Chapter 7: The Journey Home

December 23, 238

Erebus, Tessera

Liara found herself remarkably uncomfortable as she sat in the rear-most line of benches in the courtroom. The air in the courtroom was so tense that it was almost suffocating. It had taken a few days, but observers from Council space had even come to view the court martial's verdict for Logasiri's governor, namely a few Asari matriarchs from Thessia, the Turian foreign minister, and a veritable swarm of the press from across civilized space.

It came as a surprise to Liara, but the military lawyer assigned to serve as the governor's defense during the court martial had done an admirable job, given the circumstances. She, along with most observers, could tell quite clearly that the JAG assigned to the case had already resigned to the fact that his case was about as open-shut as they come, but he had still done his due diligence.

It didn't take long for Liara to see her adoptive father along with four other high-ranking Confederate officers take their places behind the bench, all dressed in their formal uniforms that were decorated with their accolades and campaign ribbons. The sole officer with more medals and accolades than her father was his direct superior and the woman presiding over the entire proceeding, Confederate General of the Army Hikari Reyes. Liara had only ever seen the woman in person a single time, and she was still just as intimidating as ever. She was far from a large woman, shorter than Liara by a full foot at least, with black hair tied back in a tight bun. Despite her shorter stature, her deathly serious look and presence alone commanded a measure of respect that made her seem larger than life. The hushed whispers of conversation ceased the moment General Reyes cleared her throat, camera drones floating about the room turning to focus on her.

"Governor…" She began, staring straight at the Batarian with no attempt to hide the blatant contempt in her eyes. "Never before have I been so disgusted by an individual in my very long career serving this Confederacy. You have had the gall to sit before this court martial, this Confederacy, and the galaxy at large and proudly declare that you feel nothing even resembling remorse for your actions. This is a kind of monstrous behavior that I had hoped would be long dead and buried by the time a species reached the stars."

"I believe I speak for all members of this board of the Confederate General Staff that I desperately wish your punishment could be as drawn out, painful, degrading, and inhuman as the ones you and your kind have inflicted on the peoples you've enslaved. Luckily for you, this Confederacy believes in the rule of law above all else. You, governor, have the distinct honor of being the first non-human to be sentenced to death by firing squad of the Confederate Marine Corps."

December 25, 238

Erebus, Pioneer Station

Liara carefully sidestepped the crowds of the single largest space station in Confederate space. Pioneer station had ballooned in size over the past few years, becoming the permanent home to millions and the gateway to the heart of the Confederacy. She had spent the last few weeks volunteering with the Confederate Humanitarian Commission aboard the station, helping where she could with the now-freed population of Logasiri. The sights were bringing back some… unpleasant memories, but as far as she was concerned, that was all the more reason for her to help where she could.

In a surprising turn of events, a few organizations and even some individual professionals from Council space had come all the way to Pioneer Station to offer their help. For the past two days, Liara had been working alongside a fairly prestigious Asari psychiatrist offering what help she could. It had mostly been taking the form of keeping all of the paperwork in order and getting people acclimated to their situation, mostly by walking them through financial aid applications, medical procedures, or the asylum and immigration process for those that desired it.

As she glanced out of one of the many viewports near the rim of the station, she could see the sheer number of transport vessels coming and going from the station's nearly fifty berthings, all ferrying supplies and people. The logistical feat that the Confederacy had managed here was still astounding to her.

By the time that Liara made her way to the small office space that she and the psychiatrist had been allocated by the station's administration, she was surprised to find herself to be the first one there. With little else to do, she decided to sit behind the small desk pressed against the wall and get to work on paperwork and correspondence with the system's planetary governments. While she waited for the computer terminal to boot, she keyed her omni-tool to activate the television mounted to the wall off to her left, just to give herself some background noise while she worked.

After a few minutes of sorting through countless e-mails, she glanced up as the door to the office slid open. Doctor Kinana T'vera, a middle-aged Asari with experience well beyond her years thanks to her profession, gave Liara a polite and apologetic smile as she stepped into the office. "Sorry… still getting my bearings on the station."

