Darcy's Starry Sky

by Theodore Daniels

  It was supposed to meet and talk with the colonists-terrestrials and of course - with Shialoy still abides as Minister of Defence colony with a population of over fifty thousand people. Parking lot was planned for two days, but Anderson emphasized that her life can be reasonably extended. While otryadovtsy, taking turns to visit the colony, the remaining crew members on ships and teams will be prepared to work in stealth mode within batarian Hegemony.

  The screens salon frigate cruising shuttle appeared mark the commander of the shuttle with the "Volga".

  - Svetlana? - Shepard pressed to his ear mustache speaker.

  - I, John. I could not resist. Meet me at the spaceport.

  - Waiting. - Briefly Shepard responded by switching channels.

  - Captain, before landing - six minutes. - Immediately reported to the driver.

  - Thank you, Greg. - The captain looked at Turian, proteanina, Olivia and Legion. All of them did not want to stay on board the frigate, cruiser and found it possible to believe in a fairly reasonable ferostsev, deserved to see the most valuable and important otryadovtsev close not only to see - but also to communicate with them. They all looked at with interest colony appeared before them in the form of more and more detailed.

  Gently touching the stops plates of the landing pad, the shuttle stopped and rolled on the platform inside, protected from dust the inside perimeter of the main spaceport space colony. It opens the side door of the cabin and the first who saw normandovtsy became Shiala gracefully vsporhnuvshaya on metal ladder and stood in the doorway.

  - Pleased to welcome you in the land Ferosa. - Green-Asari said. - President of the Council of the colony Fai Tribute conveys best wishes to you and hope that you will be satisfied staying with us. - She was confused. - We are really happy to see you. - Look asari touched proteanina she mixed. - Yavik?

  - He is. - Proteanin nodded. - Shiala, furore about my presence here - it is not necessary. I know you all have - a lot of work. No need to press conferences and festivities.

  - I see. - Confusion gradually receded and Shiala stepped aside. - I beg. - She gestured to the inviting ladder.

  Shepard traditionally came last. Shiala timidly took a step toward him, stopped.

  - Nice to see you in good health, Shiala. - First mate said, smiling a warm smile and features. - And happy to see you first of all the inhabitants of this blessed colony.

  - John Shepard ... ... What are you doing to me ...?! - Breaking of bad concealed excitement Shiala said, making a few more steps and hugging the captain. - I'm ... I'm ... I love you!

  - I know Shiala ... - Shepard said quietly. - I know. - He put his arm around the asari, giving her the opportunity to snuggle tighter. - I know. If you did not know ...

  A few minutes later, they were silent, standing on the threshold of the shuttle. Arriving already surrounded colonists began questioning gradually guests were separated in different directions, led acquainted with the individual parties to a large colony of human life. Shepard knew Shiala glad to see him, glad to feel him beside me. It is also understood that there are only a few minutes before the time in the next box arrives with the shuttle commander's "Volga". What was known XO's such unpleasant moments of meetings between the two women who claimed to have exclusive access to the same man. Shepard wanted to believe that Svetlana understand it correctly. I really wanted to believe.

  - Attention. In boxing three-twenty-six landed shuttle commander with razvedkreysera Russian Empire "Volga". We are glad to welcome guests and the planet colonies. - Revived speakerphone.

  Shiala otslonilas, asking for exec looked into his eyes. Shepard had seen rapidly walking towards him, Svetlana, followed by a quintet of paratroopers. Having made the sign of his officers, razvedkreysera commander rose to the platform on which stood Shiala and Shepard.

  - Svetlana. - Shepard realized that will not be able to get away. - Let me introduce you: Shiala.

  - Nicely. - Svetlana approached the asari, already had time to open the arms, and obviously not knowing where she should get away today. - Svetlana Streltsov Shepard, wife of Captain Shepard. - Kaperang introduced herself. - I'm not going to make a scene, Shiala. It's not in my rules. I know you love John, and I find it is normative.

