Chapter 9
Failure and Success
There was a small mountain of paperwork in Joseph Sullivan's office, but at that moment the commander of the Flying Legion was pacing around his control tower's gantry. It had been almost eight hours since the Normandy had left on its first mission. As Dexter was still struggling to build a radio which allowed for communication between realities, he had no idea if they had been successful or not.
"Or even if they're still alive."
Sullivan brushed off the thought. He knew from experience that such thinking did no one any good. Besides, it was clear that Shepard and his team were more than ready to face a threat.
"Captain, you there?" Dexter's voice crackled through his radio.
"Yes Dex?" he replied.
"I just gotta ping on the radar to the east. Could be our guys."
"How long until they get here?"
"A few minutes. Damn, that thing can move fast."
Sullivan smiled at the remark. Dexter always loved technology, and that ship was like an early Christmas for him.
He walked around the gantry until he was facing east. The sky had a few wisps of cloud, but was otherwise clear. After a minute or two a small dark spot appeared, becoming larger and larger by the second, until he was able to discern details. Swept back wings, a curved hull, the faint blue glow of engines.
"Dex," Sullivan asked, "Can you patch me through to the Normandy?"
"Already done Captain," Dexter replied, "Just switch to channel two."
"Good boy Dex."
He changed the radio's settings and spoke.
"Conran Base to Normandy, are you reading me? Over."
The radio crackled with static for a second or two before the voice of Joker replied.
"This is SSV Normandy, we read you Conran Base, over."
A feeling of relief washed over Sullivan.
"Good to hear from you Normandy, do you need ground support or a medical team when you land? Over."
"Luckily for us no. A few of our guys have picked up some scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious, over."
"Good to hear. Was the mission a success? Over."
"That's hard to say. The commander will tell you during the debriefing, over."
"Got it. Land by the airships, same as before. I'll be there to meet you, over."
"Roger that, over and out."
Taking the stairs two at a time, Sullivan ran down the control tower's steps and clambered into a waiting jeep. By now the Normandy was bringing itself in for a landing, the rumble of its engines lessening by the moment. Crashing the jeep's gears, Sullivan took off across the runway, arriving at the airship docking area just as the Normandy touched down.
"It is good to see you again Captain Sullivan," stated a synthesised female voice through his radio.
"Umm… hello… EDI," Sullivan replied, still unsure how he should feel about the Normandy's self-aware computer, "May I come aboard?"
"Of course. The commander is on the bridge with the rest of the team."
Stopping the jeep beside the now-landed ship, Joesph waited for the cargo ramp to lower and walked up to the lift. Arriving at the command deck, he found the team sitting around the holographic display. All of them looked somewhat dishevelled, but as Joker had said, there were no serious injuries.
"Welcome back," he said to Shepard, who was sitting on the steps at the front of the holographic display, the suited alien called Tali leaning against him.
"It's good to be back," the commander replied, still sounding breathless.
"So, how did the mission go?" Sullivan asked.
"I would say it was very successful."
"Hmm, I believe it was a failure."
"It's a matter of perspective."
"You can say that, but that does not change the simple fact that they failed in their objectives."
The whole team looked around at the source of the familiar arguing voices. Robert and Rosalind Lutece appeared from the left of the CIC, both wearing the same tan suits as before.
"Are you two gonna stop talking in riddles, or do you enjoy being annoying?" grumbled Inspector Lestrade, who was sitting on the floor, face red and sweaty.
"We would never dream of being annoying," said Robert.
"Not when we're dealing with such important matters," stated Rosalind.
The twins walked up to where Shepard and Tali sat.
"So, how was your mission?" Robert asked.
"We already know," said Rosalind.
"Nonetheless, we should allow the commander to debrief us. Even we cannot know all the details."
"Umm, okay," Shepard replied, still unsure how to feel about the twins, "Although Rosalind is right, our mission was a failure."
He spent the next few minutes explaining how they had tracked the transmission to a space station and what happened onboard.
"We were close," he finished, "But the Cybermen were able to teleport the station's power plant and computer core before we could stop them."
"Not wholly unexpected," said Rosalind.
"But I would hardly call it a failure," said Robert almost at once.
"You really are a hopeless optimist," replied Rosalind, "Moriarty's forces got away, along with the equipment they wished to acquire."