"No problem." Liara politely smiled back. "The place is a maze with all of the construction." Liara was… pleasantly surprised by T'vera's demeanor towards her. She had been back to Thessia three times since taking up residence on Atreus, and every time she found herself… alienated in a way that was difficult for her to put words to. Between being unable to relate to her own people after living most of her life in the Confederacy by this point, being largely shunned by her own society for being a pureblood Asari, and having no real connections to her past life with her mother still being unaccounted for, she just felt… wrong on Thessia. She had even been outright rejected by the University of Serrice due to her getting the bulk of her education in an 'accelerated and incomplete manner not recognized by the University'. That wasn't her first taste of Asari elitism, but it was definitely the one that stung the most.

"No kidding… I have to admit, I'm more and more impressed by the Confederacy every day." Kinana smiled, setting her belongings down on a nearby desk that had largely gone unoccupied thanks to the constant shuffling of personnel.

"If you don't mind me asking… what made you decide to volunteer out here?" Liara asked. Despite working with Kinana for over a week by this point, they had precious few chances to actually talk.

"Well, this is something that hits close to home for me." Kinana gave a small, almost mournful smile. "My mate that I had my first daughter with… She was a Quarian that had been rescued and freed by a Turian patrol fleet in the Traverse. This was two hundred years ago, back when you could still sometimes see Quarians outside of their suits, but… I suppose this is my way of honoring her memory. What about you? Quite a few of the people around the station seem to know you. I don't suppose I'm working with a celebrity?" Kinana gave a wry smile as she sat down at the edge of a desk.

Liara gave a soft laugh in response. "Not quite a celebrity… at least I hope not. I was one of the first non-humans to be given citizenship in the Confederacy. I was… rescued from Aeia when the Confederacy made first contact and adopted into my family."

Kinana's eyes widened for a moment. "Wow… I'm… I'm so sorry you had to go through what you did."

"Thank you." Liara gave a hollow smile. "It's been long enough by this point to where I'm… mostly dealing with it fine."

"Still, to be here helping these people after what you've been through… that takes a lot of strength." Kinana gave a warm smile. "Do you… mind if I ask you some questions? Not about your past, more about the Humans… I haven't had much of a chance to talk to any since I arrived." At Liara's nod, she continued.

"Do their well… names work like ours do? Forename and surname?"

Liara nodded. "Sometimes they'll have middle names, too, though it mostly depends on their cultural background. I kept my old surname as my middle name when my family and I did all of the citizenship paperwork."

"Huh… what is your full name, by the way?"

"Liara T'soni Kerensky." Liara answered, Kinana's eyes flashing with recognition for a moment.

"Ah, Benezia's daughter." She nodded. "But 'Kerensky' though… why does that sound familiar?"

"My father's a General of the Confederate Army and the Confederate representative on the ETO Security Council." Liara answered, earning a nod of recognition from Kinana. "Technically, he was the one that made first contact on Nova Roma when the refugees landed."

"I've heard a bit about him, and he sounds like a good person from what I've heard." Kinana smiled.

"He is…" Liara nodded. "First chance we got, he actually went back to Thessia with me to help me get a few belongings from my… old home and get a bit of training with my biotics." Liara chuckled. "I think he and my mom were tired of me accidentally shocking them. I remember how… awkward he was getting stared at by just about everyone on the planet."

Kinana smiled broadly. "Sounds about right. So… is it true that the Human homeworld is somewhere else? Like, other side of the galaxy?"

Liara nodded. "Yeah, I've actually seen a few pictures and vids from Earth that my father has from his ancestors. Earth looks nothing like any of the planets here in Erebus. It's a lot more… developed, I guess. And it's not unified… or at least it wasn't when the Stark Flotilla left the Sol system."

"Wait… they built a mass relay before unifying the planet?" Kinana asked, dumbfounded, earning a nod from Liara. "Goddess… that's impressive."

Glancing down at her omni-tool, Kinana decided to take advantage of the hour she had before her first consult of the day and get some preparation work done. Before she could make her way back into the private room where she held consultations with patients, the news broadcast on the television had switched over to something that immediately caught both of their attentions: Citadel News Network interviewing both General Reyes and Liara's own adoptive father. It was clearly stitched together to make up for the time lag between the Citadel and Tessera. The young Asari and her Turian co-host both seemed a bit aloof despite the fact that they were interviewing the highest ranking officer in the Confederate Army and the man who made first contact.

"Generals, thank you for agreeing to an interview. In light of the Confederacy's recent 'police action' in the Batalla System, there's been something of a growing sentiment in the wider galaxy that the Confederacy is approaching a conflict with Omega. Given the Confederacy's… staunch foreign policy position, do you really think you're prepared for a conflict like that?" The Asari host asking the question seemed almost… unsure of herself as she asked it. The Turian male sitting beside her in the frame seemed genuinely interested in the response that General Reyes gave.

