Darcy's Starry Sky

by Theodore Daniels

  - I'll arrange it with my good friends. - Confirmed kaperang. - I think that the staff would not refuse. The second queen is important for us is valuable and we need it. - Svetlana said.

  - Then - we are preparing for the entrance to the repeater. - I turned to Shepard sitting next Gryunt. - Their preparation. Pool Three - at your disposal. If you need - say, try to make.

  - I saw the gym. It suits us. - Nodded Croghan. - We will use them. Thank you.

  - Then, if the questions asked - begin preparations for landing on this planet. Immediately, I note - the situation requires us to maximize discipline. Most likely it will have to inspect the ruined ship of unknown structure in detail. All. Working.

  While krogan was delayed for the full program in the gym dedicated to them, the majority volgovtsev also inactive. Behind skolznuvshey in the glow of the activated repeater "Normandy" cruiser went into the corridor-tunnel and in less than an hour fell to a new, almost unstudied space.

  Unknown planet. Ship rachni. Clarification of the picture of what happened

  Although already zaretranslyatornoe actually remote sensing of the new star system has given a lot of information, the main work in her collection has just begun today. "Volga" as usual started to block the star system, parallel probing the space with their locators - otryadovtsy assumed that the Reapers have not gone away and is unlikely to be too much to hope that they finally left the space area being satisfied catching Queen rachni.

  As usual in the case of access to the unexplored space, the protocol called for involvement of the maximum number of members of the crew of the cruiser and frigate in the team and research activities. So that very soon both passages and corridors were empty vessels.

  - There is. Map of the area, the refined. Map system, the refined. Planet Map - purpose. The specified. - Lokatorschik calmly reported to the central station "Volga". Appears on the screen and more new pictures constantly updated, modified and supplemented.

  - Where we do nothing without a spacesuit closed cycle. - Said Titov. Shepard, careful reading of the texts and reviewing the table, nodded in agreement with the opinion of the exec cruiser. - So that...

  - Stanislav. - In speakers and the captain's voice emerged katreranga Strel'tsova. - Younger kiborgessy go with John to land. Zara and Lexie are ready, Alix and Olivia insure them. But we will collect more information.

  - All right, commander. - Titov scored on the keyboard several teams. - Terms and conditions allow.

  - Okay. I understand that you are now an option to calculate the cover kiborgess forces assault cruiser. Agree. It will be standard. Proceed. Before connection.

  - So long, Captain. - Titov looked at Shepard. - And how to understand this?

  - Unknown ship obscure race, Stanislav. - Said the captain. - In this case, the protocol needs to gather as much information.

  - And the same protocol requires maximum protection to the landing group. - He added XO cruiser. - Good. So be it.

  - The specified data on an unknown planet, Commander. - To communicate with Titov on the Speaker went lokatorschik. - The ship was found. I give the first accurate picture.

  - Two parts. Reapers immobilize the ship, hitting its propulsion circuit. He broke away from the ship, but they still added on the main part. Perhaps to discourage resistance. - Titov muttered, looking at the increase in the ship pictures. - It seems necessary to use the locators to a depth of a kilometer, at least. It is necessary to make sure that under the soil of the planet there are no surprises. - He gave some orders in a low voice professional patter. - Now, a few minutes and we will be able to ask for "Normandy" to pass over the planet. The passage takes about twenty minutes, "Volga" part of the picture already has. So add the pictures, we can decipher and solve more definitely.

  - Commander, refined accommodation in the orbit of the third part of the ship. - Lokatorschik reported. - Transmit information.

  - I Took. - Titov put the image on the screen. - It seems that this is the second major part of the ship. to meet such a block in space, I thought it was - any plant. Impressive size.

  - So after all colony rachni - rather big. - Shepard said. - If they are in such Mahina travel through space, they are interested in a huge safe for living spaces. We can enlighten, to see what's inside. While I do not think it is possible to separate an amphibious group.

  - Maybe. - Titov lokatorschiku nodded, he spoke with skanerschikom and they joined forces, bent over their desks. - A few minutes - and be able to decide whether or not to send to someone.

  While waiting for a response from the remote intelligence specialists, drew attention to the motor circuit is left in the orbit of the spacecraft.

  - Reapers long beat to focus on this part. - Summed Titov, completing the analysis of the images. - Tried and not really damage the engines, possibly afraid of the explosion, which in turn can destroy the body, but at the same time did not want to give rachni slightest possibility of escape. They were afraid of her?

  - May be. - Shepard looked at the pictures on his instrumentrone. You're right, Stanislav, they struck at close range, hit very accurately and, by the way, using weapons destroyer. Not a major emitter, of course, but it has got to this part of the ship's engines solid. It seems that they did have an order to immobilize the ship, not destroy it. Strong Mahina.

  - Yeah, which only cost two motor circuit. - Agreed Titov. Such engines, it is likely allowed rachni not use repeaters and overcome great distances on their own. The same path, which we refused. And now we spend huge reserves of various resources, to make up for lost time once already.

