The snipers, commandos, biotics and technology-workers who lived at third base, was destroyed in a few tens of seconds. Resistance, even the most desperate, was not enough to escape retribution. Power protective field has been disabled for the next ten seconds, and three soldiers fell under rachni concentrated bursts assault rifles landing party members. None of rachni not even have time to spit acid and mucus. Neither was able to retreat to the body lying in the corner of Admiral. Alenko and Jenkins laid stretcher.
- Wait. - Shepard went to lay on his back senior officer videoconferencing, bent, crouched. - They did not touch him. - Number One looked at the remains of soldiers rachni. Look man touched his left wrist Admiral. Two points. Doubles injector. Two different composition, combining, can produce a fast poison. - They killed him. Injections "double". - Said the commander of the landing party, and he picked up the body of the admiral in his arms, gently and carefully transferring it to the substituted stretcher. - If it is not touched by these creatures, the two-legged creature touched his cowardly. Alenka, all information - on drives. All. - Shepard repeated.
The lieutenant nodded. Approached by two policemen paratroopers, took up the arm stretcher carried the Admiral's body to the entrance to the hall, started in obryazheniyu insulating container. Shepard teammate suppressed silent. Admiral was in his usual form everyday, but it was obvious - he was tortured. Not so violently, of course, as would be tortured in the Middle Ages or in more ancient times, but tried hard. Only System "Blockade", putting in mind all the higher officers of the Alliance, did not let this one get hold of fresh tserberovtsam classified information. Not too tough appeared Kahoku tserberovtsam. Definitely - not too tough. Otherwise they would not have become like this destroy injection "double" in the wrist. have come up with something else. In aiding the Reapers much could come up with. But, most likely, Reapers were too confident in the vicinity of the next and final victory, in the proximity of the next success of the next harvest. Therefore, most likely, they do not niggle.
- Second base - to undermine. - Awakening from meditation, ordered Shepard. - Jenkins, you - control.
- Yes, sir. - Corporal nodded, limited only by turning the head to the side standing on the spot death of First Lieutenant Admiral. - Wilco, sir.
- Accepted. - Shepard said, realizing that Anderson is already aware of the circumstances of the death of Admiral. The rest, of course, will tell Chakwas. Dr. Karin Chakwas, which is known to many, and many normandovtsy volgovtsev loves Anderson. And Anderson loves her. Now Karin must establish a medical fact and cause of death of Admiral Kahoku. She is able to do. She - a professional. But it will be difficult to report to the commander of the frigate, cruiser, report to the person despised for the highest earthly feelings eternal distance between the captain and the rest of the crew of the ship to report a man who loves the ship doctor, loves, and nothing is going to do with this feeling, not it is going to oppose, resist, contradict.
- Second base - undermined. - Corporal reported quietly. - Control - made. All standard and clean.
- To the exit. We're done here. Willingness to undermine? - Shepard small, unusually quiet gliding step towards the exit from the main base of the hall.
- Ready - first. - Alenko reported. - Check Network. We are ready to undermine any time. Aggregators rechecked. Pass and there are no problems.
- Accepted. - For more Shepard did not have today. One could, of course, to say the usual teammate to "good", but this is not desirable. Shepard too respected Anderson, he loved him as a person, as a professional and understand how today the commander of the frigate, cruiser will be a few days of hard. Relax, give vent to the feelings and emotions will not be able Anderson - front complex operation within the territories subordinates batarian hegemony. There will have to go into stealth mode, it is necessary to shoot to kill ship's agents. And on board is the body of Admiral videoconferencing Alliance. What is the difference - the "counter" or "vice"? People instinctively did not use to communicate consoles of its kind in the Russian Empire never said no official need to "Colonel". Only - "Colonel". The Alliance also received, especially when it came to the admirals. Those senior officers, who were considered not only professionals, but these officers and men. But when an officer say, "Vice Admiral", "Rear Admiral", and say all the time - this is a serious call, a serious signal. If a man of standards, he would resign, because his army is not only love, but not respect.
