Ashana retreated back to her room to pass the remaining time while the crews completed their work. She stripped out of her clothes, tossing them casually on her bed before sitting down in the center of her room, legs crossed. She took several long, deep breaths, preparing her nerves for her biotic meditation routine, surrounding herself with an undulating blue aura as she concentrated small biotic fields around herself, practicing to refine her control of them.<br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>It was only a few hours before the halls outside of Ashana's room fell quiet, and she felt the subtle shift in inertia as the ship took off, leaving Omega behind once again. Taseer and the repair crews retreated the showers to clean off, then the lounge to unwind with a few drinks, or the bunks to rest. Ashana opened her eyes and stood, releasing the biotic fields. She crossed to her private bar and poured herself a small glass  before crossing back to the window and staring out.<br/><br/>She was growing accustomed to space travel. There was a serenity in the mercurial flow of the red and blue waves induced by the ship's FTL travel. Like a ballet of light that ferried them through space and time. As she sipped the wine in her cup, she smiled. The chaos had ceased. She was no longer hounded by the Volus' demands, or lost in the onslaught of events that had characterized the last week. Even as they sailed across the stars toward the unknown, she felt once again like she was in control of her own fate. She was not bound by the whims of another. She was doing this now because she wanted to. No one else had made that decision. She had begun to feel like herself again, like on Omega before Kalga's offer had spread across Omega.<br/><br/>It had never occurred to her that the last week had affected her as dramatically as it had. From the warehouse to the Bekenstein, she had been lost in the maelstrom of an adventure she had had not been able to escape from. In the scramble to stay alive, to stay calm and vainly fight for control in a situation that was beyond it, she had lost herself.<br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">Attention Fire Team, </span>Cantenelli's voice came over the comms, prompting Ashana to look away from the window to listen.<span style="color: Blue">There will be a briefing in one hour in the commons. ETA to our destination is two hours. Repeat, briefing at 1300, arrival at 1400.</span><br/><br/>Ashana's eyes returned to the window as the comms quieted again. She saw her reflection, standing there in all her bare glory, glass of wine in hand, the obscured furniture and fine living amenities laid out behind. She smirked at the scene, musing at how her world had changed so dramatically so quickly. She could only appreciate it in brief moments of respite before, but now she could truly enjoy that the dream that she had romanticized in her mind since as long as she could remember had become her reality. The stars that had forever enraptured her imagination had become her home.<br/><br/><br/>***<br/><br/><br/>Firas sat down at the table and waited as the others arrived. His eyes followed the new Asari as she emerged. He regarded her. She had a pleasant figure and was attractive, but nothing about her particularly suggested she had the education that they had been told. But then, not every archaeologist had to be bumbling and mono-toned, he thought.<br/><br/>It wasn't long before everyone had gathered, taking their seats. Cantenelli, Falkris, and Beruut stood at the edge if the table, backs to the forward battery. Cantenelli looked around then nodded.<span style="color: Blue">Alright, let's get this under way.</span>He looked at Milenya and Maethia.<br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">For those that haven't met them - this is Milenya and Maethia. Maethia will be acting as additional fire support for any ground based incursions. She has some Asari Commando training that will, with any luck go a long way evening the odds we're looking at. </span>Cantenelli said, a somber note in his tone, then looked at Milenya.<br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">Our other addition is Milenya. She's has a doctorate in Prothean tech study. Given that we're on our way to, presumably, an excavation, her help may prove invaluable in determining what the hell it is we're looking for, and, </span>he continued, glancing briefly at Falkris,<span style="color: Blue">perhaps more importantly, why.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">Now, everyone here is well aware of our present situation, save the two of you.</span>He looked between Milenya and Maethia.<span style="color: Blue">So, this briefing is largely for your benefit. But,</span>he looked at the others,<span style="color: Blue">also because we need to get focused. We've had our shore leave, and I hope it helped. When we reach our destination I want everyone of us ready. We've seen the players in this little game. We know what they're capable of now.</span>He looked at everyone, then stepped back. Looking at Falkris, he motioned for him to take over.<span style="color: Blue">Mr. Falkris, if you please.</span><br/><br/>The Turian nodded and walked to the edge of the table, arms behind his back.