Chapter Text
“And that’s the last one.” Lexi announced as she removed the last suture. The skin above Sara’s eye tugged uncomfortably with it, but it didn’t pain her. Not like it had at first. “We’re almost done, Sara. Let me get the table calibrated for one last scan.” Lexi tapped Sara’s naked shoulder to have her lay back down on the exam table and with an annoyed groan she complied.
“Lift your arm up for me please.”
“I’ve broken my ribs plenty of times. Why all these tests?” The newly named Pathfinder questioned as a little chime sounded, signaling it’s warm up.
“It’s field protocol. We’re dealing with a lot of firsts here and I’m not leaving anything to chance. Hold still for me please.”
Sara laid her head back and willed her body to relax as the medical instrument ran its tests.
She had never been very good at staying still. She had many fond memories of being begged to go to sleep and less fond memories of Alic’s hushed reprimands to quit fidgeting when she had to attend another one of his “honorary banquets”. Worse than any of her father's political events, Sara hated the stillness of sick bays. From their small nook onboard the Tempest to the large centers on the Citadel, their sterile air, eerie uniformity, and the way they seemed separate from the time passing outside, she had spent far too much of her life in them.
"Almost done. You're doing great." Her freshly sealed cut above her eye itched and the cold polymer of the table dug uncomfortably into her bruised back. The flow of filtered air made her exposed skin prickle with chill-bumps as she held her breath then slowly let it out. She had learned ways to tame the impatience that plagued her childhood. Meditation had been a necessary part of her early biotics training and she had trained her mind to become her escape.
Only… now …
Lightning struck the ground behind her, its energy biting at her heels. Her bruised body protested as she pushed herself to keep going, to push harder, to move faster.
She could see her father dart ahead, moving their small team deeper into this odd complex. She and Liam had found a research site above such a structure and she had felt its alien energy pulsed through the smooth metal. It had unnerved her then and it unnerved her now as Alic interfaced with it.
A wave of energy washed over the room as it was activated and a collective breath was released. The angry sky was clearing up and she could hear the voice of the pilot announce their approach. They had done it. They were making it off this planet.
If only she’d known how foolish that thought had been.
The next moments were a blur as the ground bucked beneath her and something slammed into her. Hard.
She reached out, scrambling for a hold when her right hand had caught the edge of the deck. Her arm could no longer feel pain but she could still feel it strain as she held on for dear life.
Suddenly, her head snapped back as something slammed into her. She didn’t have time to register pain as the sensation of falling pushed her stomach into her throat and she watched the ground rapidly approach her.
"…And that’s it. Everything looks like it's healing correctly." Lexi snapped her back to reality as her Initiative issued shirt was tossed at her. "Just try to take it easy. It's healing but-"
"-don’t go picking fights." Sara finished as she flipped her hair out from the collar with a shaky hand.
She balled her trembling hands into fists and hoped the doctor couldn’t see the beads of sweat forming on her brawl. She shook the chill of the unwanted memory off as she got up.
"I didn't really plan on sentry robots. I'll have to be more creative in my mission prep next time." Her dry humor got a small smile from Lexi and Sara needed something to distract her mind right now.
"Yes. That's really rather small minded of you." Dr. P’terro rolled her eyes as she played along. "Do try to think- oh… what's the human phrase?"
"Earth slang is Liam's area of study." Sara replied dryly as she slipped her shoes back on.
"Something about ideas leaving the square or box?" The doctor mused for a moment. "I'll have to ask him later. I'm serious though, Ryder. I won't lecture you, but please try to be more cautious. We have no means to measure the danger here."
"Like planets with toxic air and hostile aliens?"
The asari sighed, "Ryder, you-"
"Pathfinder! You might want to come up to the bridge." Kallo's panicked voice ripped through the ship's coms.
"What is it?"
"We're approaching an unknown object. Several very big unknown objects." His words made her skin now prickle for a new reason. She shared an unsettled look with Lexi.
"On my way."
Their conversation thoroughly finished, Sara rushed out of the med bay, cold blood rushing through her body, and made it to the control room in record time.
“What are you seeing?" She asked, her voice taking on a harder tone.
"Whatever it is, it’s blocking our long range scans." Suvi's calm voice wavered.
"And we're locked in! Ryder-"
"SAM! Gil! What power can be diverted to the shields and thrusters?" Her blood was roaring in her ears and she only hoped her voice came out calmer than she felt.
