#sloane kelly or letting reyes take over

[crqstalite]

also also, people are aware of ryder’s age right? like at some point once everyones Not Dying they gotta start asking questions and stop revering them, esp once they have other pathfinders aboard the nexus. ryder has been operating as some sort of space jesus loosely controlled by addison and tann — people are gonna realize their inexperience eventually. yk, once it comes to electing their leaders and political problems rather than outright survival from the kett are in the spotlight.

[assassins-wasteland]

I understand the appeal of Sloane Kelly, love a girl boss, I understand why people don’t trust Reyes, I don’t either, I really do get it, but the first they I saw when entering Kadara was police brutality. And outlandish protection fees or get kicked out to fend for yourself on a death planet? Yeah, I’m not siding with that.

I never really liked Aria T’Loak either, I was 100% ready to betray her in the Omega DLC in 3 and let Nyreen take over so at least my tendency for betrayal is consistent

[ma-sulevin]

I was tagged a while ago by both @a-shakespearean-in-paris​ and @thevikingwoman​ to share my fics for quarantine reading recommendations. 

So, here we are, broken down by fandom:

Dragon Age

Scars Beyond Counting, E, Complete, Alistair x Female Mahariel, 36k

Harea Mahariel has only been married for two weeks when she contracts the taint and loses her husband at the same time. Suddenly, she's thrust into a war she barely understands with a strange group of people who slowly become her new clan. Her one bright spot is Alistair, the only other person who understands what she's going through, and who slowly breaks down the wall she's built to defend herself.

The Fire and the Flood, E, Complete, Cullen Rutherford x Female OC, 40k

Rose Wedgwood is a storm mage who became a spirit healer after living through the fall of Ferelden's Circle tower during the Blight. When the Circle falls a second time during the mage rebellion, she joins the Inquisition at Haven instead of fighting with the rebels.

What she didn't know is that a certain Knight-Captain who survived Kinloch Hold with her is also working for the Inquisition.

In My Blood, E, Complete, Solas x Female Lavellan, Blackwall x Female Lavellan, 5k

Nora Lavellan has had her eye on Solas since she arrived in Haven. She wants him, desperately, and is pleased to discover that he's been dreaming of her too.

Meant to be read in conjunction with "The Fire and the Flood," but it isn't necessary to enjoy this story. Lavellan/Blackwall in chapter 3.

Into the Valley of Dreams, E, Complete, Cullen Rutherford x Female Trevelyan, 23k

When Asha Trevelyan learns how to manipulate the Fade to control her dreams, she starts using it to stave off the homesickness that comes with traveling Thedas. She misses Skyhold, her new home, but most of all she misses Cullen, the man she's been longing for since she woke up in Haven.

Though she enjoys the benefits of such a talent, her lack of training means she doesn't realize when she's snared Cullen's dream within her own.

The Life and Times of Sophie Amell, E, Complete, Female Amell x too many pairings, 32k

Sophie Amell was just a very young girl when the entire course of her life changed because she can summon flames at her fingertips. Each time she thinks her life is settling into something resembling normalcy, everything changes once again. She's conscripted into the Grey Wardens, she's sent to Amaranthine, or she loses someone she loves.

Usually, she loses the ones she loves every time her life changes.

This is the story of unwilling Warden Sophie Amell, told in four parts: The Tower, The Blight, The Wardens, and The Calling.

Ophelia Cousland series, various ratings, Complete, Alistair Theirin x Female Cousland, 12k

A series about Alistair meeting and marrying Ophelia Cousland after the blight. The fics are like half smutty, half not.

Mass Effect

At Wit’s End, E, Complete, Harry Carlyle x Female Ryder, 17k

While her brother is off saving the cluster from the kett, Chloe Ryder is stuck on the Hyperion to recover from the weeks she spent in a coma. Rebuilding her strength and muscle tone is nothing compared to trying to ignore the building attraction to her doctor -- Harry Carlyle, the man she'd wanted to seduce back in the Milky Way before she lost her chance.

Say You Won’t Let Go series, E, incomplete, James Vega x Female Ryder, 29k

A series of smutty fics of increasing length and emotion starring Avery Ryder and James Vega, in an AU where Avery doesn’t join the Andromeda Initiative and stays to fight the reapers instead.

Dissonance, E, Complete, Reyes Vidal x Female Ryder, 77k

Avery Ryder didn't want to be on the Pathfinder team, but she didn't want to stay behind in the Milky Way either. As a compromise, she joined the Initiative with plans to work in Colonial Affairs -- but those plans come crashing down after she wakes from stasis too early, joins the rebellion, and is banished with the rest of the exiles.

On Kadara, she makes do with what she has. She works for Sloane Kelly to make ends meet until she just can't stand to see Sloane taking advantage of the exiles for one more minute. Once again, her plans come crashing down, and she finds salvation with the Collective -- and a certain smuggler who always seems to be around every corner.

Hazel Shepard series, E, incomplete, Kaidan Alenko x Female Shepard, 13k

A series of mostly-smutty one-shots featuring Hazel Shepard and Kaidan Alenko, because I’m a simple woman with simple tastes.

Fallout 4

Jet Plane, E, Complete, John Hancock x Female Sole Survivor, 5k

Hancock finds Quinn sitting alone in her house, nursing a bad mood and a cigarette. He offers something to cheer her up, and she takes even more.

Far Cry 5

Duct Tape Fixes Everything, M, Complete, Sharky Boshaw x Female Deputy, 2k

Except marriages and broken hearts. Rook asks Sharky what he means. 

The Breakout, M, Complete, Thomas Rush x Female Captain, 3k

Security Captain Riley finally rescues Rush from the Twins for the first time, but seeing him again just brings up feelings and worries she doesn't know how to handle.

A Matter of Convenience, E, Complete, Staci Pratt x Female Deputy, 4k

Tensions run high when all the surviving members of the Sheriff Department have to share a bunker after a nuclear war. Mattie proposes she and Staci help each other out.

Jealousy Looks Good on You, E, Complete, Staci Pratt x Female Deputy, 4k

There’s a girl flirting with Staci at the bar.

It’s hard to tell from over here, but it looks like he’s flirting back. Asshole. What a fucking douchebag.

rise from the ashes and do it again (do it again), E, Complete, Sharky Boshaw x Female Deputy, 91k

Something has gone very wrong in Hope County. The cult's taken over and Mattie can't seem to stay dead, no matter how hard she tries.

[lyricsaboutcats]

Datamining Andromeda: Humans

We’re getting closer to the end of this series! We’re going to dig around Mass Effect Andromeda’s files for information about the human characters. Some of them have summaries and biographies hidden inside the game files for the developers to use.

Previous posts:

Datamining Andromeda: Asari Datamining Andromeda: Salarians Datamining Andromeda: Turians Datamining Andromeda: Krogan

When it comes to the humans, many minor NPCs have summaries while major characters such as Liam, Addison, and Gil do not.

Warning: There are spoilers ahead!

------

Major Human Characters:

Cora Harper Cora Harper is a human soldier who trained with mysterious asari commandos. Talented and smart, Harper is a consummate professional who finds herself always looking for a trusted mentor to give her guidance and a path in life. She was a close friend of the Player's father--as close as anyone got--and can give insight into him even after his passing. Harper is a woman of few words: in a pinch, she prefers to let a bit of deadpan humour or a well-placed shot do the talking.

Suvi Anwar Suvi Anwar is the Tempest's resident science officer. A brilliant physicist, she was recommended for the Pathfinder Initiative, and jumped at the chance to explore the wonders of a new galaxy. Initially attached to the NEXUS as part of the team responsible for the data collection and analysis of the conditions in the Heleus Cluster, Suvi campaigned to become part of the Pathfinder's scouting team, in order to expand her investigation of the cluster. Excitable, may occasionally talk to herself. Brain goes fast, mouth runs to keep up.

Harry Carlyle Harry is initially the team doctor on the Pathfinder team, but then swaps job with Lexi. Harry remains on the Hyperion and helps watch over the sibling. Harry is in his late 40s, easy-going, and game for anything.

Ryder Sr. Father of the player character. Tough, no nonsense ex-soldier-turned-Pathfinder.  He's a commanding presence.