  - True?! - I asked in surprise green-Asari. - You ?!

  - Yes. So let no hard feelings and negative emotions. We have only two days to everything about everything.

  - W-well. - Clearly expecting and scandal, and battering and strong army, navy explicitly parliamentary expressions, Asari, leader of the colony's military structure was not able to quickly switch.

  - Thus, John. - Svetlana gently looked at her husband. - I - the Council, talk to Faye Dunham, and you ... In short, you yourself know what to do. - With these words kaperang spun around the circle and walked to the exit portal spaceport. Five of paratroopers-volgovtsev clustered around it, forming around the commander of the cruiser to protect Cocoon.

  - Ugh. - And only managed to say Shepard. - Okay. Shial, show then all you can to your destination.

  - Um. - Tali breathed quite as green-Asari. - Come on, John. Hopefully the storm has passed us for a long time.

  Shepard said nothing. He knew that Svetlana just realized, though not fully, his threat to bury any woman who at least tries to stand between her and the XO.

  Tour of military facilities was delayed for more than four hours. By the end Shepard has not surprised nothing - neither the quality of work performed, not perfection training or smooth interaction schemes. Shiala, looking at the XO, I saw that he was pleased the absence of showing off, approves made colonists and even somewhere delighted with the results.

  Short meeting of commanders of the colony took this time a little more time. Shiala, not paying much attention to the presence of the captain, heard reports "napravlentsev", suppliers and vooruzhentsev, made changes in their proposed several projects operational and long-term plans. Scold, scold and punish all the more, this time as seen clearly enough and Shepard knew it was not absolutely necessary. When was the last representative of the Self-Defense Forces left the room, he turned off the instrumentron Shiala tired and extinguished screens.

