The SX-05 hung suspended in the vast emptiness between the Far Rim and the Perseus Veil, a solitary waypoint in the ship's journey through the uncharted expanses of space. The success of the first subspace jump, a collaborative effort between Sentinel and Joker, left the ship in a state of recovery as its systems had to regenerate the expended power.
Each subspace jump mimicked the conditions of a Mass Relay, a feat made possible by the interaction of Element Zero and the ship's powerful engines. The absence of operational Mass Relays, relics now silent and inert, meant recalculating the encoded signal for safe navigation with every jump. Even though this newfound freedom allowed the SX-class ships to traverse the galaxy with unparalleled flexibility, it was a double-edged sword that demanded massive computational power and precision for each calculated leap.
Sentinel's traces of Reaper code, dormant yet influential, played a crucial role in accelerating the complex calculations, as the ship was being prepared for its second jump.
It would take them back to Rannoch, where amidst the remnants of their lost civilization, Sentinel would receive a proper Geth unit—a vessel to correctly embody their consciousness.
For Tali, this journey back to Rannoch marked a return to her roots, a resumption of life on solid ground. The fast-paced life of a ship's engineer didn't seem as alluring now as it did years ago. She had time to rest and was back to her old self, ready to continue the work on her home world. One last time, she strolled down the ship's hallways and joined Liara on the bridge, where Joker and Sentinel were busy working on the calculations. Gabby's viewing screen was filled top to bottom with data streams. While they eagerly anticipated the next jump, the final leap, Tali was thinking of how many spare parts from her table at home she could give to Sentinel. Liara interrupted her thoughts.
"Thank you again, Tali, and I apologize for what we put you through retrieving Sentinel."
Tali approached her and patted her on the shoulder. "It was a good reminder of our time together, saving the galaxy. It feels good to have contributed to restoring it as well. Dealing with the aftermath of war is sometimes even harder than the victory itself," she said with a sense of pride and nostalgia.
She remembered how they first met. "I still can't get the image of you, helpless behind the barrier curtain on… what was the planet called? Somewhere in the Artemis Tau Cluster."
"Therum," Liara's face lit up when she spoke the name, "All Shepard class vessels bear the names of planets instrumental in the War with the Reapers. When I got to pick mine, I didn't hesitate for even a second. A selfish act, one could say."
"I didn't think of you as a particularly poetic type. A nerd, buried in data pads, more likely. And now I find you in command of your very own ship."
"A lot has changed." Liara's thoughts lingered for a moment, and then she firmly asked, "Jeff, how far along are your calculations?"
"All set, we're uploading the new code to the navigation system. Course set for Rannoch, all systems green," he announced proudly. Anticipation was palpable in the air.
As the door chimed open, Garrus entered with the confidence of a veteran crewmember. He took his position at the console. Tali, catching his eye, conveyed a silent but profound gratitude. In response, Garrus bestowed upon her a big Turian smile—a gesture that spoke volumes without uttering a word.
She touched her side pocket that held the rock, she picked up before she left. It was still there. A piece of home she carried around. Keelah.
"Initiate," Liara commanded, marking the beginning of their jump toward Rannoch.
The forward structure of the SX-05 started emitting a small radiant mass effect field, creating a corridor of swirling energy that enveloped the ship in its entirety.
"Field established." The console depicting the ship's specifications indicated an instant reduction of its mass to near zero. The mass effect field rendered it practically weightless. "Initiation complete," Joker's words resounded through the ship's intercom.
"Commander, there's an unusual build-up of gravity at the far end of our field," said Sentinel. Before anyone could process the information, let alone react, a subspace window opened and the SX-05, along with its crew, was propelled through the spacial distortions. Usually, they would not even feel the ship move. This time the ground shook, the outer viewports shone in bright yellow and white lights, It felt like an eternity, but they emerged on the other end in a few seconds. The viewports projected a burst of energy that usually followed the materialization of the SX-05 on the other end. Bright, vivid colours enveloped their immediate vicinity. A breathtaking sight under any other circumstance.
