Shema tuned down the volume, her mask trying its best to muffle the wind. It didn't really work. Their little ship rattled as if it had a rampant mass effect core. If the problem was indeed just that, then she would not be sweating from nervousness.
Right now, her suit's dehumidifiers were overloaded, her helmet fogging up from condensation and boots pooling with uncomfortable sweat.
"Sir?" Flight Officer Davies' worried voice came through the cabin door.
"I know! Just continue." Captain Jackson replied. Shema noted a hint of personality (for the first time ever) under his reddened visor.
"Yes sir."
The information screen blinked to life but only showed static. But the speakers still worked: "…zssst… Captain? ...zst… The records of this …zssst… gas giant exists in some Prothean records. Rich in Lithium-6 …zssst… and Helium-3, it seems that they too …zssst… used …zst… it as a fuel source." Historical Specialist Zenzin's rather thin voice was barely audible over the interference.
"We've got thirty seconds of till blackout!" Nekros spoke, anxiously operating the ping device on his omni-tool. Shema felt a pang of guilt – she should have been the one doing that.
"You must remember …zssst… that the name Tinvik means 'ferocious' in …zst… Prothean tongue."
"Acknowledged Zenzin. We'll be fine."
"It also means…zsssssssss" There was no more signal.
"Gotta love that timing. I'm guessing we don't want to hear that last part anyway." Captain joked even now. That was the confidence that a leader needed to show during situations like this. But for a mere soldier like herself, she could afford to be a scared.
…
Five hours ago
Engine instalments had been successful, and the Horizon was as good as new. Kem had supervised the engine re-burn for the fifth hour, then disappeared into his room for a nap.
The Captain was there long before anyone else, impatiently waiting to start flying again. He seemed agitated and worried. Shema was almost sure that he was ready to fly off alone.
"Shema! Don't bother with a salute. Thanks again for the present by the way. Really great. Love it. Now, your brother's done a nice job fixing the ship, but he forgot to answer a question. Can we fly this ship halfway across the galaxy within five hours?"
Shema's hand hung awkwardly near her head after being interrupted from the salute. She slowly put it down, running through a virtual checklist in her head.
"I… think so, sir. I need to configure some things, but the ship's design should allow that at optimal performance."
"Great. Could you check those 'things'? We need to be flying as soon as possible."
"Yes sir."
Three Hours Ago
"What I'm about to tell you is top, top, top, top, top secret. Nobody other than a select few people are supposed to know this." The Captain had been hyper-alert for the past couple of hours, unintentionally making everyone else feel uncomfortable. His left palm was raw from scratches and a thin layer of blue mist did not dissipate from his body.
"Why are you telling the whole crew, then?" Private Sorac (Shema wasn't sure if she should just call her 'Thea') asked.
"Because you all deserve to know. I want everyone to be able to trust me."
There were many stunned stares, including her own. No high-ranking official, ever, had said something like that. This absolute trust was part of their Captain's charm.
"The planet we are approaching has a hidden nuclear facility, built by humans few years after First Contact War. Sorry Nekros. Anyway, its main aim is to develop extreme-yield nuclear fusion warheads. Stealth nuclear warheads. Ones that leave no trace of its explosion other than the destruction, with no radioactive fallout. I need one of those warheads, which is being made right there. That is a key part of our mission beyond Beta-Two. Now, that station has entered an emergency status and lost radio contact. We know it's being threatened by an unusually large storm cell on the gas giant. We need to enter that facility, find out why we've lost contact, and hopefully keep it intact. I'm planning to use the Gravitizers if need be. I'm taking a skeleton crew, and that will be me, Shema and Nekros. Davies will drive our Kodiak. Alright? I've told you the bare minimum, but I hope you're okay with that."
One Hour Ago
The brown giant loomed, its atmosphere visibly shaking with wind.
"I believe I have read something about this planet on the records. May I…?"
"Go ahead Zenzin. That is your job."
"What do we need?" Nekros asked, his head barely visible above the pile of equipment.
"You'll definitely be wearing your Exoskeleton. On it, you'll want safety harnesses, ropes, tertiary gravity generators, jump packs, extra batteries and oxygen, magnetic boots, biotic amps, rope linkers, high power radios. Bring a gun while you're at it."
"A gun?" Shema asked, surprised.
"Always bring a gun. Better have it rather than regretting it." The Captain said as he holstered his pistol onto his exoskeleton. "That includes you, Davies!" He shouted at their pilot, who as making sure that the Kodiak was prepared.
"Yes sir. Should I pack the same?"
"Yes, just in case."
They busied themselves packing, double checking all the bounds and connectors. 800 km/h winds were a no laughing matter. If you tried to laugh, your unprotected lungs could burst.
Information Officer Sorac (same problem with Thea. She had befriended both Kisa and Thea, but she wasn't yet comfortable calling them by their first names) entered the room and had a quick chat with the Captain. Her countenance was clouded with worry, but the Captain's cheery talk managed to bring a smile to her face. Officer Sorac gave the Captain a hug, then left the hanger.
Kem was there to talk to the Captain as well. Judging by the way they kept glancing over at her, she knew that Kem was asking her to be replaced. He knew that she was afraid of wind.
The Captain seemed to think carefully, but eventually shook his head. He said one more thing to Kem, who simply nodded at the decision.
The Captain returned to his packing.