  - I did not expect this, Shepard. - Azarov said quietly. - I thought that as usual, the colonists would insist that I attended primarily with speed and a secure evacuation of the colony residents. And I repeatedly said that the retreat will now be nowhere. We talked. And the more talked, the more I understood the reason for this conviction. Indeed, it is not a conflict with one or several local races with one or more other local races. This - the confrontation with the enemy, to which our most desirable fate is already sealed. This is not a prisoner, not slavery, not occupation. This is - the death and recycling, this depersonalization. When I started here so ... green ... I thought it was something akin to a curse. Well and, accordingly, it is ready to receive all the amounts due and should be - from hatred to trying to push me away somewhere. And it turned out ... differently. There was not a day when I could relax completely. Fully John. Such a demand ... I could not imagine before. It began like a shew treatment techniques with conventional weapons, teach shoot straight, to dig, to disguise. And so on. Civil people ... I otpahal mercenary fifty years can be understood what was happening. They are unlikely to understand. But it turned out ... What I understand even less than they do. I'm a thought - well, show them something at a minimum, on the little things. And this will be enough to organize and carry out a timely evacuation. Somewhere far away. And as I have proved that the retreat would be nowhere ... I thought then, that I ought to hurry to resign. Well I could not quickly and fully to believe that civilians are often nothing more than a pen harder and held in his hands all the time, like a taste of military Army cocktail in such amounts and scales. A small colony of who we are interesting ?! Well, easy small, well small amount skorostrelok ... Well underground shelters. Everything seems to be a standard, usually. And then ... a burst. People asked to protect them from attacks by collectors. I looked, found it, she
thought. And I realized that the old methods and techniques, as well as volumes that can not be achieved. And so it began. Swear had with installers, builders, engineers, operatives interrogated. Overall ... I never used so intensively and did not work, as we now understand it. And when our system of space defense to repel an attack, first one and then the second cruiser Collectors ... when people see that now their planet and their colony so easy to capture and enslave not be able to ... I realized that I am not in vain Minister of Defence. I thought everything can be calm. But no. They came, got forced to listen. To be honest, John. People, your race is not cease to amaze me and shake. As soon as the servers at Colonial was information that we recorded as many as two attacks cruisers collectors and not only prevented the landing on the surface, but also damaged the ships ... To us the pilgrimage began. And if so ... I had to expand. Revived builders, designers. We earned a rush job ... our filtration structure. We're not all and not now accept every part of the colony of settlers, John. I do not know in detail how this happens, but the people themselves determine who can stay and who should attend speedy exit outside Ferosa. And there went and went. We are growing and therefore need to have a defense system to construct an appropriate scale. So, we must have to attend to the preparation of commanders, officers of the preparation, organization and conduct of the exercise, exercise. I thought that the newcomers will resist. Yes, I do not hide the fact that the resistance was at first. But it was enough to appear on the planet of the third cruiser Collectors - and all attempts to shake the right - like a knife cut. People saw firsthand the work of our defense system - and believe. It is one thing - watch video and suspected forgery and fraud, and the other - to participate in the defense of the colony, to see and feel everything that happens when the planet - the real enemy. I do not know, John. But collectors, unwittingly, teach us to fight against the Reapers, ready for a massive attempt to capture the planet and colony inhabitants subordination interests "shrimp." Now that we have a command structure, when we are not on yutimsya vulnerable to bombardment from orbit patch ... People believed that confront the Reapers - quite possible. And if earlier flew over several decades, it is clear, unable to withstand the rhythm of our life ... It is now trying to hook or not hook back. Only now we have them back - we do not accept. They teach us to fight against the Reapers, ready for a massive attempt to capture the planet and colony inhabitants subordination interests "shrimp." Now that we have a command structure, when we are not on yutimsya vulnerable to bombardment from orbit patch ... People believed that confront the Reapers - quite possible. And if earlier flew over several decades, it is clear, unable to withstand the rhythm of our life ... It is now trying to hook or not hook back. Only now we have them back - we do not accept. They teach us to fight against the Reapers, ready for a massive attempt to capture the planet and colony inhabitants subordination interests "shrimp." Now that we have a command structure, when we are not on yutimsya vulnerable to bombardment from orbit patch ... People believed that confront the Reapers - quite possible. And if earlier flew over several decades, it is clear, unable to withstand the rhythm of our life ... It is now trying to hook or not hook back. Only now we have them back - we do not accept. unable to withstand the rhythm of our life ... It is now trying to hook or not hook back. Only now we have them back - we do not accept. unable to withstand the rhythm of our life ... It is now trying to hook or not hook back. Only now we have them back - we do not accept.

  Rising from his chair, he walked around the office Shiala.

  - Tell me, John ... Yavik ... That he did not let me to you when I told you that I kind of like seeing double? However ... When I saw him, and then she realized that he was ... and not capable of such.

  Shepard nodded slightly.

  - We are here ... to keep track of its aim to communicate with a variety of races - especially with quarians. Much ... adapt to fit their local needs. - Continued asari. - And now we know that the planet-metropolis - itself is quite real. I do not even know. Fifty thousand years of hibernation ... We, Asari, live a long time, but we even imagine a life ... difficult. Consciousness reasonable organics often do not put up with such scales. And when people realized that the race that has created all this, managed to build all this with an eye for the ages ... not dead ... We have a great and important work. If earlier ruins and aeroshosse towers were for us ... the problem, it is now - an important part of our colony infrastructure. You do not mind a ride on some sites ...?

  - No. - Said Mate.

  - Then - flew. I generally fly always the same - I'm so ... easily, or something, but I'll be glad of your company, John.

  - Flew, Shiala. - Shepard nodded, causing facial asari answering smile.

  A few hours asari and people held on board the flyer, visiting a number of remote points of the colony. Shepard could completely make sure that objectively assessed Shiala made - and the tower, and aeroshosse, and surface buildings, and even some underground steel actually parts of a single organism colony.

