Darcy's Starry Sky

by Theodore Daniels

  - Another here, even from orbit was observed. - Echoed Nihlus.

  - A strange calm. - Said Olivia.

  - And what, Blake stupid? She is well aware that after we shot the first of its deputies with itself, we have exactly the ceremony will not be in any way. According to the orbital scan next to it - no more than five security guards. Personal guard so to speak. - Dissatisfied strёkot Yavika finally broke the silence in the cabin of the head of the conveyor.

  - Okay. Everything will still decide the fate of Helen Blake on the circumstances. - Shepard said. - On the approach.

  - There is on the way. - Responded Alenko. - Everything is clean, do not watch counter.

  - Jerk leave the car and go in the complex. We search, all of whom can be - exciting. - Ordered Shepard, will drive on the rack conveyor and stopping the car near the entrance. - On the way out - quickly and directly into the body.

  Helen Blake was found for the first break in the door. She gestured in picture thrown on the floor assault rifle and a pistol, and then stretched her arms forward:

  - You still will not allow me to make my group to limit yourself gambling and smuggling illegal technology.

  - Do not group as a gang. - Said Nihlus, restricting a woman's hand. - Pshla output and no nonsense.

  - Yeah. To me. When the four Spectrum Council come - better not to rock the boat. - Sour Blake grinned when Nihlus passed it in the hands of three policemen paratroopers.

  - No talking. - Junior Spectrum turian Jenkins nodded and he led captive chairwoman of the Syndicate of the complex. Cops planted paratroopers delayed the salon of the second conveyor, and have come to expect the completion of the search.

  - And what do you, a personal invitation you want? - I asked Saren when people Alenko brought to him all five guards Helena. - Disarm, stood against the wall. Can you face the wall, you can back to the wall. The main thing - to stand up against the wall.

  -'ll Shoot? - Glumly I asked one of the guards.

  - We will. - Alenko confirmed, taking his pistol and rifle. - You also clearly stated - to disarm. So follow the order. Just in time. You have thirty seconds.

  - Annoying you. - Guard took two knives and threw them away from him in the corner of the room.

  - Yes. This really is. - Barreled rifle Alenko pushed excessively talkative Bodyguard to the wall, which has stood the rest of the guards. - Align. - Alenko knew that four policemen paratroopers ready to shoot. - Aim! Fire!

  Making sure that all the guards of the former instructor for crime syndicates are dead, members of the landing party have collected everything of value that could be found in the complex of rooms and went, laden with trophies, to the exit.

  - Put to sleep. - I ordered Alenko when he took his seat at the arms control conveyor. One of the policemen paratroopers injected Blake sleeping pills. After a few minutes she was sound asleep.

  - Done. - I reported to the policeman. Alenko nodded, waiting for the transporter will revive head.

  - Attention. - I came into the speaker's voice Lieutenant Shepard. - The complex is prepared to undermine. Bomb Squad returned on board carriers. Move away to a distance of half a kilometer, and at once - undermining.

  - There is. - Jenkins made a test circuit and charges. - Charges - rate, communication - the norm. By undermining - ready.

  - Welcome. - Shepard including the engine head of the conveyor and the machine began to move away from the complex. After reaching the set distance, "Mako" froze. - Undermining.

  Several small explosions merged into one and two-storey complex has ceased to exist.

  - All. - Shepard stated. - We're done here. Let's go to the crash site turian ship.

  Stopping at the crash site was short-lived. Among the half-decayed contents of the cargo compartment Saren found intricate old necklace, decorated with the emblem of turian Galatana colony. Having packed find in an insulating container turian almost ran back into the conveyor.

  The probe crashed this time nothing was found valuable and useful, so we decided to go directly to the mineral deposits.

  In fact, to be noted and duly documented deposits of iridium, uranium and thorium took several hours. And yet an hour later, both the conveyor has entered the area of evacuation.