"Accessory power can be rerouted and I can increase the shields efficiency by 11%." SAM reported.
"I can lower life support to emergency levels." Gil's voice was airy as the clanking of metal echoed in the background. "How much power are you needing?"
"Enough to get us out fast if things go bad." She gripped the console, her knuckles turning white.
"Exiting light-speed." Announced the pilot with a shaky voice.
The tunnel of lights suddenly snapped back into focus, but what she saw made her mind stiffen in fear.
In front of them, bulbous ships of various classes blotted out the stars. Their beetle like shells looked harsh and more like ancient earth tanks than space faring vessels. The drop ships that’d caused them so much trouble back on Habitat 7 instantly flashed in her mind, and she felt a wave of dread as she realized that they had stumbled over a Kett armada. Behind them, the twisting black fingers of the Scourge created a moving wall, effectively pinning them in.
The Tempest had beautifully sailed into their trap.
The largest loomed above them bathing the Tempest in a cold light.
"They're scanning us!", "We're being hailed." Suvi and Kallo's cried over each other.
Sara turned and saw the rest of her crew watching her pensively. Meeting their eyes, she nodded and gave them, she hoped, a reassuring look.
She just wished someone would return it.
Inhaling deeply, she squared her shoulders and gave Suvi a small nod. "Let it through."
The console threw up the holo screen and a kett glared back at her.
It’s ashy face was sunken in, giving it an air of unquenched hunger as jagged, bony platting framed its face only to come together to make a ring behind its head. Almost like a halo.
The twisting of her stomach made her think that they were anything but saviors.
"Who is the one responsible for awakening the Remnant?" His dead eyes roamed the screen until they settled on her. "Their DNA signature is there. Answer me!"
"I am Pathfinder Ryder of the Initiative. We travel this galaxy in peace-" she was cut off as the ship lurched and the lights of the controls blinked out.
"They've locked navigations!"
"We're being pulled in!"
"We haven’t done anything to you! What do you want?" She dropped the politeness and looked into his cloudy eyes unflinching. He had nothing on her father's glare.
"The unreceived shall know its avail soon." He said dismissively. “You have knowledge I seek. Knowledge that is beyond you.”
No no no! She dug her nails into her palm as a bead of sweat slid down her neck. She had to get them out! Think Sara! Think!
"I almost have control of the navigations." SAM said through her coms earpiece. "I need 30 seconds, Pathfinder."
Buy him some time? Okay yeah, she could do that.
"We believe in sharing knowledge. Perhaps we could exchange? I tell you what I found at the research sites and then you tell me how you are using our language?" She blurted, saying the first thing on her mind. "Did you decipher it yourselves or did you find one of our translators?"
She heard a disbelieving breath behind her.
The cold eyes focused on her again. "Unaccended, you're prattle is trivial. All knowledge serves the holy kett empire."
She filed away that alarming command to think about later, because throughout her studies, the wake of armies marching under the banner of ordainedhood rarely ended in anything but blood.
Sara barreled on. SAM needed just a little more time.
"Have you completed Mother Tongues or just Galactic Common?" She said in English.
He paused, her words clearly not registering and his leathery face crumpled in rage.
"Enough! Take comfort in knowing that this day marks the beginning of your greatness."
Suddenly the interfaces lit up.
"Navigations are back online." Suvi yelled.
"Coarse plotted Pathfinder."
Without her needing to give the command, the Tempest shot forward into the twisting energy cloud as three Kett cruisers gave chase.
"SAM! Gil! Keep our shields up! Kallo-" the ship jerked and she was thrown into the console. Pain burst through her side as the air was punched from her lungs.
"One ship down!" The pilot cheered.
She gripped the console as another violent jolt shook them and a red warning popped up on her interface.
"This khovek Scourge! It's draining our shields!" Kallo's voice yelled over the ship’s alarms. "We can't take another hit! Ryder-"
"Cora! Peebee! Lexi! Get to the lower decks!" She called over the coms. "We can't lose life support or the thrusters! Get a barrier up!" Shouts of acknowledgment rang out.
The landscape outside twisted and blurred into a nauseous tunnel of inky, shifting energy. She was almost too late. A tendril reached out for the nose of the ship and time seemed to move in slow motion as her arms flew up. Pulsing energy burned her skin as her biotics crackled over it. The energy was sent hurling out, wrapping around the bow as the dark clouds brushed against them.