Ellen Ryder Ellen Ryder is the wife of Alec Ryder, the original human Pathfinder who dies in M1 (and mother of player characters, Scott and Say).  Ellen met Alec when he was doing his N7 training on Earth.   Ellen was a scientist involved in the early stages of human biotic research, delving into the use of implants as a way of harnessing biotic abilities. At the time, this was very primitive and often dangerous work.  Alec and Ellen married, but he was then deployed to the First Contact War, leaving Ellen as something of a soldier's wife, moving around wherever Alec was posted. Next up was the Citadel, where Alec was ambassador and Ellen raised their two children, Scott and Sara for a number of years on the station. On the Citadel, Ellen found new horizons opening up in her field, with the galactic knowledge of biotics far in advance of the work she'd been doing on Earth. But there was a dark side too. Ellen experienced the onset of a serious degenerative disease. Its root cause could be traced back to her early work on biotics on Earth, at a time when the danger of exposure to eezo was little understood.  Because her illness was so rare, there was no known cure. The family moved back to Earth to care for her and Alec devoted himself to developing SAM as a way of curing her.  Alec enlisted Ellen in the project, and together they leveraged her knowledge of implants, melding it with Alec's understanding of A.I. The project consumed Alec, and he became a distant and aloof figure to both his wife and children. Whereas Ellen tried to put on a brave face and remain a committed mother - she eventually ended up the de facto "single parent" in place of their mostly absent father. Despite her disease, she remained a loving and committed mother, caring deeply about her two children. Eventually, her condition worsened to the point where it was too late, death was inevitable. She was willing to accept this, but Alec was not.  He loved her too much.  Despite their sometimes rocky relationship they still felt passionate about each other, even to the very end.

------

Mysterious Benefactor

Race: Human A character in the Alec Ryder memory flashbacks. This is the Mysterious Benefactor -- the secret backer of the entire Andromeda Initiative who originally hired Alec. She's a woman, though her face will remain hidden in this game and we'll only hear her voice.

------

Humans of Kadara:

Sloane Kelly Sloane Kelly also known as the "Outcast Queen" is a "Robin Hood" figure who leads the Outcast Legion pirate faction by holding the spoils of war in one hand and a loaded gun in the other. A hardened survivor from the Nexus rebellion, she holds a deep personal grudge against the Andromedia Initiative--and, by association, the Pathfinder. South African. Attractive but tough. Like Furiosa from Mad Max.

Reyes Vidal Reyes Vidal presents himself to the player as a smuggler and contact of the Angaran Resistance, but he is secretly the Charlatan, one of the two major pirate lords vying for power in Kadara Port. He is charming and driven, but ultimately selfish and values himself above others. Casual, friendly with a flirty undertone. A very slight Chilean accent. Han Solo handsome--rugged but put together.

Dr. Ryota Nakamoto Ryota Nakamoto once worked for the Outcast Legion, but when Sloane turned what should have been a medical breakthrough into a drug, he quit and started up a free clinic in the slums of Kadara Port. He is Japanese, but doesn't have an accent.

------

Humans of the Nexus:

Jien Garson This is Jien Garson, the founder of the Andromeda Initiative. A charismatic visionary billionaire ala Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, or Steve Jobs. She is seen in the video "info wall" in beginning of game. She will also be a character in the MEA prequel novel.

William Spender The son of an influential investor of the pathfinder initiative, Spender was assigned to the Pathfinder Initiative as an administrator. Though he was not competent, his ability as a politician was such that he managed to preserve his position within the Initiative until the departure of the arks. Woken up during the arrival in the Heleus Cluster, he became the director of colonial affairs’€™ assistant more though lack of personel than anything else. His propensity for dodgy politics and behind the scenes dealing (and lying) continued, though a fatal miscalculation led to him becoming a pawn of the Nexus Exiles. He subsequently contributed to the departure of the krogan clan among other issues. He complies with Tann's requests thus is in good odor with him. Addison knows he is less than qualified and suspects he had a part in the krogan leaving, but no one has any idea of his involvement with the exiles.

Cryo Deployment Administrator Vladimir Brecka Dedicated but long-suffering assistant to the Colonial Director. Generally good natured, but knows his place in the order of things, and wants better. Knows that a good job will lead to better things for everyone, so he grins and bears it. Light Romanian Accent.

Doctor Camden Chief botanist and manager of Hydroponics who left for Andromeda after the Divorce From Hell. Camden is brisk and fussy, annoyed that people dismiss him as "a gardener" when his work in Hydroponics keeps everyone still breathing, eating, and drinking--nothing important, right? He nurses that grudge like a favourite teddy bear, but underneath it all he's deeply concerned that a thin green line separates the Nexus from life and death. Akin to the Doctor from ST: Voyager.

Yolanda Carter Operations Manager. A seemingly quiet and posed woman, Yolanda will rain the fires from hell down upon any unsuspecting fool who presumes to think her request for this or that item is superfluous. While some are intimidated by her, having fallen foul of her before, all respect her ability to get shit done. She works with Vetra and the two make a scary team when they are like-minded on acquiring something for the station.

Ada DeYoung A young technician working under Kesh on the Nexus. She is optimistic and tends to take everything with great aplomb. Kesh sends her to fix problems that no one can figure out, as the joke among the engineers is that the bugs then to happen when she's around. She is excellent at tracking down power issues within any given sort of network.

Sung-Soo Hwang Technician. An engineer working under Kesh in the engineering department. He is a hardware specialist who tends to be partnered with Ada more often than not due to their complementary skillsets and the fact that he takes the power outages Ada discovers with humor and has set up a countdown betting pool as to the next outage she tracks down.

Colonial Affairs Ops Lin. A young woman, asian, working the comms in the Colonial Affairs area. She's generally in charge of ensuring Addison is aware of on the spot reports when she's not at her desk, and managing the flow of information from settlements to the appropriate department head.

------

Humans on Meridian After the Last Mission:

Iora Pillay (Chief Operations) Iora Pillay (iora, not Lora) takes on the managerial position meant to temporarily organize Hub operations until a permanent leader is decided, then assist that leader in perpetuity. East Indian by way of the Citadel. Focused, careful. Respects the Pathfinder, but on some level considers their job "done." Very pro Nexus-as-new-Citadel. She is "second wave," one of the first of the humans "defrosted" after the Hyperion was placed.

Hunter Kerry (Chief Engineer) Hunter is heading up the planned deconstruction of the Hyperion, managing the balance between reuse and recycling. New Zealander. Plainspoken, tough as balls. Doesn't care about politics. Complains that accommodating aliens messes with construction, but then goes above and beyond to do it. He just wanted you to know. He's another second wave defrostee.

Darla vas Hyperion (Placements Officer) Darla vas Hyperion is in charge of assigning occupations as the Ark is slowly repurposed and the humans in stasis are awakened. Spent most of her life among Quarians, because her parents were diplomats.  Utterly used to ship-life and the specificity of roles that demands. Pale. Used to life in a sterile environment. Middle management, glad to be in HR and not farming. Idolizes the Pathfinder. Another second wave defrostee. Korean Heritage.

------

(text source: Game/VOCharacters/ using Frosty Editor)

[elfroot-and-stars]

Stress Relief (MReyder)

              Reyes Vidal rubbed his eyes and leaned back in his chair to stretch before hunching back over a collection of datapads. The Initiative was transporting medical supplies to Ditaeon in a few days, and Reyes wanted to make sure he had men stationed along the route. At this point, it was just inevitable any supply transport would be attacked before it reached the outpost. Too many people in the area that didn’t want to see the outpost thrive.

              The Pathfinder was on the planet currently, and he’d given Reyes the route, but he’d had to leave to take care of other business. Reyes hoped he could get this done tonight, and manage to carve out a little free time with Scott tomorrow.

              “Sir?”

              The voice came over his omni-tool, and Reyes pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t have time for this.

              “This better be important,” he replied.

              “Tensions are rising at Kralla’s Song, sir. It looks like it’s going to turn into a bar fight,” the operative said, and his voice sounded slightly nervous.

              A bar fight? They were bothering him over a damn bar fight?

              “I’m the Charlatan,” Reyes said impatiently. “Not a bouncer. Let Umi handle her own bar. She’s obviously capable.”

              “Well, uh, the Pathfinder is…kind of in the middle of the arguments, and a very large krogan just threatened to pull the Pathfinder’s spine out of his ass and beat him to death with it,” the operative said. “The krogan’s words, not mine,” he added hastily.

              He should’ve known, he really should’ve known Ryder would be at the center of trouble. So much for getting work done tonight.

              “Get out of there. I’m on my way,” Reyes said, getting up and hurrying out of his room. With any luck, he could reach Kralla’s Song and drag Scott’s dumbass out before a fight started.

