Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

‘We made it!’

The first words she’d uttered in a new galaxy. Sara inhaled shakily, blinking furiously to try and shake off the lingering fuzziness of cryo-sleep. Damn, always hoped my first words in Andromeda would be better than that, she thought ruefully.

‘Ryder. Excellent, you’re awake.’ Lexi T’Perro whipped out her omni-tool and proceeded to give Sara a thorough medical scan, assisted by a pair of human medtechs. Sara grinned, allowing them to fuss over her, as the reality of her situation began to sink in.

‘Andromeda. We’re finally here. It’s real, it’s all… real.’ She laughed softly to herself, glancing eagerly around. The medbay was familiar at least, all gleaming white and chrome, with the Hyperion’s medical personnel already smartly dressed and fully alert. If she focused, she could feel the very faint hum of the ship’s eezo thrusters, still propelling them smoothly through space. Clearly, they hadn’t docked anywhere yet.

‘What’s going on, doc?’ she asked, eyeing the bustling medtechs interestedly. ‘We haven’t landed, right? So, what’s going on? Why is everyone hustling?’

As if in answer, her father’s voice crackled over the comm. ‘Attention. This is Alec Ryder. I want the pathfinder team to the bridge immediately. Repeat, pathfinder team to the bridge.’

Lexi raised her brows good-humouredly. ‘It sounds like you’re about to find out.’ She tapped her omni-tool a few more times, checking Sara’s SAM implant, before finally clearing her to leave the bay.

Shortly after, all hell broke loose.

Aboard the Tempest; several days later...

‘Fuck it.’ Sara slammed her fist against the wall, wincing as the movement sent a jarring pain through her skull. She slumped into a chair, picking up the datapad that she’d begun to turn into a haphazard diary, narrowing her eyes and snorting mirthlessly at its contents.

Dear Diary,

Well, we’re here. We’ve arrived. Six hundred years in cryo-sleep has passed, and it feels like I only closed my eyes for a few seconds. I suppose I should be grateful for that. No weird dreams or anything. But as for everything else, well… all I can think of is the fact that we’ve been basically rocketing from one disaster to another. For example:

Fuckup number one: the Hyperion almost gets totalled arriving in Andromeda. Something they’re calling the ‘scourge’ I think? Science teams already busting ass to figure that one out.

Fuckup two: Scott’s slipped into a coma. Not even in Andromeda a few minutes and he’s already gotten into trouble. Overslept on Day One, typical. Lexi and Harry had better get him back in the game soon. I need him. Badly.

Fuckup three: Habitat 7. What a bust. Toxic air, creepy tentacle-plants, and super-aggressive, ugly bone-faced gun-toting aliens. Yeah, a real golden world all right.

Fuckup four: first contact. Back to the ugly gun-toting aliens again. Still trying to decide if that was my fault or not. Still, we followed protocol, and they fired on us first. I guess there’s always going to be assholes, even in a new galaxy.

Fuckup five: dad.

But here, the diary ended. There was nothing more that she could say. The loss was still far too raw, far too real, to put words around her grief. Even though she and Alec hadn’t exactly been close over the years during her mother’s illness, he’d always been there somehow: confident, calm, assured, in control. And now, he was dead.

She grunted in frustration, hurling the datapad away from her and resuming her pacing around the Pathfinder’s quarters. Her quarters, now. It was certainly an elegant space, with a spectacular view; not that she was in any mood to admire it. For her, Andromeda was no longer a place of adventure, magic, and wonder. For Sara, it was rapidly becoming a small slice of hell.

She stormed into the en-suite bathroom and slammed the door, leaning heavily on the sink and glaring at her reflection in the mirror. ‘Damn it,’ she muttered. She looked like a ghost of her former self. Dark purplish shadows had gathered beneath her pale eyes, and her skin was even more pallid than usual, with no hint of colour flushing her cheeks. Her lips were compressed, drawn into a tight frown that stared accusingly out of the mirror from beneath a wildly tangled mass of sky-blue hair.

Snorting irritably, Sara grabbed a brush and began working through some of the tangles, glad to have something to do with her hands. Back in the Milky Way, her hair had been her pride and joy: her crowning glory, her mother used to call it. It was soothing, in a way: working out the knots, smoothing the full length of it into something at least vaguely manageable.

But no amount of brushing is about to smooth out all these bullshit problems we’ve hit since arrival, that’s for damn certain, she thought venomously.

Pathfinder Ryder… hah!

She glowered at the mirror, a surging bitterness rising to grasp at her throat. She remembered the disappointed and scornful expressions of Tann and Addison when they learned that her father was dead, and she’d been made Pathfinder in his stead. It made her feel sick to her soul.

Got no faith in me, huh? she thought viciously. Well, get in line to join the fucking club. We’ve got jackets. She laid down the brush, breathing heavily. She needed Scott. Her twin brother: so alike, and yet so different from her in many ways. Not that he was the rational one of the pair – far from it, in fact. But he’d always known what to say; how to calm her, to chase away her fears, preventing her from bottling up her worries into a tightly knotted coil of tension that sat in the middle of her chest and made her want to scream.

‘Fuck,’ she repeated; but more quietly than before. Her anger was slowly draining away, leaving only a dull, hollow ache in its place. She was exhausted. Her head was pounding, her limbs ached, and she knew without even looking that her hands were trembling, sparking with faint biotic flashes as her nerves reacted to days of near-constant stress. There was nothing she could do. She was the Pathfinder now, like it or not, and she had a duty. There would be time later, perhaps: time to weep, and to grieve. But it was not now. Not when so many lives were resting upon her shoulders.

‘Well then, SAM,’ she said aloud, straightening her back and smoothing her hair back, trying to breathe slowly and deeply, just as her mother would have told her to do. ‘It looks like it’s just you and me now, huh?’

‘Indeed, Pathfinder,’ came SAM’s serene, calming tones. Except now, they were coming to her from inside her own head. ‘I am aware that much has changed for you, over a very emotionally stressful period of time. I wish you to know that I will do everything within my capabilities to assist. You will not be alone in the tasks that you face.’

‘Thanks.’ Sara swallowed hard, nodding in agreement, even though she knew the AI did not need to see it. ‘Better try and catch a wink of sleep, I suppose. It won’t be long before we reach Eos; and something tells me it’s not exactly going to be sunshine and flowers.’

‘According to the research logs, I must inform you to expect sunshine in plentiful amounts, Pathfinder,’ replied SAM. ‘The flowers, however, will likely be in short supply.’

Sara rolled her eyes. Of course they would be.

*

Chapter Text

‘Yes! We did it!’ Ryder crowed, raising a fist and punching the air, momentarily caught up in a whiling, giddy exultation before collapsing in a laughing, trembling, exhausted heap. After all, running at full tilt through an alien vault being pursued by a terrifying death-cloud wasn’t exactly something you did every day.

‘Damn right we did it!’ agreed Liam, on his hands and knees beside her, breathing heavily. ‘Just… I don’t suppose we can do things a bit slower next time? And maybe not have to run for our lives from whatever the fuck that was? You know, the murder-smoke?’

‘Aw, you’re no fun,’ replied Sara, wrinkling her nose. An undignified whoop from Peebee showed that the young asari agreed with her wholeheartedly. ‘Come on, Liam,’ she added. ‘You’ve got to admit, that’s been more exciting than anything we’ve had to put up with on Eos so far.’

He grunted good-humouredly. ‘I guess the lack of sand down there was a good thing. Bloody stuff gets through every gap in your armour, I swear.’

Sara grinned, tapping her omnitool. ‘SAM?’ she asked, directing her gaze upwards. ‘How’re we doing? Any change? Please, tell me that was worth it.’

‘Yes, Pathfinder,’ replied the AI immediately. ‘Scans show that Eos’s ground radiation has begun clearing at a steadily increasing rate. The remnant technology has worked to your advantage. It would appear to be… terraforming.'

‘So… does that mean…?’ she hesitated, not wanting to ask the question.

‘Yes,’ replied SAM, his electronic voice unusually warm-sounding. If she hadn’t known better, Sara would have said that the AI was smiling. ‘Eos is ready for a new outpost, Pathfinder. A suitable location has already been marked on your map.’

‘Bloody hell.’ Liam was back on his feet. ‘That’s big. I mean… really big, you know?’ He flashed her a brilliant smile. ‘Giving people hope again, giving them a home: that’s what it’s all about, right?’ He leaned over and punched her arm gently. ‘Well done… Pathfinder.’

Sara nodded, some of her previous euphoria beginning to ebb. Pathfinder. The title still sat uncomfortably on her shoulders, as though she was a child playing dress-up in her father’s shoes. But so far, she’d been able to focus on clearing the pockets of kett out of Eos, exploring the bewildering mechanics of the remnant, and mostly ignoring the hard, painful knot of tension that still sat deep in her chest.

‘Come on. It’s time we reported back to the Nexus. Maybe for once, Addison will actually be pleased to hear what I’ve got to say,’ she replied, forcing her expression into what she hoped was a smile as they heaved themselves wearily back into the Nomad. Perhaps, if she kept herself busy, kept pressing forwards, she’d be able to avoid thinking too much about… well, everything.

Perhaps.

*

‘Pathfinder, can we talk?’

Sara groaned internally, but made certain her expression betrayed none of her anxiety as Cora’s voice sounded directly behind her.

‘Sure thing,’ she replied, spinning around to smile awkwardly at the taller woman. ‘You okay?’

‘I… don’t know.’ Cora ran a frustrated hand through her white-blonde crop of hair, shaking her head as if trying to dislodge a troubling thought. ‘Things have been… tense, I guess. You know I was Alec’s second, and thought… always thought that I’d be next in line to be Pathfinder.'

‘I know.’ Sara swallowed awkwardly. ‘I’m sorry, Cora. I never meant to step on your toes. If it’d been my choice…’

The biotic waved her words away with an impatient hand. ‘I don’t want you feeling sorry for me, Ryder. What’s done is done, after all. I just… God, I don’t know. Wanted to let you know that there’s no hard feelings, I guess.’

Sara blinked, surprised by the sincerity in the other woman’s words. Ever since she’d woken up in SAM node on the Hyperion with an AI in her mind and a headache that could have knocked out a krogan, she’d been a little wary of Cora. The woman was fit, smart, capable, determined – practically a force of nature. She was everything that Ryder wasn’t.

‘That’s… pretty amazing of you, Cora,’ Sara managed to reply. ‘Thanks. I mean it.’

‘No worries.’ The biotic smiled warmly, seeming relieved. Sara guessed that she’d been trying to work herself up to say something for a while now. ‘Besides, things are really looking up after what we managed with that remnant vault on Eos,’ she added, brightening up. ‘It was incredible. What you did – was incredible.’

Sara chuckled. ‘Stuff like that always sounds way cooler than it was. Really, it was a lot of fiddling about with unknown tech, and hoping it wouldn’t blow up in our faces. Which it very nearly did, remember?’

Cora laughed quietly, shaking her head. ‘I’m not likely to forget,’ she said, pulling a wry face. ‘That was… exhilarating, I suppose is one word for it. But it’s not something I’d like to try for a repeat of. Especially with that… purging cloud, or whatever it was. The thing that Liam insists on calling the murder-smoke.’

‘Yeah.’ Sara smirked. ‘Hey SAM, any input on what Liam’s murder-smoke actually was?’ she added.

‘I believe it was some form of purification field, Pathfinder,’ came SAM’s voice from overhead.

‘Right. Purification field. That sounds better. We’ll use that for the reports,’ Sara grinned. ‘A little more professional, a little less B-movie horror-story. Especially as I don’t think that’s the last we’ll be seeing of those weird vaults. If the data SAM picked up was accurate, there’s another on a planet in the Onaon system. One that’s already active, maybe like a hub of sorts. If we can figure out what makes them tick… how they really work…’

‘We could finally get our golden worlds.’ Cora finished her sentence, a soft smile creasing the corners of her hazel eyes.

‘Yeah.’ Sara nodded, feeling a tiny, barely noticeable amount of tension lifting itself from her shoulders. She hadn’t realized quite how much she’d been worrying about Cora – about how hurt and betrayed the other woman must feel, having been thrown into a bewildering role-reversal. After all, she’d been training to become a Pathfinder for years. Next to her, Sara felt like a bumbling child, second-guessing herself over everything, making decisions that she was nowhere near qualified to make, with the burden of thousands upon thousands of souls resting on her shoulders…

No, she told herself firmly. I’m not going to think about that now. One problem at a time. She smiled, bidding Cora goodbye, before heading back up to the Pathfinder’s quarters. To her quarters, she reminded herself. She needed time to rest, maybe grab a shower, even try and nap for an hour before they docked at the Nexus and she was forced into another long meeting with Addison and Tann.

Sleep, she thought muzzily, her exertions from the past few days catching up with her at last. Sleep sounds pretty awesome right now. She dropped onto her bed, not bothering to undress, toeing off her shoes before rolling onto the pillow with a muffled groan. Whatever she had to face next, whatever new decisions were about to be thrust upon her, whatever else Andromeda would bring… it could wait until after she’d had a nap.

*

Chapter Text

Dear Diary,

So, it’s been… what, almost a month now, give or take? I don’t know to be honest, the days have all been blurring together lately. I’ve been spending so much time on Eos that whenever I close my eyes, all I can see is sand. The damn stuff gets literally everywhere.

Sara paused, tapping her datapad pensively. She’d decided to try and keep up with the diary, if only to bring some order to her down-time; and to have a place to give vent to the kind of ‘unprofessional’ thoughts that a Pathfinder probably shouldn’t go shouting about. Besides, it gave her a safe place to bitch about Tann and Addison; and that alone was reason enough to continue.

At least, with that vault active, the ground radiation on Eos has been clearing at a steady rate. There are still some places that aren’t safe to go; but for now, it’s looking good. We’ve finally been able to put down some roots. It’s been brilliant for keeping everyone’s spirits up, even though it’s also been a royal pain in the ass.

She smiled to herself. It had certainly felt good watching the Nexus shuttles arrive, bringing colonists and equipment to set up their new outpost: Podromos. The people’s good-natured determination, the hope sparking in their eyes, had been like a balm to Sara’s fraying nerves. Finally, here were some people who thought she was doing a good job.

It had done wonders for the team’s morale too. Liam had been walking with a new spring in his step, talking eagerly about outposts and golden worlds with a bright, hopeful smile whenever she bumped into him. Cora too seemed far less edgy than before; although Sara wasn’t sure how much of that had to do with the outpost, and how much it had to do with finally being able to smooth things over between them. Like she’d said in her email, things weren’t fixed yet – not by a long way. But things were definitely… better.

Vetra too seemed in good spirits, although Sara still found the turian difficult to read. It had also helped matters no end that they’d picked up another couple of recruits for the pathfinder team: Peebee, the remnant-happy archaeologist; and Drack, who Sara had already unofficially nicknamed Grumpy Space Grandpa. The only person who seemed unhappy was Gil, who had given her a very severe talking-to about how poorly she’d been treating the Nomad lately. Apparently, driving off cliffs and into sand dunes was generally frowned upon by mechanics.

Sara sighed internally. It all helped. It all made a difference, somewhere. Or at least, she hoped it did. But it seemed that she’d only taken the first very small steps into becoming a ‘real’ Pathfinder. Because that, right there, was the problem. She still felt like an imposter, wearing a title she had no right to claim; and for that reason, among others, the horrible knot of tension was still sitting squarely in her chest. On the plus side, it had driven her to keep moving; to keep pushing, achieving things, to keep going; if only to avoid having any down-time to actually think. In a way, everything she’d done so far – Eos, Podromos, even her spells at the Nexus – all felt like some kind of surreal dream. One that, if she stopped moving, she’d awake from; and be forced to deal with the awful reality that despite her cheerful crew, and the ever-present SAM, she still felt terribly, horribly alone.

*

‘It’s time.’ Sara nodded, bracing herself in front of the Tempest’s galaxy map, trying to exude a confidence she really didn’t feel. ‘Kallo, plot a course to Onaon. Let’s go find that second vault.’

‘On your command, Pathfinder,’ replied Kallo. Sara glanced sideways, smiling at the eager expression on the pilot’s face as his skilful fingers practically danced over the controls, before turning to watch as the Tempest soared through space, blinking as expanding stars and rainbow-hued nebulas flickered in and out of her vision. No matter how many times she’d seen it before, space travel was still a breathtakingly beautiful sight.

‘Pathfinder!’ Kallo’s voice rang out again, suddenly urgent. ‘We’re on a collision course with unknown objects!’

‘What?’ Ryder gaped for a moment. ‘Shit! Make corrections! No collisions!’ she glanced around wildly. ‘SAM, are you on this? Give Kallo some support!’

‘Collision is imminent.’ SAM’s artificial voice rang out, moments before the Tempest slewed to an ungainly halt. Sara’s jaw dropped at the sight that greeted her. It appeared they’d jumped right into the middle of a kett fleet.

Not just any fleet, Sara’s internal thought mumbled. Fuck me, that’s a whole armada out there. Warships, cruisers, dreadnaughts… shit shit shit, why didn’t they put any goddamn guns on this goddamn ship?

‘Kett ships,’ murmured Suvi. ‘A dozen – no, more…’ she trailed off, breathless. Sara watched fear scrawl its way over her delicate features, knowing full well that her own expression mirrored it.

‘They’ve got us pinned against the Scourge,’ breathed Kallo.

‘Pathfinder, we are being scanned.’ SAM’s cool monotone sounded startlingly out of place to Sara’s ears. Her heart was thudding wildly.

‘Well… scan them back!’ replied Sara shakily. Panic was clawing its way up her throat as, without warning, the Tempest’s comm screen flickered into life, and Sara found herself staring into the eyes of a kett.

‘Where is the one that activated the remnant?’ the creature demanded. Sara narrowed her eyes. This… creature, with its milky eyes and bony head protuberances, looked strangely intimidating on the Tempest’s large screen, magnified many times its actual size. She swallowed hard, hearing the rest of her team come pelting into the room, skidding to a halt just behind her.

‘The DNA signature is there,’ the kett’s voice blared again. ‘Answer me!’

My father, Sara realized in a flash. It’s dad he wants – he’s mistaken me, my DNA, for him. She smiled wryly. The irony of his mistake was not lost on her. From the corner of her eye she spotted Liam take a protective step forward, only to be dragged back by Cora.

Anger flared within her. Who the hell was this guy to be making such demands, anyway?

‘You’re the one in my way,’ she replied, raising her voice. ‘Who the hell are you?’ She set her jaw determinedly, narrowing her eyes into a fierce glare, trying to put every ounce of disdain that she could summon into those few words. Fuck, she thought. I really hope we’ll have the edge if things go sideways quickly. Otherwise, bad-mouthing this guy might just prove to be my dumbest idea yet.

As if on cue, warning lights began to flash on the Tempest’s console. ‘They’ve locked navigation,’ said Suvi, aghast as her fingers jabbed uselessly at the unresponsive controls.

‘We’re being steered into their ship!’ added Kallo, the panic clear in his voice.

Yeah thanks, I can see that already, Sara’s internal voice snarled. Fuck. Fuckity fuck. Time to be brave. ‘Just tell me what you want!’ she snapped, turning to face the kett onscreen once more.

‘I won’t explain what you can’t understand,’ came the sneering, disdainful reply.

Shit. Running out of options. Sara opened her mouth to reply, but was halted by a soft voice in her ear.

‘Pathfinder.’ It was SAM, using their private channel. ‘I have almost regained control of the ship. I need a few more seconds.’

Sara paused. Distraction tactics? she thought quickly. Okay. Let’s buy SAM some time; and see just how much we can piss this guy off.

‘You think you scare me, huh?’ She said, leaning forwards to thrust her chin out defiantly. ‘Well, I’ve got news for you, dickbag. You can kiss my ass! How’s that for an answer?’

‘Enough.’ The kett leader snarled at her. ‘Your defiance is naive and reckless. This day marks the beginning of your greatness.’

‘SAM?’ breathed Sara, refusing to take her eyes from the screen as, around her, the Tempest’s consoles flickered back to life.

‘I have plotted a course through the Scourge,’ replied SAM. ‘Awaiting your word.’

Sara didn’t hesitate. ‘Do it!’ she yelled, grasping the rail firmly with one hand, while raising the other magnificently and flipping the on-screen kett the finger. She held on tightly as Kallo punched the controls, and the Tempest executed a smart about-turn in a flare of eezo. They seemed almost to dance through the twisting tendrils of the Scourge, while several kett ships attempted to give pursuit. Sara laughed grimly at the sound of explosions behind them as the larger, clumsier vessels were blown to smithereens.

‘Report?’ she gasped, glancing hopefully at Suvi.

‘Enemy destroyed… but damage to aft sensors,’ replied the engineer, throwing a worried look at Sara. She groaned.

‘Fuck. Get us out of here!’ said Liam, stumbling slightly as the Tempest lurched, still piloting a break-neck course through the Scourge. Sara nodded fervent agreement, clenching her jaw as, with a final heroic burst, the ship executed a dizzying turn, soaring free of the Scourge’s embrace and into blessedly empty space.

‘Yes!’ Kallo whooped triumphantly, and Sara finally remembered to breathe again. They were clear. They had escaped.

Drack was the first to break the silence with a loud, baritone guffaw. ‘Nice work, kid,’ he grinned at Kallo. The salarian looked shocked, but not entirely displeased, by the unexpected praise.

‘Yeah, but… who the hell was that guy?’ wondered Sara aloud, leaning on the rail as the after-effects of adrenaline flooded her system. ‘Reckon that was some kind of leader, or…?’

‘Ryder!’ Gil’s panicked voice came over the comm. ‘Ryder, we’ve got trouble down here! You need to find us a port, now!’

‘Great.’ Sara pinched the bridge of her nose. ‘Where the hell did we end up, anyway?’

Suvi brought up her display panel. ‘Sensors are damaged but… I think we’re roughly at the vault’s coordinates,’ she replied. ‘That planet down there, see?’

‘Really? Huh.’ Sara smiled wanly. It seemed that one thing at least had gone to plan. ‘Right. Find somewhere to set us down. Gil, give us what you can.’

As they soared through the planet’s atmosphere, Sara drew in a deep, steadying breath. One that was quickly released when Suvi, fingers still on her controls, spoke up.

‘Ryder, we’re being contacted.’ Even as she spoke, several unfamiliar vessels appeared, swinging elegantly in alongside the Tempest, seeming almost to be herding them down.

Sara groaned. ‘We’ve no choice but to land. Open a comm.’ She bit her lip, expecting to hear more demands in harsh kett voices. But instead, what came through was assuredly not from the kett.

‘What the hell?’ Sara glanced sideways. ‘Did anyone get that? No?’ Her team all shook their heads. Great, she thought. Don’t tell me I’m about to fuck up another first contact situation. The universe wouldn’t be that unfair, would it?

‘Shit.’ She pulled herself together, turning towards the comm as they continued their descent. ‘Um… hi. We’re travellers from another galaxy. We come in peace…?’ she ventured, ignoring Liam’s badly-disguised snort of laughter from behind her.

A further babble of alien voices was her only response. Clearly, their translators hadn’t caught up with the language yet. Sara wondered if these new aliens, whoever they were, knew what she was saying; or whether her already crippled ship was about to be shot out of the air.

‘They’ve sent us a navpoint,’ interjected Kallo, the surprise evident in his tone.

Sara breathed deeply. ‘Follow it, and set us down,’ she instructed. ‘It’s not as if we have much of a choice.’ She gripped the Tempest’s rail tightly, forcing down the panic that was rising like bubbles inside her chest. Here we go again, she thought to herself, clenching her jaw so hard it hurt.

‘I am detecting an unhealthy rise in your cortisol levels, Pathfinder,’ said SAM, via their private channel. ‘Do not be afraid. I will be with you, and will assist in whatever capacity necessary.’

‘Thanks SAM,’ breathed Sara, closing her eyes briefly before drawing herself up determinedly, steadfastly ignoring the growing knot of tension that was pulsing in her chest. ‘Right then. Let’s do this.’

*

Chapter Text

‘Look at that,’ breathed Sara. ‘It’s beautiful.’

Guided by the alien ships, the Tempest had pushed through the planet’s atmosphere and was skimming lightly over the new world. Gazing out of the front viewing windows, Sara felt her eyes widen with astonishment as her ship slowed and they approached the navpoint. A lush jungle seemed to surround them, guarding a settlement of such expanse and girth that Sara knew it had to be a city; and a big one too.

She held her breath, wincing as Gil’s complaints came grumbling over the comm. The Tempest was in a bad way. Wherever they were, whoever these people turned out to be, Sara desperately hoped they were friendly – friendly enough to allow them to repair their ship and then leave, at least.

Calm down, she told herself internally. Remember why we’re here. ‘We need in that vault,’ she said aloud, pushing away from the rail and steeling herself to disembark.

‘Please.’ Vetra’s gravelly drawl came from behind her. ‘Tell me you’re not really going out there on your own.’ She sounded as laid-back as always, but Sara had known enough turians back in the Milky Way to recognise the faint keening that thrummed though her sub-vocals. Vetra was worried.

Sara shrugged. ‘We can’t afford a repeat of last time,’ she replied, trying to keep her tone light. ‘Besides, I’m the Pathfinder – so first contact is on me.’

Beside her, Liam chuckled nervously. ‘Most important thing ever. No pressure, then.’

Sara snorted agreement, feeling infinitely grateful in that moment for his support. She glanced around, noticing that the entire crew was watching her with a wary kind of trepidation. Cora was chewing her lip anxiously, as though biting back words of caution. Peebee’s eyes were wide and expectant, and Vetra’s mandibles were fluttering nervously. She swallowed hard. Come on, Sara, she thought to herself determinedly. You can do this.

‘Right. So, uh, if this goes badly…’ she grinned, trying to joke some of her anxiety away, ‘if I get eaten alive, even if it’s hilarious – do me a favour, and please destroy the vids.’ She backed out of the flightdeck, raising one hand in a vague gesture of farewell before turning and heading downwards. Holy shit, she thought to herself. What do I do? What do I say? Will I have to shake hands? Hell, will they even have hands? What do I do if they don’t have hands? She grimaced, trying unsuccessfully to scrub some of the sweat from her palms as she walked. It had seemed like a brilliant idea at the time, to use the Tempest’s armour tinting facilities to add a bit of colour to her Initiative jumpsuit. But now, all she could think was how unprofessional her father would think she looked, ambling into a first contact situation on an alien planet, wearing what was essentially a fluorescent pink onesie.

The Tempest’s doors slid open. Sara walked slowly down the ramp, hands held carefully above her head. A warm breeze slid over her skin, tugging at her hastily bunned blue hair, carrying a fresh, heavenly scent that made her want to stop and simply breathe, just for a moment – to breathe real, sweet air that wasn’t recycled like that on the Tempest or the Nexus, or filled with choking dust like that of Eos.

Oh my god, thought Sara, her gaze drifting. This place… it’s a paradise. Her gaze flickered, her attention being called by a thousand things at once: the tinkling waterfalls, the rippling lake beside the landing pad, the colourful buildings, the flowering plants… and the large, angry-looking, heavily armed aliens, her inner thought reminded her, bringing her back to reality with a jolt. A group of around a dozen had surrounded her at the base of the ramp, all armoured and helmeted so that she was unable to see their faces.

‘Tas goaj, yabe jenvad,’ one of the masked figures snapped out, gesturing with his rifle.

‘Uh… need me to take my shoes off?’ Sara joked nervously, shifting from foot to foot as a scanner was levelled in her direction. SAM, can you please hurry up with the translating? she thought desperately.

‘I am working to my fullest capacity, Pathfinder,’ came SAM’s response over their private channel. ‘It would appear their language is an unusually complex construction.'

Great, thought Sara, trying to hold still. Just my luck. She blinked as the scanner snapped off. Whatever had happened, it seemed the alien was satisfied. ‘Eham daar goss,’ came the rumbling pronouncement. ‘Naasen roa.’ They stepped aside, parting like a tide to allow Sara to continue forwards, hands above her head. She was marched along towards a small flight of steps, where half a dozen unmasked aliens were waiting.

Holy shit, thought Sara, trying hard not to stare like a dumbfounded child. They’re all so… beautiful. Just like this place. Their skins seemed to range in colour from deep fuchsia pink, through lilac, to a stunning pale aquamarine; while their eyes were large and cat-like, with vertical slits for pupils.

‘I am Paaran Shie, governor of Aya,’ the lead figure, a female, intoned sternly. ‘We are the Angara.’

Sara nodded, eyes wide. ‘Hello,’ she said, hoping she didn’t sound nearly as breathless as she felt, internally thanking SAM for his translating. ‘I’m a Pathfinder with the Initiative.’

‘Yes. You crossed darkspace. We have heard of your journey.’ The governor looked Sara up and down carefully. Her tone had been decidedly neutral.

Oh crap, thought Sara instantly. Of course – the Nexus exiles – have they run into them too? Damn, I bet they didn’t make a good first impression… she hesitated, wondering what on earth to say, whether to apologise; but she was temporarily spared answering as another alien – an angara, she corrected herself silently – pushed to the fore.