"And they also met resistance and suffered serious casualties for the first time, even if many of them were down to Specimen XX121. More importantly however, you have managed to acquire two of Moriarty's teleportation controllers."
He gestured to the two silver devices that the Doctor and Sherlock had placed on the CIC's small desk.
"With these, we will be alerted far in advance of any new raids, and have a means to travel between universes other than Miss Elizabeth here."
The young woman looked slightly embarrassed by the sudden attention.
"That all sounds good," said Sarah, "But we don't even know how those devices work."
"Leave them to Dex," said Captain Sullivan, "He's always been a wiz with technology."
"Perhaps I can be of assistance," said the Doctor, raising his hand, "I have some experience with these matters. And I've no doubt Miss Vas Normandy would like to join us as well?"
"I… I… of course," Tali replied, a little taken aback at being directly addressed, "but I've never worked with teleporters before."
"Don't worry, it's a rather straightforward piece of technology," the Doctor replied, giving her a wide smile. "You'll have the hang of it in no time."
"Very well, it appears things are settled here," said Rosalind, "We should be going."
"If you need us, we'll contact you," said Robert with a slight bow.
"Oh, and before we forget, welcome to the team Miss Ripley," said Rosalind.
And with that the twins flashed out of existence.
"How… how did those two know my name…?" said Amanda, who until now had been standing silently at the back of the CIC.
"I only wish we could tell you," replied Xena.
"You know, I'm starting to think we made a mistake trusting those two," said Lestrade.
"Come now Inspector," Sherlock spoke up. "It's true they are a little… odd, but they haven't misled us, and we know the threat from Moriarty is more than real."
"What do you think Shepard?" Garrus asked.
"I doubt my opinion's any better than yours," the commander replied. "But Sherlock's right. Whatever the Luteces are, or their motives, this Moriarty guy is a serious threat."
He was interrupted by a loud grumble from his stomach, only then remembering that none of them had eaten properly since the previous day.
"Perhaps a late lunch is in order?" suggested Sullivan, "There's hot food down in the canteen if you want it."
"What's it like?" Xena asked.
"Hot and filling," the captain replied.
"Well I'm not gonna say no to a free meal," quipped Booker.
"Wonderful. The canteen's by the control tower. Just head over when you want to eat."
"Umm, Captain Sullivan," Tali said, raising her hand awkwardly, "I don't mean to be rude, but Garrus and I cannot eat the same food as you."
"Not to worry," Sullivan replied, "The Luteces sent a supply of dextro food for Mr. Vakarian and yourself."
"They really think of everything those two," smiled Sherlock.
"I just wish they were straightforward with us," sighed Gabrielle.
•
Leaving the Normandy, the team practically followed the smell of hot food to the canteen, where they found steaming trays of cooked meat, roasted potatoes, vegetables and fresh fruit waiting for them. The dextro-amino food had been placed on a separate table to avoid cross-contamination, but had been just as well prepared, even if Tali's had to remain in sterilised containers.
"I think I could get used to this," grinned Booker as he piled potatoes and cuts of beef onto his plate.
"Can't argue with that," Xena agreed, heaping her own plate high with food.
Once they had their food, the groups sat themselves down at the canteen's rows of tables, soon filling the room with the clatter of metal against porcelain.
"You know it's strange," Benton said, eyeing a piece of beef on the end of his fork. "All this food comes from a totally different reality, but it tastes just the same as back home."
"Ah, but it might not Sergeant," the Doctor remarked with his usual grin. "You see, the food in this universe forms in different conditions, so its texture and flavour are slightly different. However, since you are now subject to those same conditions, you perceive those things the same as before."
"If you say so Doctor," Benton replied, eyeing the beef for a few more seconds before eating it.
"What about you two?" Shepard asked Tali and Garrus.
"No complaints here," Garrus answered, devouring most of a rare steak in one go.
"Say what you will about the Luteces," said Tali in a muffled voice as she ate from an orange-coloured tube. "They know how to pick their Quarian food. Some of these things are just rare treats on the flotilla."
"What about you Amanda," asked Sherlock, feeling that they should not neglect their latest crewmember, "How are you finding…"
The sentence died on his lips as he saw the young woman eagerly munching on a plate heaped with vegetables and meats.
"I take it you haven't had much of a meal for a few days," he finished.