  - For me, John, is strongly reminiscent of Thorian. We are like an octopus, soft and tenacious, holding firmly under his direction and control and aerial structures, and towers and highways, and dungeons. The complex of such an octopus. I never do not want to let go of what he was able to take over. - He said Shiala raising flyer with the next landing pad. - I know you've visited a lot of the planets, a lot of star systems.

  - Unfortunately, many of the planet we now objectively ... not too tough, Shiala. We need to grow up and wise up to get enough of the real and full access to their pantries. Many of the planet ... dangerous, unfriendly and too cruel to us, segodnyashy. We, today, are vulnerable enough to qualify for them, such planets use. As well as at the disposal of the fact that these planets a save. Evolution appeared to focus on the millions of years. And now for us, and tens of thousands of years - an insurmountable boundary. So ... One is forced to think that here are "shakers" like Reapers are necessary so that we do not spend tens of thousands of years doing nothing.

  - Yeah. - Shiala included autopilot, removed his hands from the sensors. - When I took up the chronology ... I was unpleasantly shocked. Very unpleasant. Forty thousand years of doing nothing. No, of course, each race within it is doing something. Complete idleness, fortunately, I did not have to watch and information about this method ... live it ... few could find. But on the whole ... Active ten thousand years - is too low. And forty thousand years of hibernation ... a luxury. Maybe it was she and predetermined large part of our present difficulties. We have to operate in emergency mode to make up for the fact that at least theoretically possible to catch up. And so far there is no certainty that many of us will be able to survive.

  - And yet - will have to survive. Otherwise, what we have seen in the course of his journey ... ... will remain for us today, is not available. - Shepard said quietly.

  - Ordered to survive. - As quietly replied Shiala. - Tell me, John, what it is ... to communicate with the Imperials?

  - Normal people. - Thinking exec said. - They just got used to speak little and do much. Frankly, for the Europeans, Russia was always difficult partner. And as for the British - even more so. We did not want to admit even that seemingly simple, the fact that you can be an empire and not have colonies. But Russia - it is this empire. She has no colonies. For the simple reason that the colony it is not needed. It has no colonial interests, so important, understandable, familiar and natural to Britain. For her, there is no interest to milk some territory to a state of dried lemon peel and throw. No. Russia stands where considered necessary. That yes, there is at the Imperial. But where it gets - there she stands is dead. Not being exchanged for nothing. The main wealth of Russia, probably, to a much greater extent, than in any other country of the earth - people. No resources are not the territory, although this, too ... there enough, and it is the people. Quality people. I knew little about the Russian, of the Imperials before set foot on board the "Volga" for the first time. And then ... then I had to learn a lot in stagge
ring volumes and scale. To know, because otherwise the communication, the right of communication, the right level of communication with the Imperials simply will not work. No, they will not show their superiority, although it is they have in many areas. They will not try to dominate, although they may do so freely and easily, and even successfully. Simply, we'll sit on one side of the negotiating table, and they are - on the other, and we will spend time on the negotiation. A lot of time. I did not realize for a long time, how they managed to remain so closed and so fully preserve the qualities that we have, Europeans now have firmly lost. Did not understand. And then ... quickly, slowly, slowly - I began to understand. Because communicating with them, you will not lose your face, they do not press, do not seek to conquer or humiliate, or even more so - to destroy you. But never will subjugate, humiliate or destroy itself. There is in them a rod, which we Europeans do not understand. We can feel the rod, to feel, but to fully understand - can not. Never, perhaps, can not. We can feel the rod, to feel, but to fully understand - can not. Never, perhaps, can not. We can feel the rod, to feel, but to fully understand - can not. Never, perhaps, can not.

  - John. - I cut a voice in the earpiece Svetlana. - Fai Dan will be happy to see you and Shialu. In the very near future. I'm with him, I returned from a trip to the colony. So come on, join us.

  - Good Light. - Shepard nodded, Asari and she put the car in the course of the administrative center of the colony.