‘Jaal,’ snapped Paaran Shie, a flicker of annoyance crossing her elegant countenance. ‘I have this in hand.’

‘Evfra saw the ship come in, and sent me to find out what’s going on,’ the newcomer rumbled, stepping swiftly forwards and glaring down at Sara.

She swallowed hard. He was tall – taller than any human she’d known, even Scott – and broad too, with powerful wide-set shoulders tapering down to a narrow, muscular waist. Damn, he looks as if he could snap me in half and barely raise a sweat, Sara thought, feeling her pulse quicken anxiously. I wonder if they’re all so tall? Maybe the gravity here’s slightly lower, or the atmosphere’s richer in oxygen, or…?

Her thoughts collapsed as the new angara, Jaal, pushed right into her personal space, until they were practically nose-to-nose. ‘Aya is hidden. Protected,’ he said. His words were soft, but carried an unmistakable hint of menace. ‘What do you want?’

Sara blinked. ‘I, uh… I apologise,’ she stuttered, staring up into the angara’s searching blue gaze. ‘Landing here, the way we did, without warning and, um, on fire… that was not the plan.’ She winced internally. Stupid, stupid, her inner thought hissed. For a moment, she thought Jaal was going to strike her. His eyes narrowed, becoming dark with intensity. But the moment passed; and Jaal stepped back.

‘That’s good to know,’ he replied. ‘Because if it was… then it was a very bad plan.’ For an instant, Sara thought she caught something like humour flicker deep within those wide, crystalline eyes, before his gaze hardened once more, and he turned away. ‘I’ll inform Evfra,’ he added, glancing at Paaran Shie. ‘He’ll be waiting for you in his office at the Resistance headquarters. I’ll meet you there.’

The governor nodded. ‘I will accompany you through our city,’ she said, turning back towards Sara. ‘Your crew will stay on your ship. Follow me.’

*

There was no doubt about it: Aya was incredible.

Even herded through the city by the governor and her guards, Sara felt her nerves ebbing as she drank in the beauty all around her. The space was gloriously bright, with heady scented plants intermingling with the alien architecture. Unfamiliar birds fluttered overhead, their strange, fluting trills somehow comforting as Sara tried to ignore the hushed whispers and open stares from other angara as she passed.

‘Your city is beautiful,’ she said, as they passed yet another glittering waterfall.

‘Thank you,’ replied Paaran Shie, surprise at the honest praise evident in her tone. ‘You are the first outsider to see it,’ she added, as they approached a set of sliding doors.

‘I’m honoured,’ nodded Sara, her eyes wandering towards yet another unfamiliar tropical plant, its leaves a dark, shining green, heavy with large, scented blooms. ‘Uh… so what happens if Evfra doesn’t like me?’ she added, twisting her fingers together nervously.

The governor snorted with dry amusement. ‘He won’t,’ she replied bluntly. ‘You will need to earn his trust.’

Ah. One of those types of guys. Sara nodded thoughtfully. ‘He’s responsible for everyone’s safety. I get that.’

‘You’re a leader?’ Paaran Shie asked, seeming surprised.

‘Trying to be,’ Sara replied, trying to mask the wince of pain the angara’s words brought to her face as the image of her father appeared in her mind’s eye. She bit her lip, pushing the memory firmly away. It was something she’d gotten good at over the past few weeks.

The doors slid open. At a gesture from the governor Sara stepped inside, immediately almost bumping into a departing angara. She sidestepped hastily, trying to ignore the shock on his face when he saw her, turning and coming unexpectedly face to face with Jaal once again.

Well, he did say he’d be waiting, she thought, glancing warily up at him, expecting to be greeted with that same, mistrusting stare. But to her surprise, his expression, while still guarded, seemed softer than before. Sara wondered if it had something to do with the absence of a crowd.

‘Our experience with the kett makes us naturally distrustful of all aliens,’ he said. Sara hesitated. Was there something… almost apologetic in his tone?

‘We’ve had our own run-ins with the kett,’ she told him, raising a wry eyebrow. That, at least, was something she could sympathise with.

‘Then… you really do understand,’ replied Jaal, his expression becoming curious. ‘When the Archon came to Heleus, he demolished our sovereign state. Took what he wanted, as if we were nothing,’ he added, his tone turning bitter. ‘Now, the kett mercilessly abduct angara. Often, we never see our people again.’ A fleeting, but powerful sorrow seemed to flicker over his face, before he quickly seemed to shake himself. ‘Come this way. Evfra is waiting,’ he added.

‘Wait,’ Sara said, her voice rising uncertainly. ‘So the kett kidnap you? Steal your people?’ She was shocked. How could he have just said something like that so casually, before brushing it off and changing the subject?

Jaal nodded. ‘And the Resistance fights them every day, with everything we can.’ There was a hint of pride in those words, Sara noticed. Pride, and a weary determination. She frowned. How was it possible for someone to flip through so many emotions, so very quickly? Was it just him, or were all angara like this: sorrowful one moment, proud and defiant the next?

‘Is it a war of attrition then? What are they after?’ asked Sara breathlessly, unable to let the matter drop. After all, she reasoned, she was the Pathfinder: it was her job to discover just what in the hell was going on in this fucked-up galaxy.

‘You should save your questions for Evfra,’ replied Jaal. His words were still brusque, but lacking their earlier hostility as they entered another chamber. This, Sara guessed, had to be the Resistance HQ: brimming with flashing screens and datapads, with a singularly gruff-voice and grumpy-sounding angara seated right in the middle, apparently on vid-call with someone.

‘...Kadara be damned. I won’t lose Voeld,’ he snapped, before severing the connection.

‘Evfra,’ called Jaal. ‘This is one of the aliens from the Milky Way – a Pathfinder.’

Sara pressed her lips together, fighting the urge to laugh at how the angara had pronounced Milky Way – slowly and carefully, stretching each syllable out as though experimenting with the unfamiliar sounds.

‘Pathfinder.’ Evfra turned to glare at Sara. ‘It’s an aggressive move, coming to Aya.’

Sara swallowed nervously. This angara was definitely a fighter – a leader, judging by his stance and his piercing blue glare. A long scar ran from browbone to jawline, giving him an intimidating appearance. Sara tried to draw herself up, feeling ridiculously small in comparison.

‘My people were bold enough to come to Andromeda across six hundred years of darkspace,’ she countered, raising her chin defiantly. ‘I need to be at least that bold to save them.’

Evfra snorted. ‘Never mind how you even found us. Why are you here?’

Shit. This is it. Sara drew in a deep, steadying breath. ‘On a hostile world we call Eos, my people found an ancient structure – a vault. I explored it, and was able to bring it back online. It stabilised that planet’s environment,’ she said, trying to infuse her words with a confidence she did not feel.

‘Remnant,’ muttered Jaal behind her. ‘Recent intelligence supports that claim.’ Sara jumped at the sound of his voice. In the face of Evfra’s intense, searching gaze, she had momentarily forgotten he was there.

‘If I’m right, there’s a vault here on Aya,’ she pressed on, noticing the fleeting expression of surprise on Evfra’s face. ‘But it’s different somehow. I need to get inside, and have a look.’

The was a moment of silence as Evfra considered her words, before turning away. Sara’s pulse thumped uncomfortably fast as she watched the angaran leader.

‘You’re right,’ sighed Evfra eventually. ‘There is a ‘vault’ here on Aya. But it was shut years ago, and the entrance is hidden. We… can’t help you.’

Sara blinked in surprise. Was that regret in Evfra’s voice? But before she could ponder the matter any further, Jaal interrupted.

‘The Moshae could. She’s our most revered scientist and elder. She knows this vault.’

‘But now the kett have her.’ Evfra’s reply was snapped out, accompanied by a glare. Sara could practically feel the anger and frustration radiating from the angaran leader. ‘Our rescue attempts have failed. She is lost to us. And you,’ he added, shooting a glower in Sara’s direction.

‘There must be another way,’ Sara protested, determined not to be out-stared by the angry angara. ‘Will you let me help? I’ve got a ship – well, so long as it’s not on fire anymore – and a good crew,’ she added, internally cursing her nervous babbling. ‘I can help. Just let me try.’

‘You are arrogant,’ spat Evfra, rounding on her furiously. ‘I don’t know you, let alone trust you. Why would I want your help?’

Sara sighed. ‘All right. I get it,’ she replied carefully, taking a pace back. The silence that followed was fraught with crackling tension. Belatedly, Sara remembered what SAM had told her privately, about the angara generating unusually high levels of bioelectricity. She had ignored him at the time, too busy focusing on what Paaran Shie had been saying. But now she could feel it – a distinct, crackling hum that seemed to reverberate through her very bones.

‘Evfra…’ Jaal was the one to break the silence. He was speaking slowly, carefully, his astoundingly blue eyes fixed unwaveringly on Sara. ‘I feel… Evfra, what this alien says is extraordinary.’ His voice was soft and very low. Sara could practically feel it thrumming through her. Her pulse quickened.

‘The Moshae would want us to be brave,’ he added quietly. ‘She would not want us to let this chance pass.’

‘Jaal, you talk too much.’ The Resistance leader sighed wearily, turning away. But it seemed that Jaal was having none of it.

‘Let me assess this alien,’ he persisted. ‘I’ll be your eyes. I know you can spare me.’

Evfra growled low in his throat, before giving a jerky nod of his head. ‘Go if you want,’ he snapped. ‘But when she tries to kill you, be prepared to strike first.’ He stalked off, leaving Sara and Jaal staring at one another.

Wait, what? Sara’s internal thoughts yelped. Did he seriously just… invite himself onto my ship? Into my crew? She hesitated, feeling her biotics tingle at the tips of her fingers. It was just nerves, she decided, staring up into the angara’s wide, alien eyes. Just nerves, obviously. Why would it be anything else?

‘My name is Jaal Ama Darav. I’ll be your envoy through Angaran space,’ Jaal intoned slowly. His eyes never once left hers. Sara released a slow, shallow breath, feeling her pulse quicken even more.

‘Thank you,’ she replied slowly. ‘For trusting me.’

‘I don’t,’ replied Jaal simply. ‘But I can always kill you in your sleep.’

‘That’s, uh… good to know,’ replied Sara uncertainly. Was that a hint of a smile she caught, once again? Was he being sarcastic? Or was she really about to go back to her ship with a potential alien assassin at her back?

Shit, I’m so not cut out for this kind of crap, she thought desperately, meeting Jaal’s wide blue gaze once again. What would dad have done? What would Scott do? Her heart gave a painful twist in her chest; but once again, she clamped down on those particular memories. Dad would have considered it a challenge, her inner voice whispered. He would have proven that we’re worthy of trust, come hell or high water.

‘Well, welcome aboard, Jaal Ama Darav,’ she said cautiously. ‘My name’s Ryder, and my ship’s called the Tempest. We’ve only got a small crew, but… uh, well, I guess you’ll fit right in.’

‘Just Jaal will do. And thank you,’ the angara replied. Sara nodded, watching him carefully. There it was again – the faintest of smiles, buried deep within those astonishing blue eyes. Something bright and sharp bloomed within her, lodging within her chest at the sight of it; a feeling she thought she had long since forgotten.

Hope.

*

Chapter Text

‘Your ship is…’ Jaal shook his head, staring up at the Tempest’s gleaming bulk. ‘We have nothing like it.’

Sara grinned at her new companion. ‘She’s a beauty all right. Just wait till you see inside,’ she replied happily, buoyed by the ill-concealed excitement that flickered over the angara’s face.

‘It gets better?’ he said, with a low chuckle.

‘Hell yeah,’ she nodded. ‘You ready to go now?’

‘I am.’ Jaal seemed to steel himself, straightening the unusual blue cape that he wore. Sara couldn’t help but notice anew the sheer breadth of his shoulders, wondering at the strength that must be contained within that broad, muscular chest.

‘Come on then,’ she replied, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind. ‘I’ll introduce you to the rest of the gang.’ Be calm, be cool, be professional, she told herself firmly. Or at least, if you can’t manage that, try not to make a complete ass of yourself.

‘We’ve only got a small crew,’ she told Jaal, feeling the Tempest’s engines hum quietly as they cleared Aya’s atmosphere. ‘I’ve asked them to meet me in the briefing room, so you can start putting names to faces.’

‘That is considerate of you.’ Jaal nodded thoughtfully as they walked through the ship. ‘I am interested in seeing more of you. More humans, I mean. Do they all look like you?’

Sara wrinkled her nose in amusement. ‘Not really. Although besides me, there are only four other humans on the team right now. There’s Cora, my second; Liam, our crisis specialist; Suvi, our science officer; and Gil, our chief engineer.’

‘I see.’ Jaal’s brow furrowed in confusion. ‘Then… the rest of your crew…?’

‘Are aliens,’ nodded Sara in confirmation, smiling in amusement at his surprise. ‘Our pilot, Kallo, is a salarian. He’s as clever as they come, and an incredible flyer. We’ve got two asari on board as well: our ship’s doctor, Lexi T’Perro, and Peebee. She’s… well, she’s the closest we have to a specialist on Remnant tech.’ She smiled awkwardly, wondering what he would make of their makeshift little group. ‘We’ve also got Vetra, who’s a turian, and Drack, our resident krogan,’ she added, glancing sideways to try and gauge his expression.

‘That is… extraordinary.’ He paused, frowning at her. ‘You are telling me that this ship houses no less than five separate species, all working in harmony together?’

Sara chuckled awkwardly. ‘I don’t know about harmony,’ she replied. ‘But yeah, we all get along, I guess. I’ve got info packs from the Nexus that contain some basic information about our separate species. I can forward them to you, if you’d like.’

‘I would. Thank you, Ryder.’ Jaal nodded thoughtfully, his expression becoming guarded once again. ‘I feel that there is much I need to learn while I am aboard this ship.’

‘Right.’ Sara nodded, internally berating herself for throwing him in the deep end. After all, the only aliens the angara had ever known were the kett; and here she was, about to introduce him to not only more of her own species, but four different new ones. ‘You can hang back, if you like,’ she added, shooting a worried glance in his direction. ‘I’ll take the meeting – or at least try to – and you can get a good look at the guys, and pipe up if you want to. Sound fair?’

He nodded, making a small noise of assent as Sara mounted the steps leading up to the comm room. As she expected, most of the team were already there. And, just as she expected, the meeting was… well, a shambles was putting it mildly.

‘All I’m saying is that as far as first contact goes, at least that was better than the last one,’ Cora was saying, her voice tight with frustration.

Liam snorted. ‘Only slightly.’

‘Yeah, what happened?’ Peebee chimed in eagerly. ‘I wanted to look around!’

‘Fat chance of that,’ grumbled Drack, pulling back his lips in a disappointed snarl. ‘All we got now is another mouth to feed. Whatever he eats,’ he added, glaring in Jaal’s direction.

Sara sighed, running a hand through her hair in frustration as the entire team turned as one to stare at Jaal, their expressions inquisitive. Jaal, for his part, said nothing, seeming content simply to return the stare.

‘Do the translators not work?’ inquired Vetra, narrowing her eyes at the silent angara.

‘They work.’ Jaal’s voice was low, his eyes roaming over each crew member individually. His expression was carefully neutral, regarding each one of them in turn with those wide, blue eyes. It seemed all he was inclined to say, for the moment.

‘Look, I know we’re all having to improvise at the moment,’ Sara said, trying to fill the increasingly uncomfortable silence. ‘But please let’s try and remember that there is Pathfinder team protocol?’ She shifted uncomfortably as the team turned their stares back towards her.

‘Don’t think I got that handbook,’ quipped Peebee, shrugging lightly. Cora, however, was having none of Sara’s gentle chiding.

‘Ryder, we followed our best lead here, and now we don’t even have that.’ The biotic huntress folded her arms defensively. Clearly, she was still carrying some lingering resentment towards Sara and her unexpected promotion.

‘I wouldn’t say that,’ countered Sara, trying to keep her tone light. ‘Jaal here has offered to do what he can to help us access the vault on Aya. That’s a start, right?’

Vetra shook her head irritably. ‘How do we do that when we’re leaving the planet it’s on?’

‘That’s… a fair point,’ Sara conceded wearily. She was tired, she realised. More than tired; she was exhausted. Now that the adrenaline of first contact had worn off, she could feel her limbs aching with fatigue from a long, stressful day. Their flight from the kett armada seemed like it was days ago; but in reality, it had only been a couple of hours at the most. ‘Jaal, can you help me out here?’ she added.

‘Seriously?’ muttered Cora, her brown eyes flashing disapproval. But Liam was having none of it, interrupting her by thumping the table decisively.

‘Hey, Ryder’s right,’ he said, throwing a glare in Cora’s direction. ‘We’ve got an angara right here. So, let’s hear from the new guy.’

Slowly, Jaal unfolded himself from where he had been lounging, approaching the group with some caution. His expression darkened under the group’s intense scrutiny.

‘One day, about eighty years ago, the Archon and the kett arrived in Heleus,’ he began, his voice a low, powerful rumble in the sudden silence. ‘And… the horror began.’

‘They declared war?’ asked Vetra, leaning forwards interestedly.

Jaal snorted lightly. ‘Nothing so easy to define, or fight,’ he replied. Sara saw a shadow of pain flicker across his face, and decided to step in.

‘The kett kidnap angara,’ she explained, glancing around the table. ‘Their people disappear without a trace. What if… what if they were us? How d’you think we would react?’ She straightened her shoulders decisively. ‘The kett are a menace. To every sentient being in Heleus, not just the angara.’

From her left, Drack snorted agreement. ‘Sure, I’ll fight kett all day long,’ he grumbled. ‘But that’s not a plan.’

‘I agree. We need to get into that vault, Ryder,’ interrupted Peebee, a hint of pleading in her voice.

‘Surprisingly, I’m with Peebee,’ added Cora. ‘Our own mission has to take priority, Ryder.’

Sara had to prevent herself from rolling her eyes in exasperation. ‘Guys, we have a plan. Kind of. Pretty solid, anyway. Um. Jaal?’

The angara nodded. ‘The resistance is stretched thin. I have been tasked with travelling to two of our worlds in my briefing this morning – and you’ll accompany me.’ He shot a loaded glance at Sara, as though asking her to confirm his words.

‘Because…?’ asked Liam, eyebrows raised in confusion.

‘Because then, Evfra will see you as trustworthy. You want that,’ replied Jaal slowly.

‘We really do,’ nodded Sara in agreement. ‘Guys, Evfra is the leader of the angaran Resistance against the kett. He’s got authority on Aya. His approval will do us a lot of good.’ She winced, remembering the furious distrust that had radiated from Evfra during their brief meeting. ‘And trust me, there’s gonna be no easy way to get it,’ she added. ‘But if we help the angara, they’ll help us get into that vault. Besides, I’d welcome more allies against the kett any day.’

‘But why wait?’ asked Peebee impatiently. ‘Why can’t we just, you know… ignore them, and go there ourselves right now?’

‘Because it wouldn’t be polite,’ snapped Sara, her patience wearing thin. ‘And because from what Evfra told me, it’s not exactly easily accessible. The entrance is hidden. We need an expert to help us – the Moshae.’ She glanced over at Jaal, waiting for his nod of confirmation.

‘She is a great leader, with deep wells of knowledge and wisdom,’ Jaal supplied quietly. ‘And she has been… taken from us. The kett have her.’ He fixed Sara with a bright, intense stare. ‘The only way you will get into this vault is with the Moshae. And the only way you will get to her is by earning Evfra’s trust. Then, perhaps he will allow you to partake in our next rescue attempt. But not until then.’

‘Right.’ Sara nodded, glancing around the table, trying to ignore the evident dissatisfaction on the faces of the crew. ‘Makes sense, kind of. Right, guys?’

Drack shrugged disinterestedly. ‘It’s your call, Pathfinder.’

Sara breathed deeply. ‘Okay, yes. Thanks for the vote of confidence.’

‘Maybe more like… optimism,’ murmured Cora. ‘Confidence? Well, maybe you’ll get there.’

This time, Sara didn’t resist the urge to roll her eyes. ‘Jaal, give Kallo your navpoints,’ she said, choosing to ignore just how much Cora’s quiet words had stung. ‘Let’s do this.’

*

After the meeting, the group had dispersed. Sara found herself back in her personal quarters, breathing a sigh of relief as the door hissed shut behind her.

‘Fuck me, what a day,’ she muttered, flopping onto the couch and passing a hand over her eyes. In a way, she was glad the crew felt able to be open about their opinions with her. At the same time, she was still trying to keep a lid on her bubbling resentment. Well done, guys, she thought irritably. Way to undermine me in front of the new guy. You know, the envoy we’re trying to impress. Real friendly, that was. She sighed. Her team had done nothing but bicker and complain like children. But then, what else did she expect? They’d all been thrown into the unknown so swiftly that none of them had fully adjusted yet. She’d been a fool to hope for any better.

‘Hang on a minute,’ she muttered. My ship, she had thought. My crew. God, when had she begun considering the Tempest something that belonged to her? When had she begun thinking of the Pathfinder team as hers, instead of her father’s?

She glanced around the bright, spacious quarters. The Pathfinder’s quarters. Before Eos, she’d been uncomfortable even standing there, still feeling like a child wandering into a space she wasn’t supposed to. But now, it felt… welcoming, in a way. Safe, and inviting.

Her terminal flashed, no doubt with new emails from Tann and the Nexus leadership. Sara groaned. Undoubtedly, he’d want to hear all about first contact; if only to complain about how poor a job she’d done. Sighing irritably, Sara rolled upright, tugging a datapad towards her and composing a brief message, before sending it with a flick of her omnitool. There, she thought. Duty done. She smiled bitterly. Now, Tann couldn’t complain that she hadn’t reported back to the Nexus; but still, she knew the lack in information in her message would infuriate him. Good, she thought, smiling grimly. That’ll teach the pompous salarian.

*

Chapter Text

The silence was a blessed relief. Jaal breathed deeply, finally allowing his frayed nerves to relax a little. This small room – the tech lab, Liam had called it – was small, dark, and quiet, away from the curious stares of the Tempest’s crew. Normally, he would have disliked the lack of bustle, the absence of the chatter from his fellow angara; but right now, he revelled in it.

It wasn’t that Ryder’s team had been unfriendly. Far from it, in some cases. He’d found the human male, Liam, particularly accommodating, happy to show him around the rest of the ship with a casual show of camaraderie that Jaal appreciated, even if he wasn’t feeling ready to fully reciprocate yet. They were all still aliens, after all.

He glanced around. The small space was littered with broken-up pieces of machinery. Some looked familiar: half-dissected pieces of kett weaponry, as well as fragments of Remnant tech. Much of it, however, he did not recognise. He supposed it was equipment the travellers had brought with them from the distant stars of the Milky Way.

It was all so strange – so unknowable. Jaal knew he ought to be more nervous than he was; considering that he was effectively trapped on a strange ship with a crew of bewildering aliens. But oddly enough, Jaal found himself far more excited than afraid.

He closed his eyes, thinking back to Aya. Evfra had been frantic when he’d heard that a strange ship had been sighted; was actually coming in to land on their hidden planet. Jaal had run as fast as his legs could carry him down to the main docks, determined to fight, to defend his home with his life if necessary. But what he’d seen had shocked him.

The alien had been so… small. Short, slightly built, with whitish skin and a strange bundle of blue fibres tied in an elaborate knot on the top of her head. He wondered what purpose it served. Was it ornamental, for decorative purposes only? Or was it a mark of rank, or distinction? Perhaps a badge of some strange honour?

It was bewildering. She was bewildering. He’d run to the docks with his heart clenched like a fist in his chest, filled with worry and trepidation in equal measure. But as he’d watched her descend from the ship, slowly and with obvious caution, he hadn’t missed the awe that had suffused her delicate features, the wonder in her eyes at her first sight of Aya. Even despite Evfra’s armed guards, she’d been unable to stop gazing at the beauty of the angaran world. That alone had been… illuminating.

He remembered some of the stories he’d heard, about the kett’s arrival: how the ambassador strode through Aya’s streets with swaggering arrogance, his hard, blank gaze focussing only on the angara: assessing, calculating. He’d paid no attention to their world at all. But this… human, this Ryder… she had been different. It gave him hope.

Still, there was no need for him to trust too soon. Caution was needed, at least until they made planetfall. But despite that, he was looking forward to their arrival at Havarl. Not only was it a beautiful place despite its dangers, but he was eager to see how his new companions handled themselves in battle. After all, they all seemed so fragile, so lightly built when compared to the angara. Except for the krogan, of course. But if what he’d read in the Nexus datapacks was accurate, then the krogan were a warrior race, adapted by evolution for survival on one of their galaxy’s harshest planets; and Drack seemed to fit that description well enough.

He lifted his wrist, fiddling awkwardly with the alien technology he’d been issued with – an omnitool, Gil had called it. He was still finding it awkward to use, but he was surprised at how well it had adapted to his tinkering. A part of him itched to dismantle it completely, to discover just how and why it worked; but he knew from experience that it probably wasn’t wise to do so. Not yet, anyway.

As if on cue, his omnitool pinged. It was a message from Liam, confirming that their little project, as he called it, was good to go. He smiled to himself. Curiosity was second nature to him, so he’d hardly been surprised to be met with the interest of the Tempest’s crew. An armour swap seemed an inspired idea on Liam’s part: a way of asking and answering questions that could otherwise be problematic in the field.

Gathering himself, he prepared to leave the tech lab. Once more, he wondered at his own lack of fear. But then, Jaal had always been a fighter; always brave, with his battles both physical and emotional. This was hardly any different. Smiling slightly, he headed towards the ship’s crew quarters, acknowledging a wave from Doctor T’Perro and Vetra as he passed, hoping against hope that his instincts were right: that these people could be trusted.

*

‘SAM, how long until we reach Havarl?’ Sara said aloud, shutting off her terminal.

‘ETA is approximately three hours, Pathfinder,’ replied SAM.

‘Right. Thanks.’ Sara stretched, wondering what to do next. A swift catnap and a hot shower had done wonders for her energy levels, and despite everything that was going on, she was beginning to feel excited once again. After all, they were mere hours away from setting foot on yet another alien world.

She stepped out of her quarters, intending to head up to the armoury to check on her gear. She’d already given Liam’s armour requisition the all clear, and was feeling curious about the vagueness of his request. On impulse, she decided to stop by the crew quarters first, intending to wrangle some information out of him. But what she saw when the door hissed open made her stop in her tracks.

‘Liam? I signed off on that… project…’ her voice faltered as she found herself face to face with a topless Liam. A very topless Liam. Bloody hell, her inner voice mumbled, as a faint flush climbed into her cheeks. She’d known the man was in shape, but still… it was an unexpected, if not unwelcome, sight.

‘That’s great, Pathfinder,’ replied Liam over his shoulder, still tinkering with something at his workbench. ‘Jaal Ama Darav? We’ve got our gear!’ he added, raising his voice.

‘Wha…?’ Sara’s voice gurgled to a spluttering halt as a topless – no, holy shit, he’s naked! – Jaal sauntered past her.

‘Kosta,’ he said mildly, nodding in greeting. ‘Ryder.’

Sara gaped, unable for the moment to summon words. Jaal’s skin was almost luminous in the dim glow of the Tempest’s lights, pale pinkish lilac freckled with white like tiny stars. She swallowed hard. She’d been right with her guess at his strength: only a blind man could miss the thick, corded muscles that snaked over his chest and along his shoulders and arms. If anything, he only seemed taller and broader out of his armour. It was… impressive. More than impressive.

‘Well, fuck me,’ she stuttered, feeling her cheeks flush crimson when she realised exactly what she’d just said. ‘Uhm… so, is this show for my benefit?’ she added, forcing a nervous chuckle. ‘Because trust me, I’m definitely… benefitting.’ Her breathing was becoming ragged. Her heart began pounding furiously in her chest, as Jaal’s star-blue eyes latched onto hers. She could feel herself practically melting under the heat of his gaze.

Liam chuckled, glancing between Sara and Jaal knowingly. ‘It’s just for convenience. We’re swapping armour.’ He turned to the angara. ‘Ready to go?’

Jaal nodded decisively. ‘Go.’

Sara could only watch, mouth hanging slightly agape, as Liam set about Jaal’s armour with enthusiasm, bombarding the angara with questions. Of all the things I worried might happen with Jaal on board, this wasn’t on the list, she thought numbly.

‘Pathfinder, I am detecting a distinct spike in your heart rate,’ came SAM’s voice over their private channel. ‘Would you like me to contact Dr T’Perro? Your breathing is also becoming somewhat irregular.’

What? No! Sara thought urgently. Thanks SAM, but everything’s fine. More than fine. I’m… fine.

‘Very well, Pathfinder.’ SAM’s voice receded as the AI settled back into the recesses of her mind, and Sara turned her attention back to Liam and Jaal’s exchange.

‘Can I wear the poncho?’ Liam was asking eagerly.