"I understand that we're the newcomers here, but I can tell you this: our armed services are fully prepared to face any threat, be it a motley collection of pirates from a hollowed-out rock in the Omega Nebula or a state actor."

"General Kerensky, you were the officer in charge of the reorganization of the Confederate Army. You were even the one who pushed for a complete integration of non-humans into the Confederate military. Do you have anything to add? There are a lot of people here on the Citadel in particular that are beginning to feel particularly alarmed with how often the Confederacy has deployed its military beyond its recognized borders." The Turian asked, seemingly dissatisfied with Reyes' very… political answer.

"Well, I know there's been more than a few… interesting sentiments coming out of the rest of the galaxy about the Confederacy's armed services. Some have called us imperialists for admitting Namakli to the Confederacy, liberating and settling Aeia, and liberating the people of Logasiri. If combatting the forces of tyranny makes us imperialists, then I suppose we're imperialists."

"To add to that… the video of you speaking before the Confederate Parliament during the emergency session addressing the humanitarian crisis on Namakli has gone… somewhat viral over the past few months here in Council Space, and reactions have been… mixed, somewhat. Mostly in regards to your statements regarding the various Council member states lacking a 'moral center' I believe were your words. Some have found the Confederacy to be alarmingly… hawkish." The Asari added.

Kerensky visibly sighed, like he knew the question was coming. "Ma'am… my species has seen war. I'd argue we know war better than anyone else in this galaxy save for maybe the Krogan. We don't want war, I can promise you that. Our goal has and always will be peace in the Terminus and galaxy at large, but peace is never a guarantee. This Confederacy is peaceful, but we are not harmless. We have been honed into a machine of lethal moving parts that any potential enemy would be wise to avoid. Civil states in this galaxy will find a stalwart and dependable friend in the Confederacy. Those who would prey on others, keep people in chains, or allow tyranny to take root know this: The air of our worlds is too pure for the slave, and all who breathe it grow free. Be it through the power of our economy, the skill of our diplomats, or the strength of our guns we will keep it that way."

Kinana looked back to Liara, seeing the surprise on both interviewers' faces at the conviction which Kerensky spoke with. "That's your adoptive father?" Liara nodded, a proud smile on her face as she watched the interviewers desperately try to get the next question out. "I'm starting to understand why so many have immigrated here."

March 3, 2106 (Council Calendar)

Widow Nebula, Citadel

Tevos gave a confident smile as she stood up from her seat at the conference table, giving a polite bow to the new Confederate First Minister as she stepped into the room. First Minister Annika Holmgren was practically a goliath of a woman, owed to her homeworld of Valhalla being a lower-gravity world, standing only slightly shorter than her Turian counterpart. "First Minister Holmgren, welcome to the Citadel."

Holmgren responded with a polite nod, returning the bow. "I'm honored, Councilors." This was the first time a Confederate head of state had made an official visit to the Citadel, so much of the day had been taken up by all of the pomp and circumstance that such an event demanded. Most people on the Citadel had become used to seeing the occasional Human around the station, but having a head of state present on the station had drawn more than a little more attention than C-Sec was used to.

"Shall we begin, First Minister?" The Turian Councilor beckoned to one of the open seats at the conference table. Holmgren nodded, taking a moment to greet the other two councilors before sitting down.

Tevos was able to get a read on the First Minister fairly quickly. The woman's military bearing bled through just about every aspect of her. The way she walked, the way she carried herself, the almost practiced movements she made… She almost seemed Turian in her mannerisms. "I understand that the Council has heard my administration's request to dispatch exploration vessels to find deactivated Relays in search of Earth?"

"We have, First Minister… and I'm afraid this Council is unwilling to take the risks associated with allowing for the further search for Mass Relays in the Traverse." The Salarian councilor began, beady black eyes staring Holmgren down. "As prepared as the Confederacy might be to maintain security within its space, I in particular remain unconvinced of the Confederacy's ability to contain any potentially threatening discoveries beyond known space."

Tevos winced at the Salarian's choice of words, glancing over to study Holmgren for a moment. The woman's bearing didn't falter for a moment as she simply laced her fingers together on the table. "If I may… when exactly can the Confederacy and its people expect to be treated as equals?" There was the slightest hint of annoyance in the First Minister's tone, but she masked it quite well.

