Back on the Tempest, which Sara refused to step off of until the following day due to the bad experience of getting lost prior in the day, hovered over the new alien remnant device with Peebee. Suvi adored the fauna while Kallo grumbled about the entire planet being a plague as long as the fauna acted sentient.
" Kallo, while you bicker with Gil about the ship's changes, maybe you can help me appreciate just how much this ship suffered," Sara and Peebee took up a good part of the escape pod entrance leaving little room for much else, especially with Peebee's remnant clutter. The raw, unfinished gem of a find continued to give off heightened readings of activity.
The look of irritation turned Kallo from cute boy next door to shriveled grumpy pilot. " Don't tempt me into shooting-"
Peebee winked at Sara and Sara winked back. Kallo freely vented about the kett and Gil, referencing both with equal distaste. Suvi moved past them whistling, new data to compile for the Nexus. The scientists appreciated the recent influx in activity and decided that they weren't content sitting around any longer and waiting for data to come to them via APEX, outlaws, and Pathfinder team. Suvi contributed to their growing collection without concern about how they'd use the data, trusting the morality in light of the dangers they all faced.
" SAM, can you please relay to my brother that if he and Jaal keep teasing me about getting lost, I am going to scramble their maps and have them stay lost," Sara cut Kallo off with an apologetic smile. " Please and thank you,"
" Cruel," Peebee shook a finger.
" I do not like being lost," Sara replied seriously. " The first time I wandered too far from a dig site, mercs tried to sell me off as a slave to a batarian. Almost forced me to use Red Sand,"
Kallo stared at Sara in shock. Sara controlled her voice. Even after all these years that still pissed her off.
" That was the day I learned to use a shotgun. Never regret killing them either. Never told my father, but he's a smart man. Was a smart man," She quieted and focused on the odd boxy artifact.
Peebee's crestfallen expression expressed everyone's concern.
Sara breathed deeply. She steadied her thoughts. " Dad never says a word, but Mom says enough for everyone. And Scott - Scott likes to think he's slick and hides his little favors, but even then he's never fool proof," She pulled her hands away from the remnant blocks. " Mark my words we will destroy the kett and help the angara be free again,"
No one disbelieved Sara. In fact Kallo bet Suvi 30 credits that Sara wouldn't quit til she drew her last breath and Suvi bet Kallo that Scott would take the bullet first because brothers never let harm come to their sisters. Peebee envied the support Sara and Scott leant each other even though she willingly left that in the past - 600 years in the past. Oddly enough Peebee only regret not saying goodbye before leaving home.
Tann's reply left Sara wanting more. Digging into the past stirred up a darkness that connected to the scourge's emotional oppression. She hid away in the cabin. Her mind scrambled for a way to connect with a subject that would still be professional.
Finally she gave up.
Her fingers tapped away using the barest of threads.
Havarl is wild and terrifying and amazing. I almost wish I could explore it alone but the wildlife alone would kill me. The fauna is sentient. Wilder than floating rocks. Scott encountered the Roekaar. Think of Cerberus and now substitute Angara for humans. I haven't laid eyes on them but the angara we met so far are skeptical of us. Rightly so, I say.
Tann…(Delete)
We found wild tech that emerged from the ground. It's...incredible. The advanced technology isn't as Prothean but it's different. Uses a different mathematical system and probably a different logic or understanding of physics. I'm amazed that the Angara haven't figured out the technology like SAM has. One would think they can reverse engineer it.
Peebee and I are studying it now. We hope SAM can shed more light on the artifact than we are currently finding. I dare say that mother would find this adventure too risky for her sanity. I know I'm chomping at the reins to really expose its usefulness.
Can I be honest? ( Delete )
I wish you could see this place. It's as bad as the Nexus. You're working hard and doing the best you can. Don't give up. Don't despair. It's a worthy battle and there's a light to follow regardless the struggle. But I am preaching again and I know you dislike the preaching optimism.
Unfortunately the pretty lie starts to tear away as the truth becomes a burden. Havarl needs its vault activated. The imbalance in the soil and wildlife is ovewhelming - even for the angara researchers who have long noted the decay. We only know of two monoliths. And we need three to activate the entrance to the vault. Scott's on top of that now and has promised to keep me informed.
How many more worlds are out there that need the same attention? We already know of one - Kadara and Jaal states along with Aya, there are planets Havarl and Voeld. Whoever created his technology is intelligent. They must still be out there alive. I refuse to believe they are extinct.
I apologize for the rambling. I pass along the best wishes and much luck.
Sara pressed send and finally breathed easy.
