Calculating the shortest vector between a vector and a truncated cone

I am trying to understand a certain implementation of calculating the shortest vector between a vector and a truncated cone in 3D. The original idea is introduced in this paper.

So if we have two spherical objects: Object A with radius $$r_A$$, position $$p_A$$ and velocity $$v_A$$ and Object B with radius $$r_B$$, position $$p_B$$ and velocity $$v_B$$, then we can represent this in a simpler way calculating the relative position and relative velocity and assuming that object A is a point and the radius of object B is $$r_A$$ + $$r_B$$.

In 2D, this will look like doing the transformation from figure (a) to figure (b) where $$\tau$$ is just a scalar factor:

The 3D figure is similar but instead of circles, we have spheres.

Now, if the relative velocity vector lies in the grayed truncated cone, we should find the vector $$\mathbf{u}$$ which is the smallest change to the relative velocity $$\mathbf{V}$$ to move it to the circumference of the cone as depicted in the following figure (note: $$\mathbf{P}$$ is the relative position):

This has two cases:

1. If the relative velocity is below the center of the cut-off circle (below the dashed blue line). In this case $$\mathbf{u}$$ will be on the cut-off circle (the smaller circle).

2. The second case, which I don't understand how it is calculated, is when the relative velocity is above the center of the small circle(sphere), in this case $$\mathbf{u}$$ will be projected on the tangents of the cone. The intersection of the plane represented by $$\mathbf{P}$$ and $$\mathbf{V}$$ vectors and the big sphere is a circle that $$\mathbf{u}$$ will lie on.

    const Vector3 relativePosition = other->position_ - position_;
const Vector3 relativeVelocity = velocity_ - other->velocity_;
const float distSq = absSq(relativePosition);

Plane plane;
Vector3 u;

if (distSq > combinedRadiusSq) {
/* No collision. */
const Vector3 w = relativeVelocity - tau * relativePosition;
/* Vector from cutoff center to relative velocity. */
const float wLengthSq = absSq(w);

const float dotProduct = w * relativePosition;

if (dotProduct < 0.0f && sqr(dotProduct) > combinedRadiusSq * wLengthSq) {
/* Project on cut-off circle. */
const float wLength = std::sqrt(wLengthSq);
const Vector3 unitW = w / wLength;

plane.normal = unitW;
u = (combinedRadius * tau - wLength) * unitW;
}
else {
**/* Project on cone. I Don't understand this! */

const float a = distSq;
const float b = relativePosition * relativeVelocity;
const float c = absSq(relativeVelocity) - absSq(cross(relativePosition, relativeVelocity)) / (distSq - combinedRadiusSq);
const float t = (b + std::sqrt(sqr(b) - a * c)) / a;
const Vector3 ww = relativeVelocity - t * relativePosition;
const float wwLength = abs(ww);
const Vector3 unitWW = ww / wwLength;
plane.normal = unitWW;
u = (combinedRadius * t - wwLength) * unitWW;**
}
}


I know in the end we need to find $$\mathbf{t}$$ to scale $$\mathbf{P}$$. However, I don't understand how the cross product is utilized here and what does the quadratic equation that we are trying to solve represent.

This function can be found here.