"First Minister, this is a matter of security for the entire galaxy. Countless billions of lives could very well be affected if we find ourselves with another Rachni War." The Turian explained, surprising Tevos by his interjection. "Your nation has been a… surprisingly stable one for being so young, but it still remains untested."

Holmgren hummed, nodding her head. "Ah, yes… 'untested'." Her face remained remarkably stoic, but Tevos' gut twisted as she continued. "That's why we've been so successful in tracking STG operations in our space." Her eyes shifted over to the Salarian. "Let me make a friendly suggestion, Councilor… I understand that your Dalatrasses are profoundly paranoid, but it's easier to retain agents when they don't get caught planting listening devices on communications relays."

"Unsubstantiated rumors, First Minister." The Salarian councilor managed after taking a moment to compose herself.

"I'm sure." Holmgren nodded. "Back to… substantiated facts, We've uncovered Prothean ruins on Aeia making reference to a… startling suggestion. According to the digital records kept in these ruins, there is a Mass Relay in the Sol system. Orbiting Pluto to be precise."

Tevos looked at the First Minister in surprise for a moment, eventually shaking herself out of it. "How can you be certain?"

"The map that the data showed was fairly straightforward, looking largely like a political map of the Prothean empire at the height of its power." Holmgren explained, tapping a few buttons on her own omni-tool to project a copy of the map onto the conference table. She input a few more commands to have the map focus in on a small cluster of stars in currently uncharted space. "That's Sol." She gestured to the yellow giant star that the map depicted, orbited by eight major planetary bodies with a symbol for a Mass Relay sitting just beside a dwarf planet near the edge of the system. "And that would be a Mass Relay orbiting Pluto at a remarkably similar position to the planetoid's moon of Charon."

"You're certain this is Sol?" The Turian councilor asked, looking at the map.

Wordlessly, Holmgren brought up an archive file for the third planet from the star. The Prothean name for it didn't translate properly, but the survey data did. It specifically made mention of a biodiverse planet with a native species of bipedal mammal, helpfully including an attached image of a prehistoric human on what appeared to be an exam table, with a rather grisly vivisection to expose his organ structure. Perhaps most concerningly, it specifically mentioned that these bipedal mammals would be 'ideal for an uplift to serve the Empire.'

"This is…" Tevos stared at the data Holmgren provided in bewilderment for a moment. "A major claim, First Minister. If the implications from these files are to be believed, then… well, it would seem that we do indeed have evidence that Sol contains a mass relay."

"And it would require only four relay activations." Holmgren nodded. "What I'd like to propose is a joint venture to traverse these relays, headed by a detachment of the Confederate Navy to depart from anchorages over Nova Roma."

Tevos considered the First Minister's proposal for a moment. It was a masterful application of political pressure. The relays that would need to be activated were in unclaimed, independent space in the Attican Traverse, meaning that there was decidedly little the Council could do to prevent the Confederacy from activating these relays anyways; and any attempt to do so would almost certainly be used by the Confederacy to back the Council into a corner through economic and political pressure. The Confederacy was well-regarded in the wider galaxy and a valuable trade partner, there was no guarantee that the public wouldn't support the Confederacy if they played their cards right, and recent history showed that the Confederates were nothing if not politically ruthless when they wanted to be.

Tevos sighed. "This will take some deliberation among the Council and the heads of state, of course."

"Understandable." Holmgren nodded, keeping her expression completely neutral. "The operation is still in its planning stages pending the completion of construction projects in Erebus. I trust that the Ambassador will be kept informed."

November 12, 242

Erebus, Atreus Geostationary Orbit

Liara looked out of the viewport of the Tessera Orbital Tether's anchor station as she nervously wrung her hands together. Not too distant from the station, she could see the now-complete automated station that made up Atreus' part of the Erebus System Defense Grid. Surrounding it was a dozen vessels that were remarkably sleek, all of them being completely unmanned. The SDG was a remarkably expensive project, costing the Confederacy hundreds of billions in R&D and production costs, but the entire grid was nearing completion, with only two stations still under construction.

The concept was deceptively simple. Much of the Confederate Navy was tied up in patrolling the home system thanks to its sheer size as a trinary system and the security requirements of the different republics on its worlds. The SDG was a combination of automated naval yards, orbital and deep-space defense platforms, and drone warships that would free up a significant number of manned Confederate warships for expeditionary missions. The entire system, including the assembly and maintenance of the drone ships, required next to no manned intervention. And if even half of what was said about these drone ships was true, they were a force to be reckoned with.