              But of course it took him several too-long minutes to actually reach the bar. He glanced at the gun holstered at his waist, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it. Umi would make him clean up any mess he made.

              He entered the bar and could almost feel the tension in the air. All eyes were on Pathfinder Ryder and his friends, Liam and Drack. They were surrounded by a very angry group, and two krogan seemed to be at the head of the group.

              “Two krogan,” Reyes mumbled under his breath as he approached. “Two fucking krogan. I’m going to kill Scott if they don’t.”

              “-your fucking Initiative just comes in here and thinks they own the place?” one of the krogan was saying.

              “Sorry, did I misunderstand, or isn’t that exactly what Sloane Kelly did but with more shooting and protection fee demands?” Scott said. “Ditaeon is located away from the port, and is a peaceful community composed primarily of miners. We’re not here to be your overlords.”

              “Sure as shit don’t act like it. You Initiative humans are all smug,” the other krogan said. “Think you own anything you want.”

              “Did you ever see Tuchanka? You should be grateful we’re in charge,” Scott said, and Reyes had to stop so he could close his eyes for a brief moment and prepare himself for what would come next. Once, just once, he wished Scott would shut his mouth when it counted.

              Sure enough, Drack laughed and slapped Scott on the back. But one of the other krogan cut off Drack’s laughter by grabbing Scott, slamming their heads together, and then punching Scott in the face as hard as he could, sending the Pathfinder flying into the bar. Scott caught himself before he fell, using one arm to steady himself against the bar, and the other to gingerly touch his injured face.

              The bar exploded.

              Drack threw himself at the two krogan, swearing colorfully as he did so. Liam shifted closer to Scott, tackling a salarian away from his friend.

              Reyes shifted through the crowd as the fight grew worse. He grabbed his gun and cracked it against a woman’s head as she lunged for the Pathfinder. She dropped to the ground, curled up and clutching her head. Reyes stepped over her and put a hand on Scott’s arm.

              Scott reeled away, ready to strike. But then he realized who was there, and relaxed slightly.

              “Hey handsome, come here often?” he asked, and spat blood on the ground, charming as always.

              “Hey! You’re wiping that up after,” Umi said, glaring at him.

              “Let’s get out of here. Let them fight it out themselves,” Reyes said. “They don’t care who they hit; they just want a fight.”

              “Sure, fine, but only because my eye is already starting to swell and I have a killer headache,” Scott said. He paused and yanked Reyes forward, catching a man’s fist as he tried to strike Reyes. Scott twisted the man’s arm and kneed him in the crotch, punching him in the face and shoving him to the ground. “Ow, okay, not helping my headache.”

              Reyes heaved a sigh as they were slowly surrounded. “Your potential concussion will have to wait. Just how much did you have to drink?”

              “Enough to pick a fight with two krogan,” Scott said. “But not enough to deal with this shit. I’ll take the right half?”

              Reyes gestured forward. “The honor is all yours, Pathfinder.”

              Before their attackers could comprehend the glowing light coming from Scott’s hands, half of them were thrown backwards by a biotic force. Reyes used the distraction to take out two attackers to the left, before he found himself with an arm tight around his throat.

              “Everyone knows you’re fucking the Pathfinder for perks, Vidal,” the man holding him said, and tightened his grip, threatening to cut off Reyes’ air supply.

              “Actually, he’s doing it because I have a winning personality,” Scott said, and broke a glass over the man’s head, tackling him away from Reyes.

              Reyes rubbed his throat and sucked in air. “If you had a winning personality, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.”

              “That’s…rude, but fair,” Scott said, and Reyes helped him up. “I have a cute ass?”

              “Can’t argue with facts,” Reyes said, ducking away from another attacker and countering with a punch of his own. “Something tells me we’re not just going to fight our way out of here.”

              “Something tells me you’re right,” Scott said, body glowing with biotics. “Consider it stress relief?”

              “Only if you buy me a drink when it’s all over,” Reyes said.

              “Deal,” Scott said.

              They backed up against each other and took on anyone that came at them. Scott’s biotics gave them a considerable advantage in the fight, and anyone who slipped by while Scott was distracted found themselves trying to take on Reyes. Living as the Charlatan certainly taught a man how to hold his own in a fight.

              Reyes wondered if he should be concerned by how much fun Scott seemed to be having. He shouted out encouragement to his teammates, occasionally using his biotics to toss Drack a new victim.

              But if he could find some fun in a bar fight, let him. At least no one was shooting at him, or trying to exalt him. Besides, if anyone got past Scott, Reyes was there to stop them before they could hurt him.

              So he watched Scott’s back and let the Pathfinder and his crew have their fun with the fight. When things finally settled, Scott leaned heavily on Reyes, trying to catch his breath.

              “Stress relief, right?” he said, smiling.

              Reyes couldn’t help himself; he kissed the tip of Scott’s nose and returned the smile. “You do this again, I’m going to be one of the people trying to punch you. How’s your head?”

              “Throbbing. Nothing a drink couldn’t fix,” he said, turning to Umi. “Losers of the fight will pick the place up whenever they regain consciousness. Two of whatever the hell is strong enough to make my headache go away, but weak enough not to melt my internal organs.”

              “Humans are so fragile,” Umi grumbled, but poured two drinks for them and slid the glasses across the bar.

              Scott handed one to Reyes and clinked their glasses together. “You take any hits?”

              “A few. Just some bruises. At least I didn’t get smashed in the face by a krogan’s skull,” Reyes said.

              Scott waved off that comment dismissively. “I’ll be fine. But, uh, if Lexi asks, just tell her…tell her I tripped. She’ll kill me if she finds out about this bar fight.” Scott stretched a little, and winced as he touched his swelling eye. “Worth it.”

              “Things rough over on the Initiative side?” Reyes asked.

              “Oh yea. It’s just one thing after another, but more than usual. It felt good to just have a fight that my life didn’t depend on,” Scott said.

              Reyes wrapped an arm around his waist. “In the future, try just going for a run or something.”

              “What he said,” Umi said, looking in annoyance at the unconscious bodies lining the floor of her bar.

              “I’ll tip fantastically,” Scott assured her.

              Reyes looked down at his drink, figured he wasn’t going to get his work done tonight after all, and pulled Scott closer to his side. He might as well enjoy Scott’s good mood.

              He took Scott’s hand and tugged him forward. “Come on. I know a perfectly good storage closet.”

              “Always spoiling me,” Scott said, leaning forward to kiss Reyes’ shoulder. “Lead the way.”

              “You have to pay!” Umi called after them.

              “I’m on it!” Scott called back, tapping at his omni-tool. “Alright, alright, that’s settled. Now, storage closet?”

              “I was thinking storage closet, dancing in Tartarus, and then our usual spot for a good view and some kissing,” Reyes said, grinning a little.

              “Hey, I survived a krogan to the skull. I’m game for anything tonight,” Scott said, squeezing Reyes’ hand. “But before we go…you were keeping tabs on me, weren’t you? That’s how you showed up just in time.”

              “This isn’t exactly a safe place, and you’re a magnet for disaster and injury,” Reyes reminded.

              But Scott didn’t seem upset about it. Instead, he kissed Reyes. “Thanks, Reyes.”

              “Someone needs to keep you safe since you’re too hopeless to do it yourself,” Reyes said, and pulled Scott along. “Only so many hours in a night, Scott. Let’s get going.”

              Reyes was pleased to see the good mood Scott was in. Maybe a bar fight wasn’t exactly the healthiest way to relieve stress, but the smile on Scott’s face allowed Reyes to forgive him this time. Reyes would do whatever it took to keep that smile on Scott’s face all night.

(If you like my work you can read more over on my AO3 here!) 

[kenshi-vakarian7]

MERweek2019 - Day 5 - Extreme Emotions

Event hosted by @cactuarkitty with fanfic prompts by @vorchagirl

Prompt - Write about a moment when emotions between your characters became a little extreme. Did their relationship become stressed? Did things get hot? Did loves almost break up? Drama, angst, smut, fluff - everything is on the table!

I can’t believe it took me over two years to FINALLY write my version of the High Noon mission.  After seeing this particular prompt, I figured now was the time to get it out there.  Honestly, I don’t think it really holds a candle to all the other amazing versions I’ve read, but I do hope you enjoy it regardless!

Also, please note that I DO NOT hate Sloane... it’s just how the story is since it’s written in the perspective of my Pathfinder, Kira Ryder.