She felt the Scourge rip and claw at her shield as her body shook from the strain. She willed it to stay strong, she saw in her mind the intricate weaving of a cloth, pulled tight but refusing to tear. She saw each thread, felt them strain and stretch but she refused to let them break. We are not dying here!
She let out a cry as the tendril gave one last flick before falling away.
Sagging against the console, she tried to get her vision to focus on the interface only to slam her eyes shut with a hiss as pain ripped through her head.
"We're through!" Kallo cheered.
"We made it." She breathed out as she slowly stood back up only for dark spots to swarm her vision.
"Easy there, Ryder." A clawed hand grabbed her arm to steady her. Vetra came into focus as she lowered her to the floor. The smuggler's mouth moved but her words were drowned out by the ringing in her ears. A droplet of sweat tickled as it rolled down her lip but her gloved fingers came back red when she whipped at it.
"I-I overloaded my nodes. Just g-give me a second." Trembling, she held her sleeve to her nose to catch the bleeding. Breathe Sara. It’ll pass. Just breathe.
"Ryder! We've got a problem!" Gil's panicked voice cried over the ship's coms.
"Give her a mi-"
"What's going on?" She cut off Vetra as she pulled herself up on shaky legs. With annoyance she noticed the finger shaped indents her right hand had left in the metal.
"We've got a fire in the lower deck, ruptured filtration lines, and busted fuel lines" she heard him let out an exasperated breath. "We've got to land. She won't stay spaceborn for long."
Finally able to see straight, she looked out and saw a dull gray planet with red veins stretching across its surface.
"Suvi, what are the scanners picking up? Is there a safe place to land?" She turned to the science officer.
"I'm seeing an area of 887 klicks that's within safe temperatures."
"Wait. That's where the navpoint is." Kallo looked at her with disbelief.
No sooner had she sagged in relief, a new notice flashed across her screen. Everyone froze.
"An unidentified ship is hailing us." Suvi said in a small voice.
Had they been followed? They were in no condition to run. If they were boarded they could fight, but for how long? She could barely stand and she knew the other biotics had to be in a similar shape. Half her crew was down and they could only hold out so long against a squadron of Kett. Was surrendering even an option with these dead eyed aliens?
"It…it's not Kett." Suvi said in disbelief. "It's a… different signal."
"Put me through." She straightened herself and assured the worried turian beside her that she could stand on her own. "I am Pathfinder Ryder of the Intuitive. We come with peaceful intentions."
A deep voice answered back in an unknown language. It sounded panicked and angry. Not a good combo.
“I’m sorry but we were unable to translate that.” She bit out nervously. "My ship is badly damaged and my crew needs medical attention. We mean you no harm and only ask for permission to land." Despite the numerous classes and training courses she had attended to preparing her for this moment, she felt small and out of her depths. That’s because you are. Alic should be doing this. Alic should be here, not you.
Two ships fell in beside them. Two heavily armed ships.
"They sent us a navpoint."
She let out a long nervous breath. "Bring us in nice and slow, Kallo."
While the Tempest broke orbit, Sara rushed to clean her bloodied face, change her stained shirt, and check in on her crew in the medbay. Gil had a gash on his forehead and a minor concussion from being slammed into the railing, Cora was being treated for node fatigue, and Peebee's arm was being dressed from where the duct fire had erupted. Lexi didn't fight her when she asked to quickly have her ribs wrapped again, and with a quick glance at the lieutenant, she rushed back out again.
Though it was brief, she and Cora shared, without words, a final order. If she didn’t make it back, the lieutenant would finally get her promised title.
Sara wasn't prepared for first contact. Then again, who ever was? Deep breaths hurt, her brain felt like it was about to drip from her ears, and her nerves were shredded. She should be in the sickbay but this was on her. She would have to hide the pain for just a little longer and try to make it off this planet without getting killed. They hadn't shot them out of the sky, so that was promising, but there were worse things than death.
Shaking her head to dislodge her morbid thoughts, she made her way to the lower decks to ready herself for the lowering of the ramp.
"We're in a delicate situation here. No one leaves the ship, no one does anything stupid." She spoke over the ship's coms. "Cora's in command while I'm gone and if things go south out there… SAM will be able to keep you updated and you get your asses off this planet."
"I don't like this." Drack's gravelly voice mused from the overhead walkways.
"I don't either, but what choice do we have?" More of her frustration slipped out then she intended.
"Take one of us with you. You'll need backup." Liam pleaded as he leaned over the railing by Drack.
"You know the protocol. It's less threatening when it's just one."