Lexi forced Scott to lie on his back and let the scans run their cycle. " Your sister and I talked earlier. She's been worried about you. Seems remembering her father - your father 0 set off her protective instincts," She had her back to him as she readied to take a blood sample.
The guilt hit Scott hard.
" She talked about her time unearthing Prothean history too," Lexi hovered over him waiting patiently. " Scars on scars,"
" Sara's had a rough time," Scott conceded. He and Sara suffered a lot in their careers, and after their father's scandal, it was amazing that they even had an option out of the mess.
Lexi moved the tray with the needle over to his side. " Rough isn't what I'd call it. More like she didn't trust anyone at points in her life,"
" What did-"
" Confidential. Especially at times like these. You should take it easy. Leave Peebee with the researchers and have Cora help Sara track down samples for Suvi,"
Scott chuckled. " Giving the orders now, Doc?"
" Until my crew is healthy and whole, I am giving clear orders. Be careful. Just an hour ago, I had to remind almost everyone that we have a finite supply of limbs,"
Scott laughed at her. She rewarded his petulance with a light slap when he sat upright a moment later. " Congratulations, you're healthy," Lexi grumbled before sitting on his lap and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He wrapped his arm around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. She smelled like one of the flowers on Eos. Likely someone started to make a perfume that hadn't made it to a 'mass market' yet.
Holding each other, Scott and Lexi sat moments on end before Scott removed his arm and asked Lexi to eat with him. Before he could escape, she injected the booster to a whiny manchild. They removed themselves to the kitchen and cooked together in comfortable silence. Cora joined them, talk turning to the innumerous threats that Havarl swallowed them into. Scott tried to warn Cora to steer away but Lexi dug more out of Cora than he predicted.
Drack spared Scott the Lexi scolding for daring to double and sprint jump hundreds of feet in the air. Escaping to the crew bunks, Scott tried to catch some shut eye while Jaal, Sara, and Peebee plotted the best possible outcomes in their 'war' against the kett and hostile planets. Drack and Cora hovered over their shoulders pointing out the obvious facts they missed while Kallo calculated the travel times for them. A clueless Scott slumbered on as his team laid out a coherent plan that had them departing Havarl after they fixed the vault.
Despite her fear of being lost, Sara insisted she accompany Scott to the vaul on Havarl. Drack willingly let her go in place of him if asked because death by killer dust cloud never sounded heroic or badass. Cora insisted that Scott had the final word. Not willing to argue about it and with several pieces of new tech, Peebee gladly departed to the escape pod too conquer an 'enemy' of curiosity. Jaal, Liam and Vetra warned Sara that she didn't know what she asked for.
" I already saw the vids," She countered unhappily. " Besides, I trust Scott,"
" Sara we're not saying you can't defend-"
" Liam, I am just starting to like you as a friend. Don't dig the hole," Sara put her hand up, blocking him visually. " I want to be part of history. I want to have my brother's back,"
Jaal put his arm around her. " We understand, but you need to take this step by step. You have yet to actually engage kett in combat,"
" What does kett have to do with a vault?" Sara's brow lifted. Liam walked away, not arguing with a wall.
Vetra crossed her arms. " We can't have two potential human pathfinders with Scott. If he takes Cora or Liam with him," Vetra leaned against the railing casually.
" And you are third in line," Vetra stressed.
" I need experience," Sara whined. " I can't be kept in a tiny box and then have a title thrust at me,"
" We know," Jaal assured her. " Just trust us to take care of the vault so that you can become an expert on the Remnant,"
Jaal's gentle persuasion and Vetra's practical survivalist mode of operation kept Sara from pushing the subject that evening. It failed to banish the flaming desire to actually set foot in a vault and explore it to her heart's content. Cora warned Scott the following day that Sara wanted to do more exploring. Scott assigned Drack and Peebee to help her with any exploring, trusting the muscle and expertise with any exploring, trusting the muscle and expertise would keep his sister safe. He even authorised them to use Peebee's shuttle.
Sara's first act was to gather data readings and samples of plant life further out. She became Suvi's extended arm and will. In the week it took for Scott to deal with the Roekaar and find the third monolith, Sara already encountered the wildlife in all of its varieties and decided that botany isn't boring after all. She bet that the plants carried their own evolutionary chain that is just as interesting as any ruin.
" You are a miracle worker," Suvi kissed her cheek and carried the box of samplings with her to the bio lab.
Sara swelled with happiness.
Some days were hard. Some days were easy. All Sara knew is that she appreciated the time given to her. Sure she had Scott, but the crew is turning into family as well. All families had their dysfunctions. Now if she could pull Tann into the fold.