"Oh, sorry," said Amanda, suddenly looking a bit embarrassed when she realised the others were looking at her. "It's just… I work in space. Most of what you get up there is protein bars and dehydrated ready meals. Fresh food like this ain't easy to come by."
"No need to apologise," chuckled Shepard, "I'm a spacer myself. All we get is military rations, and that's mostly dehydrated stuff as well. I can't tell you how many times I've stuffed my face while planet side."
"Honestly, this is probably the best meal I've had in years," said Booker, who was leaning back in his chair and peeling an orange. "I've been… alone for a while, and was never much of a cook."
"I'll have to teach you when this is all over," said Elizabeth.
"Don't kid yourself," Booker smiled, "It's a hopeless cause if there ever was one."
"Well, you seem to have a knack for hopeless causes. I would have never gotten free without you."
"Yeah, and look where it got us."
"Umm, I don't mean to sound ungrateful," said Amanda, "But could you explain to me who you people are?"
"Of course," replied the Doctor, "We are the Bureau of Multiverse Affairs, or at least that's what the Luteces have dubbed us."
The team spent the next hour regaling the young engineer about how they had been recruited by the mysterious twins to hunt down the master criminal, James Moriarty.
"If I hadn't seen those… Cybermen, or the portal you guys opened to get here, I'd say you're all insane," Amanda said once they were finished. "Hell, I'm still not sure you're not mad."
"Honestly I can't blame you," said Gabrielle, "I've faced down gods and monsters, and I still find what we're doing unbelievable."
"Gods and monsters?" said Amanda, looking even more perplexed.
"A story for another time," said Xena, "But perhaps the first thing we should ask is what you plan to do next?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, what will you do now? Do you want to go home, or would you like to join us?"
Amanda thoughtfully chewed a piece of potato before speaking.
"You're saying this Moriarty guy is a threat to all realities?" she said.
"That's our current belief, yes," Shepard replied.
"Then I think I'll stay with you guys. You saved my life, the least I can do is help out."
"Well then, welcome to our ranks Miss Ripley," said Garrus.
•
When they had eaten their fill, the team dispersed across the base. Most went to their bunks in the Normandy to get some rest, while the Doctor, Tali, Amanda and Sherlock went over to one of the hangers where Dexter's workshop was housed. Stepping inside, Tali found herself bouncing on her toes. The workshop was filled with benches, weighed down by gadgets and odd-looking machines. Dexter himself was hunched over a table in the middle of the room, a bright lamp angled over a half-dismantled teleporter device. Hearing the door open, he looked up at them, popping a jeweller's loupe from his eye.
"Hey, the captain told me you'd be dropping by," he said, his voice slightly muffled by the piece of gum he was chewing.
"It's good to meet you properly," said the Doctor, "I must say you have an impressive collection here."
"Yeah well, when you work for the Flying Legion, you've gotta always be thinking ahead when it comes to your tech."
"Did you design all these?" Tali asked, leaning over one of the benches to look at a large gas-powered grappling hook.
"I can't take full credit. Most designs are a group effort, I just combine the best elements and iron out all the problems I can."
"So, what can you tell us about Moriarty's teleportation device?" asked Sherlock, walking straight over to the table and leaning in for a closer look.
"It's a relatively straight forward system," Dexter replied, "But it's still beyond anything I've seen before."
He stood back and allowed the rest of the group to get a look at the teleporter. In their rush to escape the station, none of the team had managed to give them a close look, but now they were free to take their time. The device was about 20 centimetres long, and about 5 centimetres wide, and made of a highly polished metal. The top cover which Dexter had removed had a series of holes cut in it. One at the top for a dial, with a narrow screen just above it. Below them were 13 smaller holes for a number pad. Inside, the top of the device was a maze of wires, linking the buttons and dial to the small screen and a large oblong object which Dexter told them was its power source.
"So, how does it work?" Amanda asked.
"Like I said, it's straight forward enough," Dexter replied. "You enter the coordinates for the universe you wish to travel to, then adjust the dial until it's at the correct frequency to open a portal. When you activate it, the portal is projected by this lens at the front."
He pointed to the end of the device where a dark round piece of glass had been set.
"That's all very well," said Tali, who had borrowed a magnifying glass to get a closer look at the teleporter's mechanism. "But we don't know what sort of mapping system Moriarty is using."
"I thought the same at first," Dexter replied, "But I have an idea."
He pulled a flat silver disk with an optical lens pointing upward in the middle over to himself.
