Doctor Grayson looked over the latest bits of the data the Concordat's AI had delivered to them, namely the FTL Coordinates. After a quick imprint of calculation systems for the UNSC's Slipstream Space drives and already-declassified information of the drives had been sent to Atlana, the AI positively glowed, both literally and figuratively, before her somewhat limited functions had already begun running the conversion calculus.

They had several new Systems nearby to explore, which the Admiral had communicated to the Prowlers of the Fleet. Already, there were promising results in regards to Concordat's saved locations, but that was not all that the Artificial Intelligence, or, as it called itself, 'Virtual Intelligence'(seemingly a 'dumb' version of local galactic AI) had sent their way.

Indeed, not all research was available in this station. However, it was possible to glean several useful technologies, including basic variations of the FTL Drives utilized by the Concordat, though, as stated, that was tied to the Relays, which they've yet to find any of. Also added upon it was research regarding laser technology that could potentially make UNSC Directed Energy Weapons feasible later down the line. Of course, that later down the line meant when the UNSC's Refugee Fleet had a proper industrial base set up.

That should not take as long, Grayson thought as she pushed aside a tablet from her desk and checked a bunch of print-outs that she had done. Blueprints for various advances the UNSC could apply right now with the added Element Zero they had discovered within the confines of the Spire, including new FTL drives that could be made in the manufactory areas of the Carriers and Phoenixes.

The UNSC had orbital mining capabilities from their carrier-based mining drones and resource gathering operations and industrial capabilities from their ships, but ships could easily be lost in combat, or during accidents. They would need to develop a major presence on any habitable world, fast, so they could start proper research and development, unchained from the production lines of their warships.

She hummed, then thumbed her tablet, scanned the blueprints and sent them to the Admiral, before standing up and calling, "Latana," as she scanned the large room that had become her laboratory. Each wall was lined with symbols and information regarding the Concordat, their technology, missing locations and her own research into the Concordat's terraforming tech itself, for possible uses should their Prowlers not find anything worthwhile.

She sighed, utilizing her tablet to send any important and thoroughly-researched data to the Admiralty and the rest of the R&D department. Marching through the ship, doctor Grayson met the weight of the crew's stares and surprise head-on. They were not used to seeing her out of the lab this often, but she had chosen to always deliver all important research documents and new developments directly to the Admiral.

She marched past some of the Army and Marines, receiving quick salutes from the men while the deck crews were working on basic maintenance. Beside them, some civilian contractors had been woken up to provide help in building and in preparation for the necessary infrastructure construction that the UNSC may need. Several had already been deployed on the planet's dark side to begin building a research base around the massive terraforming array. Underground, of course.

Entering the bridge, the woman paused as she saw the Admiral speaking to the captains of the other vessels over the com. She stepped up beside him and overheard the discussion, "... We've still got wavespace contact with the Prowlers, so the information we've just sent should reach them fairly soon. Let's hope they've got accurate jump coordinates out of the AI..."

"Agreed, sir," Replied the commander of the ONI members in the fleet, an elderly woman with some degree of insanity hidden behind the veneer of calm. She eyed the doctor, then said, "Doctor Grayson, hope you've brought some news for us beside more dead planets..." with what was tantamount to snark in her voice, at least for this one ONI operator and commander.

"I have," She replied, then handed the Admiral several crystalline storage chips and said, "Research on the place's FTL, Element Zero and the other Star Maps we have been given by Atlana, matching several stars that the Prowlers can explore if they wish in the void around us. We appear to be in what amounts to the Concordat-owned space as per their last population and planetary consensus check. Beside this, I have made progress in researching new weapons technology that can be matched to some of the items Cortana, the Master Chief's AI, has delivered to us just after their return to Earth."

"Energy weapons," Latana clarified from the holo-pedestal next to the doctor, which seemed to stun the entire crew aboard.

"It isn't a lot," Grayson added, "But it's a start. Combine it with some of the technological advances we know the Concordat has made and we are nearly ready to make functioning prototypes. All we need now is a proper industrial base and laboratories to test these prototypes for deployment aboard UNSC ships. Mind you, they aren't going to be very powerful..."

"But it is still going to be a good start," The Admiral added calmly, "Thank you, Doctor Grayson. I appreciate your continued focus into providing our fleet options to defend itself."

"Of course, sir," She nodded, "One more request, if you do not mind."

He nodded, "Go ahead."

"I'd like to be among the first to depart with the next returning Prowler to one of the Concordat systems on the star charts, take a military unit with me. Perhaps the Rangers, again," She requested, tugging at the hem of her labcoat, "Because if there is yet more technology to be found amongst the dust and cobwebs, I feel like I will be needed at the forefront."