Admiral Kahoku respected and loved. Because Shepard and his teammate felt the need to do everything in order to pay tribute to the man to the fullest extent.
- Admiral's body is immersed in the first shuttle, sir. In the lounge, sir. - Quietly reported Alenko.
Shepard nodded, confirming the correctness of actions of colleagues:
- Takes off. Base - to undermine. - Unusually quiet voice ordered Shepard. Alenko immediately sent a receipt for instrumentron and shuttle driver averted beyond the "circle of safety". To undermine the place, where he finished his career Admiral Kahoku, watched all the members of the landing party. Viewed up until the flames have devoured ruins, did not weaken.
The wreckage of the crashed probe gutted in silence. Taking improve the armor and weapons, policemen led by Corporal Jenkins returned to their shuttle.
Prothean pyramid - an outpost of the empire Protheans looked for a long time and safely abandoned. Yavik was glad that she had not been able to open. Children's toys, torn clothes were taken on board the shuttle. Yavik stroked container concealed undamaged regular data disc, but his eyes did not read the joy at the valuable finds. He thought his colleagues - senior officers of the Imperial Army, who died in the fire of confrontation with the reapers.
Alenko and policemen carried out a full range of specification and certification of uranium deposits and palladium, followed by the two shuttle back on board the frigate.
Admiral's body was carried out of the shuttle on its shoulders cops paratroopers from the landing party. The crew of the frigate, cruiser in mourning gray formёnkah was built in the hangar - only the watch and the rapid response team did not leave their posts. The container with the admiral's body was taken to the sickbay. Anderson stingy motioned for anyone to not go, sickbay crossed the threshold and closed the door behind him, immediately prohibiting obzavedshiysya red signal. Curtains and blinds on the windows sickbay were previously omitted.
Shepard, accompanied the body to sickbay Kahoku threshold gesture allowed everyone to relax teammate. According to the protocol on the absence of the commander of the ship it was he who took over full command of the crew and the ship. Therefore, taking in Gardner containers with dry rations and a flask of fragrant herbal infusion, Number hurried to the Star Map, standing up no longer on starpomovskuyu, and on the watch commander. Officer of the watch gave Shepard relying report on the situation on the ship, displayed on the screen the relevant documents and reports. After a few minutes Shepard joined in the rhythm of the watch.
Detachment left the orbit, heading for Rensyato - hydrogen-helium gas giant whose atmosphere had a sulfur impurity. The planet was similar to Jupiter, but it was close to the orbit of the star, and the powerful gravity Rensyato prevent the formation of planets in the neighborhood. Pausing at the gas giant to become protocol and a half hours, six hours returned to the squad system to the repeater and catapults chain moved into the accumulation of Sigma Gemini. Transition took nine hours.
Work squadron in the cluster Sigma Twins
Chakwas worked on the Admiral's body for more than ten hours. About a dream not want to think. Pain in the eyes of David, his quiet voice, lost all command of intonation and notes, his torn, sliced movements, gestures, lost fluidity. All this is indicative of the fact that the commander of the frigate, cruiser barely held within a more or less normative behavior.
Four hours, four hours of the first Anderson spent nearly pootdal from the operating table and waited in the sickbay, sat on a rotating stool. I am waiting for the verdict, waiting for the conclusion of a medical profession
al, doctor. I waited, and understood that Chakwas will be hard to formulate this conclusion. Because it was directly related to a person under the influence of which, albeit mediated, remote, but he emerged David Anderson, who became one of the first graduates of the program "En-Seven", later transformed into the Academy.
