Aboard the asari ship Osiris Hope, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy once again ran a finger over the surface of the stone in her pocket. It had become her own sort of worry token over the past weeks as the asari scientists and quarian technicians pored over the research Koris and his team forwarded to them.
For now, the Charon relay's rings rotated slowly around the eezo core. Unease turned her insides once more as she stared at the core. Rennez, the lead asari scientist, reassured her that everything was proving stable in the mass relay. The coloring of the core was a deep lavender … Koris had told her their relay had activated with a dark burgundy shading, but it lightened up as the geth began to access its information. Everyone was telling her that it was just a minor side effect, but Tali could sense something was off. Still, the obvious enthusiasm of the crew stopped objections from passing her lips.
"We are prepared for interception if necessary, Admiral," a crewmember announced.
"Thank you," Tali answered after a moment. "Are communications still open to Koris's ships?"
"We read you, Tali," Zaal'Koris answered over the speakers. "We are beginning final preparations to launch."
"You're attempting the Sol relay jump first, sir?" Fae'Gorin, another quarian captain, asked. Gorin and her crew were stationed by the relay closest to Thessia.
"That is correct, Gorin," Koris sighed. The quarian man was already preparing himself.
"I'm sorry, sir, but don't you think that the Parnitha jump would be the most logic one? It is the system closest to Rannoch that has an active relay …"
"I'm well aware of that, but as we discussed before, the relay in Parnitha is not as far ahead in preparations as Sol's. If all goes according to plan, we'll do everything possible to connect the active relays quickly. Until then, we must choose our experiments wisely, Gorin. We're already running a great risk by trying such a lengthy jump."
"You're certain your ships can handle it, Koris?" Tali cut in before Gorin could argue further. She wondered if it was because the other quarian was so anxious to return to Rannoch. Truthfully, Tali would avoid attempting to use the relays at all, but Koris was right. The mass relay in the Sol system was the first to reactivate after Tikkun's, so the two had the most hope of connecting.
"I admit our ships aren't in top condition, but I have confidence in them. If everything goes according to plan, they'll be no worse for wear."
Tali shook her head as she looked out to the relay once more. "If everything goes according to plan" seemed to be the mantra for the quarians and asari working on the project. "I'm sorry, Koris, but are you sure about this? I want the relays to work as well, but if we aren't sure—"
"I know, Tali," Koris sighed. "We are risking a lot here, but if we don't try, we'll never know if the relays can be reactivated or not. Qwib-Qwib and the other geth have confirmed a 90% success rate for the jump. We're as prepared as we could be."
"I—Very well, Admiral. Good luck. Keelah se'lai."
"Keelah se'lai."
"Launch preparations, five minutes remaining," the pilot's announcement over the communications seemed to reverberate through the silence.
Tali reached in her pocket for her stone once more, wishing desperately that some of her friends were beside her.
"Please tell me you're kidding," Shepard blurted out before she could think.
"Not this time," Joker shrugged. "Dr. Ann Bryson from Despoina sent a message for you … last night, apparently. Whoa, that's convenient. I didn't even know you were back on the ship until you guys came barreling in through the airlock."
"How is that possible? How did she even get out there? Dr. Bryson was helping with the Crucible ..."
"You were unconscious for a while, Commander. Plus, add in the six months you hung out in the hospital after you woke up. If she had the right supplies and the right ship, she could have made the trip. I would ask why. I thought the Leviathan agreed to help you fight the Reapers."
"Well, they didn't exactly do it out of hope to become friends. I think it was more a pride thing. They still believe they're the most powerful race in the galaxy."
"Can't let those bastards have all the glory, gotcha. So why get a hold of you?"
"Exactly my question." Shepard leaned over the pilot's shoulder to look at the holographic pad in front of him. "Is it a video message?"
"By the looks of it. I can send it up to your cabin terminal if you want."
"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, Joker."
The commander straightened up and began to slowly walk through the bridge. All was quiet around her, but her head was loud with questions. In all honesty, she thought she was finished with the Leviathan. She had hoped she was, anyway. Even compared to the Reapers, her last experience with the beings unsettled her. They were inside her mind in seconds, and there was that moment where she felt like she had no free will as they held onto her consciousness.
Shy of the elevator, her footsteps faltered. Cold shivers went through her body and her left arm twitched with a flash of pain, making her stop. Something stirred in her mind, in her memories? And she was struck by a young face, one that glowed in bright light. Shepard wanted to put her hand up to block it, but she couldn't move. But it was willing her to … telling her she had to choose.
As the urge to shout at this face came to her, her feet staggered forward. Once again, she was back on the Normandy. Catching herself on the railing by the galaxy map, Shepard bent forward, suffocating. The room grew smaller, her eyes burned. It took several seconds for the panic to recede. Her breath returned in long gulps as she focused on calming her heartbeat. The thought that edged through her made her chuckle darkly.
Hell, might as well take my consciousness, Leviathan. I don't even have control over it anymore.
"One minute," the pilot announced again.
Tali looked up at the relay again, realizing she had been pacing back and forth on the bridge. The rings began to spin quickly around the glowing core, preparing itself for the link. It seemed like all of the crew held their breath, staring intently at the ancient technology before them.
45 seconds … The quarian could swear she heard Garrus or Joker making some joke about waiting. She imagined Shepard's face as the commander waited for moments like these, when they traveled into unknown territories. Stoic, serious. It was to show the rest of the crew that there was nothing to worry about, that one way or another everything would work out for them. Even if she didn't believe it herself. Tali was quietly grateful that the crew around her couldn't see her face because of her helmet. Keeping calm was trying, to say the least.
25 seconds … Slight beeps were heard as the engineers checked the conditions of the relay. Chancing a look at her omni-tool, it showed everything was stable. By all logic, they had done everything they could to prepare for the launch. Now, with luck on their side, they would finally have a link between worlds again, something to give the beings still alive in this galaxy something to look forward to.
"Launch in 10—" the pilot of Koris's ship announced over the communications, making Tali jump slightly. "9 … 8 … 7 … 6 … 5 … 4 …"
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"3 … 2 … 1. Launch initiated. Relay is active. Approaching. Relay ini—"
Communications dropped suddenly as the relay spun faster before them. Tali stepped closer to the window, as if that would urge the ship to come through. No one continued to breathe as they stared at the relay, spinning dangerously fast. As quickly as the spinning started, it halted. The relay remained still, but its core surged with bright light. Its color shifted from lavender to black then red in a second.
"Back away!" Tali ordered. "Move the ships back!"
Before the pilots could respond, a wave of energy struck the ship, pitching them to the left unexpectedly. Tali lost her footing, catching hold of a railing on the bridge. The shock wave washed over the ship in seconds, swallowing her and the crew in darkness for a moment before all was back to normal.
Straightening up, ignoring the confusion of the rest of the crew, she went back to the window. The relay's rings began to rotate slowly, its now red core calming to a deep crimson. Calling for communications, her eyes searched the area around the relay. Aside from the energy blast they experienced, nothing disturbed the space around them. No other ship was nearby, save for their sister ship to the left.
"Are the communications active?" Tali demanded again, looking toward the specialist at her console.
The asari's fingers moved rapidly over the panel. "They're active, Admiral."
"Koris!" she called out. Silence responded … "Admiral Zaal'Koris!"
Quiet enveloped her as she waited for a response that never came.