---

“Untimely Grief”

“Ready, princess?”

Pathfinder Kira Ryder didn't usually let things get under her skin, especially things that would be considered petty and low.  Sloane Kelly's condescending tone with those words should've been one of them... and yet the words struck her as though those she was stabbed with a knife right through the gut.

Kira knew exactly why.  Had it been any other noun, it would've been so much easier to deal with.  Hell, even being called a bitch would've sufficed.

But no... it just had to be 'Princess.'  It had been years since called anyone ever called her that... more specifically, her late father.  

The noun jogged old memories Kira hadn't thought about since before leaving the Milky Way for the Andromeda galaxy – memories of simpler times of her childhood where Alec Ryder was an attache on the Citadel; how she looked up to him as her hero, who was proud of even her smallest achievements, and who wasn't as distant as he would become the older she got.  He was the reason she wanted to join the military.

She couldn't remember when he stopped calling her Princess, but she did remember realizing that he hadn't called her that for a long time at around thirteen-years-old.  And somehow, at that moment, the realization hurt more than it should've.  Between that, and the emotional distance he created, Kira eventually grew to resent her father.  It was easy to deal with while she attended Arcturus Academy in her high school years and, later, as an Alliance soldier since it meant not being around him all that much.  When she and the rest of the family were together, the most common companion at the dinner table was awkward silence.

It also didn't help when she and her brother Luke were discharged from the Alliance due to Alec's illegal AI research, nor the fact that neither of them could find a decent job in the aftermath.

After her mom died, it seemed to serve as a wake-up call of sorts for Alec.  It was only then, despite everything, that she and her father began to slowly mend the wounds that were left behind, and close the distance that was between them.  By the time they left for Andromeda, things still weren't perfect, but the mending process was still heading in the right direction.

They were barely in Andromeda when bad luck hit the family.  Not only was Luke in a coma due to a malfunction in his cryo pod after they hit the scourge, but Alec sacrificed himself to save Kira's and, for whatever reason, entrusted her his role as Pathfinder.  Since then, she had been constantly on the go with establishing outposts, dealing with the crummy half of Nexus leadership, maintaining morale for her crew, forming a trusting alliance with the angara, and trying everything possible to make sure that everyone who came to Andromeda didn't starve.

As she followed Sloane, the leader of the Outcasts, into one of the many hidden caves of Kadara, Kira realized that she never had the chance to mourn the loss of her father... and now she was forced to fight the floodgates that threatened to open and spill forth all the emotions she held in for months since his passing.

Of course this has to happen at the worst time, Kira thought as she struggled to get control of herself.  The last thing she needed was to break down right then and there, especially in front of Sloane.

She did manage to finally get a grip as soon as they reached an open space within the cave.  Kira focused on her surroundings... they were here because they were supposed to meet with the Charlatan, the leader of the Outcasts' rival gang, the Collective, to settle things once and for all.

Kira would be lying if she wasn't curious about who the Charlatan was.  After all, whoever they were, they seemed to have an interest in the Pathfinder despite never approaching her directly.  With the exception of her first day out in the Badlands, none of the Collective have tried to attack.  She later found out that they had orders not to harm her or her crew from one member with no reason given other than they were under the Charlatan’s orders.

Five seconds later, she figured out why...

“You look like you're waiting for someone,” a voice – a very familiar voice – spoke within the cave's shadows.

Kira turned her head to where the voice came from just as Reyes Vidal – a man she was slowly growing attached to since they met, with him introducing himself with the very same words he uttered moments ago - stepped out of the shadows and into the light. Seeing him standing there, a subtle frown on his face as he stared back at her, everything she knew about the Charlatan, the Collective, all the missions she and Reyes went on together suddenly fell together and made much more sense.

“Reyes?” Kira whispered, unable to hide the shock in her voice.

Sloane spoke up with disinterest, “I'm here for the Charlatan, not some third-rate smuggler.”

Kira glared at Sloane, who had her back turned to her, with a raised eyebrow.  She’s in denial.  She can’t be that stupid...  “They're one in the same,” Kira said.

“Surprise?” Reyes spoke up, his arms spread out at his sides as though he was emphasizing his reveal.

Between her whirlwind emotions from moments before, and now the shock of finding out who Reyes really was, Kira couldn't help but shake her head as, once more, she fought to get control of her emotions.  “So, did you really lie to me this whole time?”

Reyes didn't hesitate to reply.  “Not about everything.  You know who I really am.”

“Do I?” Kira couldn't help but ask with some contempt.

Sloane decided to get down to business, clearly not interested in their exchange .  “You said you wanted to settle things.  How?”

Reyes jumped down from the rock he was standing up before he faced Sloane.  “It's simple; a duel.  You and me, right now.  Winner takes Kadara Port.”

Kira's eyes widened in horror at his suggest.  A duel?!  She screamed in her head.  Reyes, what the hell are you thinking?!  Sloane's former Alliance military for crying out loud!

She wanted to shout these words to Reyes as panic began to set in.  Once more, she was forced to clamp down her emotions before she managed to calmly say to him, “You want to avoid war by shooting each other?”

“Two people shooting each other is better than a lot of people shooting each other,” Reyes reasoned.

Kira drew a quiet breath at that... knowing he was right.  This really was the best way to settle things between the two factions.  The rival between them was bloody enough as it was; worse for the innocent people who were caught in the middle of this gang war they wanted no part of.

“I'll take those terms,” Sloane accepted.

And then, they began to slowly circle each other, their hands close to their pistols.  Neither of them once took their eye off the other as they waited to see who would make the first move.  Kira stood in her spot, only able to watch what was unfolding in front of her.

Don’t die, Kira suddenly thought as she stared at Reyes.  Despite being mad about him keeping his secret from her, she knew he likely had his reasons.  It was irrational, she knew, but she didn’t care at this point.  All she cared about right now is that he survived the duel somehow.  I lost my Dad, and my brother is in a coma, and now I might lose y-

Her running thoughts suddenly stopped as she caught a glint within the cave's darkness.  Kira turned her attention to where it came from.  Despite the shadows, she was able to spot someone lying on their stomach watching what was unfolding in front of her.  She knew right away why they were there even before SAM mentioned it barely a second later.

Sniper, the AI alerted her through their private channel.  His sights are set on Sloane.

There was a split moment of relief; he wasn't there to kill Reyes... but she then realized that it was Reyes who brought the sniper here without Sloane's knowledge.  Instinctively, and for a couple of seconds, Kira thought about how wrong it was, how she can stop this duel right now.  She nearly took a step forward...

But then she stopped herself.  Looking at Sloane, Kira was reminded of all the horrible things she let happen here on Kadara.  The innocents who suffered under her rule, forcing them to pay protection before kicking them off into the unforgiving Badlands, not considering the needs of the angara who were here long before they arrived, among other things.

The Charlatan was not much better, but at the end of the day, they, no – he - her own feelings for him aside, was the lesser of two evils.

Kira also realized why a sniper was there to begin with. Sloane was former military.  Reyes was not.  It was a smart backup strategy on his part, as sneaky as it was...

With all that in mind, Kira didn't make another move...

The shot rang out and echoed against the cave walls. Sloane leaned forward as blood began to seep from her chest – right where her heart was – and she let out a pained gasped as she collapsed onto her knees.  Her eyes looked to Reyes, and then to the Pathfinder.  Kira read the single question in her shocked eyes – Why?

Kira, with her face neutral as she stared at Sloane, couldn't help her next thoughts.  I guess I'm not the 'princess' you thought I was...

And then, Sloane collapsed completely on her right side, her eyes closing as her life seeped from her.  As this happened, Kira was, once more, flooded with memories of her father and how he died to save her; memories of her brother who was currently in a coma on the Nexus with no way of knowing when he would wake up... if ever...

...And how she came close to losing Reyes today.

Kira didn't pay any attention as Reyes spoke to his sniper, who began to carry Sloane's body out of the cave to who knows where.  She didn't even realize that she fell to her knees and, suddenly, it was hard to breathe.  Barely grasping for her throat, she struggled to fully get air in her lungs.  She vaguely heard SAM say something, but she didn't catch what was said...

And then, someone pulled her to them and held her close...

Kira knew it was Reyes.  She should've been angry with him.  She should've been screaming and pushing him away, shouting to him about how he lied to her... but instead, she was tired. She was tired of the pressure that was on her shoulders, she was tired of fighting with the crummy side of Nexus leadership, she was tired of feeling alone in her struggle.  She nearly lost Reyes today, she wanted Luke to wake up already, and Dad, why did you have to die?!