  - The three main two rulёzhnyh. And when you consider that this part is not separated as a result of the fault of a single ship on the part of ...

  - Perhaps rachni mastered modular design of ships and actively use it. To put such a whopper on each planet representing at least some interest - an incredible waste, as well ... department of the ship with their engines - and explore health. Autonomy in this part, I think that would be enough.

  - Could well be. - Titov took his instrumentron another batch of fresh files. - Our computer scientists have tried to - put together the ship's parts together. Prikidochny layout, so to speak, but - catches.

  - Very catchy. - Shepard looked forwarded commander "Volga" on his instrumentron copies of photos. - At least we know now, it looks like the Queen's transport, or to put it simply, royal transport. A cross between a cruise ship and kosmokorablya for the first lady. If, in addition, each queen in turn spawned several queens, these boats were needed here rachni for establishing new colonies in suitable for them planets.

  - A workable assumption. - Titov hosted approached to console metrista few readers, included, prolistnul files. - We will keep under review the orbital unit, but the main work, John, to be carried out on the planet. It also has a motor circuit, and most importantly - there is a ship. Good thing we had a sufficient volume zaretranslyatornyh research and now not much seems to us strange and unexpected.

  - I Took. - Shepard pumped to your instrumentron contents of readers. - I went to prepare.

  - Come back, John. - Titov cable goes from the central post Shepard short look and come back to the "playing music" on the keyboard.

  - At this time, the captain commanding the landing force that goes with you, I will. - Bluntly and extra politesnyh arrivals said the newcomer saluted the hangar cruiser Shepard stalwart in fighting trim average suit. - Let me introduce myself - Captain Grigoriev, Pyotr Leonidovich.

  - Pleased to meet you. - Shepard saluted in his turn, looked around, saw belonged to the hangar kiborgess - all three of them. - Can our kiborgess ... cover.

  - Will do, Captain. - Grigoriev nodded. - We have to ventilate this question. Every kiborgessu will cover three of our. All distributed.

  - It's who's going to have to cover? - Shepard and Grigoriev came Zara. - Do we look like minors? Or do we suffer some severe malformations, and are not suitable for independent living? Captain, explain! - She looked at Grigor
iev direct gaze, does not portend anything good paratrooper.

  - I ordered the commander of the cruiser. And I will perform it, whether you like it or not. Perform be so, as I saw fit and as I can. If this will require you to disable the output of the shuttles - I'll do it.

  - Stop, stop, stop. - Shepard slightly raised both hands, urging "parties to the conflict," interrupted. - In the first place, and for you, Zara, Lexi, is - first landing on an unknown neither you nor our planet, and secondly, we do not know in detail what awaits us there - either the planet or ship, we do not know in detail sufficiently. And thirdly, I know that such subordination, and I strongly advise you, Zara and Lexie, remember that you raised as warriors. Order of the commander of the cruiser katreranga Titov I do not dispute and do not intend to challenge. As well as interfere with the captain Grigoriev in the performance of his duties. You have to comply with the order of "Volga" commander in precision and in full. Clear?

  - Yes, sir. - Zara, apparently realized that now Shepard captain - not the father, and the commander of the landing party really going on an unknown planet, a completely unknown vehicle obscure race. - Let me climb aboard the shuttle, sir?

  - Permission granted. - Shepard waited kiborgessy climb aboard the shuttle and the next turned to Alix. - Ali, I'll take care of the education of daughters. Immediately.

  - I believe. - Simply said kiborgessa. - Loans. As usual, the officer, commander and soldier. They, I think, is now only waiting for this. - She greeted a barely perceptible nod Captain Grigoriev. - Through them will go main stream collected your information there. And in the case of danger, they will not let you down. Parts not explain. For a long time, and there is in this no real need.

  - All - on board. - Shepard saw on instrumentrone report that the "Normandy" has already sent its shuttles. - Flew to deal with what really happened there. Let's start with the motor circuit, set the conditions so harsh forced landing of the ship.

  The motor circuit turned the ship rachni located at the time of arrival Troop shuttle to the planet on the day side and the main body of the ship - at night.

  After jumping from the hovering five feet above the surface of an unknown planet shuttle, Shepard felt spacesuit boots sank ankle-deep in the sand. Near faintly landed Zara and Lexie. It seems that they have received from Alix secret order to protect him personally. In their mind Shepard was able to understand that the two young kiborgessy already started collecting information and transferring it on board the squadron.

  A few minutes and Zara include conferencing, reports:

  - No signs of life there in a radius of four hundred meters from the accommodation area remnants of the motor circuit. In the motor circuit also signs of life there.

  Near the size of the ship's propulsion rachni impressed even more. Pootdal hanging hook at its height was almost one twenty-fifth the diameter of the main engine nozzle. Gradually shuttles exempted from landing. Next to Shepard stood Nihlus and Saren. By their constant presence pootdal Shepard already used - turians done it on their own initiative because they explicitly asked about Anderson and Svetlana. Kiborgessy, probably, knew this and therefore did not prevent the Turian.