‘It’s a rofjinn. And no.’ Jaal’s voice deepened. Something dropped like a stone into the pit of Sara’s gut.

‘Why? Is it religious?’ continued Liam, seemingly oblivious to the warning rumble in Jaal’s voice.

‘It’s personal,’ replied Jaal sternly. ‘You’re not allowed.’

‘Because of status? Or species?’

‘Both.’

‘Hmm.’ Liam carried on scrutinizing Jaal’s gear. ‘Hey, do you think all humans look alike?’ he added, with a cheeky grin.

‘Some of you sound alike,’ muttered Jaal, his forehead creasing in an angry frown. Sara blinked as she felt the room beginning to hum with the same crackling tension that she’d felt in the Resistance Headquarters. Shit, that must be Jaal’s bioelectricity, she thought quickly. Okay, show’s over. Time to shut down this argument before it starts.

‘Whoa there, boys,’ she interrupted, stepping forwards and raising her hands placatingly. ‘I know how this one goes. Someone’s getting offended – and someone else is getting punched.’ She threw a stern glare at Liam, which only earned her a grunt.

‘That’s why we’re doing it here.’ Jaal turned towards her, his expression clearing from anger into one of mild confusion.

‘Yeah,’ agreed Liam quickly. ‘It’s an armour swap for answers. You know, stuff the diplomats don’t ask. Personal stuff.’

‘My turn was earlier,’ supplied Jaal. ‘Those info packets from the Nexus left a lot out, it seems. Although I am grateful you offered them to me. It gave me a clear place to begin.’ His brow creased worriedly as he gazed down at Sara. ‘I am sorry,’ he added slowly. ‘Was this… not sanctioned?’

Liam sighed in mock frustration. ‘You weaselling adhi,’ he muttered, earning a smirk from Jaal as he sauntered around the workbench. Sara bit the inside of her cheek, determinedly keeping her gaze fixed above Jaal’s hips as the angara strode past, murmuring her name in farewell. Her blood was on fire with embarrassment, irritation, and… something else.

‘I hope you know what you’re doing,’ she snapped, turning to glare at Liam once Jaal was out of earshot. ‘I don’t need the Nexus breathing down my neck any more than they already are. The last thing we need is stuff like this causing a diplomatic incident.’

‘Relax, Ryder,’ replied Liam easily, lounging against the workbench. ‘Jaal won’t complain to HR, or whatever Tann thinks we report to. It’s just…’ he huffed a frustrated sigh through his nose. ‘We were joking around earlier, and realized we didn’t know how to insult one another. Or rather, how not to insult each other. Some things are so ingrained, they’re invisible. We don’t recognise the warning signs.’ He shrugged, a rueful half-smile on his face. ‘So, I figured we’d get it over with.’

‘Uh-huh.’ Sara folded her arms, raising a single sceptical eyebrow.

‘It’s true,’ insisted Liam. ‘Now we know what to look for, there’s less chance we’ll do it accidentally at a crucial moment. Like when we’re negotiating for a new outpost, or something. Enough of his people already want to shoot us. I figured you wouldn’t want to add more to the list.’

Sara sighed. ‘Okay, I kind of get the intent. No harm, no foul. Right?’

Liam snorted with laughter. ‘Listen, if Jaal was offended, I’d be on the floor. Seriously, have you seen the guy?’

‘Yeah. Seen… yeah.’ Sara pinched the bridge of her nose, willing herself to stop blushing. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. From the sound of his chuckle, Liam had noticed.

‘Well, I’ll take that kind of honesty any day,’ he said, shrugging. ‘The angara seem pretty open with their feelings. More open than we are, at any rate.’

‘That’s not saying much,’ muttered Sara, finally allowing herself a huff of laughter. ‘But I guess you’re right. We’ve got a lot to learn. That’s what we’re here for, after all.’

‘Yeah,’ agreed Liam. ‘Better now, than when people’s lives are on the line.’

‘Fair enough.’ Sara shook her head, directing an exasperated smile at Liam. ‘Just… a little warning maybe, next time?’ she added, waving a hand before turning away. She made her way back to her quarters, hoping fervently that none of the crew would see her looking so unusually flushed. Once inside, she collapsed in a heap on her bed and buried her head in her hands.

It hadn’t just been the shock of walking in on an unexpectedly naked alien that had sent her pulse rocketing. Jaal was – and there was no other word for it – gorgeous. Those wide blue eyes, that smooth rose-coloured skin, the quiet strength in those muscular arms…

Shit. I’ve got it bad. Sara ran a hand over her cheeks and down her throat, feeling her pulse still jumping significantly faster than usual. She had already thought the angara were beautiful when first standing among them on Aya. But that had been in a more abstract way, similar to finding a painting or a waterfall beautiful. This, what she was feeling now, was something entirely different.

Stop this at once, she told herself sternly. You can’t just go around crushing on Jaal just because he’s new, and different, and just so happens to be jaw-droppingly attractive. It’s ridiculous. You’re the Pathfinder, for heaven’s sakes. You’ve got responsibilities, and diplomatic relations to maintain.

She snorted irritably. Getting the hots for their angaran envoy was definitely not something in the Pathfinder manual – not that there even was one, she remembered with a flash of annoyance. Briefly she imagined adding a note to her report on the angara to the Nexus. “The Angara: tall mammalian aliens. Broad shoulders, narrow waists. Ridiculously pretty when naked.” She chuckled derisively. Tann would probably have a heart attack.

‘Lock up your daughters,’ she mumbled, a breathy half-laugh slipping from her lips as she repeated one of Scott’s favourite phrases. She swallowed hard, willing away the lump that the memory of her brother brought to her throat, gritting her teeth against the unexpected sting of tears that threatened her eyes. It was simply stress, she told herself sternly. Stress, and possible over-stimulation due to the unexpected nature of the situation. Yes, that was definitely it. It almost sounded plausible. Almost.

Groaning, Sara grabbed a towel and headed back to the showers. She needed to cool off before they reached Havarl, as she’d already planned to take Jaal with her down to the planet’s surface. The last thing she needed to have on her mind was the gentle ripple of his chest when he’d raised one large, muscular arm, or the warm pink hue of his skin, or the wondrously deep blue of his wide, cat-like eyes…

Shit. Sighing deeply, Sara quickened her pace. A cold shower, she thought grimly. That’s what she needed. A very cold one.

*

Chapter Text

After her shower, Sara felt significantly better. The blast of icy water had been just what she needed. She felt refreshed, and ready to take on the challenges Havarl would offer, whatever they were. There was just one more thing she needed to do.

She paced uncomfortably. It wasn’t that she wanted to go and see Jaal – well okay, she admitted quickly, it was partly that. But surely, she had a duty to help him settle into the ship. Besides, her first interaction with him on the Tempest had been… not quite as expected.

She huffed a frustrated breath through her nose. This is ridiculous, she thought. It’s my ship. I can go where I want, dammit. With that thought buzzing in her brain, she set course for the tech lab, hoping that Jaal had found the time to put his armour back on by now. Otherwise, she was fairly certain her brain might short-circuit. Again.

He had his back to her when the door hissed open. Internally, Sara thanked the stars that he appeared to be fully clothed again, including the strange blue cape he’d worn before – the rofjinn, was it? – and was apparently fiddling with something at the workbench.

He straightened up as she came in, turning towards her with a questioning expression. Sara swallowed awkwardly, trying to smile. Now that she was here, she suddenly realized that she had no idea what to say.

‘So… Jaal,’ she began, twisting her fingers together nervously.

‘So.’ He nodded to her, seeming unsurprised by her presence.

‘Um… so we haven’t had a chance to, uh, talk alone yet,’ she said, internally cursing her vivid imagination as he stepped closer. She was already imagining the shift and flex of his body beneath his clothing. ‘Are you comfortable in here?’ she added, glancing around. ‘The room’s kind of… messy.’

Jaal nodded. ‘I hope you do not mind. I took it for my own, as it appeared largely unoccupied. It feels strange, to stay with the others. They – you – are aliens.’

Sara nodded. ‘Sounds fair,’ she agreed. She noticed a small bunk had been set up on one corner, with a decent-sized footlocker beside it. ‘And I guess you’re pretty alien to us,’ she added. ‘So, that’s something we have in common already.’ She smiled hopefully.

‘Yes. We can look on it as a place to start, perhaps.’ Jaal nodded his agreement. Sara’s stomach flipped at the sight of the fleeting half-smile that flickered over his lips. It wasn’t much; but it was better than a frown. ‘Perhaps then if we’re all aliens, it’s about what kind of alien we are,’ he added cautiously. The smile disappeared.

Sara nodded agreement, her gut clenching anxiously. The message in those words was loud and clear. She still had to prove herself to him – prove they were not like the kett. ‘You had no idea about us,’ she said quietly. ‘But you signed up to help us anyway. That was brave.’ She felt Jaal’s wide, luminous eyes fix upon her with a bewildering intensity. He seemed surprised.

‘Perhaps it had nothing to do with you,’ he replied. He spoke slowly, as though he were choosing his words with great care. Sara shuffled her feet, feeling ridiculously uncomfortable under the angara’s unwavering scrutiny.

‘Care to elaborate?’ she managed to say. Holy shit, what is wrong with me? she thought furiously. Why am I finding it so hard to just talk to this guy?

‘I do not.’ Jaal’s brow lowered. Sara’s chest tightened uncomfortably. Great, she thought to herself. A real conversation killer, this one. A spark of defiance flared up inside her. Pretty as he might be, she wasn’t about to let him intimidate her on her own damn ship.

‘So… how do you know Moshae Sjefa?’ she asked, changing tack. It appeared to have worked, as Jaal seemed to straighten up, something like pride glowing in his eyes.

‘She is our greatest mind on the Remnant,’ he replied. ‘I was her student.’

‘Oh! You’re an archaeologist? You studied the Remnant too?’ asked Sara eagerly.

Jaal blinked in surprise, a quiet chuckle escaping his lips. Sara felt herself blushing at the small, but entirely adorable, sound. ‘A little,’ he told her. ‘But I was a terrible student. I quit. Or – she threw me out. One of those.’ He smiled; and this time it was a warm, true smile, that seemed to light up his face from the inside. ‘We’re still… very close,’ he added.

‘Oh. I see.’ Sara nodded, feeling something inside her curl up and wither at those last four words. ‘Close as in, um… like, romantically close?’ she tried, feeling her blush deepen even as she spoke. She wasn’t even sure she wanted to hear the answer. Better to get this over with, she told herself sternly. Better to find out that’s he’s unavailable right now and get over this dumb crush. But to her surprise, Jaal laughed. It was a rich, deep, rumbling laugh that seemed to wash over her like a great, warm wave.

‘No. Nothing like that,’ he replied. ‘She is, ah… a little older than me. The Moshae is a cherished friend, mentor, and leader to our people. Nothing more.’

‘Got it. Sorry I asked,’ replied Sara, unable to prevent the grin that spread over her face at those words. Holy shit, that laugh, she thought to herself. I could listen to it all day. ‘So, is that your rifle?’ she added hastily, changing the subject before she could say anything stupid.

‘It is now.’ Jaal seemed surprised by her abrupt change of their conversation, a flicker of curiosity surfacing in his expression. But after a moment of hesitation, he seemed to decide to go with her. ‘It’s kett-made,’ he added. ‘But with my own modifications. I like to tinker: to get my hands on something, and… take it apart.’

‘Well, that’s a skill I know we can use,’ Sara replied, trying to ignore the rush of blood to her cheeks. He could tinker with me any day, her treacherous inner thought whispered. Hot damn, that voice. That laugh. Sweet Jesus, is he even real? ‘But I have one request,’ she added, trying to hide her rapidly increasing heartrate with what she hoped was a cheeky grin. ‘Please, don’t take apart my ship?’

Another low, rumbling laugh was her reward. Sara revelled in the sound, enchanted by the softening of Jaal’s features as his lips twitched into another gentle smile. ‘I shall try,’ he replied, his voice warm with amusement. ‘You are right: I signed up – volunteered – for this,’ he added. ‘It’s… exciting.’ His eyes seemed to rove over her, taking her in from head to toe. But his gaze was far from hostile. If anything, Sara would have guessed he was curious.

‘There is… something unique about you,’ he added, his voice lowering to a soft, baritone hum. ‘Something uneasy, raw – yet profound.’

Sara could have sworn her heart actually skipped a beat. ‘At face value, that sounds like a compliment,’ she breathed. ‘A nice one.’

‘It is.’ Jaal looked at her with some surprise. ‘Angara feel deeply,’ he added, with another gentle chuckle that made her pulse thrum. ‘We have more trouble hiding our emotions than sharing them.’

‘You’re kidding?’ Sara raised her brows, shaking her head in surprise. ‘That’s kind of… well, I’ve got to say, that sounds almost the opposite of most humans,’ she warned him. ‘As a species, we’re kind of… uptight.’

‘Really?’ Jaal tilted his head to one side, eyes bright with curiosity. ‘What a strange way to go through life.’ He paused, opening his mouth as though to speak, before seeming to think better of it and closing it again. ‘I should… get back to my work,’ he said eventually.

Sara nodded, realizing that she was in danger of pushing him too far, too fast. ‘Sure thing, big guy,’ she said, offering him another smile. ‘I’ll see you later.’ She backed towards the corridor, hesitating at the door. ‘Oh, just one more thing,’ she added, swallowing hard as he turned those wonderfully bright eyes towards her questioningly. ‘We’ll be landing at Havarl in a couple of hours. I was hoping you’d be willing to join my squad planetside? It’d be really great to have your expertise.’ Her words came out in a stumbling, awkward rush. But Jaal didn’t seem to mind, fixing her instead with another small smile.

‘I was rather hoping you would,’ he said simply. ‘Do not fear. I will be ready.’

‘Right. Thanks.’ Sara raised a hand in farewell, before turning and practically bolting back to her quarters. Well, that went better than expected, she thought delightedly. Besides all the blushing, and the stammering, that is. Damn, I’ve really got to get a grip on myself. She checked her face in the mirror, noting with some relief that her blush was finally beginning to fade. Hopefully, Havarl would have enough adventure to distract her from her highly inappropriate thoughts about their newest teammate. Perhaps once they’d gotten to know each other a little better, and things were less stilted and awkward between them, she’d find it easier to shelve her attraction, and focus on what was truly important: making Heleus a home.

*

Back in the tech lab, Jaal sat back on his haunches, contemplating the door that Ryder had practically fallen through. She was certainly a strange one: hard and soft in equal measure, it seemed. The sternness with which she’d rebuked Liam spoke of a strong will; but at the same time, her smiles and laughter seemed freely given, even to him.

He hummed thoughtfully. She was hiding something, he knew. He’d spoken the truth about what he’d seen in her. There had been a raw edge, even to her laughter. There had been tension in the line of her smile, in the way that she stood, even in the delicate fingers that she’d been twisting together. Something that held her apart.

Of course, if he’d understood the hierarchy correctly, she was technically the leader of their small team; and he knew how leaders needed to set themselves aside from others beneath their command. But even that was confusing. She seemed terribly young for such a responsible position. Besides, at the so-called meeting earlier, she’d barely seemed to have any authority over her teammates at all. When he compared her manner to that of the leaders he knew – Evfra, or the Moshae – he felt strangely disquieted. She lacked the Moshae’s age and depth of wisdom, and Evfra’s stern sense of command. But still… there had been something else. Something that had drawn him in, and sparked his curiosity. A kind of nervous energy perhaps; a sense that she was never quite standing still.

He smiled to himself. There was also the matter of the interesting reaction she’d had to seeing him unclothed. Her expression, and her blush, had been unmistakable. That had been… surprising, but not entirely unwelcome.

Sighing, he decided to file that piece of information at the back of his mind for examination at a later date. It would not be long until they made planetfall at Havarl, and despite the dangers he was eager to see it again; to breathe in the sweet smell of the jungle flora, to feel the softness of the ever-present rain on his upturned face. It would provide a welcome balm to his nerves, which were more frayed than he’d like to admit.

Besides, with every step taken with these peculiar aliens, they came closer to rescuing Moshae Sjefa. That, he reminded himself, was the end goal. That was the reason he was here, on this strange ship, learning to interact with this strange crew. The thought made his heart swell with longing, to see her dear, wise face again; and to deal swift death to any kett who would dare try to take her away.

*

Chapter Text

They were finally on Havarl. If he’d been with anyone but this strange group of aliens, Jaal would have been laughing aloud with delight. Instead, he made do with a deep, slow inhalation, breathing in the wondrously heady scents, before releasing it into the rain with a gentle chuckle. He glanced sideways as a whoop from Liam cut through the jungle stillness.

‘Yes!’ The human was staring around him with eyes wide, and his mouth agape. ‘Now this is what I call a planet!’

‘Everything’s… pink?’ Beside him, Vetra had flicked open her omnitool and was carefully scanning the local flora. Her visor was flickering as the information scrolled past. The turian looked bewildered, so far as he could tell; but not displeased.

‘It’s beautiful,’ breathed Ryder as she came to stand beside him. Her eyes held that same, wondering expression he’d glimpsed from a distance on Aya. But this time, he was able to see her reaction up close. She seemed to be momentarily breathless, her eyes widening and pupils dilating as she tilted her head backwards to gaze up at the sky. The soft rain was running in rivulets down her smooth pale skin, catching in sparkling droplets on her eyelashes.

‘I agree,’ he said quietly, watching her carefully, curious as to her reaction. ‘Havarl is the birthplace of the Angara. This, insofar as it’s possible, is… home.’

‘No wonder it’s so beautiful, then,’ she replied absent-mindedly, smoothing a hand over the front of her armour. He made a small, surprised noise in the back of his throat at her reply. But at that, the Pathfinder seemed to snap her attention back to reality.

‘Right. Scientists in difficulties. Let’s get to it, team.’ She seemed to shake herself, throwing him a swift smile before checking her gun in its holster. ‘Jaal, any advice for us? Any carnivorous plants, or rampaging wildlife we should look out for along the way?’

Her light, playful tone made a small chuckle rise to his lips. ‘I believe you have just described some of Havarl’s dangers to perfection,’ he replied, watching her expression change from smiling to startled.

‘You’re kidding?’ she said, raising her brows in disbelief. ‘You’re not kidding,’ she added, when he did not reply. ‘Well, that’s duly noted. Stay on the alert, people. I didn’t come all the way to Andromeda to have my ass bitten off by some kind of alien space-tiger.’

‘A space… tiger?’ he queried, as they began moving through Havarl’s dense undergrowth. His translator had been unable to quantify the strange word.

‘A big cat. Like, a large four-legged predator, indigenous to Earth,’ supplied Liam, his eyes darting left and right as he scanned for movement. ‘Stealthy bastards, with brilliant camouflage and a mouth full of teeth like you wouldn’t believe.’

‘I see. Fascinating,’ murmured Jaal, making a mental note to research these tigers when they returned to the Tempest.

‘Spirits, I thought Aya was gorgeous,’ came Vetra’s low, grating voice from his left. ‘But this place blows it away.’

‘It is beautiful,’ Jaal found himself agreeing. ‘But the wilds can also be… dangerous.’ He paused, unhooking his rifle as he tracked a familiar blur of movement between the trees.

‘Jaal?’ Ryder was at his side, pistol already in hand. ‘What is it?’ But there was no time to talk as, without warning, a pack of wild challyrion broke cover and attacked. Instinct born from years of training set in, and he was able to sidestep the beast’s initial lunge, bringing his rifle round for a clean kill shot straight to the head. He spun on one heel, turning towards the rattle of gunfire coming from where the rest of the beasts were – had been, he corrected himself. There was nothing left for him to shoot at, save a scattering of limp corpses. The challyrion’s deaths had been so swift, he’d missed them entirely.

‘Bloody hell. You weren’t kidding about the wildlife,’ huffed Liam, hefting his gun and glancing warily around. ‘Seems like nearly everything in Andromeda has it in for us.’

They pressed on towards Daar Pelaav with Ryder in the lead, her pistol still drawn. Jaal felt a stab of reluctant admiration for the way she carried herself: light on her feet, relaxed but wary, head constantly swinging to and fro as she scanned the undergrowth for enemies. He almost hoped they might meet more challyrion, just so he could watch her fight. He was eager to assess her abilities for himself. After all, that was one of the reasons Evfra had allowed him to come. But for the time being at least, Jaal was out of luck.

They reached the battered daar without further incident. One glance told Jaal that the biotechnicians were right: the jungle was mutating dangerously. Large, glistening leaves thrust up through cracks in the once-smooth plated paving, and pink vines as thick as his arm were slung like a net over at least half the buildings. He noticed that both Ryder and Vetra were using their omnitools to scan anything within range, their eyes alight with curiosity. He chuckled quietly to himself, remembering the first time he’d travelled to a different planet, recalling the sense of wonder space flight had evoked within him. Briefly, he wondered what it would be like, to travel through darkspace to a new life: a whole different galaxy, knowing all the while that he could never return home.

He shook his head irritably, trying to banish the bewildering thoughts as they stepped into the research buildings. Such speculations were useless, especially as they had an important task to achieve. After speaking with Kiiran at Daar Pelaav, it became clear that urgency was the order of the day. Ryder had practically rocketed off once she heard that the scientists were trapped in some sort of Remnant stasis field, using her jump-jets with practiced ease to navigate the planet’s jumbled surface. Liam followed suit, but with noticeably less grace; while it swiftly became clear that Vetra’s longer, flexible limbs put her at a considerable advantage over uneven terrain.

They located the monolith with little difficulty. The only problem they encountered were the Roekaar. Jaal found himself warning the three aliens with more urgency than he’d intended. Despite their hardsuits, the two humans and the spindly turian looked decidedly vulnerable; and he was well aware of the damage an angaran-modified gun could do to an unshielded enemy. So when the first harsh cry sounded ahead, Jaal dropped immediately behind cover, levelling his rifle at an indistinct shape and firing swiftly, trying to keep one eye on his teammates as he did so. After all, it would not do for him to report back to Evfra that the Pathfinder and her companions had been killed by rebel angara. That would cause… complications.

It turned out he need not have worried. There was no doubt about it: these wanderers from the distant stars could fight. Liam seemed to be everywhere at once, eyes flashing orange in the reflected light from his twin omniblades that were able to sear through armour and bone alike. Vetra moved like a shadow, swift and lithe, releasing a hail of devastating gunfire down on their enemies. And Ryder…

Jaal had never seen anything like it. At the first sight of danger, a glimmering blue nebula seemed to shiver momentarily over her skin, expanding outwards as she raised a single hand; before shooting with alarming precision towards the concealed Roekaar. He could hear yelps of surprise and pain coming from the tangle of bushes ahead, which he and the rest of the team took full strategic advantage of. After a bewilderingly short time, the battle was over. He made a mental note to find out precisely what kind of energy weapon Ryder was using, wondering if she would allow him to study it.

‘Up here!’ came Vetra’s low cry, jerking his thoughts back to the present as they scouted through the ruined monolith. ‘I’ve found them!’

He used his own jump-jets to join the turian on the platform above, landing beside Ryder with a low grunt as his feet hit the slick metallic floor. ‘The researchers,’ he breathed, taking in the still forms of his fellow angara, trapped and immobile. ‘Just where Kiiran said they would be.’

‘Let’s get them out of there,’ replied Ryder. He could do nothing but stand back and observe as she trundled to and fro, checking the various structures with her scanner and muttering to herself.

‘Hey Jaal.’ He turned to find Vetra hovering beside him, a look of concern vaguely discernible behind her glimmering visor. ‘Don’t stress yourself. Your friends will be fine,’ she added, her voice dropping to what was clearly meant to be a comforting tone. ‘I mean, Ryder may look like a kid playing with her dad’s toys, but trust me: she’s full of surprises.’

‘Yes, I believe I am beginning to see that,’ he replied, watching with interest as she held out one armoured hand, interfacing with the Remnant console. It was a remarkable sight. The console glittered with tiny flurries of electricity, bathing Ryder’s face with a pale blue glow. In a matter of seconds, the connection was made; and with a flickering hiss, the stasis field disappeared.

It seems she has been telling the truth, he thought to himself, trying and failing to conceal a grin at the spluttering bewilderment of the freed scientists. It would seem Ryder has some power over the Remnant after all. He felt absurdly relieved at this discovery. It meant that she hadn’t been lying to them all this time, that she really could connect with the Remnant. Which meant that perhaps – just perhaps – she really was worthy of trust after all.

*

Back on the Tempest, Sara breathed a sigh of relief. Havarl had been wonderful, but still; the near-constant rain had managed to seep right through her hardsuit. Combined with Havarl’s humidity and elevated temperature, it meant that underneath her armour, Sara was one sticky, sweaty, soggy mess.

Still, it had been worth it. They’d spent far longer on the planet than she’d intended, trekking through the dense jungle and battle all kinds of scaly monstrosities; but at last, they’d manage to activate the vault. It had been a victory, of sorts. Sara remembered the feeling of elation pulsing in her chest at the delight of the angaran scientists, remembering that Jaal had called this planet home.

She had also noticed a change in Jaal’s attitude. It might just be her imagination, but Sara was damn near certain he was looking at her differently. There was something… warmer, perhaps, in his gaze, as well as in his voice when he spoke to her. Perhaps this was what he’d meant about proving herself to him.

Well, if that’s what he wants, I’ll let him have it in spades, she thought, a spark of confidence flaring in her as she left the Tempest’s showers after a good scrub. She’d already asked Kallo to set a course for Voeld: for the second of Jaal’s Resistance missions. ETA from Havarl was likely to be sixteen hours at least, according to SAM: time enough to wind down and get some sleep.

Humming to herself, Sara ducked into the galley to fix herself a nightcap. Coffee was all very well before a mission; but what she really needed before bed was a steaming hot cup of sweet tea. Luckily, she had her own stash.

‘Ryder.’

Sara yelped, nearly dropping her mug in surprise. The low, unmistakable baritone of Jaal’s voice had sounded directly behind her. ‘Jeez, Jaal, don’t sneak up on me like that!’ she chided him, turning to face the broad-shouldered angara hovering in the doorway. ‘How you can be so big, but move so quietly, I’ll never know,’ she added, grinning at his momentary confusion.

‘I did not intend to… sneak, as you put it,’ he replied slowly, eyeing the mug in her hand with some apprehension. ‘But I apologise if I startled you.’

‘Don’t worry, it’s fine.’ Sara waved her mug, trying to keep her thoughts professional – or at least, semi-professional – as she turned back to the hot water dispenser. ‘I was just making tea,’ she added as an afterthought. ‘D’you want a cup?’

‘I… do not know.’ Jaal’s brow furrowed as she held out the open tea canister for him to sniff. ‘It does not smell… unpleasant,’ he added, sounding more surprised than pleased. ‘I do not know if I would be able to ingest it, however.’

‘Right. Of course.’ Sara sighed, annoyed at her own forgetfulness. ‘SAM, what can you tell me? Is the tea safe for Jaal to drink?’ she added, busying herself with making a cup.

‘Pathfinder, I have scanned the tea leaves and compared them with my current data on angaran physiology. I do not believe that drinking the infusion would cause Jaal any harm,’ came SAM’s cool electronic voice in reply.

‘Great.’ Sara blew gently on the steaming mug, before offering it up to Jaal. ‘Have a sip,’ she offered. ‘If you like it, I’ll make you some. But be careful – it’s hot.’

‘Hmm.’ She watched as the angara lifted the mug tentatively to his lips, taking a tiny sip. ‘It tastes… strange,’ he said, after a moment. ‘Fragrant, yet faintly bitter and sweet at the same time. Thank you, but I will keep to my own food stores for now.’

‘No worries, big guy,’ replied Sara, reaching out both hands to take the mug from him. ‘But I thought you kept your food in the tech lab, along with your other gear?’

‘I do,’ he replied. ‘It is you I am here to see, Ryder.’

‘Oh?’ Sara felt herself beginning to blush again under his intense scrutiny. Goddamn it, stop that! she chided herself urgently, watching a small smile unfold over Jaal’s expressive features. That such a little thing could cause her heart to start beating out of her chest was embarrassing, to say the least. This was becoming even worse than the crush she’d had on that turian back at the Citadel when she was a teen.

‘I was hoping to ask you about something that happened on Havarl,’ said Jaal, his voice jerking her swiftly away from her thoughts. ‘When we fought the Roekaar, you used something – a weapon – I have never seen before. It seemed… very effective.’

‘What?’ Sara raised her eyebrows in confusion. What on earth was he talking about? All she’d used in that fight were her biotics and her pistol…

Ah.

‘Do you mean my biotics?’ she asked, blowing gently over her tea to cool it.

‘Do I? I don’t know. Possibly?’ Jaal seemed just as hesitant as she was – as if he wasn’t already endearing enough. ‘I remember a blue light seeping over your skin, and then – a lance, like blue fire, darting swiftly towards your enemies.’ He laughed softly, his eyes never once leaving hers. ‘It was… impressive.’