The tears finally began to pour down her cheeks as she collapsed into Reyes's arms and sobbed into his shoulder.  Months of being on-the-go with no time to mourn her father, being worried about whether or not Luke would ever wake up, and now nearly losing the one person in Andromeda she come to deeply care for – it was too much to take, so much so that the vulnerability she dreaded to show to anyone was now out on the surface.

Kira wasn't sure how long she cried in Reyes's shoulder, venting out the mix of grief, pain, anger, and fear from her system. Eventually, the sobs subsided and she pulled back, though she didn't look at him right away.  A part of her wanted to bolt up and run away simply because she didn't want him to see her like this...

But she was tired... so damn tired...

Kira soon managed to pull away slightly to look Reyes in the eyes, despite knowing hers likely didn't look so great.  Looking at him, she was taken aback by what she saw – his lips were frowning, his eyes were dilated, and his eyebrows were furrowed.  It was all subtle, but she was able to read loud and clear that, whatever was running through his mind right now, he was frightened.

“Why didn't you trust me?” she ended up asking, her voice sounding more pitiful than she meant to.

Reyes reached a hand out to her face to wipe away the tears that stained her cheeks.  The features on his face seemed to turn less subtle and more clear.  Momentarily, he looked at the space that laid between them before he drew in a breath and gazed back up at her.

“I... wasn't sure what you would think,” Reyes finally said.  “I... liked the way you looked at me.  I was afraid that would change.”

It was Kira's turn to look between them.  She thought about the time they spent together ever since they met at Kralla's Song at the port.  It started out as them being nothing more than business partners, but the more time they were around each other, the more Kira... liked him, more than she had ever expected.  In fact, Reyes Vidal was the first person in Andromeda who made her feel normal and not just the Pathfinder.

“The thing about Reyes is that he always has a good reason.”  That was what Reyes's friend, Keema Dohrgun, said to her when they attended Sloane's party just a few weeks ago.  It was at the same party where they kissed for the first time – and where he let out a little of his own vulnerability over why he came to Andromeda in the first place.  To be someone...

She hadn't forgotten how soft his eyes would get when he thought she wasn't looking.  She hadn't forgotten the hopeful gaze he gave her after she kissed him in the storage room as a 'distraction.' And she certainly hadn't forgotten the way his voice growled in defense when his ex tried to involve her in their professional/personal dispute.  Even now, as she cried in his shoulder, he gently caressed her back and whispered in her ear in comfort despite her not catching what he was saying due to her not paying attention.

Kira wasn't thrilled about Reyes lying about who he was  she would’ve preferred being told the truth in the first place... but there was no denying that his actions, and the way he looked at her, told the truth about how he felt about her...

Thinking of all this, and with some caution about the future in mind, Kira made a decision... one that she knew she wouldn't hear the end of from her crew once they knew what happened here today.  But truthfully, she didn't care, because for one thing, she deeply cared for Reyes even before all this, and, well...

“Nothing's changed,” she finally said as she gazed back up at him.

His reaction was something to see, and it was almost like watching his mind process what she declared to him; there was a momentary shock in his eyes before he began to smile, almost in relief.  Then that same smile subtly transformed into something more... playful.

“You have bad taste in men,” he said, low and husky. He quickly closed the space between and pressed his lips to her, deep and yearning.  She returned the kiss with equal fervor just as they both held each other close, neither of them moving from the ground they sat on.

The kiss lasted a while until they were forced to stop in order to catch their breathes.  Kira moved to hug him closer, her face next to his.  “The worst,” she teased, her words whispered in his ear.

In response, Reyes kissed her once more, and she welcomed it.

[danaduchy]

Few scenes with Reyes from talktable (I wish more scenes had notes, they are fun to read):