  Having taken on board conveyors, frigate, cruiser joined the "Volga", ceased by the time the patrol Amaranth. The next step was to research Terumlon - cold planet, a thick layer of the atmosphere which consisted of nitrogen and argon. In the cortex Terumlona besides rock and metal ores, which do not represent any significant interest, contained a considerable amount of phosphates, with clean and therefore represent a significant value for the production of fertilizers, as well as for the manufacture of incendiary ammunition.

  Conveying impersonal part of the collected profiling information to interested organizations squad moved to Maganlisu - rocky Earth-like planet in the atmosphere which prevailed sulfur dioxide, with small amounts of helium. These scan confirmed the presence on the surface of the celestial body of lava formations, which witnessed a geologically active planet's past. Bark Maganlisa composed of sulfur and basalt, and masa planet suggest that the nucleus contains a lot of iron and of heavier metals. According to the Codes of Biology of shallow drilling measurements gave considerable grounds for assumptions about the presence of primitive, but, in this case - the underground life forms.

  Before the completion of the work in this star system Anderson gathered in his cabin all the officers of the ship.

  - I wish to consult you, colleagues. Command "Volga" has given us the right to decide this question alone - they agree on any of our solution - resources in any case, the Corps will be enough. The question is whether we should climb into Anadius system. The system, as you know - the commander of the frigate, cruiser turned on the big wall screens, which immediately highlight the desired scheme and maps with explanatory tables and graphs, - does not contain planets. There's only a small asteroid belt. Red supergiant Anadius, as evidenced by the majority of the known reference books and sailing directions, as well as our proven Synthetic, has managed once again to turn over all relevant and specialized websites Extranet, not a special attraction in the Horsehead Nebula. It's just cold enough, almost - a dying star with a mass of about twenty-tures and the radius of one thousand five hundred times more than the sun. According to the data available to the squad at the moment - there is no need to go there. However, to miss such an opportunity - there is no reason.

  - Allow me, Commander. - Navigator Presley stood up, denoting their desire to speak. Anderson nodded. - I do not think it is possible to lose sight of this system. We need a full and accurate information on all the star systems. We have already refused once to go into the relay, leading to a set of such worlds here and now we have it again, we repeat the questionable validity of the experience? I am strongly opposed to miss the opportunity to collect up to date information on this system.

  - Then, to reduce the time spent on the discussion I ask you, colleagues, to identify priority solutions results simple voting. - Anderson is likely to foresee disagreements ship officers with a view to avoid the transition to this system besplanetnuyu. - Please vote.

  Following the voting majority of the ship's officers were in favor of a transition to Anadius system.

  - Decision approve. The detachment sent to Anadius system. At the time of transition authorize personnel of the crew and the ship's crew rest, including sleep. - Anderson summed up the meeting clearly and concisely. - All are free, colleagues.

  He waited until the officers leave the cabin, Shepard was left to sit in the chair next to the commander of the working table, looked at Anderson. He understood the unspoken question his first assistant:

  - What, too Chuyko worked? - I asked the commander of the frigate, cruiser.

  - Yes, commander. - XO nodded.

  - Me too. Well, at least that will remove up to date information. Chuyko about "Cerberus"?

  - And this is also the commander. - Shepard confirmed.
- The organization will not be able to yawn as a secluded hideaway.

  - The analogy with the half-scorched planet and "Grey Throne"? - Anderson said.

  - Exactly. The star dies, flashes, flashes of power jumps so that what little tracking Accs stand and zevnёt something is material. Hide a small but harmful Space station - a gun.

  - Check. Include the possibility of building? - Anderson consulted instrumentronom.

  - You never know, Commander?

  - It is truth too. Well, we decided to still go. - Anderson got up, walked across the cabin, returned to the table, sat down in his desk chair. - Okay. We verify everything thoroughly. And while you - rest. I have some bad news regarding the X57 asteroid. There's a very uneasy situation, Captain. While we were there doberёmsya ... It may well deteriorate to a level where our intervention will be required. And besides, we have ...

  - Parking at the Eden - Prime, Commander. - Shepard said, catching willing nod cabin owner.