Most of the drone warships were around the size of a light cruiser or smaller, but were significantly up-armored and up-gunned compared to their manned counterparts in the Navy. Their element zero cores were notably less capable than a Navy vessel's, since they didn't need to travel at FTL for their assigned duties, but they could still maneuver and fight like a missile since there was only electronics onboard the ships. Each of the stations, from the defense platforms to the automated naval yards, also sported hangar facilities for hundreds of unmanned fighters and attack craft. It would take a few years for the system to reach peak efficiency, but it had already freed up over half of the Confederate Home Fleet for operations elsewhere.

Right as Liara saw the vessel that would be ferrying her to Nova Roma for her rendezvous with the rest of her expedition team, she took a deep breath. While she was volunteering at Pioneer Station, she had gotten an offer from one of her professors at the University of Tessera for a position with an expedition to a suspected Prothean site in the Traverse on the world of Therum. It was a joint expedition with the University of Serrice's Xenoarcheology department. Just as she was preparing to head for the docking port that would let her board the vessel, the familiar voice of her adoptive father sounded off behind her. "Didn't think I'd just let you head off into the unknown, did you?" He wore a proud smile on his face, removing the cap from his head and tucking it under his arm.

"I'd be sad if you didn't at least come say goodbye." Liara smiled, wrapping her father in a hug. "Dig's going to take a while, from what I heard."

"And in the Traverse no less." Kerensky smirked, trying to hide the concern on his face. "I know better than to try and dissuade you, so do your old man a favor, yeah?" He reached into his waistband at the small of his back and producing a .40 caliber handgun still in its holster, the very same one that he had taught her how to shoot with.

Liara chuckled, taking the handgun and tucking it into the bag containing her personal effects that she had slung over her shoulder. "I have my biotics, you know?"

"Oh trust me, I remember. You were like a little tesla coil, you shocked me so damn much." Kerensky smirked as Liara chuckled at the memory. "Just remember, you get a lot less tired and burn a lot less calories putting fifteen rounds of cobalt-tungsten downrange than a warp field."

"Alright… I'll keep it on me." Liara relented. "I should get going, don't want to miss my transport."

"Alright, stay safe, yeah?" Kerensky smiled, hugging his daughter again. "And the fleet might be going past Therum on our way to the dormant relays, see if you can't at least shoot me a message."

"Wait, you'll be in the fleet?" Liara asked, surprised.

"Confederacy's resident first-contact expert, after all." Kerensky smirked. "I think Reyes can handle the Security Council for a few months. Now get going, kid. Show those pompous Serrice pricks what Confederate scientists look like." Liara gave her father one last chuckle and smile before turning to head for her docking port.

November 15, 242

Nova Roma Geostationary Orbit, CSV Audie Murphy

Kerensky glanced over to the viewport on the carrier's bridge, seeing the small flotilla of vessels from the Citadel Defense Fleet, Asari Republics, Turian Hierarchy, and Salarian Union approaching the assembled task force of the Confederate Navy. It had taken an absolute biblical amount of political pressure and concession, but the Council had agreed to the joint mission to establish contact with Earth. Seeing the motley fleet approaching, he allowed himself a small smile. Most of the Council vessels were cruisers or lighter, totaling out to twelve ships in total, with four from each group. Seeing the small squadron of shuttles approaching the carrier, Kerensky knew it was time to put his formal face on.

As he walked through the buzzing halls of the carrier, making his way towards the hangar bay that the incoming shuttles had been directed to, he couldn't be more thankful that the Council had agreed to let the Confederacy lead the first contact effort, if for no other reason than being able to stay aboard a familiar vessel. By the time he finally reached the hangar, the four shuttles had already begun landing in their designated zone, and the security detail for the Council dignitaries had already assembled by the landing platform, each of the two-dozen uniformed Confederate Marines offering Kerensky a salute, which he returned to put them at ease.

He watched as each of the shuttles allowed their passengers to disembark, taking note of the different security forces that each of them brought aboard. The Asari only brought a quartet of what were clearly Asari Commandos. They moved with a practiced grace and precision that came with centuries of training and experience, quite probably making those four Asari the most dangerous individuals aboard the Murphy. The Salarians had brought a platoon of twelve 'soldiers' aboard as a security force. Kerensky had a sinking feeling that more than a few of them were STG agents, so he brought his wrist up to activate his Omni-Tool and send a quick notice to the ship's security forces to keep extra close attention on their Salarian guests.