"Damn the protocol, Ryder! They could kill you on sight!" Vetra's mandibles twitched in worry.
"They've let us land in their port. That means something." She voiced the words she was trying to tell herself.
The ship rocked as it landed less gracefully than normal. It was time. Steeling herself, she slowly made her way down the ramp, hands opened and raised in the universal display of surrender. Well, it was universal in the Milky Way, she hoped it translated well in Andromeda.
Either way, she'd get her answer soon.
"Stay strong and clear." Jaal said in parting and he grasped another recruit- no, he corrected himself, they were soldiers now, he had seen to that. He proudly watched them load up the shuttle.
"Jaal," Na'har greeted being the last one to board the ship. He was one of the shortest of the group, only reaching his own chin. A fact that he teased his nephew about every chance he got. "I wanted to- I had hoped that-"
Like too many angara children, his nephew had become orphaned when his older brother and his wife had been taken by the kett. Na’har had barely been old enough to form his first electrical field when he had become a permanent member of his mother’s house. Though he was already training with the Resistance, he’d spend much of his leave time trying to coax the young angara out of his reclusive shell. In no short amount of time, Jaal could finally see him smile and live clearly again, though the weight of his grief snuck up on him from time to time. His family and himself were there for those starless nights.
Jaal laid a firm hand on his shoulder. "I will miss you as well. You will write, yes?"
"Of course! My mothers would search Voeld and drag me back if I didn't"
He let a booming laugh leave him. "That they would!" he pulled him in for a tight hug. "You better stay safe out there or I will be the one dragging you back. Stay strong and clear, Na'har"
“Stay strong and clear, Jaal."
Giving him one last squeeze. He finally released the younger man and silently watched as he boarded. Soon, the shuttle was just a small speck in the sky.
The venders were just beginning to set up their stalls in the market when he walked through. He had gotten up early so he could meet Na'har at the port to see him off. The soft morning sun was just now peaking so he had time to enjoy the cool morning air as he leisurely made his way to the Resistance's headquarters. Evfra had called for a meeting that morning and, if the last was anything to go by, he would need to enjoy the fresh air while he could. He had a feeling his day was going to be spent in an uncomfortable chair, in a stuffy room, listening to quarterly reports that he'd already read.
Inhaling the sweet fragrant air, he enjoyed one last lungful before entering the guarded building and preparing himself for a long mundane day.
General Anjik had been finishing his report when a wild eyed communications officer rushed in to whisper something in Evfra's ear. He was waiting for the gruff man to snap at them, scolding them for interrupting his meeting but when a horrified look quickly flashed over his face, Jaal knew something was terribly wrong.
"I have something that needs my attention. This meeting will continue at a later time."
Without another word of parting, Evfra ended the vidcalls and rushed out of the conference room expecting him to follow.
"Evfra! What is-"
"Our sensors have picked up a Kett armada exiting hyperspace outside of the Scourge."
Of all his years as a soldier, of all the times he had been separated from his squad or had been pinned down by enemy fire, fear had never frozen his mind as it did in that moment.
"...how?" He breathed in disbelief.
"Send word to Paaran! Get civilians off the streets and every disruptor cannon powered up!" His question was lost as Evfra barked orders as he rushed through the base. "Get our ships up in the sky! I want to know their every movement!"
"Sir!" A young comms officer waved him down. "I'm detecting another signal."
"Kett?"
"No sir. It's the same frequency as the Milky Way aliens' ships, but it's not any of the documented ones."
"A ship's passed through the Scourge!" Another officer called from a few stations down. "Not a Kett signal."
"Does anyone have a visual?" He radioed the patrolling ships.
"I've got eyes on them sir." A crackly male voice reported back. "There's smoke."
"Sir, I see them now." A second pilot chimed in. "Confirmed, I can see fire and hull damage."
"Send me your feed." He leaned forward when the main console blinked to life showing the most elegant starship Jaal had ever seen. Nothing like the Kett’s, this sleek vessel looked like an artisanal knife cutting through the sky. He barely noticed the tail of black smoke that trailed behind it as he marveled at its beauty.
"What are our orders?" The pilot's question brought him out of his gawking.
"Hail them."
A tense few seconds passed as the whole room fell silent.
"I am Pathfinder Ryder of the Intuitive. We come with peaceful intentions." Their translators filtered it and still he could hear the tension in their voice as an alarm rang in the background.
"You are trespassing in angara space. What is your purpose for being here?" The pilot sternly responded.