"Pack carefully. If you are lost, or have an equipment failure, you will die. I don't want you to die. So don't get lost and pack properly." He advised.
"Yes sir!" replied Shema. "I won't, sir." Echoed Flight Officer Davies. "I don't think any of us is planning to get lost." Nekros summarised.
…
Shema shook, both from the ship's vibrations and from her own nervousness. The battlefield was much less frightening than the force of nature at its worst. Shema had a very bad memory about winds. She knew that her fear was explainable, but still despised herself for succumbing to it.
She felt a hand wrap reassuringly on her shoulder. She looked up, and found Captain Jackson's helmet staring back at her. He gave her a nod, and she felt herself calming. She reached up and grasped the hand tightly.
"Approaching the base in five! Get ready to drop!"
Shema stood up, feeling the uncomfortable bulk of her body. Her slender enviro-suit was encased with an exoskeleton, making her taller by at least thirty centimetres. Its motors hummed softly as she moved and she felt a strong sense of imprisonment. But this robot was the only thing that could stop her joints from ripping apart by the wind.
"Bring us nice and close, then get to safety."
"I think there will be another opportunity to come in about three hours' time, sir. I'll bring the Gravitisers and our fretty Batarian then."
"Alright. You stay safe."
"Good luck sir. Red light!"
The deafening howl of the winds amplified as the door opened, and Shema felt a sudden force pushing her back into the ship. She screamed as a gust of fire engulfed them.
…
"The name Tinvik means 'ferocious' in Prothean tongue… it also means 'crazy', sir. That is because there were reports of insanity by workers of the planet. All activity on the planet by the Protheans were abandoned after a century of exploration. Please be c-"
His screen suddenly blinked off. Zenzin tapped the screen, as if hoping that tapping would make it display something other than black. Somebody tapped gently on his chair to get his attention.
"They didn't receive the last the bit of info, Specialist." The human female, who was their Communications Officer, explained. "It seems that we have lost contact."
Restates the obvious. Perhaps as a sign of disrespect? Likely.
Zenzin sighed, then moved away from the communications desk. He looked outside, seeing whirlwinds dancing across the planet. The planet was well-known for its jaw-smashing weather, with gusts that rocketed up to unimaginable speeds. No tourists (or anyone, for that matter) were allowed to enter the atmosphere, and as many as fifteen ships went missing throughout the ages.
Today, it was in an especially grumpy mood, with an electric-white dot (most likely a plasma storm; the most extreme type of gas-based hurricane that can form on a planet) gathering near its equator. Unfortunately, the nuclear base was just underneath that storm, and was about to feel its wrath.
Zenzin marvelled at his new boss's courage. If he was in command, he would not go into those winds under any circumstances. Even if his family was there, he would say sorry and just hope for the best. But not Captain Jackson.
Zenzin was also impressed at the soldiers' response. They entered that dropship fully knowing the risks, yet coolly accepting the orders. Zenzin could see that it was more than a sense of duty that motivated them to follow the man.
"I'm taking a skeleton crew because this mission is dangerous. Far too dangerous. If our transmission stays dud for more than 24 hours, then just return to HIGHCOM and report to duty. Don't bother marking us as 'missing'. We will be dead, end of story."
His boss had said that very matter-of-factly.
"Yes, sir."
The crew replied matter-of-factly.
It was a balance of command and respect that all leaders wished for. The way Captain managed it in such a short time was simple and exemplary – he gave his soldiers all the trust they deserved.
Zenzin made his way to the CIC and turned on the Archives.
…
Rallel took a step forward, and her body landed with an awful clang! She felt painful vibrations moving up her legs.
"Easy! This is the first time you've been inside an exoskeleton, right?" The Quarian said, checking his omni-tool for readings.
"Why is this necessary?"
The Quarian moved to her side then crouched down, prying open a motor cover on the side of her left knee.
"The winds on that planet are really, really strong. It's really scary! If you try to move against the wind, then it may snap your joints!" The Quarian knocked lightly on the exoskeleton. "This machine will stop that, and also increase your strength by tenfold. It will also protect you from the debris… any object blown by those winds are deadly. An average hard suit won't be able to handle the impact."
"But I'll be inside the Kodiak."
"You'll never know what could go wrong on a hostile place like that. That's what the Captain said, anyway." He activated his omni-blade, then readjusted its diameter to a small tip. There was an odour of burnt metal as he welded something together. "He told me to prepare you for the worst."
Rallel didn't want to think about the worst.
"Why don't we use this on the battlefield?"
That was a fair question to ask. Sleek and powerful, it didn't make sense to not to use them in the battlefield. Although they were bulky (she looked massively overweight and tall in the suit), they could almost act as mini-tanks. In retrospect, they resembled YMIR mechs that she saw being deployed during her time at the Blue Suns.
"I asked the Captain about that, too, because they are based off combat robots. But the main problem is that they're too slow, and they're really not designed for combat. They don't have any armour either – just really strong barriers."
The Quarian popped the case back onto the exoskeleton. He then rechecked his omni-tool. Dissatisfied, he reopened the knee joint, spun something and then closed the case again.
"Try now."
Rallel took another step forward. Instead of a heavy drop like before, the machine came down gently, as if she was walking on honey.
"That's right."
"It's too slow!"
"Would you rather have it as it was before?"
Silence.
"Well then, take another step for me."