It is generally accepted that professionals no nerves, no feelings, no heart. Yes, it can also take place. At times when you really need is not a man, that is a professional, it is professional. And Chakwas knew that now behind her here just a few hours ago, the officer did not sit videoconferencing Alliance not commando-en Seven, do not spectrum of the Citadel Council. Sitting man. Neutral earth person who suffered these few hours. First - when the landing party led by Shepard, in turn, became a disciple and a disciple of Anderson, he was withdrawing from the world body brutally umeschvlёnnogo officer videoconferencing Alliance delivered him aboard the frigate, cruiser, and then - in the sickbay, and then - a few hours, until she Karin Chakwas Major Medical Service Alliance worked on the body, establishing the cause of death, and then,
Science was cruel and ruthless thing in itself. And nauchnikov voluntarily or involuntarily become the executioners, trying to learn more and deeper into the essence of things, trying to penetrate beyond, so many sentient organics always perceived as insurmountable. Karin made itself then everything to delay the moment of transfer, even pre-trial detention in the hands of Anderson. It is done without protocol nadiktovyvaniya progress, it included only a few cameras, fixed the whole procedure.
Anderson did not hurry it and Chakwas aware - he does so only because for him it is not only the ship's doctor, chief physician of medical service frigate, cruiser. For him, it is much more and because David did not treat her purely on the service protocol. It allows you to bypass it, this at times unforgiving protocol right now, right now, when he without its help, without her knowledge, skills and abilities - and desperately blockage.
It would hardly allow David to carry out this procedure to someone else, the same Chloe Michel, for example. No, he motioned for Chloe release the sickbay, allowed her to rest during working hours. Still, Karin was a medic, and Chloe - civilian physician and her know such details, such details about the activities of paramilitary organizations, which had always been and remained "Cerberus" was completely useless.
Chakwas worked, making refinements and additions to the protocol procedures, no longer hesitate - Anderson came out of the sickbay a few hours ago, and she turned off all means of communication and transmission of information on a cross coming in sickbay original information blockade. The fact that she had to see and understand ... stunning for their brutality and outright ruthlessness. "Cerberus" played against humanity, to be exact - is no longer played and acted openly, clearly, do not hesitate. "Blockade" system was iskorёzhena, but she survived. Kahoku has not given tserberovtsam a grain of secret information, but if the "Cerberus" was originally formed under the cover of the Systems Alliance, to pull out of the admiral of this information, there was no special need. It is perhaps for this reason tserberovtsy not particularly zealous, attempting to Admiral.
Professional cynicism. Professional deformation. Professional medical disease better than other people who know what man, as a biological organic sentient being. For Karin Chakwas, which had training in medicine, alien races, perhaps - all the major races, known in Citadel space professional cynicism allowed unvarnished compare humanity with any other race and see and the weakness and strength of the people as a biological organic sentient beings in their entirety .
When he finished, Chakwas rites Admiral body in a complete set of linens and uniforms. Everything you need brought Anderson when Karin, covering the body of the canopy admiral, was distracted by a dozen minutes to write a medical report. David did not look at the screens, hanging above the desk chief physician, he only glanced at the face of the admiral, noting to myself that Karin tried to retouch all that is possible and even a little bit - that was seen as such that it was impossible to retouch. Were stacked to form, underwear and shoes on the chair at the operating table, Anderson quietly turned and quietly left, quietly closing the door to sickbay.
Troop ships just started the examination system Han - known by the majority of sailing directions, vaults and Directory as the average system has five planets. The first object of attention of experts Troop became Patatanl - a large, rocky planet, extremely thin atmosphere which consisted of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The surface crust of the planet's cold contain rich deposits of uranium and plutonium natural deposits. Patatanlya Mass four times the mass of the Earth, so it was assumed that the thickness of the planet's atmosphere to be significantly greater than the thickness of the earth. Due to this particular planet it was especially marked by the people and a number of other races Space Citadel as potentially interesting for research. Activation of practical work on the development of natural pantries planet prevented the need for long-term radiation protection measures. In the process of in-depth scan Squad experts have identified and documented a previously unknown large deposit of light metal - beryllium.
While the ships were going to the next planet - Farkrotu, Anderson read, locked in his cabin, the report and the conclusion brought by him Chakwas. Karin did not dare to enter formal - send documents via communication lines, I went in person to carry.