"Holographic map of the multiverse," he explained, answering the group's puzzled expressions, "A present from the Luteces."
Flicking a switch on the side of the disk, the triangle-shaped map of the multiverse appeared.
"If we can link the teleporter to this map, we should be able to work out how Moriarty's mapping system works."
"Could I try something?" asked Tali.
"By all means," Dexter replied.
He stepped aside to allow the Quarian a better view. She raised her arm and activated her omni-tool.
"Never seen something like that," Dex remarked as he looked at the holographic screens forming around her arm.
"It's an omni-tool," Tali explained, "It can do just about any odd job you need."
She paused for a moment as a screen popped up, numbers streaming across it.
"You got something?" Amanda asked.
"I think… I think they're coordinates," Tali said slowly.
"Can you make sense of them?" asked the Doctor.
"Not yet… I need…." she replied.
The lines of numbers stopped.
"Umm, Dexter…?" Tali asked, "You don't mind if I call you that?"
"Everyone round here just calls me Dex," he replied.
"Right, Dex. Could you give me the coordinates for our last mission?"
"Sure."
He took another holographic disk from a drawer and entered a series of numbers on its control panel. After a second or two, the multiverse map appeared, this time with a red dot over one of the universes.
"That's where Sevastopol Station is, or was," said Tali, "Now let's see if I can link up this map to the teleporter. May I have some tools?"
"Help yourself," said Dexter, gesturing around the workshop.
Tali hurried across the room, gathering pieces of wire, screwdrivers and solder, dumping them all on the middle table.
"What's the plan then?" Amanda asked, watching her with curiosity.
"If I link these devices together, I should be able to match Moriarty's coordinates with our own," Tali explained.
"It should be possible," replied Dexter, "But we don't have a means of calibrating it."
"Ah, but we do."
Tali opened her omni-tool and showed them the list of numbers.
"If these are the coordinates used by Moriarty's forces, then logically the last set should be Sevastopol Station. We can use that to zero everything, and map out their movements."
Picking up the first holographic disk, Tali switched it off and began unscrewing its base. Once it was removed, she placed it next to the teleporter, then took a coil of wire and cut off four roughly equal lengths.
"Now," she muttered, carefully manipulating the wires so they linked the two devices together, "That should do it."
She attached the last wire, switched the holographic disk back on and copied the numbers from her omni-tool into the teleporter's pad. For a few seconds, the team watched silently, then a small red dot appeared on the holographic map, right in the same place as Dexter's marker had shown Sevastopol station.
"You did it!" said Amanda.
The Doctor clapped his hands together.
"Well done Tali, it's devilishly ingenious."
"Oh… well, thank you…" she replied, sounding a little awkward at the praise.
As she spoke, a white line appeared below the dot.
"What's that?" said Dexter.
"I'm not sure…" Tali replied.
The four leaned in, trying to get a better view. Slowly the white line moved across the map. It did not move in a straight line however. Instead, it bounced between the different universes, sometimes doubling back on itself, until it reached the bottom-most piece of the triangle. Moriarty's pocket universe.
"What did you do?" Amanda asked Tali.
"I'm not sure," she replied, "But something's popped up on the teleporter's screen. "It said, recall route."
"Hold on…" said the Doctor, "The tip of the multiverse map is Moriarty's base of operations. The Luteces said they could not follow his forces back there because it 'locked out' their portals. Perhaps this is his security system. His forces don't teleport directly back to their base, but move between the different universes to hide their tracks. There may even be a set route they have to follow in order to 'unlock' his universe."
"I think you're right Doctor," said Tali.
"Yeah, but it could take us ages to work it all out," grumbled Dexter.
Tali's omni-tool glowed into life.
"Not as long as you'd think Dex."
•
When Shepard woke the next morning, he felt more refreshed than he had done in weeks. In the hunt for Saren and later his mission to stop the collectors, sleep had been a luxury, snatched wherever it could be had. Now he had been able to rest for several hours without any interruptions.
Sitting up, he yawned and stretched. Tali was curled up beside him, still fast asleep. He had heard her come in late at night and immediately flop down on the bed. She had spent the whole of the previous day and much of the night in Dexter's workshop, reverse engineering the teleporters. He had not heard any news, but guessed they would come up with something.