"What kind of build-up? Gabby?" Liara asked in a worried tone.
Tali froze as if time itself had stopped. This all looked strangely familiar, yet distant. She could observe her surroundings with unprecedented clarity.
"Unsure, similar to the signatures we first detected in Charoum's vicinity," Gabby said while her eyes were fixated on the data on her station. The bright light left a mark in her vision and was not subsiding quickly enough.
"Jeff, what's our location?" Liara paused for an answer, "Red Alert!" She grew more worried. "Status report." The command centre lights turned deep red. "Raise the shields, Garrus!"
"Shields at maximum, bringing weapons online just in case" he announced with a strong intent for action, but still a little perplexed, an effect of the unexpectedly long jump.
"Steady, we first have to figure out our bearings," Liara cut him off.
"All stations reporting normal activity," Gabby interjected.
"Where are we?" Liara turned to Tali looking for an answer. "Anything, Jeff?"
"Sentinel!?" Tali joined in trying to help out.
"The field dissipated normally, the Drive Core is stable," Sentinel replied.
"We might have missed our target, though," Joker blurted out in confusion.
Tali clenched her rock firmly and felt a gush of uncomfortable warmth in her stomach.
"By how much?" she asked almost involuntarily. Out of the viewport, she saw a red gas giant in the distance. It matched the colour of the command bridge almost perfectly. No debris or distortions of the space-time fabric in the vicinity were reported by Gabby.
"No remnant Mass Relay signature," said Joker.
"According to the ship's data, we are on the edge of Citadel Space," Sentinel delivered the news with a neutral tone. "Minos Wasteland, Arrae Star-System."
"Wasteland… " Tali repeated quietly to herself. Have I been here before?
"That's not a reassuring name," Joker tried to de-escalate the situation in his manner. "I can plot a course back, but it will take us a while, you better settle in." He put the system's name in the navigation console in front of him. The result surprised him. "It's going to take a long while".
Tali's hands were shaking. What is going on with me?
Liara took notice of her distress. "I'm so sorry." She kept her composure but still projected great compassion towards her.
At the same time, Tali's mind was full of visions, her garden on Rannoch, the mess she had left on her workstation, and the empty glass bottle next to her enviro-suit visor. She remembered the conversations she had before she woke up in Medbay. None of this was what she had hoped for. Just a few moments ago, her life was on another path. Now everything was turned upside down, the gut-wrenching feeling, however, was gone. She couldn't exactly explain it. She felt light.
"I think we will have to redefine what "temporarily" means, Liara," she said back to her friend.
A low-pitched sound of The Therum resounded in her ears, she heard taping on the screens and consoles and the sounds of Sentinel's brief movements as they were helping Joker make the calculations for the next jump.
"Open a shipwide comms channel, Gabby," Liara commanded with some regained authority. She straightened herself up in the command chair, the weight of leadership settling upon her shoulders. "This is Commander T'Soni. We find ourselves unexpectedly in the Arrae System in the Minos Wasteland. I require of you a comprehensive report on all ship systems. This event we have just experienced is unprecedented, and a ship-wide diagnostic might give us some answers. The bridge team is already plotting our course back to Inner Council Space, however, the journey will take longer than any of us could have anticipated." Liara's gaze, now more determined than before, seemed to pierce through the vastness of space. "We will make efforts to establish a connection with the Citadel, ensuring that your families are informed of our situation. A briefing for the command staff will commence in ten minutes. Until then, resume your standing orders. Your dedication to this mission is crucial, and all your contributions to our common goal are highly valued by everyone. We are a team and will make our way home together. Whatever obstacles may lay in our path, we will persevere together!"
As the comms channel closed, Liara raised her hand to her temple, a subtle gesture of contemplation. Tali turned to look at Joker, Sentinel, Gabby, Garrus, and finally, Liara.
The weight of the unknown future lay before all of them, especially for Liara, Commander T'Soni, responsible for the lives and the future of her crew. Not an easy task to take on alone. But she was not alone.
This is where I'm supposed to be.