-Intro- *Ryder waits next to the bar.* Umi: Hey! Krogan: Piss off. *Moment of silence. Umi glares at the pirate, holding her ground.* Umi: You order, you pay. Krogan: I said— *Umi reaches under the bar, takes out a knife, and STABS it into the bar's surface between the pirate's fingers. He gives in. The locals turn back to their drinks, disappointed a bigger fight didn't break out.* *The camera pans back to Ryder as Reyes Vidal slides beside him. He signals for two drinks.* *The bartender fills two glasses with liquor. Ryder turns to face Reyes. He offers him one of the shots.* Reyes: You look like you're waiting for someone. [Not interested.] No thanks. *Reyes shrugs and finishes the two shots himself.* [Cheers.] I've got time for a drink. *They clink their glasses and down the shots.* Reyes: Shena. But you can call me Reyes. I hate code names. *Reyes extends his hand to Ryder.* *Ryder recognizes the name and returns the handshake.* Ryder: I was expecting someone more... angaran. Reyes: The Resistance pays me to supply information—among other things. Ryder: So you're a smuggler? *Reyes grins sheepishly, then moves the conversation from the bar to the vista.* Reyes: Your man—Vehn Terev—was arrested by Sloane Kelly, leader of the Outcasts. Word spread about what he did to Moshae Sjefa. The people are calling for his execution. And Sloane... she's a woman of the people. *Ryder makes a face. This just got more complicated.* [Not how I would put it.] Dress it up however you want. She's a criminal. *Reyes shrugs.* [My kind of leader.] I like her already. *Reyes smiles.* Reyes: Well, she doesn't like you. Ryder: She's never met me. Reyes: You work for the Initiative. Sloane was part of the uprising on the Nexus. I doubt she'll give Vehn up easily. [Everyone has a price.] Maybe she'll agree to a deal. *Reyes seems skeptical. He thinks Sloane is more likely to shoot Ryder in the face.* [Sloane can't stop me.] I'm taking him—with or without her permission. *Reyes looks surprised and impressed by Ryder's audacity.* Reyes: We're gonna be friends, you and I. *Pause. Reyes is concocting a plan.* Reyes: There might be another way to get to Vehn. You work Sloane. I'll talk to the Resistance. *Reyes pushes back from the bar to leave.* Ryder:  How do I contact you if things go south? *Reyes winks--he'll find Ryder--then exits.* *Ryder turns to leave when the bartender calls her back. She's holding the knife from earlier in her hand.* Umi: Hey! You gotta pay. *Ryder rolls his eyes--Reyes left him with the bill--and reluctantly pays the bartender.* Ryder: Keep the change. Umi:  Always do.   -Night off- *Ryder walks into Sloane's stockroom to find Reyes inspecting a wall of crates.* Reyes: Damn it. Why can't the serial numbers be in the same spot? *Ryder crosses her arms and gives Reyes a scolding look.* [I should've known.] "Take the night off. Come out for a drink." Should've known you were up to something. [Step away from the crates.] Whatever you're doing—it stops now. Reyes: Ryder! It's not what it looks like. Ryder: So you didn't use me as a distraction to go through Sloane's stuff? Reyes: Okay, yes. But it's for both our benefit! I promise. Ryder: You've been making a lot of promises— *Loud footprints approach the stockroom.* *Reyes and Ryder look at the door.* Reyes: Shit—someone's coming! We need a distraction! [Kiss] *Ryder pulls a surprised Reyes in for a passionate kiss just as an Outcast Pirate reaches the stockroom door.* *The pirate enters the stockroom. She spots Reyes and Ryder making out and freezes.* Pirate: Oh. (Clears throat.) Sorry. *The pirate leaves. Reyes and Ryder continue to kiss. Eventually, they pull back for air.* Reyes: I think we're in the clear. [Are you sure?] Maybe another kiss? Just to be sure. Reyes: (Chuckles.) Now you're just teasing me. [Don't get the wrong idea.] That was just a distraction. Reyes: It'll be our little secret. [Punch him] Ryder: Sorry. *Reyes looks confused just before Ryder punches him in the stomach. He doubles over as the Outcast pirate reaches the stockroom door.* Reyes: (Groans.) *The pirate enters the stockroom. She spots Ryder patting Reyes on the back.* Ryder: My friend had a bit too much to drink. *The pirate looks at Reyes with disgust, then shakes her head, and leaves.* *Reyes glares at Ryder.* Reyes: Next time, I come up with the plan. Ryder: Hey—it worked. [No action] Reyes: Hide. Ryder: That's your plan? *The Outcast Pirate reaches the stockroom door. Ryder and Reyes hide behind the crates.* *The pirate enters the stockroom. She grabs a couple of bottles (or whatever is easiest for cine) then leaves. * *Ryder and Reyes let out a sigh of relief.* *Reyes inspects the crates once more until he finally finds what he was looking for.* *Reyes opens the crate and triumphantly pulls out a bottle of whiskey.* Reyes: Finally! Here it is. Ryder: That's what this was all about? Whiskey? Reyes: The only bottle of Mount Milgrom in Andromeda. Triple-distilled and 645 years old. This isn't whiskey—it's treasure. [You have a problem.] You really need to rethink your priorities. [Sharing is caring.] I hope you're planning on sharing. Reyes: We'll see... Let's get out of here. *Reyes smiles at Ryder, then grabs his hand.* *They run from the stockroom.*   *CUT TO: Ryder and Reyes leaning against the market railing. * *They both have a glass of Mount Milgrom in their hands and are enjoying a breathtaking view of Kadara.* Reyes: Gorgeous, isn't it? I sometimes forget. Is Andromeda everything you hoped it would be? [Heleus has its perks.] Every day's an adventure. Even my nights off are interesting. [It's been a rough ride.] I knew things wouldn't be easy, but this is more than I signed up for. Ryder: What about you? Why did you come here, Reyes? *Reyes stares out at the vista. This is a very personal question for him.* Reyes: To be someone. [You are someone.] You're someone to me. *Reyes studies Ryder.* Reyes: I'm starting to think that kiss was more than just a distraction. *Ryder smiles as Reyes leans in and kisses him.* [Wow. An honest answer.] That sounded surprisingly genuine, coming from you. Reyes: I'm always genuine, Ryder. In my own way. *Reyes smiles sadly and his back straightens. His mask is back up.* [You are someone.] You're someone to me. *He raises his glass to Ryder.* Reyes: To new adventures. Ryder: And new friends. *Reyes looks genuinely touched.* *The two turn back towards the vista. Scene ends.*   -Dance- *Post-Showdown, we find REYES VIDAL back at TARTARUS. He is lounging on a couch with a bottle of whiskey—the usual shenanigans.* Ryder: Thought you'd be in the throne room. Tartarus is a little shabby for Kadara's new leader, don't you think? Reyes: Come on, Ryder. You know I prefer to rule from the shadows. [That is more your style.] You are a shady bastard. Reyes: Guilty as charged. Reyes: But a handsome one, right? (<3) [You don't have to any more.] This is your chance to go legitimate. Reyes: I'm not built for the spotlight. The angara you met at Sloane's party—Keema Dohrgun. She's agreed to be my front. And with Sloane gone, there's room for the Initiative on Kadara. [Finally!] I'll start rounding up volunteers for an outpost. Might take a while—you exiles have a reputation. Reyes: Not all of us are thieves and murderers. I am, but some of the others are perfectly nice. Ryder: Perfectly. Reyes: Jokes aside, I want this outpost just as much as you do. It will have my full protection. That's a promise. [Might not be easy.] Tann might not want an outpost on a planet full of exiles. Reyes: Not really his call, is it? You're the Pathfinder. Ryder: As long as you can assure us no Initiative shuttles will be shot down on their way in. Reyes: I want this outpost as much as you do. [Thanks, Reyes.] I allied myself with the right man. [What's the catch?] And how much will that promise cost me? Reyes: The trade your outpost will bring in should cover it.   *Reyes gets up. Ryder gives him a quizzical look.* Reyes: If we're done with all the boring business talk, there is something I want to do. Ryder: You're up to something. Again. *He uses his omni-tool to turn on music—something slow and romantic—then holds out his hand to Ryder.* Reyes: I neglected you on our first date. How about we fix that? [I don't dance.] I really don't— *Reyes pulls Ryder from his seat.* Reyes: Relax. It's not the waltz. [This is a surprise.] I didn't know you had a romantic streak. Reyes: There's a lot you don't know about me. *Ryder takes Reyes's hand and he pulls him close.* *Ryder rests his head on Reyes's shoulder. They sway quietly for a moment.* *It's a weighted silence—Reyes lied to Ryder for most of their relationship. He's trying to make up for that now.* *Reyes tips Ryder's chin up with his thumb to look him in the eyes.* Reyes: Since leaving the Nexus, my survival has depended on secrets. I don't want any more of those between us, Scott. Ryder: You're the encrypted one. Reyes: (Chuckles.) Ryder: What? Reyes: I was about to say something cheesy. Ryder: Say it. Reyes: Consider me hacked. Ryder: (Groans.) Just stop talking. [Everyone has secrets.] Don't make promises you can't keep, Reyes. You will have secrets—that's who you are. Just don't lie to me about the big stuff. Reyes: Thank you. Ryder: For what? Reyes: For accepting me. *Ryder kisses Reyes. As it becomes more passionate, we fade to black.*   *Reyes offers Ryder his hand. Ryder looks at it, then back at Reyes.* Ryder: What's this? Reyes: It's a handshake. We're partners now. [Yeah, we are.] Partners and friends. *Ryder shakes Reyes's hand. Scene ends with the two smiling at each other.* [Only by necessity.] Let's be clear, Reyes. I'm only working with you for the greater good. Not because I like you. *Reyes retracts his hand.* Reyes: You know, Ryder, you're kind of a dick. But I've worked with worse. *Reyes pours himself a drink and raises it to Ryder, who shakes their head and walks out.* Cave scene here

[hobgoblinsandpeachfuzz]

Kiss meme ! : 12 for Sula/Blackwall, or 13 for Dot/Reyes ?

(aaa thank you for the ask! I’m so sorry about the late reply--this is a pretty goofy one, not great, but hopefully very sweet. xD i wrote another fic with Zia in it that was considerably sadder so this was a much nicer end for her [canon or not who needs canon])

13. A kiss we had to wait for

It was something they were used to, as a couple. Pathfinding often kept Dot away from Kadara, and when she was able to visit, any number of duties (ranging from smuggling to managing the planet with Keema) often kept Reyes away from her. Waiting was not too terrible a problem—it simply made the eventual reunions all the sweeter.

It did not make him miss her less though, and after another months long interlude without seeing one another, things seemed to finally have come together just so they could have a whole day just for one another. He had plans. Mostly of the ‘staying in doors and ignoring everyone else but each for 24 blissful hours’ variety, but plans nonetheless he knew Dot would enjoy! He had found a bootlegged copy of a vid from his childhood that somehow, against all odds, had made it to Andromeda, and he was desperate to subject her to the worst Star Wars had to offer (she’d already seen the best and come around to accepting that it was, in her words, ‘Just as good as Star Trek’, so he figured she’d been a team player enough to see the worst of it as well). They would drink, laugh, hook up, all the good things they fit in 24 hours to make up for the months apart.

And he waited for her, at Diteon, hoping to drive with her back to Kadara, show her some of the cleared up lakes along the way. Colonists and Kadara residents had begun to set up little beach campsites around them, and he knew she’d be pleased. 

After 30 minutes, two pings, one from Keema, and another from Dot, brought him back from pleasant beach fantasies and Star Wars Christmas Special thoughts.

Kobayashi Maru Situation. Need Assistance. -K

Sorry, love, ran into some strange remtech out in the atmosphere—wanna deal with it, make sure it doesn’t land anywhere weird, maybe poke it—you know the drill. I’ll message when I head over!

By now, it was mostly something to laugh about rather than get too disappointed by. Especially since Dot would be thrilled that Keema had taken his advice on code phrases inspired by her. Luckily, they seemed like minor issues. It would be only a matter of time before their day could commence as planned.

A Kobayashi Maru situation (“Maneuver,” Dot would have corrected) was one that seemed relatively impossible, but Reyes’s ability to charm his way out of most situations meant that he usually could cheat a way for it to resolve in their favor.

Zia Cordier was making that difficult. Still sore about the shootout, no doubt, and that he’d had her briefly imprisoned for a time after that shootout, she had decided to set up her own colony on the far side of the planet, and was demanding equal compensation, despite being a direct competitor. “To make up for my troubles,” she had said, and in all honesty, he couldn’t blame her. Didn’t mean he was happy about it.

“Keema, I’m not sure that I was the best person to call for this,” he whispered grumpily to her, but she simply groaned, as they passed back the latest trade agreement Zia called for.

“No dice, Reyes. I won’t settle for less than I asked for,” Zia tossed back the agreement carelessly, and knowing how important it was to seem at ease, Keema and he watched it fall and crack on the floor. “It’s the. Very. Absolute. Least. You could do for me. Especially after I helped get rid of the Outcast stragglers.”