The Admiral paused, stunned, as had the other captains and the ONI commander. Said ONI commander was about to protest, before the Admiral said, "I am taking that under consideration, Doctor. For now, though, continue your work here. We'll need you to help walk the development section of RnD through the new weapon designs you want to bring into the fold."

"Yes, sir... Though it may be a few more years before we have fully operational, mass-producible versions," She added the last caveat.

With that out of the way, the Doctor dismissed herself, departing for her laboratory once more as she heard some of the UNSC crew humming songs as they worked their shifts. The UNSC personnel aboard the vessel continued their work unabated, though minor incidents regarding brawls were reported within the rank and file. The air was still heavy with the unspoken anger of much of the crews for having to leave Earth when the last battle of the Great War began.

Almost every superior officer understood the feeling. It was why the military was actively on-duty, to make sure no dissidents decide to screw over the crews and attempt to go back home after mutinying. It was the same reason for which Grayson would willingly return to the planet within a few hours to talk more to the AI, figure out if they had any sort of chance of finding a habitable planet within one or two jumps.

She wondered just how much of the Concordat's truths have been lost after the Reaper invasion and subsequent collapse, steeling herself in the thought that they, or their children, may have to face the Reapers within the coming years. She needed to find more details, those in Atlana's archives were sparse in regards to the alien machines that wiped out so many empires before.

She hummed, checking over her research notes on the tablet, before sending files over to the rest of the RnD department and thumbing the tablet off. She fell back into her chair, which let out a light creak. She simply stared at the recessed lights in the ceiling, which she'd dimmed out just enough for her eyes not to hurt. She spoke again, "Latana, if you don't mind...?"

"Yes, doctor?" The AI appeared on the holographic display to her right.

"Run simulation One-Fifteen by me again... Full spectrum analysis of the simulated effects..." She requested, then continued looking at the holographic display as it shifted to a model of Element Zero's composition and interaction with various materials. The molecules of Element Zero were incredibly strange, almost impossible in the realm of physics, at least from the UNSC's standpoint. Sure, Slipspace was considered 'impossible in the realm of physics as humanity knew it' back in the 2200s. And yet Shaw and Fujikawa had managed to do the impossible.

She watched the 'molecules' form a field around the body of a UNSC Starship model, a Frigate. As they slowly enveloped the designed ship, which also contained a new type of Eezoo core specifically for this and located next to the Slipspace drive, various calculations appeared around the vessel in small windows. The mass of the vessel, especially, was the item of contention. Reducing itself from the normal mass of the vessel to a near-zero as electrical currents flowed through the Element Zero core and through the particles themselves, the vessel entered a simulated version of Slipspace... Only to arrive at its intended destination within mere minutes.

She blinked, "That still stuns me to no end..."

"It is an accurate model representation based on research from the Archive. Element Zero's usage as a fuel source mix and as a reactor power source in the files makes more sense the deeper we dig into these files. And that these are its properties is stunning..."

"If nothing else, this should be somewhat useful to upgrade our current warships with... And decent enough for short-range FTL travel until we get a good enough power base to produce Shaw-Fujikawa translight drives for ourselves," The doctor hummed, then ordered, "Send all important files to the rest of research and development and to the Admiral. All else must wait until I am back from my trip to the planet below."

"Understood, doctor."

A short walk to the hangar and a trip with a Pelican down to the planet's dark side later, the doctor strolled into the confines of the newly-built xenoarchaeology and research base just as engineering crews were setting up the wiring. Various panels lay open as the engineers worked on concocting some sort of adaptors for the fiber-optics and other various power and networking cables to link with the base itself. Aside from those, wiring was strung on the floor, leading into various smaller rooms built into the place's sides, where debris had once been.

Descending further past new openings and dug tunnels, as well as new rooms where equipment was being set up and even a barracks for a small garrison of UNSC Marines that were going to be staying with the eggheads, Grayson was met by the sight of the wider Research and information storage area, where several server towers rose high, almost reaching the ceiling of the main Archive room. In the middle, sat on a display was Atlana, flanked by researchers who seemed to be running diagnostics, as well as a pair of security members.

The VI stood up as she noticed the doctor, then greeted, "Good afternoon, doctor Grayson. How are things aboard the fleet?"

"Just fine, Atlana," She smiled, "Good to see you, too."

Atlana nodded, smiling, "Here for more information?"

"Certainly. And just to chat in general," The woman replied, then sat herself down with a holographic notepad and started, "I must say, some of the uses of Element Zero are quite interesting, if not inherently revolutionary. Reducing the mass of a ship to allow even more rapid FTL travel? Incredible. This could potentially enhance the speed of our travels as well, even with the Slipspace Drive."