The Turians sent a single high-ranking officer and a squad of their elite 'Black Watch' unit, the rough equivalent to the Confederate Black Berets. Kerensky had a better understanding of the Turians than the others, so he recognized the officer as the Turian equivalent to a Major General. Much to Kerensky's surprise, the Council had elected to send Councilor Tevos herself to join the task force, guarded by an escort of four Council Spectres, with Spectre Vasir being among them; likely due to her experience with dealing with Confederates.

Kerensky stepped forward as the guests of the Murphy all congregated in the middle of the hangar bay, taking in the sight of the deck crews securing munitions, servicing aerospace craft, and locking down the shuttles. "Everyone, welcome aboard the CSV Audie Murphy. It's an honor to have this multinational mission headed on this vessel. If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the quarters that have been set aside for you."

After exchanging pleasantries on the way, Kerensky showed each of the diplomatic parties to their assigned quarters before finding himself wrapped up in all of the logistics with getting the fleet underway. Getting the comms systems of the motley collection of Council vessels to communicate easily with the Confederate task force was… troublesome, but a patchwork solution had been found just in time to keep the departure on schedule. Before long, Kerensky watched from the bridge as the officer in charge of the fleet ordered the departure, eventually culminating with the combined thirty ships interfacing with the Mass Relay before blinking off towards the Traverse on their way to the first of three inactive relays they'd need to activate.

With little to occupy his time, given that he was little more than a glorified envoy at the moment, Kerensky made his way towards the mess hall. He didn't truly get an idea of how much time had passed since their arrival until he saw the Turian general rounding a corner in the hallway, evidently heading in the same direction. He noticed Kerensky almost immediately, giving him a polite nod of the head. "General Kerensky, it's an honor."

"Likewise, General…?"

"Arterius." The Turian responded, slowing his pace slightly to allow Kerensky to walk beside him. "Desolas Arterius, Major General in command of the 3rd Army of the Turian Hierarchy, usually assigned to the defense of Palaven and her moon."

"Any particular reason they assigned you to this?"

Desolas chuckled slightly. "I was an officer the Primarch could spare. No real experience in first contact. Hell, yours was the first we've had in… centuries. Not a whole lot of people in the galaxy are too experienced in First Contact, save some Asari Matriarchs, that is. Speaking of, your people must be ecstatic at the thought of finding your homeworld."

"Putting it mildly." Kerensky nodded, taking a tray of hot chow from the mess kitchen, waiting a moment for the Navy cooks to put together a dextro-based meal for their Turian guest.

"Certainly looks more appealing than the food on our vessels… this is dextro food, right?" Desolas asked, taking a seat at one of the notably less-populated mess tables. Much to his surprise, there were a few Turians wearing Confederate Navy uniforms giving him a respectful nod as he passed, a gesture he returned.

"Yeah." Kerensky nodded, taking a set across from Desolas. Sure, he could have eaten in the officer's mess, but he was an infantry officer at heart. He had a reputation for being an open and approachable officer to keep, after all. "Having such a sizable Turian population let us finally start using some of the dextro-based foods we've found on some of the colonies."

"Should've seen the sign-on bonuses they were giving out to Turian cooks." One of the ship's Marine NCOs piped up as he walked past. "Made hazard pay look like chump change." He smirked, taking a seat with some of the other Marines at a nearby table.

"Seems to have paid off." Desolas nodded, taking his first bite of the dextro-based food. He smirked by flaring out a mandible. "My men would kill to get rations like these."

"Navy's definitely got the Army beat in chow." Kerensky nodded. "Of course, having actual kitchens helps." Kerensky watched as a gray-carapaced Turian approached their table, earning another smirk from Desolas.

"Managed to get away from the Councilor, Saren?" Desolas asked.

"Thank the Spirits." The new Turian nodded, taking a seat beside Desolas before looking at Kerensky with a look of recognition. "General Kerensky, right? A pleasure."

"Likewise, Spectre." Kerensky nodded. "Some relation, I take it?"

"We're brothers." Desolas nodded, knocking Saren's armored pauldron with a closed fist. "Kid's damn impressive. Youngest Turian Spectre."