Keema sneered. Zia hadn’t so much helped get rid of any stragglers as she had enlisted them with promises of the destruction of the Charlatan, who she had no idea was sitting in front of her. They were exchanging valuable assets, territory that belonged to the Angara, and were to publicly out the Charlatan, so that they could answer for the murder of Sloane Kelly. By all accounts, it was a sound move, especially when Zia promised she could talk down the issue of the Charlatan in exchange for the other parts of the deal. But those too weren’t things the Collective would be pleased to give up. It was almost evening now, the whole day wasted on negotiations, and he hadn’t heard from Dot in hours. He was irritated. He was tired. And worst of all, he was stumped. Zia might have known more than she let on, and that didn’t sit well with Reyes at all. He needed some move that gave them more time to decipher what Zia knew, how to give without giving, how to avoid the problem all together, really, but so far, he was at a complete loss. And losing irritated Reyes more than losing his day off.

He was almost ready to relent, until he saw something out of the corner of his eye. The window opening showing the outside of Kadara Port had been getting steadily darker as the hours went on… Now… They were awash with light.

“Reyes,” Keema’s voice was filled with agitated concern, and suddenly, the ground shook, as something fell from the sky to the Port below.

When they steadied themselves, they all grabbed the weapons they had promised not to bring to the negotiations, and raced for the window to see what had fallen on the port.

“Stay back! Not dangerous, but still, better to keep clear!” Liam Kosta shouted, drifted down from the sky after whatever had left the crater in front of Kralla’s Song. From their office, Reyes could see Umi race out to shout as Drack followed after Liam, laughing boisterously.

Quickly after, was a bright, golden light, slamming down into Remnant tentacles that tried to rise out of the crater.

“Oh shit, I thought it was already deactivated?” he thought he heard Liam say, as Drack joined the Pathfinder in the crater and a tiny shootout began. Keema muttered something under her breath. Zia looked absolutely horrified.

Reyes laughed. That’s one way to stall negotiations, he thought, and raced down to meet the Pathfinder’s crew.

Once down there, the shoot out ended, smoke rising from the crater, and Drack dragging the Pathfinder out of the tangle of Remnant wires.

“Just, okay, wait, Drack, I ALMOST had the code this time, if I interface with it again, I think I can get it to work like its supposed to and NOT attack incoming shuttles!”

“Six tries and you’re out, Ryder,” Drack bellowed, still smiling. “Let’s just take this back to the Tempest and let Peebee play with it there.”

“Yeah, away from civilians,” Liam offered, affectionately mussing Dot’s hair as she removed her helmet. Both parted from her knowingly as she turned and saw Reyes.

“Sorry about your port!” she said, her smile halfway between a guilty grimace and betraying just how excited she was to finally see him. “I got people who can fix that for you,” she adjusted her glasses, looking around, and seeing Zia and Keema in the office window above them. “Sir,” she added, completely unconvincingly.

He winked, and they knew each other well enough now when to put on the show. “Sorry? Sorry isn’t going to repair that crater, Pathfinder! You are really pushing your goodwill here!”

“Well, I never!” she was never good at it, but he had to bite his lip to keep from laughing as she exaggeratedly tossed her helmet into the crater and put her hands on her hips. “I am the Pathfinder, personal friend of the Charlatan, and I will not be spoken to by some smuggler… Guy. Even handsome ones. I demand to speak to my dear friend, Charlie, right now.”

He did laugh. “Charlie?”

“Charlie the Charlatan, its my nickname for my best friend, the Charlatan! I wouldn’t expect handsome smugglers to know things like that about them,” she winked back, and playfully stormed off, waggling her eyebrows suggestively as she passed. 

They moved the conversation away, playing up the fight for all to see. He’d have to deal with Keema, Zia, and the crater later, but at least that latter part, he knew he could trust Dot to aid with. For all the chaos the Pathfinder brought, she always fixed things up right away—that was her favorite part after all. And she was always good on her word.

In an alleyway, away from prying eyes, he could smile at the thought that here was someone he could trust implicitly. He did smile that she was home.

She pulled him in for a kiss, holding him tightly, fiercely, and he felt safe, happy, and relieved to finally be with her again. “Sorry… For real. About the crater. And the mess ruining our day off together,” she whispered against his lips, and looked up at him guiltily, glasses askew.

He kissed her nose, before wrapping her up in a giant hug. “Tann can pay for it, right?” They laughed, and he pulled away, just to be able to look at her again, reacquaint himself with the moles on her face, her lopsided, eager grin, and that mop of shaggy red hair of hers, longer than the last time he saw her. “I missed you, Dorothy.”

And that smile, the one he’d come to know truly meant she was home, a big, beaming grin that scrunched up her whole face into one glowing look all for him. “I missed you too, Reyes.”

It would have made more sense to wait until they were home, to wait until all their messes were sorted out, but they had already been waiting so long. And sometimes it was better, with the lives they led, just to indulge in the quiet, blissful moments in shadowed alleyways and not wait anymore.  

[littlewatty]

Reyes Vidal Appreciation Week Day 7 What is and What ifs

// Follow up to Final Curtain Call... SORRY NOT SORRY. *runs away*

If there was ever the possibility for the Nexus to fall silent in its entirety, that moment was now. The entire station was dimmed, entire sections under blackout orders, shops closed, the entire place little more than a ghost town. Not unlike that very first day that the Hyperion docked unexpectedly. The docking and immigration area was the only exception.

Blue light from the Tempest’s landing thrusters illuminated the bridges leading to the docking platform, and the balconies beyond, giving all patrons to this unfortunate event a soothing light to see by.

A single orange shuttle had landed among the buildings in the back, virtually unnoticed by Nexus security, carrying but one passenger. An uninvited guest who could never take no for an answer. No matter how many times they said this was his fault, he would not be kept from her, not now, not for this. He even traded his usual garb for something more... appropriate.

Even as the Ryder name may be hated back in the Milky Way and half scorned here in Andromeda, a sea of black greeted the Tempest crew on the dock. Pallbearers in their own right. She wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. They’d all been given time to mourn their fallen commrade in the privacy of the Nexus. There were those he knew, Vetra, Drack, Liam, Jaal, Cora, Peebee… and those he had only seen in passing. Suvi, Kallo, Lexi, Gil. Each of their names was so easily associated with a face and a story. She’d loved them like the family she never really got to have.

The procession was somber. No words were spoken, either from the crowd or the crew, save for the exception of the pompus asshole that had taken the helm of the Initiative. Director Tann’s speech echoed out over silent heads and deaf ears. No one listened to him because no one cared. This wasn’t the loss of some politician. This was their Pathfinder. The one who brought the Heleus home, who gave them Podromos, Taerve Uni, who restored Havarl. Even the angara mourned the loss.

As the salarian prattled on, some words mingled through the crowds, the seed of an idea spreading from ear to ear, mind to mind.

“It was those exiles on Kadara.” “I heard it was her lover, the Charlatan.” “Some are saying the Charlatan tricked the Pathfinder into meeting Sloane Kelly.” “Those exiles are nothing but bad news. They need to be taken care of.” “She shouldn’t have trusted someone who goes by the name the ‘Charlatan’. It’s her own fault.”

Reyes’ nose twitched in frustration, but he could not speak out, everything they said was not too far off from the truth. It was his fault, whatever way he looked at it, no matter how many times he replayed it in his head. She had gotten involved because of him, and he had wanted to play a game instead of finishing things quick and clean like he should have. Sloane Kelly may have pulled the trigger, but he was just as guilty for the bullet that pierced her chest.

Biting off the train of thought, he disappeared back into the crowd, unnoticed even by the Tempest crew as they held their positions in mourning. It was a quiet relief. If any of them knew he was there, he knew there would be nothing stopping them from putting a bullet into him, as vengeance.

Beside Tiran Kandros was one face he did not recognize, not on its own, but his identity was unmistakable. The same red hair, though duller, the same kind of green to his eyes, though without the haze of blue from lingering biotics, and the light spattering of freckles over his skin. Christopher Ryder. Shit. He didn’t know that her twin had woken up yet. It must have been recent or she would have told him before… before everything happened. A thought lingered in the back of his mind, wondering if he had been told the entire story, or the official one.

Reyes worked his way through the blackness, even as it melded together, in order to be closer. The drawling speech was finally coming to its close as the casket was placed on a pedestal. The Tempest would have kept her body in a cryo state during its travels… she would be just as she had been the last time he saw her. Only now she was cold. Gone.