‘Yeah?’ Sara grinned, feeling absurdly delighted by the compliment. ‘Well, biotics aren’t a weapon, Jaal. I mean, I guess they are – but not in the same way as a gun or a knife. Anyone can use those. Biotics are… different.’

‘Oh? How so?’ Jaal asked. Sara couldn’t help but grin wider at the spark of curiosity in his stunningly blue eyes.

‘It’s an ability. Not many humans have it. It comes from having been exposed to Element Zero before birth. It gives us the ability to manipulate dark matter, bending it into certain shapes through force of will. There are lots of different things it can be used for, like a shield for example, to deflect the impact of a blast; or concentrated like a lance, as you saw earlier.’ She took a sip of her tea, noticing how intently he seemed to be drinking in her every word.

‘So this… gift, it is rare among your kind?’ he asked cautiously. ‘Are you considered a better warrior because of it?’

Sara shrugged. ‘It’s certainly useful, I know that. Scott – my brother – he’s a biotic too.’ She paused momentarily, fighting against the sudden flood of emotion that accompanied the mention of her comatose brother. She swallowed hard. That tight, thrumming knot of tension was back, squeezing her chest like a great iron fist, reminding her of just how much she missed him. ‘The asari are the best biotics, though,’ she managed to continue, hoping Jaal wouldn’t notice how strained her voice had become. ‘They develop it as a natural ability, unlike humans. Besides, they can live up to a thousand years. They get more time to practice.’

‘Naturally.’ Jaal nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. With a sinking heart, Sara realized that he almost certainly hadn’t missed her moment of weakness, if the look on his face was anything to go by. But luckily, he seemed to decide not to press the issue. ‘Are there any more of you… biotics, as you say, on this ship?’ he asked, after a moment’s hesitation.

Sara nodded. ‘Our two asari, Peebee and Lexi, are both biotics. Cora is as well, although her abilities are a bit different to mine. Stronger too, I think. She trained as a vanguard, which means she can use her biotics to get up close and personal quicker than you can blink. My skills are more tactical: energy fields, shields, and distance strikes – like you saw on Havarl.’

‘I see.’ Jaal inclined his head towards her. ‘Thank you, Ryder, for answering my questions.’

‘No sweat,’ she replied, raising her mug in a mock toast. ‘You’re free to ask anything to want here, Jaal. If I can answer, I will. Same goes for the rest of the crew.’

‘That is kind of you, Ryder. I appreciate your candour.’ With a nod of farewell, the angara disappeared. Sara breathed a slow sigh of relief. It’s been… better, she thought to herself. I was right. Getting to know him in the field, fighting together, working together… it’s been good. She still didn’t know him very well – far from it. His wariness of them all was still obvious. But the fact that he’d actively sought her out to answer his questions had to be a positive thing.

What hadn’t decreased, however, was her attraction to him. If anything, it was getting worse. The way he said her name, his deep voice seeming to roll over the syllables like a warm, dark wave, made her pulse jump and her heart flutter nervously. You’re just going to have to get used to it, she told herself glumly. It’s not like he’s going anywhere any time soon.

Rolling her eyes, she picked up her mug of now-lukewarm tea and wandered back to her quarters. She knew he still didn’t trust her: not yet. But she hoped that after a few more missions, that would begin to change; that he might be able to see her as a trusted colleague, or even a friend.

A friend. She hoped he might one day call her that. Certainly, it was less than she would have hoped for – but then, what the hell was she hoping for, exactly? A flirtation? A one-night stand? A lover?

She shook her head irritably. As if she needed anything more to worry about, with Tann and the Nexus breathing down her neck, demanding more outposts, more worlds to settle on; as if she hadn’t managed, within a couple of months, to do far more than the Nexus had managed in over a year. There were a thousand and one things demanding her attention, and only so much she could do at any one time. Worrying about her childish crush on their newest companion paled into insignificance when compared to the sheer weight of problems heaping up on her shoulders.

‘Pathfinder, I am detecting a significant spike in your cortisol levels. I would recommend sleep.’

Sara nodded wearily as SAM’s voice came drifting from overhead. ‘Thanks, SAM. You’re probably right. I guess worrying about things won’t make them any better, right?’

‘You are correct. Dr T’Perro is still awake in the medical bay. I am sure she would be happy to offer medical assistance, should you require it.’

Sara shook her head at that. ‘Thanks, but no thanks, SAM. I don’t like sleeping pills, they make me feel all funny. Besides, what if there was an emergency?’

‘Pathfinder, you should know that in any given situation, I will be able to negate the effects of most chemicals in your bloodstream, for a brief period of time. You need not be concerned on that front. I will never allow you to, as your father used to put it, be caught napping.’

‘Right.’ Sara swallowed down the lump in her throat, trying to ignore SAM’s casual mention of her father, trying to deflect the pain his memory was still causing her. She’d been doing this ever since Habitat 7: pushing, always pushing away the pain, the grief, the guilt over his death. Time, there’ll be time later to grieve, she told herself, again and again until it felt like a mantra. A part of her knew it was wrong, that it wasn’t healthy to act this way; that sooner or later, the dam would burst and everything would come flooding out. But the other, larger, part of her didn’t care. There was too much at stake right now, with the Remnant vaults to investigate, and an alliance with the angara dependant on a seemingly impossible rescue mission. There was simply too much to do: and as Pathfinder, she was the one everybody was looking to.

‘SAM, how long till we reach Voeld?’ she mumbled, stripping off her Initiative jumpsuit and struggling into her pyjamas.

‘ETA is now fifteen hours and twenty-four minutes, Pathfinder.’

‘Great. Wake me if the ship catches fire, yeah?’

‘Of course, Pathfinder. Sleep well.’

‘Uh-huh. Cheers, SAM. G’night.’ Sara sighed, snuggling down into the bed, dragging the covers up around her chin. Maybe, if she managed to get a decent eight hours of shut-eye, she’d feel better; and everything would hurt less.

It wouldn’t, of course. The same problems would still be there when she awoke, along with a slew of new ones. But it couldn’t hurt to hope a little, could it?

*

Back in the tech lab, Jaal settled down on his cot, stretching out his limbs and relaxing insofar as the cramped space would allow. He had been surprised, and a little disappointed to learn that Ryder’s biotics were not something that he or the Resistance could make use of. Perhaps it was similar to angaran bioelectricity, he mused. Still, she had been kind enough to offer up the information readily once he had asked.

But despite that, he still felt the weight of discomfort settling in his chest. Despite her kindness, he still knew that Ryder was concealing something – and something important, at that. The way her voice had faltered when she mentioned her brother had been illuminating. Even so brief a reference had brought something like pain to her eyes. He was unaccustomed to seeing such a thing on her normally cheerful features; and to his surprise, he found that he disliked it intently. Ryder had a face made for smiling, with its soft curves and delicate lines, and eyes that crinkled at the corners when she laughed. To see a flash of deep, emotional distress in that pale gaze of hers had been disquieting. But it had also piqued his curiosity.

He sighed deeply. He was being careful, he reminded himself sternly. Careful not to reveal too much of himself, or his fellow angara, to these aliens. But it was hard. Already, he had begun to warm to them: not just Ryder, but all of her strange crew. He found himself hoping eagerly that his decision to join them would be justified – but then, in a way, it already had been, hadn’t it? Reactivating the vault on Havarl was a wonderful achievement, something his people had never managed to do all the time they had dwelt there. It had also been… exciting. She was exciting. There was no other way he could put it. And that thought alone was worrying in itself.

He groaned aloud. His emotions were becoming all tangled up, like the wilds of Havarl they had so recently departed. He wanted to believe Ryder could help them; could be a true ally to the angaran people. He wanted it so much that he could practically taste it. But Evfra had counselled caution above all things.

Caught in a web of confusion, Jaal did what he had always done: turned to his family for help. With a flick of his wrist he activated his omnitool, and began composing a message.

>> To Sahuna, my True Mother,

Thank you for the comfort of your last message. I must admit, spending so much time in the company of these aliens has been overwhelming. But it is not all bad. They all seem eager to be friendly, in their own ways. The ship’s doctor, Lexi T’Perro, has been very forthcoming with information upon these Milky Way species. There are so many of them, it seems: and so much to learn about each and every one.

But still, I find that with each enlightenment comes further confusion. Their leader in particular I find bewildering, to say the least. She is no doubt a strong woman, able to lead by example, if not always with authority. She is also quick to laugh, always ready with a joke and a smile for each member of her crew, myself included. But still, there is something beneath her smile that worries me.

I have been told that these humans are more guarded with their emotions than we are. I believe the word used was ‘uptight’. It is so very strange, to be so surrounded by people who hold their feelings in such a vice-like grip, either unable or unwilling to allow themselves to speak or feel freely.

This brings me to the subject I find myself concerned with. Pathfinder Ryder seems to be hiding something. At present, I cannot decide whether it is simply this emotional constriction that Dr T’Perro has warned me about; or something darker, that I should be on my guard against. I find myself hoping against hope that it is the former; that what she has hidden is neither deceit nor treachery. In my soul, I truly believe that her nature is kind; and whatever it is she conceals, it is a matter of the heart she is unwilling to share. But I have little proof of this, save for what I have observed over these past weeks; and even that seems intangible, and difficult to grasp. I confess, I find myself floundering, torn between what I believe, and what I must also guard against.

Advise me, my true mother. Am I playing the fool once again, and allowing my heart to override my good sense? I feel mired in a sea of doubts, with only the flicker of distant stars to guide me.

Your loving son,

Jaal.

He sat back, re-reading the message several times before sending it. He hoped Sahuna would not take overlong to reply. They would soon be arriving at Voeld, and Ryder had already asked him to be a part of the ground team for their next mission. She had stated that his knowledge and experience would prove invaluable; and despite everything, Jaal had felt a surge of pride at her declaration, and a determination to prove himself worthy of her confidence. Which was absurd, really. After all, she was the one who needed to prove herself to him – not the other way around.

Sighing deeply, Jaal turned off his omnitool, and settled into his cot. It was all too bewildering to dwell on for too long. He could only hope that their mission on Voeld would be just as successful as the time they’d spent on Havarl. If they could find and activate another vault… if they could take down enough kett outposts to truly have a chance of rescuing the Moshae… then it would all be worthwhile.

*

Chapter Text

The following weeks were spent thawing out Voeld. Sara spent the majority of them cursing everything: the kett, the snowstorms, and especially the cold. The planet’s perpetual below-freezing temperatures meant that they could only spend so much time away from the Tempest on missions, before the Nomad’s life support systems began wavering. There was only so much the sturdy vehicle could take, after all.

Because of this, Sara found herself making the decision to keep all missions swift and to the point, continually rotating her ground squad in order to give them all a break from the icy temperatures. Vetra in particular was grateful for this, having made it abundantly clear on day one that turians did not like the cold, referring to Voeld’s impressive snowbound panorama as an ‘icy hellscape’ in a low, discontented rumble.

Still, Sara was pleased with her progress. They’d contacted the Angaran Resistance Base, as well as weeding out pockets of kett in the surrounding area. Drack seemed the only one actually pleased with this state of affairs, and more often than not actually volunteered to come out on the missions, so as to give the rest of the team a break. When Sara had questioned him about it, the burly krogan had simply shrugged.

‘You find good fights out here,’ he’d told her, baring his teeth in a reptilian grin. ‘Can’t seem to throw a brick on this planet without hitting kett. Besides, the more of these bastards we take down now, the weaker they’ll be later on.’

Jaal too had turned into a regular squadmate during their time on Voeld. Sara had discovered that angaran physiology was much better adapted for the cold than for the heat; and as such, he did not seem to mind the icy temperatures nearly as much as Liam or Peebee, who always complained loudly when their turn came to venture from the Tempest’s warmth.

Not that Sara was complaining. Time spent with Jaal never seemed wasted. With each fresh mission, with each gut-churning skid across an icy plateau, she was adjusting to the near-constant presence of the angara at her back. His modified kett rifle was also a marvel, and she quickly found herself infinitely grateful for his speedy shots and spectacular aim whenever they ran into any kett. But there had been other advantages too. Namely, discovering more about their angaran ally – which she was definitely doing for entirely professional reasons, Sara told herself firmly.

She’d found that while he was still reluctant to answer direct questions about himself or his people, he was more than happy to ask them. Now he seemed to have settled in among the Tempest crew, his natural curiosity was rising to the fore. Sara found it both bewildering and endearing, and a little frustrating as well. But at least they were talking. He had begun to look at her with a smile in his eyes, instead of open suspicion. He even went so far as to laugh and joke with her on occasion; although those moments were nearly always swiftly curtailed, as though he was remembering too late that he was not supposed to be enjoying himself quite so much in the company of aliens.

Sara smiled internally at that thought. Jaal was not only handsome, strong, and a crack shot with his rife; but he was infinitely curious as well. He could be charmingly excitable over the smallest of things, yet heartbreakingly sentimental in almost the same breath. It made her head spin.

There had been one particular day – or night? It was difficult to tell on Voeld, after all – while they were on the track of the yevara poachers. They’d been making good progress, and Sara was certain they were close to closing in on their base of operations, when a snowstorm of gigantic proportions had blown up.

‘Pathfinder, I am detecting an unusually large blizzard approaching your location,’ came SAM’s electronic voice, ringing through the Nomad so all three of them could hear it. ‘I predict windspeeds of over one hundred kilometres per hour, and temperatures well below safe parameters. I would advise you to seek shelter from the storm until it has passed.’

Sara bit her lip, glancing at her companions uncertainly. ‘We can’t go back to the Tempest now. It’s too far,’ she said worriedly. ‘Any ideas?’

In the back seat, Drack snorted. ‘A bit of wind never hurt me. I say we just ride it out.’

Sara rolled her eyes. A typically krogan response. ‘Jaal?’ she said, turning to face the angara in the seat beside her. ‘What do you think?’

Jaal turned his astonishingly blue eyes towards her thoughtfully. ‘I know of a small cave, not far from here,’ he replied. ‘The Resistance use it for medical supply drops. It is not much; but it is more sheltered than where we are now.’

‘Sounds good to me,’ Sara replied with a shiver. ‘Plug in the navpoint, and let’s roll.’

They reached the cave with little difficulty. True to Jaal’s words, it wasn’t exactly much: more a shallow depression in the rock formations, fringed with overhanging ice. But it provided enough of a shield for the Nomad’s life support systems to normalize.

‘I guess we’ll just have to wait,’ muttered Sara, peering out of the windscreen. The wind was definitely getting up, whirling across the ice flats with a faint, keening whine that made her shiver to her bones. The snow was falling thick and fast.

‘Don’t worry,’ she added, glancing over as Jaal settled himself more comfortably in the passenger seat. ‘We’ll catch up with those poachers soon, after the storm has passed.’

He nodded, smiling softly. ‘Your determination does you credit,’ he replied quietly. ‘I appreciate you taking the time to look into this. There are many other concerns that demand a Pathfinder’s attention, after all.’

Sara shrugged awkwardly, unsure if he was complimenting her or not. ‘I guess I’ve always hated poachers,’ she mumbled, more to herself than to him. ‘We had them back on Earth, too. Always gunning for the endangered species: the biggest, the brightest, the most beautiful.’

Jaal hummed quietly in response. ‘You have… personal experience with this sort of thing, then?’

Sara shook her head. ‘Not exactly. I just saw it in the vids, you know? They killed tigers for trophies, elephants for their tusks, and whales for… hell, I don’t even know. It’s so stupid. Most of what they want could easily be synthesized, and no-one would know the difference. But there’s always some asshole out there who’s willing to pay a high price for the so-called real thing.’ She snorted derisively.

‘Hmm.’ Jaal glanced over at her speculatively. ‘I did not know this was something you felt so deeply about,’ he replied. ‘Now I begin to understand why you have been so determined to end the slaughter of the yevara.’ He paused, his eyes lighting with a curiosity that Sara now found familiar. ‘You mentioned two names I am not familiar with,’ he added. ‘Tigers, I have researched before. The others, however…’ he paused, scrunching up his nose before speaking. ‘What is an… el-ee-fant? And why are these ‘tusks’ so highly prized?’

Sara laughed softly, raising an arm so that she can bring up some images on her omnitool. ‘That’s an elephant,’ she tells him, flicking through the pictures. ‘They’re amazing, huge, wonderful animals. They live in herds – family groups – and they’re highly intelligent. But here, you see…’ she raised a finger to point out the sleek, sloping tusks of a particularly large bull elephant. ‘These are made of ivory. It’s a material that used to be desirable for crafting, back on Earth. With the hunting laws, there’s practically no call for it of course, but…’

‘But there is always somebody willing to pay,’ nodded Jaal, his eyes softening with understanding. ‘What of the other creature you mentioned? What are they like? Do they have –?’ He broke off, interrupted by a low, rumbling snore from the back seat. It appeared Drack had fallen asleep.

‘Don’t wake him,’ chuckled Sara. ‘He’s over a thousand years old. He needs his rest. Besides, it doesn’t look like we’re going anywhere fast.’ She pulled back her omnitool, flicking over some more pictures. ‘These are the other animals I mentioned. The whales,’ she added, turning slightly in her seat so as to be more comfortable. ‘They’re the largest animals on Earth: strong and powerful, but they’re not dangerous at all. Not if you don’t piss them off, anyway.’

‘They are water-dwelling creatures?’ asked Jaal, no longer even attempting to hide his curiosity. ‘Like the yevara?’

‘Yeah. In more ways than one, I guess.’ Sara smiled gently, the sight of Jaal’s eager expression sending warmth thrumming through her veins that had nothing to do with the Nomad’s environmental controls. ‘The sounds they make… we call it ‘whalesong’. It’s beautiful, in a melancholy kind of way.’ She chuckled quietly. ‘To be honest, when you first spoke of the yevara, it made me think about whales. What was it you said, about their singing…?’

Jaal nodded slowly. ‘That it was told that the yevara’s song is so beautiful it could coax the sun out of hiding, and reveal the stars.’

‘Yeah. That.’ Sara sighed softly. ‘That’s a lovely thing to say, Jaal. I’d love to see a yevara up close. I bet they’re beautiful, like the mantas on Havarl.’ She wriggled slightly, drawing her knees up to her chest. ‘There are all sorts of legends about whales back on Earth too. Some cultures call them sacred creatures, said to bring luck, safety, and prosperity.’

Jaal raised his brow questioningly. ‘Yet… your people still hunt them?’

Sara snorted irritably. ‘Some do,’ she muttered. ‘Idiots, for the most part. They’re gentle giants, but still; whales are pretty damn dangerous if you threaten them.’

Jaal chuckled softly. ‘I imagine the yevara would be much the same.’

They sat for some time in companionable silence, lulled by the storm outside and the low repetition of Drack’s rumbling snores. I could get used to this, thought Sara idly, watching the gentle swirl of white flakes drifting past the Nomad’s windscreen in a never-ending flurry of white. Despite the dangers that beset them, and despite the still-mounting pile of responsibilities on Sara’s shoulders, she felt… calm. Safe, somehow. Protected. For the first time since arriving in Andromeda, she felt a strange sense of peace settling over her. Yes, there were still places to go, people to see, and oh so many things yet to do; but for now, her adventures had been put on hold by the blizzard. There was nothing she could do, except wait. So she did.

She glanced to one side. Jaal was leaning back in his seat, seeming just as happy as she was to take advantage of the lull in activities. His beautiful eyes were half-lidded, turned towards the sparkling snowscape before them, until he became aware that she was watching him. He turned his head slightly to look at her; and for a moment, Sara felt all the breath leave her body at the sheer beauty of his gaze. That same sense of peaceful wonderment that had been reserved for the snowstorm was now turned towards her, undiluted in its intensity. Sara felt momentary tears prickle in her eyes as she returned his gaze, unable to prevent herself from smiling.

‘Jaal, I’m glad you’re here,’ she said quietly. He blinked, seeming surprised by her words, before his features relaxed into an answering smile that was as warm and bright as the rising of the sun.

‘So am I,’ he replied simply.

*

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for Jaal to receive a reply to his email. His true mother’s message was short, and to the point.

>> My dear son Jaal,

You worry too much. I am relieved to hear you are still safe and well, as are all the other mothers. You must see if this Pathfinder of yours will allow you to come see us sometime soon. You are missed. As I do not know the woman in question, I cannot say whether your judgement of Pathfinder Ryder is correct. However, I can tell you that what I have heard of her from the Resistance has been almost entirely praiseworthy. Take that for what you will. I will also say this: trust your heart, and trust your own strength. You have a keen mind, a kind soul, and clear sight. There is too much at stake here for rash actions. You know this better than most. Keep your eyes open, and your wits sharp. Only time will tell us how much of an ally she and her people will truly be.

Farewell, Jaal. May the stars above guide your feet along the path that you must walk.

Sahuna

Jaal leaned back, sighing deeply as a little of the previous day’s tension ebbed from his muscles. It hadn’t been a ringing endorsement of Ryder and the Tempest’s crew; but neither had it been a dismissal, or a denial of the good that the Pathfinder was doing in Heleus. In fact, it was just what he needed.

‘Trust your heart,’ he murmured, echoing his true mother’s words. It was what he had always done; what he so desperately wanted to continue doing. He trusted Ryder. He hadn’t wanted to admit it to himself; but it was true. He no longer viewed her with concern or caution. She was still strange, admittedly: bewildering, at times unknowable, and definitely still alien. But she had become his friend, his colleague – his comrade in arms. They had fought together, bled together, talked to one another in the quiet of the snowstorm: when all the world seemed to shrink down to just the two of them, nestled together in the Nomad, while outside the blizzard raged.

He smiled. That memory was a precious one. Watching the tension leave her expression, the delicate lines and creases relaxing into a look of simple wonder, had felt like a gift. One that she had entrusted to him, and him alone. He wondered if he should tell her, before immediately dismissing the idea. There were more important deeds at hand, he reminded himself. Even as he sat up and stretched, he felt the distinct hum of the Tempest’s landing thrusters engaging. They would be docked at the Nexus for the next two days, to fully restock and resupply, before returning to Voeld once more. Finally, Evfra had given his grudging consent for the Pathfinder team to strike at the heart of the kett facility, to find Moshae Sjefa and bring her home. His heart clenched at the thought of it.

From behind the doors of the tech lab, he heard the hurrying feet of the crew as they prepared to disembark. Ryder had been determined to dig up some upgrades for her weapons and armour before the mission, and quite frankly he didn’t blame her. She was nervous. He knew her well enough now to read it in the set of her shoulders, the tightness of her smile, the way that her expression dropped into a frown when she thought nobody was looking. But that was all right, he told himself. He was nervous too. So much hinged on this mission: not only the life of the Moshae, but a potential alliance between the Initiative and the Angara. It was a sobering thought.

He sighed deeply, pulling himself to his feet, joining the rest of the crew as they disembarked. His wandering feet took him to the Nexus cultural exchange centre, where he did his best to ignore some of the stares he received from the rest of the aliens there, reminding himself that he was the stranger here. He wondered if this was what it felt like for Ryder when they landed on Aya.

Eventually, when the stares became too much, he headed back to the Tempest to relax, insofar as that was possible. While he enjoyed spending time learning about the distinct species of alien that had arrived from the Milky Way, the Nexus itself could be a bit much for him at times. It was an incredible place, no doubt: a testimony to the technological skill and sheer determination that had propelled these wanderers across six hundred years of darkspace. But it was also huge, busy, bewildering, and a little frightening at times. But that was okay. In a way, the Nexus almost felt like a projection of its inhabitants: busy, eager, thrumming with life, but fraught with underlying tension too, like a gyroscope spinning merrily along the edge of a catastrophe curve. But there was hope there, too. The combined hopes of thousands upon thousands of souls. It was so strong he could practically taste it.

No wonder Ryder seemed… tense, sometimes. He hadn’t fully understood the implications before, when she’d mentioned just how many people were counting on her to find them a home. But now, having seen the Nexus, having learned about the thousands of humans waiting in cryo pods, as well as learning about the missing arks… well, it was a wonder that Ryder hadn’t buckled under the sheer weight of responsibility that had been laid on her shoulders.

She is so small, he thought to himself. So young, for such a grave task. His gut clenched as a twinge of guilt shot through him. By demanding that she prove herself trustworthy to the angara, he had unwittingly laid even more responsibility upon her: not just on the humans in general, but her specifically. For weeks now she had devoted her time, energy, and the Tempest’s resources to assisting the angara on both Voeld and Havarl; and now, they were preparing for a rescue mission that could very well be the death of them all.

He sighed, running his hands over his head in frustration. It was too much, he thought. Too much to think upon for long. It made his head hurt, and his heart ache. What he really needed was for this next mission to be over with: to have the Moshae safe and sound, back at Aya where she belonged. But what then? his inner thought persisted. What will become of me? Will I have outstayed my welcome on the Tempest? Will Ryder deem my purpose fulfilled, and no longer wish to have me aboard her ship? He frowned, fidgeting with an ammo mod he’d been intending to add to his rifle. He found that, despite his initial wariness of the Tempest’s crew, he’d become inordinately fond of them all. Some of them – Liam, Vetra, Lexi, Ryder – he’d even call friends.

He didn’t want to leave, he realized. He didn’t want to be deposited back on Aya after their mission was done, like a tool that had outlived its usefulness. Over the past few weeks he had grown to enjoy the many and varied missions he went on with Ryder and her crew – fighting, learning, talking and laughing with these aliens as though it was the most natural thing in the world. It would feel strange, to return to mundane Resistance duties, after the excitement of working with the Pathfinder team. There was a strange sense of belonging that he had never felt before; as though finally, among these strange folk, and among strange stars, he had finally found his purpose.

He shook his head irritably. Such thoughts would do him no good, he knew. The future – his future – hung by a thread. All was dependent upon whether they could successfully breach the kett facility on Voeld. He shuddered. Nobody had ever returned from behind kett walls, he remembered. It was a sobering thought. How on earth were they, a small team of oddball outsiders, going to succeed where so many of his people had already failed? And if they did fail, just how high would the cost of that failure be? He shivered. It was too late to change anything now, he reminded himself. No matter how loudly his heart was crying out that he should keep Ryder away from Voeld, away from the kett facility, and away from whatever evil lurked within.

*

Chapter Text

It was time. Sara felt her pulse quickening as she ran through her final mental preparations for the mission ahead. After what they had achieved on Voeld, Evfra had finally given his blessing for the Tempest’s forces to strike at the heart of the Kett base, in the hope of rescuing Moshae Sjefa. It was a long shot, but if Evfra was right, then the Moshae was the only chance Sara had of getting into Aya’s vault; and it was a chance she was planning to grasp with both hands.

After their stop at the Nexus to fuel up and grab a few last-minute supplies, they had set course once again for Voeld. She’d forced herself to say a goodbye of sorts to Scott when she’d visited him, still comatose in the Hyperion’s medbay. Even though she knew he couldn’t hear her, talking to him gave her comfort.

‘I have to go now, Scotty,’ she’d said quietly, giving his limp hand a farewell squeeze. ‘I’ve got a new mission and… well, I won’t go into details, but… there’s a lot at stake. So, do me a favour, okay? Try and wake up by the time I get back.’

Harry had shot her a sympathetic glance as she’d backed away, biting her lip. She would not cry, she told herself fiercely. She would not. They’d go off to Voeld, rescue the Moshae, gain the angara’s trust, and then she’d come right back and Scott would be awake: up and about and annoying as ever, with his stupid grin and sarcastic remarks. That’s all there was to it, right?

She shivered. Her biotics were humming fitfully beneath the surface of her skin, mirroring the nervous tension that was threading her veins as she strode up to the armour locker, looking over her gear one last time.

‘Pathfinder, I make this the eighth time you have checked your equipment for the upcoming mission,’ said SAM, his neutral tone still managing to sound concerned. ‘I do not believe another check is strictly necessary.’

‘Can never be too careful,’ snapped Sara, before shaking her head and sighing. ‘I’m sorry, SAM,’ she added quietly. ‘I’m just so wound up, you know? There’s so much at stake here. I’ve got to get this right.’

‘I understand, Pathfinder. I have been monitoring your vitals, and I believe you would benefit from some of Dr T’Perro’s stress-relieving exercises.’

Sara snorted. ‘Yoga? No thanks, SAM. Or at least, not right before a mission. I’ll be fine once we’re out there getting shit done.’ She shifted awkwardly, leaning against her armour locker, fiddling with her omnitool. ‘It’s just the waiting that sucks,’ she muttered. ‘I was never good at being patient.’

‘Then you will be pleased to know that ETA to Voeld is now only seventeen minutes,’ replied SAM.

‘Thanks.’ Sara sighed, giving her shotgun a final glare before replacing it in the locker. ‘I’d better go and tell the guys to gear up.’

‘Very well, Pathfinder,’ replied SAM. ‘If it is of any consolation, I believe that Jaal Ama Darav has also been checking both his weapons and armour more times than appears strictly necessary.’

‘Hah.’ Sara snorted mirthlessly. ‘How many?’

‘I make his count eight, Pathfinder. The same as yours.’