  - It is truth too. It was hard to imagine leaving the Citadel that lies ahead we expect a rich way. But the biggest challenge, captain, we have yet to come. This - the territory batarian Hegemony.

  - Leviathan of Dis?

  - That, too. But the main thing - it is not. The main thing - that there is a "project", providing an opportunity to undermine the repeater in Bahak system.

  - For what?

  - It is believed up to now ... some thick-headed clever men from the upper echelons of political power that the Reapers are moved exclusively by means of repeaters.

  - Complete nonsense.

  - This is for you and me - complete nonsense. And for them - Anderson eloquently pointed up - it has become an article of faith, good, if not a symbol of faith. For the object of faith, they will be ready to destroy everything and everyone. If someone also decided in the Alliance on this, so to speak, "project", our business as reasonable organics, really bad clinically. While signs of revitalization "project" is not and let's not talk about it anywhere else. Batarians suitable place - we get more accurate information. Then we can decide more precisely.

  - All right, commander.

  - I am glad that we understand each other. Go rest.

  - There is. - Shepard stood up, nodded goodbye to Anderson and left the cabin, going to him.

  Spending time to haul Anadius system on the XO doing nothing did not - he went to the next round of the ship, and then select one of the officers on duty at the Star Maps.

  The system Anadius squadron spent half a day. All this time, and the "Normandie" and "Volga" besplanetnoy scoured the system in search of the slightest sign of interest "Cerberus". But, except for a small beacon identifiers After peeling off, drifted far from the lights no indication that interest "Cerberus" to a solitary system not found. After standard testing procedures, especially having worked closely asteroid belt, located in the system, the unit ships headed to the star system, where there was a repeater, where made the transition for repeater chain in the accumulation of the Exodus.

  Work unit ships in a cluster of Exodus. Combing star systems

  Utopia. The place is not. The average system has five planets. Not four - five. The place where the crew had to fly "Normandy", carrying out, or rather - trying to execute a criminal inherently ordered the seizure of the Citadel Council to Eden Prime Prothean beacon.

  In the old days in this norm, the fact that the leave-taking of such an order would be regarded as interference in the affairs of a sovereign state. But unless Systems Alliance perceived someone then seriously as a sovereign state? Clearly it was the majority of earthlings, it's just a supranational structure. Eighteen countries of the Earth united in the attempt to create a kind of community, capable of leading vnezemelnymi colonies.

  Dorukovodilis. Dorukovodilis to the fact that before the Invasion Reapers were only a few months. Dorukovodilis to Fariksenskih agreements humiliate earthlings as humiliated humanity, probably all at once the world war, thundered on the planet in the history of the human race. Dorukovodilis to the fact that the Citadel Council tried to save a criminal "on the matches", as it said Streltsov. Save by sending on Eden Prime Citadel Spectrum does not ship and the Earth Systems Alliance frigate videoconferencing. In fact, the Citadel Council tried to rake up the fire proxy. Had tried. The prototype test sample, a frigate, passed in the videoconferencing fleet only formally assigned to the command of Admiral Mikhailovich, who himself was not happy with the "appendage", stoivshemu really like some heavy cruisers.

  Citadel Advisors or clerks, who pushed through the Citadel Advisors such a decision, like all figured out for sure - who of the earthlings who are of the people seriously believe that mankind once again robbed? Arrived videoconferencing frigate Alliance, she took the lighthouse. Not exactly a beacon - then who knew what it was except for the Citadel Council? He took warship some artifact from the planet Eden Prime and flew away. Warship has the right not to disclose where it should be - it is a tradition.

  And only after a particularly careful and very curious realize that humanity is robbed: Lighthouses - or rather, these artifacts were rare. Terrible rarity. So, it was all without exception. It was enough to compare ... But who would believe in his lungs screaming compare? Cheaper also believe a silent crowd. Crowd was silent. The same farmers who receive a regular plowing tens of hectares of land. If not for plowing - that the construction of greenhouses and processing facilities. Traditional agriculture. And if there is a tradition that should not to go beyond it - well, that is a land that has a job. And the rest - let on that the rest of the others think. Xenophobia she is. Submitted planet people, then the people in it will live and work.

