Liveship Rayya

One month after the Palaven Miracle

A sigh escaped past the lips of Admiral Vala'Mor nar Rayya vas Rayya as she looked out the window of the bridge, and down to the planet below. It was almost optimal; there was plenty of water on the surface, and though the atmosphere was devoid of oxygen, it would be a fairly simple matter to sow it with vegetation and make the atmosphere breathable. The soil had the right elements, and the gravity was not intolerable.

Unfortunately, it was too far away from its star. What could've been great oceans were little more than continent-sized glaciers, and the soil was as hard as rock. An exposed quarian would have a lifespan measured in minutes on the surface, even if they could breath the air.

It was a depressingly common sight. For every garden world there was, there were a hundred worlds that were almost right. It was possible to terraform the world, but that'd require time and resources the Fleet didn't have.

That, too, was depressingly common.

Still, at least they could use the ice to replenish their water supplies, and it there could be some valuable minerals in the sparse asteroid belt they could use...

It took her a few moments to register the figure in her peripheral vision, and only then when he rapped his knuckles against the window. She stiffened as the realization hit her, and she gestured for her crewmen to remain calm. It was quite timely, too; one of them was prepared to punch the alarm before then.

Turning, she looked the figure in the eyes. He looked just as the news reports had showed him to be, down to the little curl in his hair. If it weren't for the unusual skin tone and number of fingers, he could've passed for a quarian.

A handsome one, at that.

No. Bad thoughts. Vala took a deep breath, then straightened, trying to look as professional as possible.

"Are you going to let me in?" Superman asked.

She didn't even bother to question how he could speak through the void. Weeks of constant news reports had already begun to numb her to his astounding abilities, though she had a feeling there were plenty more he was hiding. At this point, she wouldn't be surprised if he could shoot a miniature version of himself out of his palm, or change his appearance on a whim.

"Why are you here?" she asked, voice firm.

"To help, of course," he replied, flashing a smile.

S

Fifteen Minutes Later

Vala fidgeted as she stood on the elevated platform with the rest of the Admiralty. Getting the others aboard was hasty, but they'd managed in time when they realized who was coming.

She wondered how the others were thinking. Apparently, Superman had rescued a patrol ship a week past, and a handful of their people had been counted amongst the batarian slaves he'd liberated.

That alone was enough to warrant an audience. Rescuing nearly a billion slaves in a single fortnight, and crippling what was perhaps the most despised government in the galaxy at the same time? He'd already made his way into legend as a hero on unprecedented scale. And if he was willing to use that same power to help her own people...

She dismissed it for the time being; there was no use in jumping to conclusions.

"Here he comes," Bal'Povah declared.

Vala stood at attention as Superman calmly strode inside, flanked on each side by guards. It was a false assurance, she knew; the guns might as well been toys for all it mattered. Yet, she had a feeling there was nothing to be worried about here. It seemed that species mattered little to him, and perhaps that would extend to the quarians.

"Hello," Superman said.

"You previously stated that you wish to help the quarian people," Bal'Povah said.

Superman nodded. "I did."

"Could you elaborate upon it?" Neem'Tan asked.

"Well, I have looked into your plight, and the circumstances around it. I know that you lost your homeworld to your own creations, and you haven't been well-received by the rest of the galactic community, which I feel is wrong. So, I hope to help get you a home, and improve relations between you and the galaxy."

"You'll help us retake Rannoch from the geth?" The question escaped Vala before she could stop it.

Superman frowned. "I'm not a soldier. I don't fight wars. But I'm willing to help you make a treaty with the geth and get Rannoch back."

"A treaty?" Bal asked, incredulous. "You said you've looked into our history, so you should know-"

"I know," Superman said. "You see the geth as enemies, but that doesn't have to be. Where I'm from, there's an old saying: I destroy my enemies when I make peace with them."

"And you actually think peace is possible with the geth?" Vala asked.

"They sent an envoy after me, and I decided to listen to what they were saying, if only so they'd stop causing panic wherever they followed after me. They say that they're willing to give back Rannoch and help you rebuild, as long as you don't make them your servants again."

For a moment, Vala felt a warm feeling in her chest at the thought of being on Rannoch, with the wind in her hair, and a true home for herself. It sounded too good to be true.

"Though we may be willing to trust you, we cannot trust the geth," Bal said. "They could be deceiving you."

Superman shrugged. "Maybe. But they can't pose a threat to me. I'll act as your diplomat if you desire, and keep contact at a minimum between you and the geth for the time being if you wish."

Vala had to admit, it was awfully tempting. For a strange alien in a blue bodysuit, he could be rather charismatic. It helped that he actually bothered to speak Khelish, instead of simply using a translator like other aliens; it gave the impression that he was actually concerned about them. Whenever Vala spoke with an asari or turian, they always seemed as though they wanted the conversation over as soon as possible.

But as she spoke to Superman, she felt none of that.

"This is a decision that will take time," she finally said.

"I understand," Superman said. "I'll leave you to it, right after I offer a token of trust."

Before Vala could decipher what he meant by that, Superman vanished. Bal let out a gasp at the sight, and the guards looked certainly startled.

"Where did he go?" Neem demanded.

"He could be halfway across the galaxy at this point," Vala said. "We'll just have to wait and see."

Right on cue, a call came up from the bridge. Tapping the comms, she answered.

"This is Admiral Vala'Mor. What is the situation?"

"Admiral, the nearby world is... moving."

Silence reigned for a few seconds. Bal looked as though he'd keel over at any second, and Neem was as still as a statue.

"What do you mean, 'moving'?"

"It's... being pushed into a closer orbit, and quickly, too. Wait... we have a visual on the planet's nightside."

"Put it onscreen."

A grainy image appeared, of a blue shape on the surface. It began to magnify and enhance, and Vala gasped as a now-familiar symbol came into clarity.

Superman looked as though he was doing a handstand on the planet's surface, a few small cracks forming in the ice beneath his palms. Yet, Vala knew there was something else at play.

"He's pushing the planet," she breathed.

"H-how is that even possible?!" Bal squeaked, sounding very unadmiral-like.

"How is anything he does possible?" Vala shot back.

"But why?" Neem asked. "Why is he moving the planet?"

Vala didn't answer. Instead, she watched as Superman did the impossible. After a few minutes, he switched to the other side of the planet, and pressed his shoulders into the ground, muscles straining slightly; for a moment, it looked as though he was carrying the world, like some god of old. Briefly, Vala wondered if the planet would crack and buckle under the immense strain it was being put under, but there seemed to be nary a tremble.

Eventually, the planet settled into its new orbit, and Superman disappeared. Though only a few minutes had passed, she could already see faint clouds rising from the planet's surface as the now-closer sun began to melt the glaciers and evaporate their surfaces. In a relatively short time, there'd be oceans in their stead, and she gasped as she realized Superman's intentions.

"He made us a new world, all for us," she whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "And he didn't even make demands, or asked us for some hideous expensive favors. He did it because it was the right thing to do."

There was a soft thump to her side, and she vaguely realized Bal had fainted.