Sara chuckled, feeling a little of the tension easing itself from her shoulders. ‘Right. Stop me if I try for nine, will you?’

*

It was a short trip in the shuttle from the Resistance base to the kett facility. Squinting up at the size of the looming structure ahead of them, Sara found herself grateful for the presence of the angaran strike team at her back. After all, nobody had ever seen the inside of a kett base such as this one, and made it out to tell the tale.

Beside her, Jaal and Cora were stern and silent. They both knew what was at stake just as well as she did. There was a brief, horrible moment when she thought SAM would be unable to breach the kett shield, and that they’d come all this way for nothing; but the moment passed swiftly.

‘Great work, SAM,’ Sara breathed, grinning in relief. ‘Remind me to give you a gold star once we’re back on the Tempest.’

‘I always work at optimum capacity, Pathfinder.’ If it was possible for an AI to sound pleased, then SAM certainly did. Sara nodded.

‘Buckle up, people. Here we go.’ She strode forwards, heading for the main doors. ‘Let’s throw these guys an unexpected party, huh?’

Almost immediately, the action began. Wraiths and kett appeared as Sara and her team began pressing into the facility. The angaran soldiers carried themselves well, working as a tight-knit team to take down the kett chosen, leaving her free to level her shotgun at the incoming wraiths. The zing of Jaal’s sniper rifle could be heard among the battle, and the flash of Cora’s powerful biotics seemed to be everywhere at once.

‘Sam, take notes,’ muttered Sara, once they’d taken care of the kett. ‘By the time we leave this place, I want to know everything about it.’

They pushed deeper into the facility. Sara did her best to try and ignore the excitable chatter of the angaran squad at her back. It would appear that Jaal had been telling the truth when he’d said that all angara were free with their emotions, if this bunch were anything to go by.

‘Keep focused, everybody,’ she called, reloading as she walked. ‘We’re here for a reason, remember?’ She tried not to think about the implications of the containers they’d found, carelessly filled with angaran clothes and personal effects, presumably taken from the prisoners. Memories of past history lessons flashed before her eyes, of genocide and gas chambers. She shivered. The whole place stank. It was something unfamiliar, a pungent chemical smell that she could not put a name to; nor did she really want to.

‘Jaal, you take point with me,’ she instructed. ‘Cora, keep your eyes peeled for ambushes, or anyone trying to sneak up from behind. I want to know if anything tries to bite us in the ass.’

‘Understood, Pathfinder,’ responded Cora. Sara noticed her fingertips were still shimmering with a barely-there blue nebula. This place clearly had the huntress on edge too.

‘Well, if we were a surprise before, I doubt we’re one any more,’ muttered Sara. ‘I wonder what this place has in store for us.’

‘Agreed.’ The angaran commander paced beside her, his wide blue eyes lingering on his people’s abandoned personal effects. ‘Pathfinder, your team has the best chance of navigating this place, and finding Moshae Sjefa. My group will attack head on, and provide a distraction.’

‘What?’ Sara narrowed her eyes at him incredulously. ‘A place like this? That sounds like suicide!’

Commander Heckt shrugged. ‘We’re ready for anything. We all trained for this, Pathfinder. Every member of the Resistance knows what they signed up for.’ Behind him, his fellow angara were nodding in agreement. ‘You know I’m right,’ he added. ‘While the kett focus on us, you’ll be free to slip through the facility more easily and discover where they’re holding the Moshae. Without her…’

‘I know.’ Sara bit her lip, reluctant to agree despite the good sense of the angaran plan. ‘Well then… good luck, I guess,’ she said finally. ‘We’ll see you on the other side, Commander.’

‘Of course.’ The angara’s blue eyes narrowed in a grim smile. ‘Come on,’ he added, turning to the rest of his squad. ‘This passageway leads to the main entrance. Let’s go kick in the front door.’

Sara shook her head in admiration. ‘Your people certainly don’t lack courage,’ she said softly, glancing to one side as Jaal came to stand beside her. ‘Can they cause enough trouble to keep the kett occupied?’

Jaal chuckled darkly. ‘You can count on it.’

‘Good.’ Sara nodded, striding towards a door on the far wall. ‘Come on, then. Let’s make it worthwhile.’

She gritted her teeth as they continued through the facility, passing through a seeming maze of corridors and passages, chambers filled with relics and the occasional decontamination chamber. Sara felt the hairs on the nape of her neck rising with each fresh discovery. There was no denying it now: there was something inherently wrong about this place. Room after empty room greeted them.

‘Where is everyone?’ muttered Sara, glancing worriedly at Cora. ‘Surely we haven’t just stormed an empty base.’

‘They’re here all right,’ Jaal replied in a low rumble. ‘We just need to…’ he paused, glancing around as they entered yet another large, seemingly empty space. ‘There is a console over there,’ he said, pointing. ‘Perhaps your SAM can use it to find the information we seek?’

‘Good idea.’ Sara levelled her scanner at the console, allowing SAM access as a large viewing window slid open before them.

‘What the… what is this?’ murmured Jaal, coming to stand beside her. Sara could only shake her head in bewilderment, motioning them all to stay quiet. The chamber that had opened below was lined with more of the strange pods she’d noticed earlier. But what caught her attention were four captured angara, standing amongst a guard of what looked like elite kett.

What the shit is going on? she thought, straining to hear as the lead kett motioned for the angara to step forwards. Her gut clenched. Suddenly, Sara very much didn’t want to know what those pods were for. Frozen dread slithered down her spine as she stood, unable to do nothing but watch as the unfortunate angara stepped right in, and the doors sealed themselves with an ominous hiss.

‘I don’t understand. Why aren’t they resisting?’ muttered Jaal, his voice tight with frustration.

‘Fucked if I know,’ Sara breathed in reply. ‘That’s some crazy cult shit they’ve got going on down there. Those poor angara looked like they were in some sort of trance.’

‘Drug-induced, do you think?’ murmured Cora.

Sara nodded. ‘Seems likely. I mean, would you willingly walk into one of those things?’ She turned to Jaal. ‘You know the Moshae. Is she down there?’

Jaal shook his head. ‘No. I would know her anywhere. She is not among them.’ His bright eyes scanned the room carefully. ‘But maybe… in one of those?’ He added, pointing to the rest of the pods that lined the chamber. Sara bit her lip and nodded.

‘Right. Come on, we’ve got to get down there. Perhaps if we…’ she broke off as her comm beeped.

‘You wanted a distraction?’ came the crackling voice of Commander Heckt, sounding immensely satisfied. ‘Get ready, Pathfinder. We’re about to set our plan on fire!’

No sooner had he spoken than the sound of an explosion reverberated through the facility. Sara grinned delightedly. The angaran strike team had been as good as their word. But before she could leave, her attention was caught by a flicker of movement among the kett. A holo of the Archon sprung to life before them. ‘Explain,’ he demanded. His voice was low and menacing.

Sara caught her breath and ducked out of sight, recognizing him as the kett she had insulted back on the Tempest, just before their crash-landing on Aya. Holy shit, so that’s the Archon? she thought frantically. That’s the leader of all kett in Heleus? The one I told to kiss my ass? Fuck! Way to go, Ryder! She grimaced as the rest of the kett dropped to their knees before their leader, listening to the exchange that followed intently.

‘The Moshae awaits final exultation,’ the kett Cardinal was saying tremulously, hardly daring to raise her eyes to meet the Archon’s imposing stare.

‘Then proceed immediately,’ snapped the Archon. ‘Then, bring it to me. I will suffer no more delays.’

‘Final exultation?’ echoed Sara, as the kett filed out of the room below. ‘What the hell…?’

‘Final exultation – what’s final about it? What did he mean?’ interrupted Jaal, his voice rising with frustration. ‘Ryder, whatever they’re talking about, whatever they’re doing, it must be stopped!’ He turned to her, his eyes wide and pleading. ‘Ryder, we must save those angara. All of them!’

Sara groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. ‘I know, Jaal. We’ll do everything we can. But we came here for the Moshae. She’s got to be our top priority.’ She stared up at Jaal, willing him to understand, seeing her own distress mirrored in the angara’s azure blue gaze. But she couldn’t give in to panic now. She had to stay strong. She had to stay calm.

‘I… understand.’ Jaal huffed out a frustrated breath, half-growl, half-sigh. ‘But Ryder… those are my people down there. My comrades… friends… family…’

‘I know.’ Sara stepped forwards and gripped the angara’s forearm tightly. ‘Listen, we’re running out of time. We’ve got to find Moshae Sjefa, and we’ve got to do it fast. But I swear to you Jaal, I will do everything in my power to get the rest of your people out alive, okay? And that’s a promise.’

Jaal breathed deeply. ‘Thank you,’ he murmured. Sara nodded.

‘Come on,’ she replied. ‘Let’s get down there. Looks like we’ve finally found some kett to kill.’

‘About time,’ nodded Cora, hefting her pistol. ‘Hey, you heard what I did, right?’ she added. ‘He called them chosen. What did that mean? Chosen for what, exactly?’

‘I’m guessing we shouldn’t wait around to find out,’ replied Sara grimly, as they headed down the closest set of stairs, weaving their way down towards the lower chamber. Dimly she could hear the sound of gunfire nearby, as the angaran strike team made short work of the kett hurrying to their location. Several kett guards sprang up in their path, but a combination of Cora’s overpowered biotics and Jaal’s sniper rifle made short work of them. Sara barely had time to raise her shotgun.

‘This is a maze,’ muttered Sara, as they navigated yet another long, curving corridor. ‘Seriously, what is with this place? It’s all kinds of fucked up!’

‘You’re right,’ replied Cora, her eyes narrowed as she cast a powerful singularity at the incoming kett soldiers, dashing them to smithereens against the bulkhead. ‘The sooner we find the Moshae and get out of here, the happier I’ll be.’

Sara nodded, in complete agreement with the huntress. The strange scene they’d just witnessed had only served to heighten the sense that something – everything, in fact – that was happening in this facility was just… wrong. She swallowed hard. The kett had spoken of this ‘exultation’ with a respect bordering on reverence. It both intrigued and frightened her. If the kett think it’s that great, then surely it’s bad news for us, she thought worriedly, taking down a wraith with a blast from her shotgun. And how the hell are we supposed to get all those captive angara out? There must be dozens of them down here!

She raised her omnitool as they entered another chamber filled with pods, scanning each unresponsive angara within. Her chest tightened as familiar tendrils of panic began coiling around the base of her spine with each negative result. They were running out of time.

‘Come on, come on,’ she muttered to herself. ‘Moshae Sjefa, where are you?’

‘Pathfinder, if you can direct me towards a console, I can try to interface,’ came SAM’s cool, calm, and definitely unpanicked voice. ‘It may provide us with data regarding the Moshae’s whereabouts.’

‘Do it.’ Sara nodded brusquely, darting towards the nearest terminal, shifting anxiously from foot to foot as she waited for SAM to complete his analysis.

‘Please, hurry,’ she heard Jaal murmur behind her. She winced internally. She did not want to turn and look at him, to see the quiet desperation in his voice mirrored in those startlingly beautiful eyes. She didn’t want to see him looking as afraid, angry, and alone as she knew he felt. Her heart thumped frantically within her chest. I’m trying my hardest, Jaal; I promise, she thought desperately. She had never heard him sound frightened before. It wasn’t something she ever wanted to hear again.

‘Pathfinder, the Moshae’s pod was here,’ came SAM’s voice, cutting through Sara’s thoughts. ‘But it appears it was pulled out of line moments ago.’

‘Pulled out? To where?’ snapped Cora, all business.

‘Pods travel from here to rooms that encircle this core,’ SAM told them.

‘On it,’ replied Ryder, hefting her gun and eyeing the nearest door. ‘Let’s go!’ She barrelled forwards, he shotgun clenched in both hands, her jaw tight with determination. We’re coming for you, Moshae Sjefa, she thought. Just hang in there a little longer. She wasn’t going to let Jaal down, she told herself fiercely. She wasn’t going to fuck this one up. She couldn’t afford to.

As they pushed forwards, Ryder’s comm buzzed. The angaran strike team had called in reinforcements from the nearest Resistance bases. By the sound of it, they were holding their own against the kett, and gathering intel as they went. She felt a surge of admiration for the angara as she listened in on the comm chatter; for the way they were managing to take full advantage of the situation, despite the odds being stacked against them.

‘Another decontamination chamber,’ she grumbled, as a door slid closed behind them. ‘SAM, can you do anything to stop…?’

‘Shh! Get down!’ Cora hissed, practically dragging Sara behind a stack of crates. ‘Look!’ she pointed urgently towards the viewing window. Sara gasped.

Before them was yet another chamber, even larger than the last one. An elite-looking kett soldier was standing on a raised platform, eyes fixed on the pod that was being slowly lowered from the ceiling. Sara felt her jaw drop as the kett seemed to levitate, meeting the pod halfway with a rapturous expression on her face. Sara shifted slightly to make room as Jaal’s bulk pressed close to her side. He too was watching the proceedings intently, a look of bewilderment on his face. She heard his breath hitch in dismay as the pod fell away, revealing a solitary male angara.

Well, at least we know that’s not the Moshae, Sara’s internal thought supplied. But her relief was short-lived. With startling speed, the kett raised her hands and thrust a pair of syringes violently into the captive’s chest. Beside her, Jaal loosed a groan of dismay as the angara cried out in surprise and pain, writhing in agony as something black and viscous was injected into his veins.

‘Oh no,’ breathed Sara, her mouth suddenly dry. ‘Oh no, no please no!’ Her hands clenched, white-knuckled on the barrel of her gun as, before their very eyes, the captive angara… changed. Smooth pink skin became dark and leathery, rupturing in places before calcifying into hard, bone-like protrusions. Oh dear god, Sara thought numbly, as the angara – the kett – hit the floor, before standing tall on armoured feet. She’d gone in expecting horrors, but this…?

She rose to her feet, no longer caring for concealment as a surge of white-hot rage flooded her system, almost blinding her with its sheer ferocity. A low, animal snarl sounded at the back of her throat – and then she was running, pounding towards the kett as fast as her legs could carry her. Her biotics were humming beneath her skin, pushing her forwards, giving her speed as she careered around a corner and slammed straight into the nearest kett guard. Before he could so much as blink she’d whipped out her omniblade and thrust it deep into the creature’s gut. Warm blood gushed over her hand as she pulled the weapon back, fountaining over her armour; but at that moment, Sara Ryder couldn’t have cared less. Dimly she could hear shouting, the enraged bellows of the chief kett mingling with Jaal’s anguished, furious cries. SAM was somewhere in the mix too, trying to talk to her – but all Sara could hear was the roaring tide of rage, the blood pounding in her ears, the sizzling hum of her biotics as she threw herself into the fray, her entire body pulsing with power. She didn’t even bother using her gun, tossing the kett around like ragdolls with her biotics as behind her, Jaal loosed shot after shot from his rifle. After an astonishingly brief time, it was over. Sara breathed in deeply, clenching her fists, struggling to put a reign on the anger still surging within her. They’d had no choice but to kill the recently-turned angara along with the rest of the kett. But despite knowing this, Sara felt a bitter spike of guilt lance through her chest like a physical blow when she turned to see Jaal hunched over the body, weeping quietly as though his heart would break.

‘Jaal?’ she managed to say, walking towards him on unsteady feet. The anger was still there, pulsing like a nova at the back of her mind. But the moment he raised those beautiful, tearstained eyes to meet hers, it all dropped away, leaving nothing but emptiness.

‘They… are us,’ he said quietly. His voice was hoarse, and his face was creased in bitter grief. Sara felt her heart curl itself into a fist and begin hammering at the inside of her chest. She reached out, grasping his armoured shoulder tightly, as though afraid he would drift away the moment she took her eyes from him. She barely even felt Cora’s hand on her arm, until the biotic huntress gave her a sharp tug.

‘The Moshae,’ she muttered urgently. ‘I’ll let you… there are other rooms. I’ll keep scanning for her.’

‘Right,’ muttered Sara numbly, nodding before turning back towards Jaal. He was still gazing down at the fallen kett, as though searching for something – anything – that proved it had once been angara; had been just like him until a few brief, agonizing moments ago.

‘They are us,’ he murmured again, as though repeating the words would somehow help; would somehow distil this awful truth into something more manageable, something that didn’t sound like the crumbling of his world. ‘I did not know. Ryder, I did not know.’

‘None of us did,’ she replied quietly. ‘Jaal, I’m so sorry.’

He shook his head, his eyes still brimming with tears. ‘How many have I killed?’ he said softly. ‘How many have I killed, not knowing?’ His voice was trembling. Sara leaned forwards, reaching for him, touching his arm, his shoulder, her gloved hand brushing his cheek. Let me help, please let me help you, her internal voice cried. Her throat was tight with unshed tears as she met his gaze.

‘How can I help?’ she whispered. ‘Jaal, what do you need?’ Tell me and I’ll do it, she thought fiercely. Tell me to level this entire facility, and I will. Tell me to slaughter every monster on this planet, and I’ll do it without question. Tell me what you need; I’ll give it to you in a heartbeat.

‘That is kind. You are… kind,’ murmured Jaal. ‘I… don’t know.’ He rose slowly to his feet, dashing away his tears with the back of his hand before drawing himself up to his full height. Sara hesitated, carefully folding the dead kett’s arms across his chest before standing.

‘Then let’s start by finding the Moshae,’ she said. ‘From what you’ve told me, I think that if anyone can figure out what this means for the angara… it’s her.’

Jaal nodded. ‘You are right.’ He glanced down at the dead kett one last time before turning away. His eyes were still raw from weeping, but his jaw was set grimly. ‘Let us go.’

Sara nodded, opening her mouth to speak, only to be interrupted by her comm flashing. ‘Ryder? Jaal? I’ve found her! She’s down here!’ came Cora’s urgent voice.

‘Thank fuck,’ muttered Sara, reaching for her gun. ‘You’re brilliant, Cora. We’re on our way down.’

‘You’d better hurry!’ Cora’s voice was agonized. ‘They’re doing that… that awful thing again! We’ve got to stop them!’

Sara and Jaal shared a brief, horrified glance, before immediately breaking into a dead sprint. They hurtled around the corner and into yet another decontamination chamber.

‘SAM, get me into that room now!’ yelled Sara, slamming her fist against the toughened glass. In the room beyond, she could clearly see an angaran woman that had to be the Moshae. She was suspended mid-air, just like the kett’s previous victim had been; and at that sight, all of Sara’s previous anger came rushing back in a tidal wave of pure, undiluted fury. She was right beside Jaal as he slammed the butt of his rifle against the reinforced doors, springing through and releasing a powerful biotic lance the moment they slid open.

The kett on the other side were caught off-guard; but only for a moment. The chief kett grabbed hold of the helpless angara and began dragging her roughly away, disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke. Sara swore furiously as the remaining kett levelled their weapons at her, narrowly avoiding a stream of plasma shots.

‘Ryder, she has the Moshae!’ came Jaal’s distressed cry over the rattle of machine-gun fire. ‘She’s getting away!’

‘Then we don’t let her get away!’ Sara snarled in response. Her eyes blazed with fury as she summoned the full force of her biotic abilities, charging the kett ranks with the speed of a striking snake. Cora was right beside her, blasting through the enemy shields with a powerful nova, leaving Jaal clear targets for his rifle. Bullets hissed overhead, but Sara didn’t care, hurtling through the chamber as though her life depended on it.

I’ve got to move faster, she thought desperately. I can’t let them take the Moshae! Not now we’ve come so far! Shit! She gritted her teeth, pulling up a swift biotic barrier as another stream of bullets zinged towards her. ‘SAM! Any bright ideas?’ she gasped, glancing around desperately.

‘Pathfinder, I can use my access to your physiology to add a temporary boost to your biotic abilities,’ came SAM’s reply. ‘It will, however, have repercussions.’

Sara ducked momentarily behind a stack of crates, wiping sweat from her brow and breathing heavily after her mad dash. ‘Do it,’ she gulped. ‘Whatever it takes. I am not screwing this one up!’

‘Understood,’ replied SAM. ‘Initiating profile transfer.’

For a moment, it felt as though nothing had changed. And then…

‘Fuck,’ muttered Sara, her breath hitching as a surge of dark energy flooded her veins. She popped out of cover, hurling an experimental shockwave at the nearest kett. Her jaw dropped as, instead of the brief pulse she’d been accustomed to, the shockwave positively thundered down the corridor, killing all kett in its path. Holy shit, thought Sara, momentarily stunned. That… that was just as powerful as Cora’s huntress-grade biotics. Shit, is this what she feels like all the time?

She leapt forwards, continuing her mad sprint after the Moshae, following SAM’s directions towards the landing pad at the top of the facility. Voeld’s icy air hit like a physical blast as they hurried into the hangar bay, weapons at the ready.

‘There she is! I see her!’ called Jaal from her left. ‘They’re getting ready to leave!’

‘Like hell they are,’ snapped Sara, before raising her voice. ‘Hang tight, Moshae Sjefa! We’re coming for you!’ She had no idea whether the beleaguered angara heard, or even understood her words. But the kett cardinal certainly had. She rose up, surrounded by a pulsating orange shield, her face a mask of outrage.

‘You will not take it!’ she hissed. ‘You will not deny it the glory that is exultation!’

‘Oh yeah? Fucking watch me, bitch!’ yelled Sara, barrelling forwards like a thunderstorm. Her biotics flared, sending shock after shock towards the cardinal, towards the soldiers, towards anything that stood in the way of her goal.

‘You flawed ignorant!’ screamed the cardinal in frustration, as a well-placed shot from Jaal’s rifle struck the glowing orb encircling her. ‘My own exultation shields and protects me! You cannot…’ she broke off, gasping as a blast from Sara’s shotgun knocked her flat. But it wasn’t enough. Within seconds she was up again, screaming insults and profanities as Sara and her team wove a deadly dance through the hangar bay, dodging bullets and streams of energy, before replying in kind with their own weapons.

It was a brutal and bitter fight. Sara barely had time to catch her breath, constantly moving; constantly sending shot after shot towards the cardinal and her lackeys. ‘You bastards,’ she snarled, punctuating each word with blasts from her shotgun. ‘You bastards! I will not let you take her! I will not let you touch her! Not one more time, d’you hear me? Not one fucking more!’ The memory of Jaal’s weeping and the quiet despair in his voice was acting like fuel on a fire, driving her further and further into a fury. Her lungs were burning, she was drenched with sweat, her hair had come loose, and her head was pounding fit to burst; but still she fought on, her very skin fizzling with power, surrounded by a glowing blue nebula that hummed and crackled every time a stray shot ricocheted off it.

Eventually, it was over. With a sputtering hiss, the cardinal’s shields dropped for long enough to allow Jaal a clean shot to the chest, sending the creature clattering to the floor in a sprawl of tangled limbs where she lay; alive and groaning in pain, but no longer a threat. Gasping with relief, Sara made her way to the prone figure of Moshae Sjefa, Jaal keeping pace beside her.

‘I’ve got you,’ she said quietly. ‘Just hold on. We’re getting you out of here.’

The angaran woman turned her startlingly blue gaze towards Sara, blinking rapidly in pained bewilderment. ‘No-one ever returns from beyond kett walls,’ she said slowly, as though unable to process exactly what had just happened.

‘Yeah well, I’m new here,’ muttered Sara, lending an arm to help the Moshae upright. ‘I’m still learning the rules. Now come on, let’s get out of here.’

The Moshae shook her head. ‘I am not the only one. There are other angara trapped, held prisoner. They took everyone.’ Her voice was despairing. Sara winced in sympathy.

‘I know,’ she murmured. ‘We saw them.’ She stepped back, allowing Jaal to take some of the Moshae’s frail weight as the taller woman’s head lolled forwards. She was clearly in a great deal of pain.

‘Her vitals are bad. Her immune system’s been decimated,’ murmured Jaal, levelling a swift scan at his mentor. ‘Ryder, we must get her out of here with all speed if she is to survive.’

Sara nodded, opening her mouth to speak, before she was interrupted by a harsh, quavering voice.

‘No! You will not take it! It is meant for the Archon himself!’ The kett cardinal had staggered to her feet, blood seeping from the wound in her chest, and was limping forwards with grim determination. Her hand was raised, pointing some kind of energy weapon towards them. But even as Sara flung herself in front of Jaal and the Moshae, intending to shield them both as much as she possibly could, Cora appeared as if from nowhere, her pistol pressed firmly against the cardinal’s temple.

‘Just one more step,’ hissed the huntress, her hazel eyes glinting darkly. ‘One more step, you evil bitch, and I splatter this place with your brains.’

Sara grinned fiercely, watching the kett’s expression drop as she was forced to lower her weapon. Cora kept her gun trained firmly on the cardinal as Sara and Jaal practically carried the Moshae up towards the landing platform.

‘Wait. I want to know… why the Archon…’ the Moshae’s voice was faint, but determined. Sara hesitated, cursing internally. We don’t have time for this! her internal voice cried. We’ve got to get to the shuttle! But it seems that the cardinal had other ideas.

‘Arrogant simpletons,’ the defeated kett spat. ‘This is a gift. Exultation is a gift. Who are you to deny it?’

‘You turn people into monsters,’ snarled Sara, her voice rising with fury. ‘You turn them into monsters, and force them to kill their own people!’ Her chest was heaving with barely-controlled anger as she tried to keep a lid on her rage, not wanting her overcharged biotics to flare wildly and hurt the vulnerable angaran woman behind her. She stepped forwards, thrusting her chin defiantly forwards, facing down the much taller kett, her hands balling into fists.

‘These Chosen join with us to become great beyond your ability to comprehend,’ the cardinal retorted, her breath coming in fitful gasps. ‘Like them, I was once wretched. Until the exalted DNA of our great Archon entwined with mine, making me far greater than ever I was before!’ She glared down at Sara, her expression twisting in disgust as if the Pathfinder was no more than an insect to be trodden underfoot. ‘I stand on the shoulders of his greatness,’ she added vengefully. ‘As do we all. As one day… you will.’

‘Yeah? You think?’ hissed Sara. ‘Except that I am going to fuck your shit up. How’s that for great?’ Her fingers twitched, longing to send a bullet right into the sneering creature’s arrogant face.

‘Pathfinder, I am detecting multiple inbound kett cruisers,’ came SAM’s voice, cutting through Sara’s simmering anger. ‘Evacuation seems wise.’

‘Got it.’ Sara grimaced, turning away from the kett in disgust. ‘SAM, is there an off-switch to this horror palace?’

‘Yes,’ replied SAM. ‘If you can access the containment field, I can overload it at your command. However, the pulse would be lethal to angaran physiology.’

‘Wait! We must get all our people out first!’ Jaal’s voice sounded far too loud in Sara’s ear. For a moment, she had almost forgotten he was there – she had forgotten everything, except for her burning desire to wipe out all kett in Heleus, beginning with the one in front of her.

‘Ryder, we don’t have the time,’ murmured Cora, her voice strained. ‘There’s no time to open hundreds of pods, let alone get all the angara out!’

‘Wait!’ the cardinal interrupted, her expression creasing into one of panic. ‘Leave my sacred temple intact and I will open the pods of the Chosen. Take them – take them all! – just leave my holy place standing!’

‘No.’ Moshae Sjefa spoke, straightening up to her full height, stepping away from Jaal’s supporting arm. Her voice was frail, but filled with an authority that would brook no disobedience. ‘Even if I die here, this place must be destroyed,’ she continued. ‘It is a lair of evil. It must be wiped from this planet.’

‘We can come back to destroy it.’ Jaal’s voice was wavering as he spoke. Sara could see his astounding blue eyes glinting with fear. ‘Moshae, I personally will lead a team to do so. But let us free those who are still here, now!’

But the Moshae was having none of it. ‘No,’ she replied grimly. ‘If your plan fails, the kett will simply fill this place again; and the horror will continue.’

Jaal shook his head frantically, his voice rising with panic. ‘With respect, our compatriots are also here. Our fighters, our scientists – our strength! We cannot simply abandon our people to die!’ He turned to Sara, his expression pleading. ‘You said you would help us,’ he added. ‘Ryder, please…’ he broke off, his voice cracking, his eyes wide with desperation. Sara swallowed hard, meeting his gaze. Part of her was desperate to blow this foul place sky high, to leave the entire exultation facility as nothing more than a smouldering crater. But her heart pulsed painfully in the face of Jaal’s gaze, the sheer intensity of it cutting through the fog of anger still swirling within her. I made a promise, she reminded herself. I swore to help him get his people out of here; and dammit, that’s what I’m going to do.

She clenched her jaw tightly. ‘All right,’ she snapped, turning to glare at the expectant kett. ‘Open the pods. Release the angara.’

The cardinal nodded frantically, typing a series of hasty commands into a datapad as Sara turned back towards Jaal. ‘Send word to the Resistance. Tell them to free as many as they can before the kett forces arrive,’ she instructed, ignoring the Moshae’s furious expression. ‘Warn them that cruisers are inbound. They’ll need to get out of here, fast.'