"Indeed, the properties of Element Zero somewhat defy what you and your people call the Laws of Physics, doctor, however, it is for that reason that they have proven useful to us and, we presume, to all peoples before and after us to travel through this Galaxy. Until you arrived with your own FTL devices, of course," Atlana explained as she began pulling up files to send to the woman.

"It's good to know we're the odd one out when it comes to galactic technological development, Atlana," The doctor chuckled, then hummed and asked, "What of the coordinates you gave us? You said they were systems colonized by your creators, correct?"

"Indeed. One should be a world away from the main Relay systems, akin to this one... However, much closer to the network," She offered as she continued sending data through, "I am surprised you don't know about this. I was sure the UNSC would have briefed you of all people in regards to what I share for the sake of Mankind's development and preparations against the Reapers."

"They do. I just wanted to make sure..." The Doctor spoke, then hummed and looked up at Atlana and stated, "The UNSC has faced extinction before. I'm sure I told you the tale of our war..."

"You have," She nodded, "The Human-Covenant War."

"For what you call a 'Virtual Intelligence', you are fairly able to act like an AI, Atlana," The Doctor quipped, "But yes, that was our war... It's why we will prepare for the Reapers whenever they are set to arrive. In the meanwhile, however, we will also seek a way home so we can aid Earth with the equipment we are going to develop. Or, if Earth has already fallen... Which I am not willing to entertain for one second," She paused, her face grim, "We are going to avenge it."

"I understand," The VI replied sharply, "Very well, in fact. As I am to avenge my creators' passing by giving you the knowledge we have on the Reapers, so that you may defeat them."

"'Hatred of the invading enemy is the most sacred and humane feeling...'" The Doctor began quoting as she read through the new files Atlana was sending her, which somewhat stunned the AI. The woman continued, the grim look in her eyes not vanishing, but rather having something like a veil over it, "'But it is born with such a pain of heart and torment of the soul that God forbid anyone experience it a second time...'"

"Pavel Batov," A familiar voice said as military boots clanked against the metal floors. The woman turned to see Captain Caleb marching toward them, rifle slung on his back and helmet off his head. He looked to Atlana and explained, "A general for a defunct country on Earth, that fought against an invading, genocidal enemy similar to our own... Although theirs was fellow humans," to which the VI/AI seemed to have a moment of pause.

"Let's not forget that the Communist regime in charge of Russia at the time was no better, captain," She sighed, "Although theirs was no real genocide, rather the failures of the system they tried to play with to maintain power."

"Yeah, I know," He replied, "Doesn't mean I can't respect some of the soldiery and officers of the Reds. Hate their ideology for all intents and purposes, seeing as my ancestors fought their resurgent Koslovic movement during the Jovian Moons Campaign, but they had some ideas behind them that they were right about. One of them is the pure desire for revenge."

"Revenge will only lead a man so far. What do you do after that goal is accomplished, Captain?" She inquired, "If you go on a quest for revenge, remember to dig two graves."

Caleb snorted, then said, "All due respect, ma'am? I doubt the entire Covenant's gonna fit in one measly grave..."

"Nor are the Reapers," Atlana added.

Doctor Grayson sighed, then looked to the Captain and nodded, "Very well, Amir."

"How goes the research?" He asked, sitting himself down next to her and looking at Atlana, "You two got anything new you want to share with the Grunts? Some of my people have been getting antsy over being stuck in orbit. Cabin fever's starting to set in, so I've been trying to distract them with shooting range runs and exercises, but that... Kind of only goes so far when your family's also stuck in the ice."

"I asked the Admiral to provide your unit as an escort for an expedition to one of the coordinate series Atlana has provided for us. You will be able to hopefully move freely with me onto the Prowler that will take us there..." She replied, then stopped as her tablet pinged. She hummed, thumbed the pad and opened the message, before grinning, "It seems that departure will be soon. Tomorrow, at Oh-Six-hundred hours, the UNSC Prowler Eye for an Eye is returning from exploring one of the nearby binary systems."

The man hummed, then grinned, "Sounds good to us, doctor. I and my unit will be in the Hangar tomorrow at oh-five hundred, in full kit and carrying any supplies deemed necessary for the trip," and he looked to Atlana, "What about her, though? Gonna take her along? Could be a useful item to have when it comes to these Concordat folks and their tech."

"I can copy myself, leave subroutines with you for the exploration of my people's ruins if you wish, doctor Grayson," Atlana offered calmly.

Grayson smiled, "I would appreciate it..." And she looked around at the rest of her science team.

They had their work cut out for them, she was sure. And even if they would not live to see it fulfilled, their Children would return to Earth and reconquer it, should it be required, from the grips of the Enemy. They would, perhaps, carry that same noble wrath that humanity chose to rebuild with, onward into the battle against the Reapers and back to their home world.