<span style="color: Red">Our present objective has been attempting to locate an as of yet unknown device that we have so far been led to believe is Prothean in origin. As to what it is, what its potential function may have been, or where it is, we know nearly nothing. What we do know,</span>He tapped a key on the small console on the table's edge and the holo-emitters in the ceiling ringing the table activated, a blue toned hologram of the Bekket wreckage hovering above the table. Falkris pointed at it,<span style="color: Red">is that this device was being smuggled on board a freighter registered under the name Bekket. The ship, when we arrived, was almost completely destroyed. Hull damage indicates that it suffered catastrophic damage from internal explosions which tore the hull open and disabled all systems. All crew on board the Bekket were found dead on arrival. Further, all other cargo aboard was present, except for the device. </span><br/><br/><span style="color: Red">What remained of the ship's black box data showed that the vessel was hailed mid-FTL, came to a full stop, and was boarded by a small, one-man vessel before all data ceased. After some investigation, we were led to Bekenstein in the Serpent Nebula. There we met Vega Antoli - </span>he tapped another key, showing an image of Vega, all smiles and swagger. Ashana suppressed a sneer.<span style="color: Red">A weapons manufacturer. According to Vega, he had secured the device to be smuggled from its point of origin for a client. Our investigation suggested that whoever it was that destroyed the Bekket and took the device, was trying to find out who wanted it. As Vega was the only one who knew that information, it was logical to assume that Vega and his data cache of client information would be his next target. </span><br/><br/>Falkris paused and looked at Firas, Darion, and Ashana.<span style="color: Red">We were right.</span>He hit the key again, and the security schematic of Vega's tower appeared. The dots indicating the door activity Kala had set up, as well as the dots indicating the security officers appeared and began moving rapidly in an accelerated playback of the event. Ashana saw the exact moment when the data cache had been cracked as nearly every dot suddenly started moving to elevators, going upward.<br/><br/><span style="color: Red">The assailant breached the data-cache undetected until he had downloaded the data.</span>He said, watching security officer dots disappearing on the upper floor as the assassin killed them, until there was a pause and the vertical motion of the security staff stopped suddenly, and they began moving rapidly for alternate ways up, as the elevators had been jammed.<span style="color: Red">The assailant managed to evade capture, and killed nearly everyone trying to stop him.</span>He glanced at Ashana as the dots all converged in the atrium, remained static, then suddenly began blinking out rapidly before only two remained - Darion and Firas. Ashana was quietly glad that her position hadn't been attached to the feed. Their new recruits didn't have to see her dash off alone.<br/><br/>Falkris hit another key, showing the security camera feed inside the lobby. They watched the assassin exit the elevator and kill the guard on duty. Falkris hit a key and the video paused as the assassin turned showing most of his face, and the cold expression on it. The image zoomed in on him. Falkris pointed, looking at Maethia and Milenya.<span style="color: Red">If you see this man, do not hesitate to open fire. He is to be considered extremely dangerous - even when unarmed. We know nearly nothing about him, but we suspect this is the man that presently has the Prothean device in his possession.</span><br/><br/>Ashana stared at the image of the man, seeing him again in that hallway, feeling him hit her. She felt a seething hatred toward the face, but it couldn't stifle the fear she felt beneath it.<br/><br/>Falkris tapped a key and the image changed to the course that Kala's intrusion into the assassin's omni-tool had allowed them to obtain.<span style="color: Red">Even though he escaped, we managed to capture this. This is a portion of the data package he took from Vega's cache. Its the course the Bekket was supposed to take to deliver the device to whoever purchased it. While we expect the destination to be absent of anything, the point of origin,</span>he pointed to the point on the galaxy map at the left most edge of the Attican Traverse,<span style="color: Red">may yield better results. That is our destination. While we do not have confirmation that this point of origin is the dig site the device originated from, given what we know, we believe it is a safe assumption to make.</span><br/><br/>He tapped a key and the galaxy mapped zoomed into the Ismar Frontier star cluster, then into the Elysta System before a target indicator identified the planet that the coordinates pointed to - the second planet, Zeona.<span style="color: Red">While we were making repairs, Dr. Beruut ran a check through the extra-net for any digs at this location.</span>The Turian nodded at Beruut to step forward with the information.<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">Yes...</span>He said, walking to the edge of the table, his large eyes reflecting the light from the display.<span style="color: YellowGreen">Available information indicated that there is indeed a relatively recent dig on Zeona, but nothing else seems to be available. It is presumable that any discoveries made have yet to be published - as is it possible that the loss of this... device... set back any release of information from the site.</span><br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">What about the planet?</span>Firas asked, looking at the orb floating around the star.<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">Yes... Zeona is a volcanic planet - high concentrations of sulfur oxides in the atmosphere, some extremophile bacteria... </span>Beruut replied.<span style="color: YellowGreen">Slowly decreasing concentrations of water vapor in the atmosphere suggest that at some point the planet has been habitable, but thousands, perhaps millions of years of geological instabil -</span><br/><br/><span style="color: Blue">Doctor...</span>Cantenelli interrupted from behind him. Beruut looked back, then pursed his thin lips, embarrassed.<br/><br/><span style="color: YellowGreen">Ah, yes. Apologies. It is presently inhospitable. Any extra vehicular activity will require full environment attire.</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>