"And with how your troops perform, General, it wouldn't surprise me if we'd already have a Human Spectre if you had decided to join the Council." Saren offered.

Understanding immediately dawned on Kerensky's face. A unit of his Black Berets had crossed paths with a Spectre while both were tracking a Terminus pirate out near the border between the Asari's fringe territories and the Terminus systems. "Ah, I read that report. You have my thanks to that."

"No thanks necessary, General." Saren offered in turn. "Your men do good work, and its made the border worlds much safer. If anything, I should be thanking you for making my job that much easier. By the way… any expectations for your journey home?"

"No expectations, mostly just anxiety." Kerensky joked. "A lot can happen in two and a half centuries… there's a pretty good chance we're so different from our people on Earth that we might as well be aliens, but there's only one way to find out."

December 4, 242

CSV Audie Murphy, Relay 314 Interface Orbit

Kerensky watched from the viewport as the automated drones came ever closer to activating the mass relay. This relay in particular had proven a bit more complicated than the others, namely since it seemed to serve as a sort of transit hub that connected to six other systems in the region not unlike the Widow Nebula's native relay that connected the Citadel to much of the rest of Council space. The Prothean star charts had sped up the process somewhat, but the most recent data return from the drones had sent the first contact flotilla into a flurry of activity. Their destination relay had been activated, and relatively recently at that.

The way Kerensky saw it, there were two distinct possibilities. Either the Batarians had been exploring through the Skyllian Verge and illegally activated some of these relays… or their Human cousins were already in-system. According to the Prothean charts, this system that they'd be heading to was a mere three relay jumps from Sol.

With how close they were to activating the relay, all of the Council's dignitaries had gathered on the bridge of the carrier and were watching the distant lights of the drones dancing across the surface of the relay. Word had traveled rather quickly throughout the Confederate detachment, and there was a palpable air of excitement as they worked. Kerensky jumped slightly as he watched the bright purple aura from the relay's element zero reserves light up and the internal rings began spinning. After a few more preliminary tests to ensure the relay had been activated properly, the drones began returning to the carrier and the flotilla began reorganizing into a transit formation.

As the fleet approached the relay and began making preparations for interfacing their element zero cores with the relay's systems, Kerensky steeled himself for the near-instantaneous transport. After a near-imperceptible lurch that the ship's artificial gravity quickly compensated for, the entire flotilla found itself in the outer reaches of yet another alien star system, but this one was far from barren and uninhabited.

Kerensky looked down to a sensor station to his right, seeing a veritable swarm of LIDAR returns popping up on the display. Centered around a planet near the center of the star system, Kerensky saw dozens of LIDAR and transponder signatures arranged in what looked like two opposing formations of warships. His fears were confirmed when he saw that the nearer of the two groups were transmitting Batarian-language transponder signatures. The other group of signatures very nearly made his heart stop beating in his chest… they were returning vessel designations in plain English without any translation software kicking in.

Kerensky's breath hitched in his throat as the comms station received a tightbeam from the defending fleet, the English words immediately beginning to sound off. "Unidentified vessels, this is Admiral Kastanie Drescher of the United States of North America Navy. State intentions immediately! "

Kerensky quickly moved to the comms station, knowing that this was precisely what he was here for. He keyed the communications system to send a reply. "Admiral Drescher, this is General Aleksandr Kerensky of the Confederate Republics of Orion; descendants of the Stark Colonial Flotilla. What's the situation in-system?"

There was a palpable pause, even ignoring the time-lag from waiting for a return tightbeam transmission. Not long after the defending Human fleet began exchanging weapons fire with the Batarian fleet, another message arrived. "General Kerensky, this colony has come under attack by unknown alien forces… reinforcements are thirty six hours out, requesting assistance."

Kerensky shot a glance back to the Confederate Fleet Admiral heading the Flotilla, who simply returned a nod. "Acknowledged, Admiral." Kerensky keyed over to a system-wide radio transmission. "Attention Batarian Fleet assets, this is Confederate General Kerensky. Cease hostilities immediately or we will be forced to engage."

Just like over Logasiri, the warnings weren't heeded. A chunk of the Batarian cruiser fleet turned to begin burning towards the Confederate flotilla and began to acquire sensor locks while the rest of the Batarian fleet continued to engage the defenders. "General quarters, general quarters! All hands, man battlestations!"

A/N: Creative burnout sucks, apologies for the wait.