‘I will,’ replied Jaal, the relief plain in his voice. ‘And Ryder… thank you.’

‘I thank you too,’ said the cardinal, stepping close to Sara with something approaching a smile on her twisted features. ‘I see you begin to understand the gift that the kett bring to all Andromeda…’

That does it. That was the final straw. The anger that Sara had been pushing down throughout the entire exchange finally broke free. ‘Not fucking likely,’ she snarled. Her eyes blazed with fury and her biotics broke loose, surrounding her with a brilliant blue nebula as, without a moment’s hesitation, she pulled out her shotgun and fired. The entire force of the blast hit the cardinal full in the face, shredding through skin, flesh, blood and bone. The kett dropped without a sound, striking the deck with a dull thud.

‘I will be back,’ Sara told the lifeless corpse vehemently. ‘I will come back, and when I do, I’m going to blow this entire place straight to hell – where it belongs.’

Chapter Text

After the mission on Voeld, the quiet of the Tempest was a welcome relief. Jaal sat beside the Moshae, waiting in the medbay while Lexi took careful scans, muttering under her breath. The angaran woman was watching the proceedings with wide, suspicious eyes, but all Jaal could think was: she is safe. Thank the stars, she is safe. And it was all thanks to one person in particular.

Ryder had vanished almost as soon as their shuttle had docked with the Tempest, not even bothering to strip off her hardsuit before muttering something about a shower. At the time Jaal had been more concerned with getting the Moshae to the medical bay, his heart thudding anxiously until Lexi had confirmed that his beloved mentor was out of immediate danger. Only then had his thoughts turned back towards Ryder.

Is she well? he wondered anxiously. Is she hurt? He had heard Lexi telling SAM to instruct the Pathfinder to report to the medbay as soon as possible. But over twenty minutes had passed, and Ryder still had not appeared. Thinking back on it, Jaal remembered how their ride back to the Tempest had been fraught with tension, the small shuttle filled not only with the crackle of angaran bioelectricity, but with fitful flares from Ryder’s biotics. Thankfully, Cora had shown impressive professionalism and taken charge of rendezvousing with the Tempest and getting them off Voeld, after noticing Ryder was in difficulties. Throughout the ride her expression had been creased as though in pain, and a shimmering blue nebula flickered over her skin at erratic intervals, causing her to shudder and wince. He had never seen her biotics give her such trouble before; but then, he had never seen her use them in the same way as she had done during their fight.

His thoughts turned back to that last awful battle. He realized now that every fight they’d had with the kett before then had been little more than a skirmish. During those times, Ryder had appeared calm and in control, using her jump-jets with practiced ease, sending kett flying with well-placed shots from her pistol, as well as the occasional biotic blast. But not this time.

He shook his head bewilderedly, feeling almost entirely overwhelmed. She had been… magnificent. There was no other word for it. His memory conjured the image of her raising her gun to the cardinal, eyes blazing with emotion, her hair whipped by the winds of the powerful biotic nebula surrounding her; like some strange, alien goddess of battle, whose wrath could devastate cities and bring entire planets to their knees. Which was absurd, really. Ryder was just a person. An alien person, admittedly; but still. She was human. Which made the strange feelings bubbling within him all the more confusing.

He liked her. He more than liked her. He trusted, respected, admired… no. He shook his head again, irritated. He could not find the right words to place around her, to summarize precisely how he was feeling. Perhaps there were none.

‘Jaal.’ The Moshae’s voice was calm beside him, a balm to his fraying nerves. ‘You seem tense. What is the matter?’

Jaal sighed heavily, turning to stare at his old mentor. ‘I am worried,’ he confessed. ‘About Ryder. If she was wounded in the last battle, I did not see it. Yet still, her behaviour afterwards…’

From the side-lines, Lexi huffed a frustrated sigh, before tilting her head upwards to speak. ‘SAM, where is the Pathfinder?’ she asked.

‘She has finished her shower, and is currently in her quarters,’ came the AI’s calming voice. ‘I have informed her once again of your request. She is grumbling, but I believe she will comply.’

Lexi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. ‘About time,’ she muttered. ‘Tell her to get a move on, will you?’

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for the medbay doors to swish open, and for Ryder to appear. But at the sight of her, Jaal’s heart quickened anxiously. She looked… well, unwell would be putting it mildly. Her already pale skin had blanched to near-white, and her eyes were heavily ringed with exhausted shadows. Jaal noticed she was trembling almost imperceptibly as she waved half-heartedly at Lexi.

‘By the goddess, Ryder, you look dreadful. What were you doing out there?’ snapped the ship’s doctor, immediately pushing the Pathfinder down onto a bed and running a scanner over her thoroughly. She reminded Jaal faintly of one of his mothers, he thought with a flicker of amusement: all protective care and stern rebukes on the surface, but soft and sweet and endlessly worrying about her charges beneath a strict exterior.

‘I’m fine, Lexi. Really, it’s just a bit of a headache,’ murmured Ryder, unable to disguise a wince of pain as Lexi pulled up her omnitool, muttering under her breath.

‘A bit of a headache? You’ve thoroughly overstretched your biotic capabilities, that’s what you’ve done! Your implant’s going haywire!’ snapped Lexi, her brow furrowed anxiously. ‘SAM, please explain to me just why our Pathfinder did such a foolish thing in the middle of a dangerous mission?’

‘My apologies, Dr T’Perro. The suggestion was mine,’ came SAM’s voice from the overhead speakers. Jaal was surprised. The unemotional AI manged to somehow sound apologetic. ‘As you are aware, I have access to the Pathfinder’s physiology. I was aware of untapped biotic potential within her. At the time, exploiting this advantage seemed like a wise choice of action.’

‘I see.’ Lexi was still frowning, but her expression seemed more pensive than annoyed. ‘SAM, that was a dangerous move. It could have permanently damaged Ryder’s implant.’

‘I was aware of the dangers, and sought to counter them,’ replied the AI. ‘In times of need, it is a function I have performed for Alec Ryder as well. He praised my adaptability.’

‘He did?’ Lexi threw a shrewd glance at Ryder, her posture momentarily stiffening. Jaal followed suit, just in time to see a shadow of pain pass swiftly over the Pathfinder’s features, leaving her looking more openly vulnerable than he’d ever seen before. But the moment passed; and if Lexi noticed it, she did not say anything, focussing instead on insisting that Ryder get as much rest as possible over the next week, and leave her biotic usage to an absolute minimum.

‘Sure thing, Lexi,’ came Ryder’s quiet response, a faint smile back on her lips. ‘I’ll be good, I promise. You can even get the rest of the crew to keep tabs on me. No lifting, throwing, warping or, uh… anything-ing for the next few days. I got it.’

‘Good.’ Lexi glanced back at Jaal, her expression exasperated. ‘Make sure she eats properly,’ she said to him. ‘And make sure that she rests, for goddess’ sake. Pass the word along.’

‘Of course, Dr T’Perro,’ replied Jaal, nodding respectfully. The asari doctor had always been nothing but kind, helpful, and communicative with him. He felt a small swell of pride that she was now looking towards him as a friend and comrade-in-arms, trusting him to help take care of her patient.

‘Jaal?’ Ryder swivelled in her seat to stare at him, her eyes seeming to light up at the sight of him sitting beside the Moshae. Despite her apparent exhaustion, her smile was as bright as ever. He found his heart thumping a little faster at the sight of it.

‘Hey Jaal,’ she said quietly. ‘Hello, Moshae Sjefa. We didn’t exactly have time for introductions before. I’m Ryder. It’s good to see you.’

Jaal tensed, well aware of how angry the Moshae had been to have her word countermanded, to leave the kett structure intact. But thankfully, his mentor’s voice remained perfectly civil.

‘Greetings, Pathfinder Ryder,’ she said carefully. ‘I am told that I have you to thank for my rescue. I am grateful.’

Ryder nodded, her smile softening. ‘No problem,’ she said, standing and stretching with another wince. Not for the first time, Jaal was struck by just how small she looked, once she was out of her protective gear. How little and vulnerable. A cold hand grasped his heart at the thought. He shook off the feeling determinedly, focusing on the conversation once more.

‘We’re on our way back to Aya now,’ Ryder was saying. ‘We’re doing the best we can for you here, and Lexi’s amazing – she’s an expert on alien anatomy – but I’m guessing after being stuck in that awful place for so long, you can’t wait to get back to your own people.’

The Moshae tilted her head. ‘You are perceptive,’ she replied, her expression hardening. ‘A shame you did not show such perception back on Voeld. I must confess to being disappointed at your decision to leave that evil place intact. You must know that it will not remain empty for long.’

Jaal held his breath as Ryder’s expression closed off, becoming decidedly cooler. ‘I did what I believed was right,’ she replied, after a pause that went on for too long to be comfortable. ‘Besides, I already promised Jaal I’d do anything I could to get all his people out of there safely. I keep my promises.’

‘I see.’ Moshae Sjefa glanced his way, something like exasperated fondness passing over her features. ‘Your compassion does you credit, Jaal. Pathfinder, I simply hope that others will not suffer for your decision.’

Ryder nodded, her expression thoughtful. Jaal waited, unsure of what to say, fidgeting slightly with the hem of his rofjinn as the silence between the two women stretched on.

‘Um… if that’s all, Lexi, I might head back to my quarters,’ said Ryder eventually, glancing up at the asari doctor. ‘I’d kill for a nap and a couple of painkillers.’

‘You shall have both,’ replied Lexi, smiling faintly and gesturing with her omnitool. ‘Go on, get out of here. Go and rest, Ryder. No strenuous activities and no biotics, for at least a week, do you hear me?’

Jaal had to stifle a smile as Ryder rolled her eyes and clapped her hands over both ears comedically. ‘Yeah, yeah doc. I hear you, loud and clear.’ She pulled herself to her feet, almost managing to conceal another wince. ‘See you around, Jaal. Oh, and Moshae Sjefa? Would it be okay if I came back a bit later, after we’re both rested? I have questions; and I’m betting you do too.’

‘Of course. I am in your debt.’ The Moshae inclined her head stiffly towards Ryder, watching her closely as she ambled out of the room. ‘She is a strange one,’ she murmured, after the door had closed. ‘More vulnerable than I had at first thought, it would seem. Yet if I had not seen it myself, I’d have scarce believed it after what I witnessed on Voeld.’

Jaal nodded in agreement. ‘She is indeed an enigma,’ he muttered. He felt himself blushing as the Moshae turned her scrutiny onto him. His old mentor had always been able to read his heart and thoughts far too easily. But if whatever she saw in his expression displeased her, she did not say. Instead, she simply sighed.

‘I believe I shall rest now too,’ she said. ‘Your Pathfinder is not the only one who is exhausted by her ordeal.’

‘Of course.’ Jaal stood carefully, leaning down to grasp the Moshae’s hand before stepping away. ‘If you have need of me, simply call. I will come straight away.’ He left, accompanied by Lexi, strolling down towards the Tempest’s crew quarters.

‘Don’t worry,’ Lexi told him in an undertone. ‘I have SAM monitoring her vitals. If anything changes, I’ll let you know. But at the moment, I feel confident in stating that she should make a full recovery. Especially once she gets back to Aya.’

‘Thank the stars,’ murmured Jaal, his heart swelling with gratitude. ‘And thank you too, my friend. You have saved the life of one whom I, and many of my people, hold dear in their hearts. I will make certain that others know of your actions.’

‘I was just doing my job,’ replied Lexi, waving away his praise with one hand, but unable to disguise her slight smile, or the faint cerulean blush appearing on her cheeks. ‘Why don’t you get some rest too, Jaal?’ she added. ‘You must be at least as tired as the others. Especially after…’ her voice trailed off anxiously, but Jaal knew precisely what she was referring to.

‘Thank you.’ He lowered his eyes, unable for a moment to meet her gaze. ‘It is… difficult. I feel…’ he broke off with a small breath of laughter. ‘I do not know what I feel.’ He glanced up at the sound of footsteps, to see Liam leaning against the doorframe, his brow creased with concern.

‘Yeah, I know that feeling mate,’ he said, his tone low and sympathetic. ‘I heard what happened,’ he added, glancing at Lexi. ‘Just thought I’d stop by and see how you were holding up. We’re here for you, if you need anything. You know that, right?’

‘Thank you. You are both very kind.’ Jaal closed his eyes momentarily. ‘Did Ryder tell you?’ he asked. Liam shook his head, smiling wryly.

‘Nah, I heard it from Cora. You might not know to look at her, but she’s real shook up over this exultation stuff too. Pure evil: that’s what she called it. I reckon that woman’s got a new vendetta against the kett, if the look in her eye was anything to go by.’

Lexi snorted mirthlessly. ‘Good. If I were the kett, I’d be worried. Cora doesn’t do anything by halves.’

‘You’re right there,’ chuckled Liam. ‘By the by, did you see Ryder? She vanished the moment she came aboard. How’s she holding up?’

Lexi hesitated before replying, glancing over at Jaal for confirmation. ‘Her biotic implant took a lot of strain during that last fight. Rest is the main thing she needs right now. She seems well enough in herself, but still…’ she rolled her eyes sceptically. ‘You know the Pathfinder. Hides her wounds under a joke and a smile, never letting anybody know what’s really going on in that head of hers.’

‘Truly?’ asked Jaal, his curiosity piqued despite his tiredness. ‘I had noticed something similar about her as well. I had wondered if it was simply a human trait, or something more specific to her?’

Liam frowned, scratching his chin. ‘A bit of both, I reckon,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘We’re not the most open of species, I guess, when it comes to shit like this. A lot of us bottle stuff up inside, shove it away so we don’t have to deal with it.’ He shrugged. ‘Looks like Ryder’s a bottler. You know, somebody who pushes the bad stuff down and hopes it goes away.’

‘But isn’t that self-destructive?’ replied Jaal, bewildered. ‘Surely it is far better to share such problems among trusted friends and loved ones, so that they can be safely dealt with?’

Liam shrugged. ‘Search me. You’re probably right. It’s an angaran thing, right? Being all open with your feelings and stuff?’ He grinned awkwardly. ‘Sorry, mate. Us humans just aren’t wired that way. Same goes for a lot of us from the Milky Way, come to think of it. Probably a survival trait, or something.’

‘I see.’ Jaal glanced back at Lexi, wondering just how much he could ask, seeing as his friends (and yes, friends was definitely the right word) seemed to be in a communicative mood. ‘Might I ask one thing more?’ he added cautiously. ‘I do not wish to overstep any boundaries of course, but there was a moment in the medbay just now that troubled me.’

‘Oh?’ Lexi arched her brows curiously. ‘Ask away, Jaal. If it doesn’t break doctor-patient confidentiality, I’ll answer as best I can.’

‘Then… who is Alec Ryder?’ he asked. ‘Your SAM mentioned him, and it seemed to have an… adverse effect on the Pathfinder. She appeared very shaken for a moment, before recovering.’ He glanced curiously between Lexi and Liam as the pair exchanged loaded glances.

‘Shit me, you didn’t know?’ muttered Liam. ‘Well no, of course you don’t – you weren’t there, and I guess it’s a pretty sore subject for the rest of us.’

‘What do you mean?’ said Jaal, confused at the human’s reaction. ‘I simply wondered if he is a relative of the Pathfinder’s, as they seem to share a common name.’

Lexi sighed deeply, glancing at Liam before replying. ‘Yes, Jaal, you’re right. Alec is – was – Ryder’s father.’

‘Oh.’ Jaal hesitated, understanding the weight of the doctor’s implications. ‘Then… am I to understand that he is no longer with you?’

‘No, he’s not.’ Lexi shook her head. ‘Did nobody tell you how Ryder came to be our Pathfinder?’

‘No.’ Jaal replied. ‘I simply assumed she was a duly appointed representative of her people. Why? Is there more to it than that?’

‘Yeah, you could say that,’ muttered Liam. ‘Look, I’ll give you the basics, okay? Just so you don’t put your foot in it with Ryder, and say stuff that could hurt her. Poor kid’s been through enough hell already.’

‘What do you mean? Put my foot where?’ asked Jaal, puzzled. ‘And know that I would never intentionally cause Ryder grief. She is my friend.’

Liam rolled his eyes. ‘Sorry mate, another idiom. Putting your foot in it means… well basically, messing up, to a greater or lesser degree.’ He grimaced, folding his arms and leaning back. ‘Simply put, Alec Ryder was supposed to be our Pathfinder. His kids, Sara and Scott, came along for the ride, to be a part of the team. But when we arrived in Heleus… everything went to shit. You know about Habitat 7, right? The place that was supposed to be the first golden world?’

Jaal nodded sympathetically. ‘The planet corrupted by the scourge. I recall you mentioning it before.’

‘Yeah, right. Well…’ Liam shifted uncomfortably, only continuing after an encouraging nod from Lexi. ‘We went down there to check it out. Pathfinder team, and all. We needed to know what we were up against. Basically, the place was a shitstorm. Kett all over the shop, lighting strikes, lethal atmosphere… the works. We lost some good people down there. And Alec Ryder was one of them.’ He shook his head, sighing deeply. ‘But before he died, he transferred SAM over to Ryder, made her Pathfinder in his place. She didn’t want it. Didn’t ask for it. She’s just a kid, for christ’s sakes. But she didn’t have any choice once the SAM transfer was complete.’

Jaal nodded slowly, understanding dawning on him. ‘She was never supposed to be a leader?’

‘Nope.’ Liam shook his head. ‘And trust me, things haven’t been easy for her. The damn Nexus didn’t help either. Tann and Addison straight-up told her that she wasn’t good enough to be Pathfinder, right on day one. Got to shake your confidence, something like that.’

Lexi nodded in agreement, her expression softening. ‘Poor Ryder. She’s been through so much. I must say, she’s been handling the responsibility as well as can be expected, under the circumstances. I still worry about her, though.’

Liam laughed, nudging the doctor with his elbow. ‘You worry about everybody, Lexi. Hell, you still worry about Drack, and he’s the size of a mountain and a thousand years old!’

Lexi grinned, elbowing Liam right back. ‘It’s my job to worry! I’m your doctor! And don’t think I haven’t forgotten about you, Kosta,’ she added mock-sternly. ‘You’ve been ducking your physical check-ups for the last week. I expect to see you in medbay bright and early tomorrow, understand?’

Liam sighed, rolling his eyes but still smiling good-naturedly. ‘Consider it done, ma’am.’

‘Good.’ Lexi inclined her head towards Jaal, before bidding them both good night and disappearing. Liam gazed after her fondly.

‘She’s great, isn’t she?’ he said. ‘Lexi, I mean. Like, she can be a bit intense, but y’know… I kind of dig that in women.’

‘Really? You have an... interest, in Dr T’Perro?’ asked Jaal, smiling at Liam’s faint, but still discernible, blush.

‘Yeah, as if I’d ever get anywhere with her. She told us on day one that she doesn’t date patients, so that’s all of us off the table I guess. Besides, she’s like three hundred years old or something. We must all seem like kids to her. Except maybe Drack. Perhaps that’s why she seems to like him so much.’

‘I see.’ Jaal smiled, despite his tiredness. ‘I still find it fascinating that among your culture, there is no taboo over engaging in romantic relationships with aliens. It is… refreshing, to find such a lack of prejudice.’

‘Oh yeah?’ Liam grinned at Jaal, his expression mischievous. ‘Got an alien in mind that you’re looking to hook up with?’ He waggled his eyebrows conspiratorially. ‘I could help, you know. Get you set up with our lovely Pathfinder, perhaps…?’

‘I… what? No! That is not to say I wouldn’t… I don’t mean…’ Jaal floundered, caught completely off-guard. He still needed time, he knew. Time to process everything that had happened on Voeld, to try and understand what his own feelings were trying to tell him about Ryder. She is a friend, he told himself firmly. A good friend. But still… there was no denying that something had changed in the way he felt about her. He just wasn’t quite certain what it was yet.

‘Hey, don’t worry about it mate,’ grinned Liam, clapping him companionably on the shoulder. ‘The offer still stands if you change your mind.’ With that he ducked away, waving a hand before disappearing down to the biolab, presumably to speak with Cora. Jaal shook his head in bewilderment, before making his way back to the tech lab. He breathed a soft sigh of relief as the door swished shut behind him. Although the tiny room was by no means his, it still felt like a sanctuary of sorts.

He groaned, running his hands over his head before slowly beginning to pull of his armour. He was aching all over, as the stresses of the day finally caught up with him. But it was all worth it, he thought with grim satisfaction. Moshae Sjefa was free, as were many other angara the kett had taken prisoner. That was a victory in itself. Now, people could no longer say that nobody returned from beyond kett walls. They had managed what had previously been thought impossible. That alone was something to be proud of.

His thoughts wandered back to Ryder, unbidden. She’d always seemed happy to offer him a laugh or a smile during the past few weeks as they’d gotten to know one another. It seemed incredible that she’d only recently lost her true father, and had deliberately pushed away the grief that must surely be eating her inside.

She is a remarkable woman, he mused, relaxing into his bunk. Strong, but still soft in unexpected ways; an indomitable force, yet at the same time vulnerable. He chuckled softly to himself. She was a mass of contradictions, yet instead of finding her frustrating, Jaal found himself eager to know more – to unravel the puzzle that she presented.

But there was more to it than that. He smiled to himself – a small, secret smile. Finally, he allowed himself to give voice to the thought that had been buzzing insistently at the back of his mind for quite some time.

She is also… beautiful, he thought. Hers might be a strange, alien kind of beauty; but perhaps it was all the more alluring to him because of that. He sat back and closed his eyes, allowing the memory of Ryder’s face to swim to the forefront of his mind. Her nose was smaller than an angara’s, yet sharply pointed by comparison. It made a pleasing contrast with the rest of her features; the rounded curve of her cheek, the flatness of her brow, the arch of her slender neck…

He huffed a frustrated sigh through his nose, closing his eyes against the gently insistent thoughts that had been growing in strength ever since they’d spent time together on Voeld; ever since he’d watched her face in the calm of the snowstorm, and seen her without the mask she presented to the world. He felt the sudden urge to run his hands over her, to feel her smoothness beneath his fingertips, to taste the softness of her skin. The very thought was enough to send an unexpected pulse of desire thrumming through him, raising his bioelectric field in a way that would have been obvious to another angara.

‘Skutt,’ he swore to himself. This had not been the plan, when he’d volunteered to serve aboard the Tempest. He had not even intended to become friends with any of these bewildering aliens, let alone develop romantic feelings for one of them. He smiled wryly, wondering what Evfra would say if he told him.

He sighed. In the rush of activity that had followed rescuing Moshae Sjefa, he had forgotten his previous worry. But now it was back: the very real concern that soon, he would be expected to leave the Tempest, his mission complete. Evfra would no doubt want to reassign him.

Would that be a good thing? Jaal wondered, opening his eyes as the Tempest’s lights dimmed, indicating that the ship was going into its night cycle. With these new, strange feelings for the Pathfinder… perhaps it is best that I leave, he thought. Perhaps it would be all to the good to put myself out of temptation’s path. But the moment he thought it, his chest clenched uncomfortably. His heart was rebelling, he realized. He wanted to stay: here, with Ryder and the rest of her crew. He wanted it so much he could taste it.

Jaal frowned. They were en route to Aya even now. They would dock in a little over twelve hours. He was running out of time. Settling further into his bunk, Jaal finally came to a decision. I will speak to Ryder before we land, he told himself firmly. I will ask her if I may remain amongst her companions, as her envoy through angaran space. Then, as long as he had Ryder’s permission, surely it would be possible for him to persuade Evfra to let him remain. He was doing good work, helping the Resistance in ways he had never expected, as well as learning more than he could have ever hoped about these strange aliens; these travellers from far-away stars. He smiled to himself, warmed by the hope that perhaps, in the not-too-distant future, he could learn even more about one beautiful alien in particular.

Chapter Text

The return of the Moshae was a triumph. Sara watched, exhausted yet still bubbling with nervous pride, as the angaran woman descended from the Tempest to reunite with her people. This time, they had all disembarked; not just her and Jaal, but the entire crew finally set foot on Aya’s soil. She had already spotted Suvi and Peebee taking surreptitious scans with their omnitools, under the watchful eye of the ever-present guards.

She rolled her eyes, glancing upwards as beside her, Liam shifted his weight impatiently. ‘Does this mean we’re good now, yeah?’ he muttered. ‘That we can actually go and explore, instead of being stuck on the ship?’

‘Shh,’ she chided him. ‘Be patient. Paaran Shie will talk to us when she’s ready. Don’t rush things, especially not when they’re going well for once!’

‘Easy for you to say,’ grumbled Liam. ‘You’ve actually been allowed in the city before. You haven’t been stuck on the ship every time we land, with no chance to stretch your legs or grab a lungful of clean air.’

He did have a good point, she had to admit. It hadn’t taken more than a few seconds beneath the gentle warmth of Aya’s sun for some of the tension to lift from her shoulders. The sweet, liquid warbling of unfamiliar birdsong and the scent of strange flowers was like a balm for her soul. For a crew that had been almost entirely ship-bound for the past few months – or the past six hundred years, however you wanted to put it – it felt like paradise.

‘Stars and skies light our way,’ called Moshae Sjefa, as she advanced regally towards Paaran Shie and the crowd of waiting angara. Sara and her crew followed. The Moshae was walking steadily, with her head held high. If she hadn’t known better, Sara would have hardly believed that forty-eight hours ago this woman had been on the verge of dying in her arms.

‘She certainly knows how to play to a crowd,’ she murmured under her breath, as beside her Jaal gave a small chuckle.

‘She’s the Moshae,’ he replied quietly, as though the two qualities went automatically hand in hand. She risked a small glance up at her taller companion. He seemed utterly at ease, walking with long, powerful strides, his eyes widening as though to take in the beauty of the world around them. ‘I am glad to be back,’ he added quietly. ‘But I meant what I said, before.’

‘Cheers Jaal.’ Sara managed a tired smile, remembering the brief conversation they’d had in the Tempest just before docking. ‘It means a lot that you want to stay with us, big guy.’

‘I thank you. But you, Ryder… you have not been sleeping well?’ Jaal asked, although his tone made it seem more of a statement than a question.

Sara pulled a wry face. ‘It’s that obvious, huh?’

Jaal nodded. ‘I heard you pacing, last night.’

Sara groaned internally. Of course he had. She’d been pacing pretty much all night; and the night before that one. She’d been exhausted after the mission and her head had been pounding fit to burst, thanks to SAM’s little trick with her biotics. She’d expected to sleep for a good ten hours at least. But she hadn’t been expecting the nightmares.

I suppose I should have known this was coming sooner or later, she thought wearily. She’d often had nightmares when she was a kid; and up until recently Sara Ryder had felt exactly like a kid playing with her father’s toys. It was no wonder the night terrors had returned in full force, especially considering the horror they’d all witnessed in the kett facility.

She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, willing the images away. For the past two nights, every time she’d tried to take a nap, her subconscious had landed her directly back in that abominable place; and each time, it had been the same dream. She’d been forced to watch as the kett performed the exultation ritual all over again, except that this time it wasn’t some helpless, nameless angara suffering, but Jaal. Each time she’d been in some way stuck: behind unbreakable glass, or in a sudden quicksand, or shackled to the wall; able to do nothing but watch helplessly as it was Jaal whose sweet voice was silenced by that foul poison, Jaal whose eyes became milky white and clouded with hate…

Stop that, she told herself sternly. It’s not real – he’s right here beside you, whole and alive and in perfectly good health, according to Lexi. Stop being so pathetic. But it was hard. She already cared for him, more deeply than she’d like to admit. The very idea that he could be vulnerable to this foul concoction of the kett’s… that, if he was captured on one of their missions, that this was the fate that awaited him… it made her heart clench itself into a fist and start battering at the inside of her chest. It will not happen, she promised herself silently. Not on my watch, no matter the cost – I will protect him from this, at least.

‘Hey, Ryder?’ Peebee’s voice jolted Sara from her thoughts. ‘Come on, dozypants! They said we’re free to explore the city – let’s go!’

Sara couldn’t help but chuckle at the expression on the young asari’s face. ‘You go on ahead,’ she told her. ‘I’ll catch you up later.’ Peebee needed no further encouragement, rocketing off like a cork from a bottle. The rest of the crew dispersed as well, all eager to explore the alien wonders of the angaran city.

‘Ryder, I must go and file a report with Evfra and the Resistance,’ Jaal told her, fixing her with an earnest stare. ‘But I shall return. Don’t leave Aya without me.’

A bloom of warmth seemed to unfold in Sara’s chest at those words. ‘Don’t worry about that, big guy,’ she reassured him, managing to summon another wan smile for her favourite angara. ‘I’m not leaving this planet without you, and that’s a promise.’

*

In the Resistance HQ, Jaal found himself pinned beneath one of Evfra’s most critical stares.

‘What do you mean, you must stay?’ he demanded. ‘Your mission is done, Jaal. Skutting stars, I was expecting you to report here for reassignment, not to come here with more requests!’