  And the fact that these people had been deceived and robbed - so any little things right! You never know what people robbed by aliens? What people are people who have never robbed? Hornbeam, and more like! And the fact that it is aliens robbed mankind - so what difference something ?! Not killed because, just took some kind of absolutely useless artifact. Word what, scientific. So let scientists and think about this artifact, they get paid for it. But what is important to farmers. Agricultural Colony - so do not ask anything from the people outside of agriculture. Do not. Will not work.

  So Shepard thought, reading in his cabin next reports of experts on the implementation of a standard screening program of profound planet Xanadu. According novopoluchennym already rechecked data, the planet's atmosphere contains methane and argon, Xanadu surface consisted mainly of potassium and calcium deposits. Being remote from the center of the system and without having valuable resources, the planet was thought to have no particular interest. And it is - on the eve of the war. When any resource is critical when critical time to make the most of any minerals reserves.

  Squadron long been in the area of Xanadu. After a standard two and a half hours, they went to Nirvana - the planet to preserve the remnants of the atmosphere, which is dominated by xenon and krypton. Surface, as shown by scanning consisted of ice, iron oxides and potassium formations kriovulkanicheskogo origin. Most of these entities expectedly met in the equatorial regions of the celestial body. Nirvana is known also as the narwhal - confusion in the names used because of the diversity of languages in official documents was simply terrible - in most cases was not considered as a planet, representing the commercial and scientific value. Twenty years ago, on the planet it was built several geological survey stations, but over time for a variety of reasons, all of these stations were closed.

  The hydrogen-helium gas giant Zion Larger than the familiar to the people of Jupiter, had little infrastructure, busy refining helium-third. At Zion were registered one hundred and twelve satellites are very different both in size and in other characteristics - from simple captured giant asteroid to satellites approaching the parameters to a class of planets, such as Asphodel, turned out to be big enough and therefore able to even hold an atmosphere.

  Planet Zion differed as strong gravity, and high levels of radiation, which, however, did not stop the locals and first - earthlin
gs, the planet continues to be actively used as a fuel source for power plants and spaceports located on Eden Prime. Saving people. Savings. Zion was the only gas giant in this star system, to carry the components and fuel from other star systems were expensive, so Zion resources exploited overactive. Nobody seems to have thought that these resources may eventually become exhausted.

  Anderson, after consulting with Titov and Strel'tsova, took coordinated decision - Troop ships perform a survey of the last planet star system - Arcadia, followed by Eden Prime to the parking lot.

  Unusually large, devoid of reservoirs planet Arcadia possessed the atmospheric layer of high density containing nitrogen and helium. The planet's surface was naturally very hot - affects the proximity to a local luminary. In the cortex, it was found mainly alkaline basalt and quite a large number of metal deposits. Unfriendly Environment restrained resources commercial operation of this heavenly body, did not help even the images of beautiful landscapes, the main place in which an impressive basalt columns. Extreme, able to pay big money for a few hours stay in the "pan" with each passing year there were fewer and fewer, and industrialists and financiers acquainted with the characteristics of the planet, do not want to talk about some prospects of development of Arcadia.

  Parking on Eden Prime. Preparing to work on the X-57

  Fulfill the requirements of numerous protocols and agreements, the squadron arrived in orbit Eden Prime. After taking place in the outer roads, "Volga" and "Normandy" preparing for the transition to the inner harbor. Defending starpomovskuyu watch from the Star Maps and make the next round of the ship, Shepard had lunch in the dining room frigate, cruiser, exchanged a few words with the cook, and sat down to study the materials on Eden Prime. He wanted to keep track of changes have taken place on the planet, and to do so once you can more fully. If Squad Command will decide on the parking lot at least for a day - landing on the planet's surface can not be avoided.