
" Sir,"
He blinked and almost dropped the datapad. " Hello, Nulsi,"
The female's face flushed. " Sir, Addison has filed the paperwork for her resignation, and she already filled out most of Liam Kosta's as well,"
Odd. Why is Yasoln Nulsi acting shy?
" Very well," He tried to hide the datapad.
She remained in front of him a moment longer before returning to the entrance of the pathfinder office.
Keeping the datapad out of sight his next quest presented itself. Where did he find flowers to present to Sara?