‘I know. But Evfra… what I have been learning among these aliens is extraordinary. It would be madness to give up this position now.’ He set his shoulders defiantly, bringing up his omnitool with a practiced flick of his wrist. Evfra rolled his eyes at the unfamiliar technology as it flared into life.

‘What is that… thing?’ he demanded.

‘The aliens call it an ‘omnitool’,’ he replied, noticing with delight that the device had attracted some interested stares from other members of the Resistance. ‘I was gifted with this almost as soon as I set foot on board their ship. The outsiders seem to use them for almost everything: communication, discovery, analysis, weaponry…’

‘Weaponry?’ Evfra’s brows drew together in confusion. ‘It’s a data scanner and compiler, not so dissimilar to our own. How is it a weapon too?’

‘Like this,’ replied Jaal, stepping a safe distance away before depressing the hidden catch that flicked open a transparent omniblade. The lit orange edge glittered almost invitingly in the light from the Resistance’s monitoring screens as he swung his hand in a slow arc, demonstrating. The blade hissed softly through the air, before vanishing.

‘Does it actually work?’ asked one of their engineers, who had been watching him curiously, excitement glowing in his eyes. ‘The blade looks awfully thin, as though it wouldn’t cut through much.’

‘It works,’ he replied confidently. ‘The edge is super-heated, so that it can slice through soft metal, flesh, silicone, and bone. I have seen them used myself in recent skirmishes, to great effect.’ He demonstrated again. ‘The blade itself is disposable. It is flash forged by the tool’s built-in fabricator, so that it comes out as a white-hot slice of silicon-carbide. The blade is suspended in a small version of what the outsiders call a ‘mass effect field’ which maintains a safe distance from the user’s skin, and make sure it only burns the intended enemy.’

‘Fascinating,’ muttered the engineer, stepping closer and lifting Jaal’s wrist to examine the device. ‘Might I borrow this, Jaal? To study? Perhaps I can try to modify some of our own designs to incorporate something similar…’

He shook his head. ‘I am sorry, Jofaan. I must return to the Tempest soon, where I will have need of it. But I shall speak to the Pathfinder, and see if she has any of these omnitools to spare for you to tinker with.’

‘Wait.’ Evfra’s voice sunk to a low growl. ‘You said they all carry these… omni-devices? The Pathfinder, and her crew?’

‘Yes,’ Jaal confirmed.

‘So, when Ryder first came to Aya… when she was escorted here, through the city… she had this weapon with her the whole time?’ He narrowed his eyes, glaring at Jaal’s omnitool as though it had personally offended him. ‘No wonder she seemed so at ease beneath our guns. She was never truly defenceless. Still, a simple blade wouldn’t have served her well against so many of us.’

‘Indeed.’ Jaal nodded, deciding for the moment to keep quiet about Ryder’s biotic capabilities. Evfra already seemed put out by the revelation of the omniblade. Mentioning that Ryder could also warp dark energy with her mind alone, with enough power to toss kett around like leaves in a high wind… well, that particular revelation could wait. But he did not hesitate to press his advantage.

‘Evfra, you know I am right,’ he added, lowering his voice. ‘You must see the advantage to my remaining aboard the Tempest, as a part of the Pathfinder’s team. How long would it have taken our diplomats to negotiate even a fraction of the information, or technology, that Ryder has offered to me freely?’ He fixed his superior with his most determined stare. ‘You cannot deny that we need allies against the kett. These wanderers from distant stars could be the turning point we have been waiting for; the catalyst that turns the tide of battle in our favour.’

Evfra snorted impatiently. ‘Don’t be naïve. A few petty skirmishes and one rescue mission doesn’t mean that the outsiders are willing to wage an all-out war with the kett.’

He shook his head. ‘Perhaps, but I think you are wrong. You did not see their reaction to the horrors we encountered while searching for Moshae Sjefa. It was… a brutal revelation. These aliens, these humans, have untapped reserves of empathy that I could never have expected. They reacted to the kett’s treatment of our people as furiously as they would have reacted as if it were one of their own. That in itself I find truly remarkable.’

‘I find that hard to believe,’ replied Evfra, shaking his head. ‘We are aliens, Jaal. Surely you exaggerate.’

‘Then see for yourself. Judge as though you were there.’ With great care, Jaal removed his visor, tapping a series of commands into the holographic display.

‘What is this?’ said Evfra, frowning as a notification pinged on his personal console.

‘I set the device to record everything that happened within the facility on Voeld,’ Jaal told him gravely. ‘Everything, Evfra. This is the download that I have just sent you. Watch it. Afterwards, I do not think you will doubt me; or them.’

Evfra hesitated. ‘I have already read your report on that place,’ he replied. His voice was low, strained with emotion. ‘I do not think… I do not know if I am ready to see such things with my own eyes, Jaal. I have seen too much death in this war already.’

Jaal nodded, laying a sympathetic hand on his leader’s shoulder. ‘Evfra, you are not only my commander, but my friend too. I do not do this to cause you pain. But I feel… in my heart… I have come to trust in Sara Ryder. And I believe that after seeing this, you will understand why.’

‘Very well.’ Evfra heaved a heavy sigh of acceptance. ‘I shall review the footage in my private quarters,’ he added. ‘Such information should not be for all eyes; not yet.’

Jaal nodded agreement. ‘I shall wait at the Tavetaan while you do this. Contact me when you are finished.’ He turned on his heel and left. His hands were shaking ever so slightly, he noticed. His emotions were running high, and his bioelectric field was sparking nervously. Up until that very moment, he had not been certain whether it would be prudent to offer Evfra the recording. But the Resistance leader still persisted in his distrust of Ryder; and in Jaal’s mind, that simply would not do. Because he trusted Sara Ryder, he realised. Gone was any lingering doubt; gone was any concern about the things she might or might not be concealing. His heart was yearning towards her, this strange alien from stranger stars; and finally, after months of caution, of care, of holding himself apart… Jaal decided that enough was enough.

He arrived at the Tavetaan and ordered a drink, noticing with amusement that Liam appeared to have gravitated to the meeting place as well. He watched the man chatting eagerly with a circle of curious angara, smiling to himself. Since their presence had been sanctioned by the governor, and especially since the triumphant return of Moshae Sjefa, many of his people seemed to have lost their fear of the outsiders. Their mission had been a success, in more ways than one.

He found his thoughts drifting. Where was Ryder, he wondered. She was not at the Tavetaan, nor had he seen her while walking. Which was fine, he told himself quickly. She was the Pathfinder, after all. No doubt she had business on Aya that had nothing to do with him, or Evfra, or the Resistance.

But despite that, he found that he could not quite rid himself of the tiny seed of worry that had buried itself in his chest. She had seemed so tired lately. So much so, that he found himself wondering if she was ill. He had expected her to bounce back after recuperating from the mission; to become once more the woman for whom joking and laughing seemed to come as naturally as breathing. But instead, she had become paler, exhausted, seeming almost grim at times. The first time he had seen her smile after Voeld was when he’d caught her unexpectedly, just before they’d docked at Aya, to ask her if he could remain on the ship.

He smiled at the memory. There had been the usual pre-disembarking bustle aboard the Tempest, as everybody readied their gear. An additional hum of expectation had been in the air as well. Save for himself and Ryder, none of the rest of their team had even set foot on Aya, let alone been allowed into the main city. He’d found the Pathfinder alone in the bio lab, checking over the plant specimens.

‘Hey Jaal,’ she’d said, glancing up when he came in. ‘You looking for Cora? I think she’s in engineering with Gil.’

‘I am not.’ He had been hesitant at first, uncertain of himself now that the moment had arrived. He found his words coming out awkwardly, as he tried to maintain control of his nerves. ‘It is you I am here to see, Ryder. I have a request.’

‘Oh yeah? Fire away, big guy. What can I do for you?’ she’d said. But her words had been lacking their usual enthusiasm, and he hadn’t missed the slight slump of her shoulders; as though in anticipation of yet further burdens.

‘We will shortly be docking at Aya. When we disembark with the Moshae… Evfra will no doubt see my mission complete, and wish to reassign me.’ His voice wavered, mirroring the surge of hope in his heart at her crestfallen expression. ‘But… I find that I do not want this to happen.’ He squared his shoulders resolutely. ‘I have no desire to leave. I wish to stay here, with you, on this ship, as a part of your team. If that is, of course… agreeable to you…?’

He’d found himself fighting the urge to fidget nervously. She was staring up at him, her mouth slightly open in an expression of surprise. This close, he could see the dark circles that ringed her eyes, like bruises on her pale skin. At her silence, a small bubble of panic began rising in his chest. What if he’d been wrong, and had been misinterpreting her behaviour all this time? What if she was still simply putting up with his enforced presence, just for diplomacy’s sake? What if…?

And then… she smiled. It was a small thing, a ghost of its former self, and gone almost before he could register it; but it was there. ‘Of course, Jaal,’ she’d said, her voice gentler than he’d ever heard it before. ‘I’d like that. You’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you want.’

‘Thank you.’ His relief must have shown, because her expression had become concerned, and she’d moved forward to rest her hand on his arm for a moment.

‘Hey, no need to thank me,’ she said, another wan smile flickering momentarily over her features. ‘You’re one of us now, yeah? One of the team. Don’t forget that.’

Warmth bloomed in him at the memory of those words. Could it be that here, now, he had finally found his place in the universe? He’d always felt some small sense of displacement and dissatisfaction with the paths that life had led him down. He was perfectly good at many things, he knew; tinkering, talking, fighting… but he had never quite found the one thing that had made his heart sing; that had made him cry out in delight; made him think yes, this: this is where I need to be, and what I need to be doing. Until now.

‘Jaal.’

The voice startled him. Unnoticed, Evfra had taken the seat beside him at the Tavetaan. Jaal opened his mouth to question why the Resistance leader had not simply summoned him back to HQ; but then he noticed the expression on his face. He immediately ordered two more drinks, passing one silently along to his friend. He recognised the lingering horror in his commander’s eyes.

‘You mission is sanctioned,’ he said, not looking at Jaal. ‘You have clearance to remain aboard the Tempest for as long as you deem necessary.’

‘Thank you.’ Jaal dipped his head respectfully.

‘Don’t thank me. Thank your Pathfinder.’ Evfra finally turned to look Jaal square in the eye. ‘I still don’t like these outsiders. There’s too many diplomats among them, too much bureaucracy for my taste. I don’t trust politicians.’

‘Neither do I.’ Jaal raised his chin, maintaining Evfra’s gaze. ‘But I do trust Sara Ryder.’

‘I know.’ Evfra nodded. ‘And that, for now, is enough. Thank you for the data. Our techs will certainly get something useful from what your visor recorded, which might help us crack open a couple more of the smaller kett camps.’

‘Excellent.’ Jaal nodded. ‘Our next stop is the Nexus, I believe. Ryder must deliver her own reports to her superiors.’ He grinned. ‘As I understand it, the Pathfinder was supposed to have done this some time ago. But she decided that returning the Moshae to Aya took priority over, ‘a handful of asshat politicians,’ as she called them.’

‘Hmpf.’ Evfra snorted in amusement. ‘Keep an eye on her, Jaal. I expect regular reports.’

‘Of course.’ Jaal nodded to himself, watching his superior return to HQ, feeling a slow shiver of delight ripple over his skin. He didn’t know where the next months would take him. He didn’t know where they would be going, what they would be doing; only that he would be doing it at Sara Ryder’s side. That thought, more than anything, made him smile into his glass as he finished the last of his drink, wondering what further adventures Heleus would have to offer.

*

Chapter Text

It was almost time. Sara found herself playing anxiously with her sleeve cuff, counting down the minutes until they docked at the Nexus. It wasn’t as if she was particularly anxious to see Tann or Addison; in fact, she was rather hoping to be able to dodge the pair of them. No, there was somebody far more important that she was here to see.

Before embarking on their mission to Voeld, she’d forced herself to say a goodbye of sorts to her comatose brother. It had been a dangerous mission, after all. There’d been a good chance that none of them would be coming back.

‘I miss you, little brother,’ she’d told him. ‘Try and wake up by the time I get back.' Well, now she was back.

He’s got to be awake by now, she thought to herself, pacing her quarters anxiously. Surely, he’s had enough time to sleep off whatever that damn pod did to him. She’d been checking her terminal since they left Aya, hoping for an email from Harry. But nothing had come. Still, no news was sometimes good news, she told herself firmly.

She could feel her pulse thumping as the Tempest finally docked. She didn’t have the patience to wait; she was off the ship and heading for the nearest transport tube before anybody else had even begun to disembark. Her omnitool beeped, pinging up a message from Peebee. She ignored it. Come on, come on Scotty, she thought impatiently. ‘If you aren’t up and about by now…’

She groaned aloud, running her fingers through her tangle of sky-blue hair. She knew she couldn’t keep on like this. It wasn’t healthy. For months now she’d been pushing, always pushing everything back: her grief for her father, her worry for her brother, the terror of responsibility for thousands upon thousands of human lives; and even more alien ones, with the turian and asari arks still lost. She found herself beginning to feel the sheer weight of responsibility crushing her, despite her successes on Aya and Voeld. It was too much, she thought glumly, burying her head in her hands as the transport tube sped along. Too much weight for one person to carry alone.

When she arrived in the medbay, her heart was thumping fit to burst out of her chest. ‘Hey, Harry!’ she called, hurrying in as the doors swished shut behind her. ‘What’s happening with Scott? He awake yet?’

Dr Harry Carlyle glanced up from his datapad, looking at her with astonishment. ‘Sara Ryder. I was just writing to contact you. I had no idea you’d returned to the Nexus.’ He glanced over his shoulder, his expression dropping momentarily. Her heart sinking, Sara followed his gaze.

Scott was still lying in the same bed that she’d left him in. He still hadn’t awoken. Sara felt what little hope that had kept her going on the journey from Aya crumble into dust. ‘Oh god, Harry,’ she mumbled, walking over to the prone form of her younger twin. ‘Will he ever wake up?’ She could feel her voice trembling as she fought back tears.

‘I don’t want to get your hopes up…’ Harry hesitated, glancing around before lowering his voice. ‘But we think that SAM has managed to, uh… ‘find’ him, so to speak.’

‘What?’ Sara glanced up at the doctor, confused. ‘Not following you, doc.’

‘Well, he’s still in a coma.’ Harry hesitated, tapping something into his datapad before continuing. ‘But he has an implant like yours: a SAM implant. And SAM has managed to access it. He’s made contact.’

‘That’s… that’s incredible. I don’t even know what to say. Is he okay?’ Sara felt her heart quickening. It wasn’t quite what she’d hoped for. But it was something.

‘His vitals are steady,’ replied Harry. ‘But truth be told, I’m letting SAM take the lead on this one. What we’re doing is all uncharted territory. I don’t want to put a foot wrong here.’ He nodded over to the glimmering blue nebula that was the SAM hub in that sector.

‘Though in a coma, Scott’s metal processes remain intact,’ came SAM’s smooth, electronic voice. ‘Please wait for a moment while I establish a link with his implant. Then, you can ask him yourself.’

Sara nodded, her mouth suddenly dry. She fidgeted nervously, watching Scott’s closed eyes flicker slightly as the connection was made. ‘Scotty?’ she asked softly. ‘Hey, can you hear me?’

She was shocked to hear Scott’s voice coming from the SAM hub. ‘Hey. Is that you, Sara? What’s happening, why can’t I see you?’ His voice was echoey, as though coming from a long way off; but it was there; and she could talk to him. Sara felt as though she might cry from sheer relief.

‘Damn, Scott, it’s good to hear your voice,’ she managed to say, scrubbing at her eyes and taking a few deep, steadying breaths. ‘Listen to me. There’s been a problem with your stasis pod. You’re in a coma, in the medbay of the Hyperion.’

‘Wow, really? So, uh, if I’m in a coma, then… how come we’re talking?’ he asked. Sara noted with relief that he didn’t sound worried, or afraid.

‘You can thank SAM for that one,’ she replied. ‘He’s linked in to your implant. He says all your vitals are fine, by the way. Actually, they’re great. Except for the fact that you won’t wake up.’ She grinned, injecting a teasing lilt into her town. ‘Dammit, Scotty; a whole new galaxy to wake up to, and you’re still late out of bed! You forget to set the alarm on your cryopod or something?’ She watched, delighted, as a familiar smirk appeared on Scott’s face.

‘Hey, don’t take your morning grumpiness out on the comatose guy, huh?’ He hesitated. ‘I mean, I can’t see anything. I guess I’ve got to take your word for it. I hear you just fine, by the way. But it’s weird; it’s like you’re talking in my head. Kind of spooky.’

Sara nodded, despite knowing that her brother had no way of seeing her. ‘I know how that feels. Trust me. There’s been a lot of weird shit going on since we got here.’

‘Yeah?’ Scott sounded eager. ‘So how long have you and Dad been awake then? Don’t tell me you’ve already gone out and colonised a bunch of new planets, and gotten all the glory?’

Sara hesitated, glancing over at Harry worriedly. She’d been so thrilled at the prospect of speaking to her twin again that she’d almost forgotten the horrors that Heleus had dealt them. But now… now it all came crashing back.

Shit, what do I say to him? she thought desperately. Do I tell him? About everything – Dad and Habitat Seven and the scourge and the kett and the remnant and…

‘Sara?’ Scott sounded worried. ‘You still there?’

‘Yeah. Yeah, I’m still here.’ God, why did it have to be like this? Why did she have to be the one to break the bad news? ‘Listen, Scotty, I’m not too sure how to tell you this. We’ve had a lot of… bad luck, since arriving in Heleus. Dad… I’m afraid he didn’t make it.’

‘Didn’t… what?’ Scott’s face creased into a frown. ‘What do you mean, he didn’t make it? Is he still in his pod, or something?’

‘No. Oh god, Scotty… I’m so sorry, but he’s dead. Dad died on Habitat Seven.’ She felt her voice catch at the back of her throat, watching her brother’s face as his expression creased into something approaching anger.

‘What? He’s dead? No – no, that’s just not possible. Sara, what the fuck? Why are you saying these things to me?’

‘I’m sorry, Scott. I’m so sorry. It’s true – he died – but he did it to save me. He saved my stupid life…’ she groaned, trying to choke back tears, her voice splintering and becoming ragged. ‘Habitat Seven was a nightmare – the atmosphere was toxic, and my breather got busted. I was dying, and Dad gave me his helmet instead – gave his own life to save mine. I wish… if only he hadn’t…’ she stopped, forcing down the words that threatened to come bubbling out. If only he hadn’t been so stupid – if only he’d saved himself, instead of me – then you’d all have a real Pathfinder, a leader, instead of some idiot girl who’s trying her best but still failing… Her chest heaved as she fought down the sobs that threatened to overwhelm her.

‘No… no, this is all wrong.’ Her brother’s face creased in anguish. ‘This is… this is a nightmare! It’s not real, it can’t be!’

‘Scott!’ Sara leaned forwards, grasping his unresponsive arm and shaking it, for all the good it would do. ‘Scotty, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to… Scott, can you hear me?’ She glanced anxiously at Harry, who in turn glanced anxiously at the SAM hub.

‘His pulse rate was increasing rapidly,’ said SAM. ‘I have severed the connection.’

‘Oh god.’ Sara groaned, dropping her head forwards. ‘I really fucked that up, didn’t I?’ She gazed down at her unresponsive twin, reaching out tentatively to brush some of his hair back from his face. ‘I wouldn’t blame you if you decided not to wake up at all now,’ she murmured. ‘I mean, who’d want to deal with all this bullshit?’

‘Sara.’ Harry laid one comforting hand on her shoulder. ‘You’re doing great. And I’m betting that it won’t be long now until your brother finally shakes off this coma. What we did just now… that was a great step in the right direction.’

‘I guess.’ Sara nodded, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand, determinedly scrubbing away her tears. ‘Sorry, Harry. Getting a bit emotional. But it’s just… it’s been rough, you know?’

‘I know.’ The doctor nodded sympathetically. ‘I just wish there was more I could do to help.’

‘Don’t be daft.’ Sara managed a wan smile. ‘It’s a weight off my mind knowing that Scott’s got the best damn doctor I know looking after him. Although don’t tell Lexi I said that.’

Harry chuckled. ‘I wouldn’t dare. Besides, she’s a far better physician than I am. But I’m grateful for your confidence, Sara. Don’t worry; the moment anything changes with Scott, you’ll be the first person I notify.’

Chapter Text

Back on the Tempest, Sara was pacing again. She had been so damn wound up about Scott, her mind so utterly focused on hoping that he’d be awake, that she had no idea what to do with herself now that hope was gone. She’d spent so long standing outside the medlab, wondering what the hell to do next, that people had started giving her funny looks.

So, she retreated to the one safe place she knew. She’d guessed that the rest of her team had already disembarked, and what she needed was peace and quiet. Somewhere she could pull her shattered self together. The last thing she wanted to do was break down in front of someone like Lexi or Cora; or god forbid, Kandros or Addison. Come on, Sara, she told herself sternly, biting her lip, trying not to let any tears slip. About time you faced facts. You’re going to have to keep going it alone, for now.

That’s not to say she wasn’t grateful for the companionship of the Tempest crew. Now that they’d done a few serious missions together, her bunch of misfits seemed to be finally working together almost seamlessly. Like a real Pathfinder team, she thought, with a glimmer of pride. She still didn’t feel like there was much she could be proud of in Heleus: but she was damn proud of her team.

‘God fucking damn it,’ she muttered to herself. Pacing her quarters was getting her nowhere. She was feeling jittery, breathless, on the verge of tears. She hadn’t slept properly in days. She wiped her eyes on the back of her hand, as her breath hitched. What I need is a fucking drink, she thought bitterly. I need to drown some of this shit out. She could always go to the Vortex and get hammered; but really, the last thing anyone on the Nexus needed to see was the human Pathfinder getting sloppily drunk alone in a bar.

She made her way down to the galley. Maybe a good cup of strong coffee would revitalise her. She opened the cupboard to grab her favourite mug, the one her mother had given her long ago. It was patterned white and blue, with a picture of a mermaid on the front. A relic from her childhood. Her hands were shaking so much that she could barely open the coffee packet, let alone measure out the granules. She dropped the spoon, swearing, as the powder spilled everywhere. Reaching for a cloth to clean up the mess, her elbow bumped against the mug she’d placed on the counter. It fell, smashing into a dozen pieces.

‘No, no no no, for fuck’s sake…’ Sara felt her throat tighten. A low sob of pure misery shuddered through her. It’s fine, it’s just a coffee cup, she tried to tell herself. Heleus is full of cups, I can just grab a new one from the Nexus, or buy something cool next time we’re in Aya maybe… but this time, she knew she was lying to herself. It was so much more than that. With a low moan that sounded more animal than human, Sara Ryder finally allowed herself to cry.

Alone, kneeling among the mess of broken china and spilled coffee, Sara finally broke down and wept. For herself, for her injured brother, for the father who had died to rescue her; and for the mother they had all been unable to save. She buried her head in her hands and sat back on her haunches as sob after sob shook her narrow frame, gurgling up from the deep well of misery inside her.

‘Ryder?’

She choked as a deep, familiar voice rumbled her name. In an instant Jaal was there, his large hands on her shoulders, his familiar scent a safe, comforting presence. He dropped to his knees to look at her, his blue eyes wide with shock. He offered his hand in invitation, and for once Sara didn’t think twice. She wrapped herself around the big angara and clung on for dear life, as though he was the only solid being in a world filled with ghosts. His arms were instantly around her, holding her close, one hand stroking her back. The low tingle of his bioelectricity soothed her, preventing her chest from spasming with yet more sobs; but she could not stop the tears from coming.

‘I heard a noise,’ Jaal said quietly. His voice was low, almost a whisper. ‘I did not know you had returned… then the sound of breaking glass. I wondered if there was an intruder. Ryder…’

‘I’m ok.’ She gulped the words out, dashing away her tears, trying desperately to pull herself together. ‘I’m alright, Jaal, don’t worry.’ She stepped back as he released her, feeling her cheeks flame with humiliation at the sight of his worried gaze. Of all the people to have a meltdown in front of…

‘You most certainly are not.’ Jaal shook his head slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. ‘I know grief when I see it, Ryder. I too have felt its sting. I know I am an alien to you, an outsider. But I am also your friend.’ Sara felt her heart soar as the big angara placed a hand on her arm with infinite gentleness. ‘I want to ease your burden,’ he murmured. ‘You have suffered much; I see it day by day. Please, tell me why you weep so bitterly. If there is any way I can help…’

‘Jaal.’ She choked out his name, as fresh tears flooded her eyes. ‘Jaal… you’re amazing, you know that?’ She scrubbed at her eyes, drawing in deep, shuddering breaths.

‘Hardly.’ A gimmer of a smile. ‘Now, let us talk. Unburden yourself. You will feel better, I promise.’

‘Alright, big fella. Have it your way. Although I warn you, that may take some time.’ Sara managed a small, gurgling laugh. ‘Quite honestly, so much shit has happened that I just don’t know where to begin.’

‘At the beginning, perhaps? Or not, if that’s not… hmm, I don’t know what I am saying.’ Jaal seemed to hesitate, worry creasing his brow. ‘I shall make you some of this... coffee, yes? That is the correct word for it? And then you can begin whenever you want.’

‘That sounds good to me.’ Sara nodded gratefully, taking a seat while Jaal busied himself with a clean mug and hot water. She managed to regain control of her breathing, feeling a little calmer, watching Jaal’s fumbling attempts to navigate the process of coffee-making; which clearly, he had never done before. The resulting drink was quite watery and a little bitter, but to Sara it was the best thing in the entire universe.

‘I still don’t really know what to tell you,’ she said, once they were both settled. ‘I guess breaking that old mug was the last little thing that tipped me over. I was a present from my mom, from before she got sick.’

Jaal nodded understanding. ‘It is always a struggle, being forced to watch your family suffer. It is natural you would bring something with you, to remember happier days.’ He smiled gently. ‘It is also natural to be upset when it breaks. Such things, such memories… are precious, and irreplaceable.’

‘Yeah. She was an amazing mom. I miss her so much.’ Sara scrubbed at her eyes, taking a sip of Jaal’s coffee to steady herself. ‘Dad did everything he could to help her, to find a cure, but… she died before we even set off for Andromeda.’

Jaal reached over, covering her small hand with his larger one, his expression all compassion. ‘I am sorry,’ he said quietly. ‘The death of a parent… I cannot imagine what you were going through. Especially before such a large and life-changing venture.’

Sara laughed bitterly. ‘Tell me about it, big guy. I thought… it was bad enough, you know? Mom was the glue that kept our little family together. Dad was so distant during those last years, so caught up in his work with SAM… he still thought that he could save her, right up to that final day. Scott and I… for a long while, all we had was each other.’ At that, a fresh wave of tears flooded Sara’s eyes. Dammit Scotty, she thought desperately. I miss you, little brother.

‘This man you mention… he is your brother, yes? I have heard you say his name before.’ Jaal’s expression was inquisitive. Sara couldn’t help but smile at his insatiable curiosity, the way those beautiful blue eyes lit up when she shared knowledge with him. She remembered telling him about the whales back on earth, about how magical she found parts of Heleus: the mantas and the yevara and the incredible ice-bound panorama of Voeld. She felt a tendril of warmth encircle her at the memories.

‘Yeah, Scott is my brother. We’re twins, although I’m older by him than a minute.’ She paused smile even as fresh tears slipped down her cheek. ‘He’s my rock. He’s always been there for me. We went to all the same schools, even enlisted in the academy together… we looked out for each other.’

Jaal rumbled approval. ‘As all siblings should do. Truly, your mother was blessed to bear twins. Such births are thought to be lucky by my people. A good omen for the future.’ He nodded encouragement. ‘What of the rest of your family?’

‘The rest?’ Sara shrugged. ‘That’s basically it. Me, Scotty, Mom and Dad – well, just me and Scott now, I guess. We had some distant aunts and uncles and cousins I think, but there was a falling-out between them and Dad before we were born. I never met any of them.’

‘You mean… that is all the family you have?’ Jaal’s expression creased into one of horror. ‘Are you not terribly lonely?’

Sara choked out a laugh that came with a fresh flood of tears. ‘Yeah, big guy, you could say that.’ She regretted it almost instantly at the look of contrition that swept over Jaal’s sweet face. He looked suddenly downcast, apologetic, as though he had said something terribly wrong.

‘I am sorry. I did not think… angara, we have large families, so I assumed… forgive me, that was a careless thing to say.’ Jaal reached tentatively towards her. Sara grasped his hand, amazed at her own confidence as she pulled the big angara close and give him another hug, snuggling readily into the warmth of his chest.

‘Hey, don’t worry about it. Chalk it up to cultural differences, hmm?’ She shrugged. ‘There’s just me left, you see. Mom died… and coming to Heleus was supposed to be a fresh start for the Ryder clan. New horizons, and all that. But then the Hyperion hit the scourge on arrival, and Scott’s cryopod got damaged, and now he… he can’t wake up. They say his vitals are fine, but he’s comatose. Then Dad died to save my stupid life… and now, I’m all alone.’