Looking over at his desk, he saw a few abandoned data pads. He had filled in a mission report for their actions on Sevastopol, though he was not sure who for. The Luteces seemed to know everything that happened almost as soon as it did, and he doubted anyone back home would believe their story. He wondered if they were being missed in the Milky Way, or was time different in these other universes?
"Don't try thinking about it, you'll just give yourself a headache."
His train of thought was interrupted by a sudden beeping, followed by EDI's voice.
"Hello Commander, sorry, did I wake you?"
"No, I was already up," he replied, "What is it?"
"I just got a message from Captain Sullivan. He said Dexter has finished his work on the teleporters and is ready to show them to the team."
"When does he want to see us?"
"He said to take your time. He wanted to get some breakfast beforehand."
Despite her monotone voice, there seemed to be a hint of humour to her remark.
"Can't argue against that," Shepard replied. "Put the word around to the team. We meet at the workshop in two hours. Grab as much breakfast as you can."
"Of course Commander."
EDI became silent and Shepard turned to the sleeping form of Tali. Her suit's speaker was switched off, but he could still hear the soft rhythmic sound of her breathing.
"How did I get so lucky in love?" he said quietly.
Reluctantly he placed a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her.
"Hmm… five more minutes," the Quarian mumbled sleepily.
"I guess I can give you that," Shepard replied, smiling.
Gently he lay down and slipped an arm around her shoulders.
"I guess you were very busy yesterday." he mumbled.
"You have no idea, but it was worth it…"
They stayed on the bed for a little while before deciding that they should at least have something to eat. Reluctantly they disentangled themselves from each other and got up, stretching and yawning.
Going down to the mess hall, they found that the Flying Legion's staff had brought up some food for them. Booker and Elizabeth were already there, as were Xena and Gabrielle, along with Benton and Sarah, each tucking into their breakfast.
"You know, I'll miss this place when we're done," said Shepard as he helped himself to bacon and scrambled eggs.
"I can't argue with that," Tali replied, her voice muffled by a tube of dextro fruit currently attached to her helmet.
"Meh," Gabrielle remarked, "I can't help but miss the food back home, even if we never had enough of it."
"I like it," said Xena, regarding her forkful of scrambled egg with interest, "I'll have to try this one after we get back."
Once they had eaten their fill, the team members decided they might as well head to the workshop. Making their way down the cargo ramp, they were greeted by a warm cloudless day and the buzz of aircraft above, practicing their manoeuvres. Garrus was standing on the runway, slowly eating a plate of breakfast as he watched the aircraft.
"Taking an interest in old human tech eh?" Shepard said as he approached.
"Hmm? Oh, hey Shepard," Garrus replied, "Really I'm just impressed that anyone would willingly go into combat in those things. An engine powered by explosive fuel, no kinetic barriers, barely any armour."
"You forgot that they didn't have computer navigation," Tali added, "They had to use paper maps and rulers."
"Laugh it up you two," said Shepard, "Humans won a world war with those planes."
"Yeah, against other humans," countered Tali.
Garrus laughed.
"You humans are crazier than the Krogans."
"You three gonna hang about there all day?" asked Booker, who was already some distance ahead of them with Elizabeth.
"Good things come to those who wait," Shepard countered.
Nonetheless, he set off across the runway, Tali and Garrus following, their heads turned upward as one of the fighters did a loop the loop.
"See what I mean," said Garrus, "Humans are just plain crazy."
A few minutes later they reached the workshop. Dexter was already there, as were the Doctor, Sherlock and Captain Sullivan. The four were standing around the workbench in the middle of the room, where several odd-looking pieces of equipment had been laid out.
"Good of you to join us," said Sullivan.
"Where are Watson and Lestrade?" asked Shepard, only now realising that he had not seen the two on the Normandy.
"Here," replied a tired voice.
Beth Lestrade appeared from around a corner, Watson at her side.
"My Apologies," said Watson, "Holmes said he needed our help."
"Yeah," grumbled Lestrade, "I just wish he would have waited another hour before waking me."
"I am sorry," said Sherlock, "But I had to give Miss Ripley and Miss Vas Normandy some time to sleep."
"Where is Amanda?" said Sarah.
Dexter jabbed his thumb toward a door at the back of the room.
"She's sleeping on my sofa. I told her she should go back to her bunk on the Normandy, but she wanted to be close in case we needed help."
"Should I wake her?" Sarah asked.