  - Commander. - Shepard walked Alenko. - Getting to the inspection of the propulsion system. Shuttles are involved, such explored on foot - do not even try.

  The XO nodded and Alenko activating instrumentron, departed to his paratroopers. Richard Jenkins with his quintet paratroopers headed to bypass nozzles to the main part of the propulsion system of the shuttles has risen in the carousel over the place of its location, spending clarify the scan.

  Inspecting the engine, Shepard did not doubt that the Corps engineers are now catching and meticulously examine any information coming from the planet. In the history of mankind has not yet been the case that people have received such a splendid opportunity to explore the technology inherent rachni race. Time, as always in such cases, flowed seamlessly.

  - Before Sunset is a few hours on this side of the planet. - Kaidan said. - We completed the inspection of the output circuits. You can move on to the main part of the propulsion system.

  Nodding lieutenant Shepard stepped aside, letting graviplatformu a part of the propulsion system. Very soon Corps engineers get their hands on something tangible and available for immediate investigation and dismantling. Of course, on a number of moral principles that otryadovtsy withdraw an unknown part of the engine could be considered robbery, if not looting, but now needed to respond quickly to a series of questions, and no direct research engines do was impossible.

  - John, we got a picture of the situation. - To communicate with XO left Olivia. - Transfers to instrumentron.

  - Agree. - Shepard activated the average screen, stared for a few minutes, focusing your attention on the image. - I Took. We are still here Hold for two to three hours, the bulk of otsmotren engines.

  - Accepted. - Kiborgessa switched channels, and Shepard, sideways looking at the part of the nozzle, submerged by more than half in the sand, back to the cube, whose faces were hidden under the system of the left main engine rachni ship. One of the main engines. A few minutes - and he gets around other paratroopers from the holes in which one can see lines and strange cubes.

  Several hours passed quickly. Immersed in the shuttle, landing the group headed to the area of the placement of the main building rachni ship. In the salons shuttles discussion ensued seen and studied. Many otryadovtsy noted that did not find any bodies accomplices Reapers or bodies of beetles. Yes, it was known that they both break down over time, but still wanted to believe that in the area of propulsion fall really was not clashes between wrecked his ship rahniyskimi beetles and chased them servants of the Reapers.

  As is often the case that what you see in the distance, does not seem fully coincide with what appears barely begin to approach what he saw. And now more than a dozen canoes approaching the immobilized vehicle rachni and reasonable organics could not completely hide the admiration and amazement, watching the ship's hull becomes more detailed, in spite of the fog, kurivshiysya over the place of the disaster. On the wall screens salons shuttle appeared and began detailed maps and area schemes.

  - Marked the first corpses of soldiers Reapers. - Zara reported. - Noted the corpses-krogan scouts.

  - Stanislav, let krogan permission to take off the planet. Albeit will be engaged in their own members. - Shepard audio-joined with the board of the cruiser. - Forwards the first data.

  - Agree. Gryunt has commanded. Twenty minutes later, three of the shuttle "Arallaha" will be in the disaster area. - Said Titov, switching channels.

  On one of the screens of the commander of the shuttle craft has shone circuit formed by hundreds of images obtained as a result of locating, scanning and direct the shooting with both the orbit and with shuttles boards. rachni ship was huge. Yellow light at the diagram of the connection of the ship, which remained in orbit and motor circuit found in the area occupied by the sandy desert.

  First Mate saw the manifest signs of clashes as Automatic squadron draws the refined scheme, allowing to reconstruct the battle had taken place here rahniyskih soldiers and spies-krogan soldiers Reapers.

  - Shelling was conducted and from orbit. - Zara said softly. - They really want to catch the Queen.

  - They were able to capture it, immobilize, not to conquer. - Shepard said. - And we will try as soon as possible to arrive at utukku that it regained its freedom.

  - I, too, believe in it. - Zara firmly nodded, returning to the processing shaft of incoming information.

  Finally shuttles were able to fly in a few tens of meters above rahniyskim ship. By cosmic standards, it is near, literally - at arm's length.

  - Some systems will continue to operate. - Lexie reported. - There are signs of synthetic activity.

  - So, the soldiers Reapers still retained mobility. - Shepard said, knowing that his words were heard by all members of the landing party, and react accordingly. - Prepare weapons for battle. Increased attention during th
e landing, movement and inspection of ship hull and internal premises.

  The answer is not required. All otryadovtsy already knew how to act upon receipt of such an order and did not need further clarification - either orally or in writing.

  Part of the shuttles, hovering a meter above the surface of an unknown planet, proceeded to the landing just pootdal from the ship. On the landing was supposed to take shuttles krogan and organize combing the terrain. The group, headed by Shepard and Alenko, took on a more difficult task - inspection of the ship internal premises. It was necessary to find out why the Reapers were active soldiers, as well as get answers to many other questions, a list of which is constantly replenished.