A long pause followed.
"We were unable to translate that." The alien hailed back.
Interesting. If they were unable to convert shelesh then that meant they weren't from that cesspool on Kadara. Were they from the space colony? He could see this curious ship coming from such a monumental station. He'd seen the reports but could hardly fathom such a construct.
"My ship is badly damaged and my crew needs medical attention. We mean you no harm and only ask for permission to land." It continued.
Evfra's burning eyes landed on him as he stepped close enough to be heard when he spoke lowly. "I need to know how they found Aya. How they navigated the skkuting Scourge."
"Could we not learn that from their onboard systems when we shoot them down?" Jaal’s logical side reasoned as his heart ached at the thought of destroying such art.
"Can we risk it? The information, if it is there, could get damaged." Evfra looked grimly at the display screens.
"And if they are working with the Kett?"
"You think the damage is staged?"
"Could be."
The grizzled man scratched his mantle in frustration as his field touched him with unnerved energy.
"We have to know for sure. We can not afford unanswered questions, especially ones so pivotal." The general reasoned sternly.
"You want to bring them in?"
He gave a curt nod. "Have Paaran ready the translation data. She'll no doubt meet them no matter what I say. I will oversee-"
"You cannot go down there! If this is a trap they will have access to both our leaders. We can't lose any more, Evfra." He protested.
Evfra grumbled but Jaal could see it in his eyes, he had gotten to him.
"Let me go."
"No. Jaal-"
"I can be your eyes. Assess them. Who else can you trust with this?"
Another frustrated grumble. "See to it." Gripping Jaal’s shoulder, he sent out a stern and worried current. Don't do anything stupid. "Escort them to the port. If they try anything, don't hesitate to kill them." He finally addressed the pilot.
"Copy that."
"I want the port cleared now! No shuttles on the landing platforms, no workers, no civilians."
Leaving his leader and friend to his barking, Jaal turned and left with purpose in his step.
Just as Evfra had predicted, the governor was waiting at the top of the port's steps, the small crowd gathering around her was only being held back by her city police. Fools with a title was more fitting. He had to push his way through the crowd, the crackling waves of fear, anxiety, and curiosity all crashed together as he passed, nearly overwhelming him. He caught a glimpse of a slender figure being lead through the bay by Evfra's men, guns drawn, and saw the alien stumble a step when one shoved it forward with the barrel of his gun.
When Paaran saw him approach, she gave him a stern look and let a jolt of warning flicker in her field. Behave.
"Evfra sent me." He said in passing as his eyes easily found the alien.
The governor was explaining something but it didn't reach him as his focus zeroed in on the odd being he loomed over. It was much smaller than he had first thought.
Barely reaching his shoulders, it's mantleless head was rounded, small, and bizarre tawny fibers sat on top it. It's skin reminded him of a creamy drink his mother use to make for him as its face turned up to him, undaunted. Lips a curious pinkish color were set in a hard line while a nose jutted out from its face oddly. Its small eyes were white except for its brilliant green iris that met his, unflinching. His eyes traveled down as a thin neck widened into familiar shoulders but then lead to an unfamiliar lumpy chest. Its thin hands ended with too many gangly fingers and its slim legs were unnaturally straight.
Though its face seemed brave, he noticed the slight trembling of its hands. It was scared. With guns pointed at its back, it had good reason to be.
He now wished he'd paid more attention to the Kadara reports. He had never visited the splintered alien colony himself, but he'd half read the data for meetings. Now he regretted not having a baseline to judge it from. Did its size indicate a lack of nutrition, a sign of youth, or its gender? Was its strange headpiece a display of status, rank, or familiar honor? Maybe it had been a mistake volunteering.
"Why have you come here?" It tensed as his voice came out louder than he intended. "This city is hidden, how did you find it?"
When it didn't respond right away he wondered if Paaran had given it a faulty language file.
"I apologize. We were ambushed by a kett fleet and were forced into the Scourge." Its voice was melodic and much higher than his own bass. Feminine then. "We were expecting to land on an uninhabited planet, not crash land in your city."
Her words were carefully picked. Honest but polite. He wondered if he was speaking with an ambassador. Her small stature and poised posture would suggest that and the title she used- Pathfinder- could be similar to their Counselors.
He decided to take her to Evfra. He'd get his answers and then decide what to do with her.
"Your crew will stay onboard the ship." He motioned to a guard knowing they were more than happy to enforce that. "Evfra wants a word with you."