"Might as well," said Dexter.
The reporter slipped past everyone and knocked on the door. Moments later Amanda appeared, pulling on her crumpled overalls.
"Alright, don't keep us in suspense," Booker said drily, "What have you got for us?"
"A lot," Dexter smiled. "With those teleporters you brought us, we've learned a lot about Moriarty's movements through the different realities."
He leaned over the desk and switched it on, causing a large holographical map of the multiverse to appear just above it. This time however, there were numbers running around its three edges.
"Using the data from the teleporter, Tali was able to work out the map system Moriarty's been using," Dexter explained. "But more importantly, we were able to track their previous movements. This means we were able to follow our enemies' path from their base, to their target and back."
He entered a series of commands on the holographic projector's control panel. A red dot appeared over one of the universes, with two white lines leading from it to the bottom of the map. What the team members saw that was odd, was that rather than going directly to the red dot, the lines moved through several different universes before reaching their destination at the bottom.
"So, what does this mean?" asked Shepard.
"It shows that Moriarty's forces have a system used to cover their tracks when they travel through the multiverse, "Dexter explained. "That's why the Luteces weren't able to follow them back to their base. With the teleporters you recovered however, we can track their signals and see what targets they're planning to hit much sooner than before. I've also designed this so it can be interfaced with the Normandy's existing systems, so the pilot will have all this information at a moment's notice."
"Could we use it to get into Moriarty's universe?" asked Benton.
"Not yet," said Dexter. "I tried to see if we could follow one of their return paths, but they have a coding system that's used for the return trip. Without it, you're groping in the dark."
"So we still can't reach his base," huffed Lestrade.
"Not yet, but with this equipment, we can find a way. What we do is scan Moriarty's forces during a raid and listen in on their transmissions. If you can bounce those back to me here, I can gain access to their codes and plot a course for the Normandy to follow to their base."
"Not that I doubt your abilities Dexter," said Garrus, "But this sounds far too easy."
"You're right Mr. Vakarian," Dexter replied, becoming much more serious. "Once you start bouncing those signals back here, Moriarty's forces will be able to track them as well. The Normandy should be safe, but they'd attack here to try and stop me."
"So we can't use it?" said Tali, sounding defeated.
"We have to use it if we're to track down Moriarty," Dexter countered. "And while it's a risk, we do have defences here."
"And Moriarty has weapons far in advance of yours," Shepard warned.
"Each member of the Flying Legion knew what they were signing up for," said Sullivan, "We'll fight, no matter what they throw at us."
"There's something else," said Dexter, "If you'll come through to the hanger, I'll show you."
Curious, the team followed the inventor through to the cavernous space. There they found a P-40 Warhawk fighter aircraft surrounded by tools, the identity code h11od across its fuselage. A device that looked like a film projector had been attached under its wing.
"Okay, what are we looking at?" asked Shepard.
"My fighter," replied Captain Sullivan.
"Since we had two teleporters, me and Amanda were able to rig one up to the Captain's Warhawk," Dexter explained. "It means he can travel between the different universes as well."
"You want to do multiverse travel with a piston-powered aircraft?!" exclaimed Garrus, looking stunned.
"There's no reason to think it shouldn't work," said Amanda.
"And it allows for me to scout out the enemy's base," said Sullivan.
Shepard gave him a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?"
"Dexter had an idea. When you've managed to bounce the signal back, I can follow it to Moriarty's base. There I should be able to get some reconnaissance photographs which you can then use to plan our final assault."
Shepard looked from the jerry-rigged aircraft to the captain, as if daring him to admit it was a joke, but Sullivan's face remained deadly serious.
"You'd be taking a hell of a gamble," he said finally, "Your portal could open into a solid wall, or underwater for all we know."
"Right now, a 'hell of a gamble' is our only real hope of getting to Moriarty," said Sullivan.
Shepard scratched his stubbled face. How had he gone from organising one suicide mission to another?
"You really think this'll work?" he said eventually.
"It's been tested, and it seems fine," Dexter replied, "But we won't know for sure until it's used for real."
"Are you sure you're up for this Captain?"
"As I'll ever be Commander."
Shepard steadied himself and turned to address the team.
"Get your gear together and report to the Normandy at once. We'll need to be ready to leave the moment we detect Moriarty's next raid."
"His next and last," said Xena with a slight smile.