She broke off as a fresh wave of tears hit her. She’d bottled up so much, she realised. All the hurt, all the pain, the worry, the grief, the loneliness… it all came pouring out in a tidal wave of misery. Dimly she was aware of a grunt from Jaal before she was pulled into a bone-crushing hug. The angara’s broad shoulders were shaking. Sara could feel the faint hum of his bioelectricity as he held her close. She closed her eyes and laid her head against his chest, allowing herself to take the comfort he was offering. When they finally pulled apart, Sara was shocked to see that his eyes were wet with tears.

‘Ryder… Ryder, I am so sorry. I had no idea. You… you have lost your whole family, in such a short time. I cannot imagine the pain you are going through. I should have offered you comfort and kindness, I should have…’ he broke off, casting around as though desperate for something to say. ‘You should have been cared for,’ he added, his voice deepening. Raw emotion shone in those huge blue eyes, sparkling like distant galaxies. ‘You should have been looked after by friends and loved ones. You should never have been left alone to carry this grief, with the burden of worlds on your shoulders.’

‘Hey, it’s ok, I’m ok,’ she managed to say. She realised too late that she was gripping Jaal’s hand like a lifeline. ‘I’m strong, I grew up tough. Takes more than that to break me. It just… well, it all just got on top of me. My own fault, really.’ She breathed deeply. ‘You see, before we went to rescue Moshae Sjefa… well, I wasn’t sure that I’d be coming back. It was a risky mission. So, I said goodbye to Scott in the medbay, while we were on the Nexus. I also told him… that if I made it, then he’d better damn well be awake by the time I got back.’ She shook her head, offering Jaal a watery smile. ‘I know it was a dumb thing to do. I knew he couldn’t hear me. But it kept me going, you know? I’ve missed him so damn much. I made myself believe that if only I could get through that mission… if only we could make it… then by the time I got back to the Nexus, he’d be okay. He’d be awake. So, when I went to the medbay just now…’

‘I see.’ Jaal’s voice was soft, comforting. ‘I do not blame you, Ryder. Hope is what sustains us when all else has been lost. It is one of life’s greatest treasures. It is only natural for you to wish your brother well again.’

‘I guess so.’ Sara wiped her eyes. ‘But… it was weird. Harry – that’s the doctor on the Hyperion – he’d figured out a way for us to communicate, using SAM. Scotty has an implant too, you see. All pathfinder crew do. So… I could talk to him! And that was such a huge relief that I… I just got caught up in it. Then he started asking about dad, and Habitat Seven…’ she trailed off, trying to blink back fresh tears. ‘Jaal, I had to tell him that dad died. He didn’t… he didn’t take it so well.’ Her voice wavered. ‘SAM had to sever the connection. It all went wrong. And now… now I’m scared that he’s not going to forgive me; and he’ll never want to wake up again.’

‘Ryder. Do not be afraid. Come here.’ Jaal reached out, taking both her hands in his larger ones and squeezing gently. ‘That was a brave thing you just did. A lesser soul might have thought to spare him the pain of such knowledge… but truly, I believe that lying would have only led to more suffering. You are wise beyond your years, generous, and compassionate to a fault at times.’ He nudged her gently, a flicker of mischief dancing in those beautiful blue eyes. ‘If only you were more open with your feelings, you would have made a good angara,’ he added with a chuckle.

‘Guess I’ll take that as a compliment.’ Sara managed a weak laugh, nudging him back. ‘But you’re wrong. I’m not brave. I’m just… doing the best I can.’

‘In times of trouble, is that not all that universe can ask from us?’ Jaal squeezed her hands again. ‘Come, Ryder, do not doubt yourself. Look at where we are. Standing inside your beautiful ship, which houses a crew of exceptional people, yourself included. You have travelled across stars and between galaxies, you have made wonderous discoveries that have changed entire planets. You have saved many of my people from the monsters who wish to destroy us.’ He paused, making sure she was looking deep into his eyes before continuing. ‘I believe that you, Sara Ryder, are the one true wonder of Heleus. I am honoured by your friendship.’

‘I, um… wow, ok, that’s… yeah, well I wouldn’t exactly say… but um, thanks, I guess?’ Sara stuttered, shocked into incoherency by Jaal’s open, honest praise. ‘Damn, Jaal, you really know how to make a girl blush,’ she added, feeling the heat climb into her cheeks, unable to stop herself from smiling stupidly.

‘Do I? Hmm. Then at last, perhaps I am doing something right.’ Jaal’s smile seemed to light his whole face from the inside with a rosy glow, more beautiful than sunrise on Havarl. ‘I mean what I say. You are a treasure, Ryder. A brilliant and scintillating woman. You fascinate me, and I am humbled by the trust you have shown in me today.’

Sara shook her head, unable to speak. A warm wave seemed to sweep over her, and she felt fresh tears prickling her eyes; but ones of joy this time, not sorrow. ‘Damn, Jaal,’ she whispered, her eyes shining. ‘You’re a crazy awesome guy, you know that?’

The angara laughed. ‘I shall assume that to be a compliment.’

‘Yeah. Yeah it is, um… sorry, just a bit tongue-tied right now. Holy shit. You’re incredible, you know? The way you speak sometimes…’ Sara grinned. ‘I’m so happy you found us, Jaal. So happy you jumped into this crazy little Tempest family. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you. I was so relieved you decided not to stay on Aya.’

‘I must confess I feel the same at times.’ Jaal seemed to light up at her words. ‘You have given me purpose. I find our travels invigorating. I would not trade this new life for the world.’ He squeezed her hands once more before releasing them. ‘Come, let us clean up this mess. Do you feel better?’

Sara nodded. ‘Yeah, Jaal, I do. A lot better. I guess I was really missing having someone to talk to. The others… they’re great and all, but I’m supposed to be the boss. I can’t go breaking down crying on their shoulders all the time.’

‘I understand.’ Jaal nodded in sympathy. ‘In that case, I want you to know that my shoulder is always available to you, Ryder, should you ever need to talk. Or even just to sit, quietly, and feel comforted. It is hard, to always feel alone. You should not have to endure it any longer.’

‘Thanks Jaal, I appreciate it.’ Sara grinned. ‘And the same offer applies to you, by the way. I know you have your family, your people… but I guess what I’m saying is, I want to be here for you too, you know?’

‘I know.’ Another brilliantly beautiful smile. ‘Your kindness never ceases to amaze me.’ He knelt down and began to carefully retrieve the fragments of broken ceramic. Sara could not help but smile watching him, noticing the care he took over each jagged piece, turning them over in his large hands as though they were archaeological wonders.

‘Let me help.’ She grabbed a brush and knelt beside him, beginning to sweep away the coffee granules. ‘Should probably get this cleaned up before Drack gets back. The last thing I need today is a grumpy krogan on my back, complaining that I messed with his kitchen.’

Jaal chuckled. ‘I quite agree.’ He held up one of the pieces of broken crockery. The blue patterning of the mermaid’s tail was still visible. ‘May I keep these?’ he asked.

‘Sure,’ nodded Sara. ‘If you like. I guess I’ll have to borrow one of Suvi’s mugs, till I can buy a new one.’ She tipped the spilt coffee in the waste bin. ‘There, good as new.’ She glanced up at Jaal. ‘I never did ask, how come you’re back on the ship?’ she added. ‘I thought everybody would have disembarked to the Nexus by now. I figured you were all going stir crazy, stuck here.’

Jaal shrugged. ‘I was tired. I needed a nap.’

‘Gotcha.’ Sara laughed. ‘Go on then, big guy. I’m sorry I disturbed your nap. To be fair, a nap sounds like a great idea right about now. I haven’t slept properly since Voeld. Might have to grab one myself.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘Right after I speak to Director Tann, of course. That little snot has been pinging me every five minutes, demanding I come and see him in person.’

‘Then let him wait a little longer.’ Jaal placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. ‘Sleep first, Pathfinder. Recover yourself, and your strength. Politicians can wait. You must start taking better care of yourself.’ He squeezed her shoulder lightly, before disappearing back down the hall, heading towards the Tech Lab, still cradling the shards of Sara’s broken mug. She watched him go with a smile on her face. She felt warm inside, comforted, in a way that had been entirely absent since she’d arrived in Heleus. Seems like he really does care, she thought to herself. I guess this place might just be starting to feel like home after all.

Chapter Text

When he returned to the Tech Lab, Jaal released a long, slow breath. With infinite care he placed the remains of the broken mug on a work bench, before sitting back and clasping his trembling hands tightly together. What Ryder had told him had shaken him to his bones.

When he’d first heard something falling, his initial thought had been intruders. So, he’d picked up his firaan and crept quietly towards the source of the strange sounds. He hadn’t expected to come across a crew member; not least the Pathfinder, entirely alone, on her hands and knees among broken crockery, sobbing as though her heart had been wrenched from her chest.

He groaned softly. To see Ryder in such open distress had pierced his own heart like a wound. In an instant, he had abandoned all thought and gone to her, offering all the comfort his body could give. To hear her speak so openly about her family, and the losses she had suffered… here, then, was the secret to why she’d seemed so strange, so cold, so… secretive, at times. Why she’d always held a part of herself back. Why the mere mention of her father or brother was enough to cause her pain.

He remembered his first days aboard the Tempest. He’d spent most of the time observing both his new alien crewmates, and their leader. She had baffled him with her youthful enthusiasm for everything new, but also with her lack of confidence in her own leadership. He had wondered how someone like her had come to take charge of such an important arm of the Initiative. Now, he understood. She had never wanted this responsibility in the first place. It was something that had been forced upon her, just like their war with the kett.

He sighed deeply. His heart ached. Their talk of family had made homesickness bloom inside the cavity of his chest. He missed his mothers, his sisters and brothers. He missed Havarl with its warmth and gentle rain, its soft pink sunrises and vibrant colours. He missed the daar he had grown up in. A thought occurred to him: what would Ryder think of it? She had only ever seen Havarl in its wild state; overrun by remnant and roekar. Save for Aya, she had never seen an angaran settlement. Not like the one he called home.

He flicked open his omnitool and began composing a letter.

>>

To Sahuna, my dearest True Mother,

I hope this message finds you and all at home in good health. I am well, and together with the Pathfinder and her crew, we have completed perhaps the most successful mission to date with the aliens of the Initiative. I am sure you have heard the news by now: Moshae Sjefa is safe. By the stars, it feels wonderful to know this: to see her set foot back on Aya, finally home where she belongs; and to be a part of the team that rescued her. We were also able to save many more of our captive people from the kett’s torment.

I do not know if you have been told of the horrors we found inside the Voeld facility. I shall save discussion of these for when we may speak to you face to face. My heart aches, and I long for the comfort of home when the troubles of this world press closely against me. But this is not why I write to you today.

Mother, I am in great distress. The alien Ryder, our leader, and a woman I am proud to call my friend, has recently confided in me. I do not know whether I am doing her a disservice in passing this on to you; but I feel I must speak. During her time here, she has lost her entire family: her true mother and father are dead, and she has only one brother, who lies in a coma, still and silent as one struck into stone. She feels so terribly, horribly alone.

I have only today discovered this. I understand that among these Milky Way species, the ability to maintain a cool, calm exterior no matter what emotions might rage beneath is considered an admirable trait. She fears to speak of her grief, lest she appears vulnerable to the others of her species, and not up to the great tasks ahead of her. She has not been allowed any time to rest, to heal, or to grieve for her family.

When she told me of this, I felt her pain as though it were my own. We angara have endured loss and suffering at the hands of the kett – and now this woman, this brave and kind and remarkable person I call friend, is suffering too. Tell me my true mother, how can I help her? I do not wish to be overbearing, as I have been told before that angaran emotions can sometimes be too ‘hot and heavy’ for humans, whatever that means. Still, she has seen fit to confide in me, which is something she has not done with anyone else, human or alien. I feel honoured by this confidence and might dare to believe that she has begun to see me as more than a companion and friend; but as somebody she can trust. If so, I am determined to be worthy of that trust.

I know I cannot easily lift her burden or bring back her loved ones. I simply ask if you have any suggestions as to what I may do, to make somewhere feel a little more like home for one who has suffered great losses alone.

Ever your loving son,

Jaal

He hit send before he had time to hesitate, then sat back and buried his head in his hands. Was he right, he wondered, to confide the Pathfinder’s woes to another? Save for the Moshae, he knew nobody wiser than Sahuna; and certainly, nobody kinder. He could still feel the sharp pattering of his heart, racing within his chest as though he’d just run a vast distance.

There was something, at least, he could try and do. A reply from Sahuna could come at any time; stars only knew where she was, or what she was doing with the Resistance. So, while he waited, Jaal decided to put his tinkering skills to good use. With great care, he inspected each piece of Ryder’s mug. It had been badly broken, but there seemed at least to be no missing pieces. Maybe, he thought, he could find a way to mend it; and perhaps, through doing so, find a way to help mend Ryder’s poor broken heart too.

Chapter Text

The warm, sweet-scented air of Aya was a soothing balm to Sara Ryder’s frayed nerves. She took deep, steady breaths as she and the crew descended the Tempest, glad to be away from the confines of the ship. After the disaster at the medbay with Scott, Sara found herself with the urge to run: away from the Milky Way hub and its squabbling leaders, away from the pressure and expectations placed on her as human pathfinder… away from the pain that had scrawled its way across Scott’s face after she told him their father died.

Originally, she’d planned to remain at the Nexus for several days, allowing her crew to rest and resupply; and, most importantly, she’d planned to spend time with Scott. But of course, that… wasn’t going to happen. At all. In any way. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, chasing the memories away. Forget about it, she told herself sternly. At least for now. She’d come to Aya on a whim, with an urge to drink in real, unfiltered air, and bask in the warmth of a real sun. Of course, she still needed to visit the Moshae at some point, and ask the angaran woman to uphold her word, and take her to the vault. But that can wait, she thought to herself. That wasn’t why she was here.

She needed rest. They all did. She knew the last mission on Voeld had landed a heavy blow to her team with the knowledge they’d uncovered. Even though nobody had been physically injured, there wasn’t a single one of them that hadn’t been shaken to their souls by the uncovering of precisely what the kett did to captured angara. No more, Sara had vowed to herself: not even one more, not if I can help it. She knew she wasn’t the only one: each member of her team had taken the revelation hard. She remembered the fire in Cora’s hazel eyes, the grim determination that had scrawled itself across the huntress’s normally delicate features. Liam, Lexi, Kallo, Drack… each one of them had taken the information hard, in their own way. Even the normally rambunctious Peebee had sobered up long enough to deliver a stream of furious, disbelieving cursewords during the mission debrief. But none of them had taken it harder than Jaal.

That, in part, was why they were here. Sara needed somewhere she could lift the weight of the Nexus from her shoulders; and Jaal surely needed a little time somewhere he could call home. Aya was warm, safe… and, since the successful return of the Moshae, surprisingly welcoming. Many of the resident angara seemed to have dropped their initial distrust of the newcomers, and for the most part, it had been replaced by curiosity. She smiled. They had only walked a short way into the city, and already Liam had almost disappeared amid a cluster of curious angara at the Tavetaan. Vetra too had vanished, muttering something about needing to ‘take care of a little business’ while they were docked.

‘Go on,’ she said, glancing down at Peebee beside her. The young asari was positively vibrating with eagerness. ‘Peebee, what are you waiting for? Go relax, grab a drink or something!’

‘I know… I don’t know! There’s so much I want to do; I just don’t know where to start!’ Peebee almost growled with frustration. ‘You know, they have a collection of Rem-tech somewhere here? I want to see it – but I also want to come with you, and see the next vault – and I wanna check out the tavern, Jaal says the drinks here hit pretty hard, but I don’t believe a word of it…’

Sara laughed and shook her head. ‘Don’t worry about the vault. That can wait. I doubt the Moshae will be ready to take us yet. Go and have fun!’

‘Fine. Come by the tavern and I’ll buy you a fruit punch!’ Peebee vanished with a wink. Sara could just about catch sight of her slender figure weaving her way between the angara clustered at the tavetaan.

‘She will be fine… probably,’ rumbled Jaal. He was the only one to have stuck at Sara’s side. ‘I was not deceiving her. Angaran liquor creeps upon you slowly, but I can attest that it does indeed… hit hard, as she was saying.’

‘I don’t doubt it.’ Sara chuckled. ‘I dare say we’ll be scooping Miss Peebee up off the floor later today and carting her back in a wheelbarrow. Or, uh, whatever you guys have instead of wheelbarrows here.’

‘Is that bad?’ Jaal’s face creased in concern. ‘I do not wish her to be ill. Perhaps I should have warned her more vehemently.’

‘Don’t worry,’ Sara reassured him. ‘That would’ve only made her more determined. Besides, we Milky Way species are generally pretty good at dealing with hangovers. I dare say Peebee’s had her fair share before.’

‘Very well,’ Jaal replied. ‘I shall trust your judgement in this.’ He shot her an encouraging smile. ‘As I do with many things,’ he added. He seemed so very earnest; had seemed this way ever since he’d found her crying on the Tempest. It was as though an invisible barrier had finally broken down, thought Sara; for both of them. Somehow, with him around she felt less… vulnerable. Not physically – although being followed around by a hulking six-foot-six angara with a modified sniper rifle was certainly no bad thing. But somehow, having somebody else who understood… who had witnessed her anger and hurt first-hand, who knew the pain she was going through, who had seen her at her lowest point… and who, despite all that, was still beside her… and still believed in her. Still called her strong, and remarkable. Still called her friend.

Finally, Sara Ryder was feeling a little less alone.

It didn’t seem entirely one-sided either. Jaal himself seemed more relaxed around her too. She snuck a glance over at him, seemingly basking in Aya’s sun. He’s the remarkable one, she thought. Remarkable in every way. She watched the gentle play of golden light across his smooth features, admiring the breadth of his shoulders, the wonderful colours in his skin… and when he turned to her and smiled, it was as though an entire galaxy blossomed into life in those incredible star-blue eyes.

God dammit, thought Sara, as she couldn’t help but return his smile. I’ve fallen just too damn hard for this guy.

‘What are you thinking, Jaal?’ she asked. ‘Is there anywhere you want to go?’

‘Not particularly.’ The angara shrugged his enormous shoulders. ‘I am happy to be here, but I have no pressing errands.’ He nudged her lightly. ‘What about you? Always, you seem to have things to do, people to see…’

‘Not today, big guy,’ replied Sara. ‘I mean, we need to see the Moshae, at some point. But there’s no rush for that. I don’t want to push her. Besides, I figured we could all use some chill time: and Aya seems as good a place as any for that.’

‘You came here for rest? To recover?’ The warmth of Jaal’s smile lit up his entire sweet face. ‘I am glad that you feel so at ease in an angaran world that you would allow yourself to remove the burden from your shoulders; if only for a little while.’

‘Exactly that.’ Sara nodded. ‘So, got any recommendations? Apart from the tavetaan, what else do you guys do to relax around here?’

Jaal’s smile widened. ‘Let me show you.’

*

It wasn’t until dusky shades of gold and lilac were creeping into Aya’s sweet evening air that Jaal and Sara returned to the docks. Both were tired, but smiling; and Jaal’s heart felt lighter than it had in days.

Today was a good day, he told himself. After the Pathfinder had admitted that she’d brought them to the angaran planet for rest, not business, he’d decided that it was his duty to keep Ryder’s mind off the terrible burdens that laid on her shoulders. She seemed happy with his company: so he’d made the most of it, taking her to a few of his favourite places within the city – those that the aliens were permitted to enter, at least. They’d visited the Remnant Museum, eaten falaal at one of his favourite food stands, and shared drinks at a smaller, quieter tavetaan away from the main square, that had once been a place of solace to him during troubled times. It was situated beside one of Aya’s many waterfalls, and the owners had a habit of regularly setting out sweet fruit, encouraging the presence of a myriad of small, jewel-coloured songbirds. Ryder had seemed entranced by the tiny visitors, watching their every darting movement with a starry-eyed amazement that made something bright and warm unfurl within Jaal’s chest.

So it was with a sinking heart that Jaal spotted the familiar, slender figure of the Moshae waiting beside the Tempest’s dock. While he would normally be happy to see his beloved mentor, he also knew that her presence would bring Ryder straight back to business.

He wasn’t wrong. He sensed the shift in the Pathfinder’s demeanour almost immediately. Her spine straightened, but her shoulders seemed to slump, as though recalling their immense burden. Her face, which had spent almost all day wreathed in sweet, unguarded smiles, hardened. Not to the point of anger – she retained her smile, and greeted the Moshae cordially – but now, he could tell the difference between her public face, and her private face. It was a radical, new concept for him: angara, after all, were open with their expressions, and felt no need to ‘put on a good show’, as she had called it.

‘I heard you were visiting our city today,’ the Moshae was saying, addressing Ryder with more warmth than Jaal had expected. ‘I am a woman of my word. I agreed to guide you into Aya’s vault – that is why I am here.’

‘Really? Already? That’s amazing of you!’ Ryder grinned, seeming to shrug off her tiredness immediately. ‘I didn’t want to bother you – I thought you might want a few more days to recover.’

‘I am recovered enough for this. But I thank you for the thought.’ The Moshae inclined her head formally. ‘I have a craft waiting. The path to the vault is too difficult to go on foot.’

Ryder nodded. ‘Lead on,’ she said, turning to Jaal and nudging him. ‘You’re coming too I hope, Jaal?’

‘If you wish,’ he replied. His heart fluttered as her smile brightened.

‘Really, Jaal?’ the Moshae’s smile turned mischievous. ‘I recall you as an unenthusiastic student of the Remnant, long ago. Perhaps there is something else here that has piqued your interest?’

‘I… yes, well, as a member now of the Pathfinder team… it is my duty to guard the Pathfinder now, yes? No matter the mission.’ Jaal cleared his throat awkwardly, hoping that Ryder had somehow missed his old mentor’s implication. Yes, he wanted to say – yes, he wanted to spend time with Ryder, to study her, to try and relieve some of the burden she carried… this remarkable and intelligent and beautiful woman, who had crossed dark space to be with them. He knew that he found her fascinating… he just wasn’t sure he wanted to admit just how fascinating he found her: yet.

‘A shame about Peebee,’ Ryder was saying. In the flush of his embarrassment, Jaal heard her voice as though from a long way off. ‘She really wanted to see Aya’s vault. But maybe it’s for the best - she’d only run off to explore.’

‘We could wait for her.’ Jaal cleared his throat again, trying to master his inner thought. ‘I can search for her; she may be yet at the tavetaan…’

Ryder shook her head and pointed. ‘Too late, big guy. I don’t think she’s quite in the right state to be joining us today.’ Jaal followed Ryder’s gaze, to where Liam was slowly making his way up the Tempest’s ramp, with an only-vaguely-conscious Peebee slung over one shoulder. He grimaced and gave Ryder a thumbs-up.

‘Stars above,’ murmured the Moshae. ‘Is she well? Was there an accident I was uninformed of?’

‘Nah, I reckon she’s just had one drink too many,’ grinned Ryder. ‘Peebee was doing, uh… ‘research’ into the strength of angaran alcohol. Looks like she’s done a little bit too much.’

‘I see.’ The Moshae shook her head. ‘One can have too much of a good thing. I hope your friend is well-prepared for the headache she will doubtless experience when she awakes.’

‘It’s alright. Our doctor Lexi is the best,’ Ryder reassured her. ‘She’ll look after her. But I’ll take a vid inside the vault to show Peebee, if that’s alright? She’ll sulk if she thinks she’s missed out on something big.’

‘By all means.’ The Moshae beckoned them. ‘Follow me.’

*

The angaran shuttle took off with a whir of engines. Sara tightened her grip on the seat, peering eagerly out of the window. Nightfall on Aya was something she had never seen before from above: and it was astoundingly beautiful. A soft, golden glow came from the city lights, illuminating the verdant green jungle that surrounded the settlement; but not just that. Tiny flying insects – or at least, Sara assumed they were insects – like multicoloured fireflies drifted lazily over the many pools and tiny waterfalls, their light cast upwards by the ever-moving water. Even inside the shuttle, Sara could hear birdsong.

‘You seem rapt,’ murmured the Moshae. Sara turned to see the angaran woman watching her with a small smile on her face. ‘You, above all others of your kind, truly seem to appreciate Aya’s beauty.’

‘How could you not?’ replied Sara. ‘It’s just… gorgeous. So much nicer than anywhere I saw on Earth. That’s my planet: the human homeworld. I wasn’t born there, but I guess it’s still home, of a sort.’

‘I understand.’ The Moshae turned to the window, as the city lights dwindled into almost nothingness. ‘We are here.’

The vault doors opened slowly. Sara walked beside the Moshae, her whole body tingling with excitement. This vault seemed larger, almost grander, than the ones she’d entered before – at least, from what little she could see of it.

‘I haven’t brought anyone here in almost twenty years,’ the Moshae was saying, as they drew near the main console. It lit up as they approached. ‘There’s always been an active display for Aya – here – but we could never affect it.’

Sara nodded. ‘Then let’s see what we can do today.’ She held out her hand, palm outwards, facing towards the console. ‘SAM? Are you there?’ She smiled as her omnitool lit up, sending a stream of data towards the remnant device.

‘Remarkable,’ murmured Jaal. Sara chanced a swift glance up at him and watched his eyes widen, staring upwards in surprise as blue-green lights danced across the vault’s high ceiling, coalescing into a luminous holographic display all around them.

‘Yes! This is new! Is it similar to the one on Eos?’ the Moshae exclaimed, her serene demeanour evaporating in the light of scientific discovery. ‘Tell me, Pathfinder, what are we seeing? How much of this is new to you?’

Sara reached out, tentatively, towards the display. There was much here that seemed familiar. But there was something else, too.

‘Yes,’ she told the Moshae. ‘I’ve seen this before, on Eos – or at least, something much like it. But there’s something… new. Different.’ She hesitated. ‘You’re the expert, Moshae. Tell me, what do you see in this?’

The angaran woman gazed up at the display. ‘I see… the vaults. Here, and here – they’re connected. A network, as you discovered. However…’ she trailed off, and pointed at a single, glowing point. ‘They’re not connected to each other, but to this place.’ She frowned. ‘This image… I recognise it. It was on a relic the Archon showed me, when I was held captive. He called it… Meridian.’

‘Meridian?’ Sara echoed, gazing up at the strange triangular symbol. ‘I’ve never heard of that here. But it looks… almost like this vault, on Aya, is the only one that’s properly connected to it; whatever it is. But perhaps that’s why – why you people can live here, why parts of Aya are so fertile. It’s doing its job, this vault: it’s terraforming.’ She grinned in delight, catching Jaal’s eye. The giant angara was smiling too, his eyes positively glowing with the vault’s luminescence.

‘I think that I begin to understand,’ he said, pointing upwards. ‘Here – these are the other vaults you have previously discovered, yes?’

‘Yes,’ came the low chime of SAM’s artificial voice. ‘The vault on Eos is also present, but changed. Our interfacing with it has affected the connection.’

Sara nodded. ‘Makes sense, I guess. About as much sense as any of this does, anyhow. What do you think, professor?’

The Moshae’s face was lit from within with excitement. ‘I think that Meridian is the control centre for all the vaults. Look at this – everything is connected.’

Sara drew in a deep, slow breath. ‘This… this discovery might just change everything. If we could find it… get it to start terraforming every hostile planet in Heleus…’ She felt delight bubbling up inside her. ‘This might work. Heleus could live.’

The Moshae nodded slowly. ‘Of course. That’s why he tortured me. The Archon… he thought I knew. That I could help him use it.’

‘Because he can’t.’ Jaal interrupted. ‘Moshae, in the hands of the Archon… Meridian could become a terrible weapon. Whole worlds could be held hostage.’

‘I know.’ The Moshae shot an appraising glance towards Sara. ‘But it is also your people’s best chance for survival. Life, in one hand; death in another.’

‘You’re right.’ Sara swallowed hard. ‘That’s why we have to take it from him. Such power in the kett’s hands could mean the end of your people, and mine.’ She clenched her fists. ‘I won’t allow that to happen.’ She returned her gaze to the display, drinking in the data, knowing that SAM had already logged and memorised all the information this vault had to offer them. ‘We’ll do it, somehow,’ she murmured. ‘We have to.’

‘You cannot do this alone.’ She turned to find the Moshae watching her, with something approaching motherly concern. ‘You’ll also need that relic the Archon has aboard his ship. The Resistance may have intel that will help you… claim it.’ There was a glint of determination in the angaran woman’s eyes. ‘I will speak to Evfra on your behalf and secure his cooperation. Meet me at the Resistance Headquarters tomorrow morning. There is much that needs to be done, Pathfinder. Are you with me?’

‘Absolutely.’ Sara felt warmth bloom inside her. ‘To whatever end, Moshae. We’ll get it done.’

And Heleus will live, she thought. If this works… if we can take control of this Meridian from the Archon… then maybe, my people will have a home… and we’ll all be saved.

*