When she entered, Anderson stood at zadraennogo tightly bronezaslonkoy window, his hands clasped behind his back. The cabin was dim, only a table lamp on the desk lights dimly. Hearing the sound of the door leaf, Anderson turned and nodded almost imperceptibly, then turned and took both the reader from the main ship's doctor's hands. Repeated nod - a silent "thank you", mean a gesture in the direction of the chair - please stay and may explain some of the places in the documents. Karin sat quietly in a chair. Anderson silently and quickly took his desk chair at the table, added a little light in the lamp, locked the door by pressing on instrumentrone, I began to read.
Occasionally he asked questions in a low voice colorless. Karin replied, trying not to go into too much detail, avoiding unnecessary use of medical terminology.
Having read, Anderson sat motionless a few minutes, putting readers away and diminish the light in the desk lamp to a minimum.
- Thank you, Kari. - He said, emerging from a stupor - I do not know if I could trust it ... another doctor. No, probably could not. And what did you bring me this herself, but could well send it via communication ... I'm very, very I appreciate.
Karin stood up, walked over to the chair in which he sat Anderson, leaned over and put her arm around David's shoulders. Just hug. Understanding, feeling and knowing how difficult it is now. Kahoku was one of the senior officers of FSI Systems Alliance who believe Anderson is very fully and deeply. And now there Kahoku. Physically not around and will never be. There was only Sore soul memory. Chakwas knew the full psihokokone who pulled the Anderson to survive in the coming war. I knew that even this unique psihonastroyki will not last long - Anderson no longer young, and the commander of the burden in times like these is particularly difficult. So a few minutes she silently held David's shoulders in his hands. Silent, realizing that in such moments, any words are superfluous.
Anderson sat motionless. His gaze rested on the glass zadraenogo bronezaslonkoy window. He made no attempt to hug Karin may be - does not seem like it too weak, perhaps - would not move on her extra weight, which had to bear when he - the commander of the frigate, cruiser, an officer of the Alliance and videoconferencing spectrum of the Citadel Council. Minute by minute flowed. Both - the captain and the doctor does not interfere with the gloom that prevailed in the cabin. Do not interfere with an established almost ringing silence - on razvedkorablyah always been very quiet, and now, as clearly felt Chakwas for "Normandy" particularly quiet: the crew of the frigate in its own experienced the death of Admiral Kahoku. Each normandovets experienced this fact alone. Volgovtsy in the first place - Streltsov and Titov have already expressed Anderson and formal and informal personal c
ondolences,
- Thank you, Kari. - David said quietly, gently touching his hands hugging the woman. - I need to work on.
Chakwas silently and softly parted his arms, took a few steps back. Anderson included instrumentron, unlocked the door. The doctor came out of the cabin, feeling drawn by actuators, the flap falls into place.
A few minutes later the ship's doctor is already included in the sickbay, realizing vaguely that she had to walk a few tens of meters on the unusually quiet passages and corridors frigate-cruiser. Although there was an active work on studying Farkroty on the "Normandy" was very quiet.
Shepard, at the time who took over almost all the duties of commander and read the reports of experts Troop on a survey of hydrogen-helium gas giant. The only feature of this Farkroty were his companions - a few dozen satellites resembles a kind of race arthropods, is still unknown for the most prominent scientists of Space Citadel races. Another mystery, worthy of the application of forces and resources for the solution of which will not be allocated to either one or the other. Radiometric data clearly confirmed that the work on these satellites for the last time was carried out clearly artificial means more than half a million years ago. No wonder that even Synthetic could not be found in Extranet no specific mention of anything that could shed light on this phenomenon and make it more understandable.
Mobilization. bandit war
Ahead was Mavigon. Troop ships completed Farkrotu examination and went to this small rocky planet, ice-covered, possessed an atmosphere of ammonia and methane. The planet's surface according to the scanning driving contains mainly deposit tin and potassium. On Mavigone preserved primitive forms of life, which is based on ammonia life. They existed deep underground, near the volcanic geothermal.
Darcy's Starry Sky Page 50