As expected, the Tempest crew was allowed to pay their respects first. Cora Harper, the newly appointed human Pathfinder, stood back and motioned for the second Ryder to take her place. Reyes knew he should be up there. He’d loved her, he deserved to see her, to be with her, but it was too risky. If he wanted to see Kitt… to pay his last respects… he would have to blend in with the common folk. It made his stomach turn.

The crowd moved slowly. Somewhere in the back, far beyond his sight, chanting broke out. A protest? Here? At a funeral?! The people that lived in this god forsaken place never changed. Reyes resisted the urge to spit his frustrations at the ground. Kandros left the stand, pushing his way through the crowd to deal with the protests personally, he assumed. Many others filtered out of the line, getting as far from the shouting as they could, a quiet benefit that he was mildly grateful for.

Step by step, he grew ever closer to her, but his heart ached for every person between him and the woman he had loved. Four people. Words wouldn’t be enough. There was no forgiveness for this. No taking back the actions that had led to this moment. Every step now felt like a hand around his throat, growing ever tighter, choking out the life within him. Three people. Could he face this? Could he face the woman he had gotten killed through his own unfortunate actions?

Now there were only two. Hastily, Reyes pulled his holotags from around his neck. The Alliance did not exist within Andromeda, but it was a time in his life that had forever shaped him, memories that he didn’t necessarily want to be gone forever. On the back side, the head of a jackal etched in by an old squad mate. The CO that had given him his callsign. One person.

A hand latched onto his arm and yanked him out of the line, away from Kitt, away from his Pathfinder, and slammed his back into the wall. “What are you doing here?!” Furious green-hazel eyes bored into his soul, demanding answers and blood.

“I take you are Chris Ryder,” he tried to speak smoothly, hand latched tightly around the holotags. Now was not the time to lose them.

“I’m the brother to the woman you killed, yeah.”

Straight to the point. How familiar. “Tsk, tsk, you should read more closely. It wasn’t me that pulled the trigger.”

“You might as well have.” A fist met his gut, the physical pain echoing what he had been feeling emotionally for days, doubling him over and sending the holotags skitting across the floor. He tried to reach after them but found his back forced against the wall once more. “There must be something wrong in your head if you think you’re welcome here after what you did.”

“I’m not here to be welcome,” Reyes growled, eyes flicking to the side to find where his tags had stopped. “The only reason I am here is to see Kitt, then I will be on my way.”

“I don’t care why you’re here. You don’t deserve to see her again.”

A shot through his own heart. His hands shook as he clenched them tight, holding back the desire to knock some sense into this punky kid, thinking he could keep him, Reyes Vidal, Charlatan, away from the woman he loved. But picking a fight at her funeral was not the brightest move. There were other ways. Better ways.

“Arguing with you is a waste of my time, Christopher,” the name rolled off his tongue, chastizing. “Your sister was important to me, despite what the Tempest crew may tell you. Hurting her… it was a mistake.”

“But you didn’t just hurt her. You killed her. Whatever your intentions, they got her killed.”

“You know what they say. The path to hell is paved with good intentions.” A forearm across his collarbone slammed him back into the wall again. “Alright, listen. Causing a scene was never in my plan. All I wanted was to get in, see her, and then get out. To apologize, one last time.”

“Why should I let you?”

“Because I loved her.” Truer words had never left his lips. The fact of it was something he had struggled with for so long. To admit that this initiative dog, the Pathfinder of all things, had caught him so off guard… accepted his darker habits alongside his desire for a better Kadara. She had given him the chance to be someone different, someone important, and he had returned it with a bullet to her chest from the gun of Sloane Kelly. His fault. Her death was still his fault. “Please.”

Chris seemed to hesitate at the proposal. The twist in his brows was evidence enough that he was still angry, but the thought was lingering, the possibility was alive. With a grunt, he shoved Reyes back into the wall one more time before he backed off. “You have one minute. If I ever see you again, I’ll send you out the nearest airlock.”

“A visit to Kadara is not something I would recommend for you, in that case.” Reyes brushed off his jacket, searching the ground for his tags, the one last thing he had to give. They were found underneath the foot of a very angry krogan. When he looked up to meet his eyes, all he got was a low growl of displeasure. “Nakmor Drack. Good to see you again.”

With a disgruntled scoff, the krogan kicked the tags across the ground to his feet. That was a nod of approval, if he’s ever seen one from the Nakmor clan.

Most of the crowd had filtered away by the time Reyes returned to where she was lying in wait. The entire Tempest crew was there… and no longer could he hide from them, with Chris Ryder on his heels the entire time. Liam stepped forward to confront him, but was held back by Cora.

“Reyes.”

“Pathfinder.”

“It is good to see you again, Mr. Vidal, despite the unfortunate circumstances.”

He sighed, always having associated that monotone voice with Kitt and her antics. “It’s… good to hear from you too, SAM.”

“I have a message for you from Katherine, if you would like it sent to your shuttle.”

That gave him pause. A message? “Yes, please.” Anything. He would take anything, any memory, of Kitt that he was able to have. Her family and her crew would give him no concessions, leaving him with nothing but her own words in whatever message she had left.

“Of course.”

All eyes stared into his back as he finally turned to Katherine Ryder, dressed in her best, cleaned up, peaceful… but gone. Those eyes would never open again. He’d never hear her giving him lip. All that fire, all that attitude, lost to the stars. Somewhere out there, one would shine a little brighter for her. If he was lucky, maybe her soul would choose Govorkam. Just to be close to him.

It was hard to swallow past the lump that lived in his throat, clammy hands fiddling with his tags, each breath more difficult than the last. If there was anything he would regret in his life, it would be this. Reyes would have rather lived without ever knowing her than to have to live with the knowledge that his choices killed her.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered quietly, extending his hand over hers, tucking his tags into her palm. No one would ever influence him as she did.

“That’s time, Reyes Vidal.” The name was a curse on her brother’s tongue, hissed and hated, but there was nothing more he could do. He’d said his goodbyes, made his apologies, and now it was time to go.

“It probably means little to all of you, but thank you.”

“Go space yourself, Vidal”

Reyes considered himself lucky that, at the very least, none of them had spread the news of the identity that cost Kitt her life. It was the small things.

No one followed him back to the shuttle. No one cared about him or what he would do. He had no influence over anything here, his place was on Kadara, and that’s where he would always be. His little kingdom in its own corner of Heleus.

The terminal in his shuttle blinked with a new message waiting. SAM’s message from Kitt. The last words he would ever see or hear from her. He sat, inhaling deep and exhaling slow, gathering himself before he could face it. Part of him said to wait, but Reyes needed to know what this message was.

Subject: I’m sorry To: Reyes Vidal From: TEMPEST AUTOMATIC MESSAGING SERVICES (℅ Katherine Ryder) Attachment: audiofile1643

Reyes, I don’t know how to really put this into words, but I’m sorry. I asked SAM to set up this message in case, well, in case I don’t make it back one day. There are some things that just need to be said. Kitt

[Playing attachment]

The speakers in his shuttle crackled to life.

“Shit, where’s the… gah! SAM how do I even use this thing?” “The message is recording, Pathfinder.” “What?? Damnit. Okay, um… Reyes… I, um… damnit. Okay. Get it together Kitt. I love you, Reyes.”

“I love you.”

[pikapeppa]

Sloane Kelly Appreciation Week: More than a second

Full disclosure and honesty: I am Reyder trash. I let Reyes’s sniper shoot Sloane down and did not even bat an eye. But then I read Uprising... and I gotta say, I feel for Sloane a bit more. I recently wrote the following Sloane/Kaetus oneshot/drabble as part of a chapter about Keema and Reyes. So here it is: a Reyder fan’s tribute to Sloane and Kaetus!

“For the last fucking time, no, we aren’t taking any angara recruits right now. They’re an unknown entity, for fuck’s sake. We don’t have the time or resources to focus on that right now. Understood?”

Sloane Kelly waited for her recruiter’s confirmation, then ended the call abruptly and slumped back in her chair. Kadara was certainly a step up from the Nexus, but it came with its own rotten can of worms.

The kett were almost the least of the problems. Kett were easy to deal with. They were a clear and obvious enemy, so there was only one solution: complete annihilation.

When Sloane and her people had arrived in the Govorkam system to discover one alien species who sought only to kill and abduct members of the second species, she’d actually been relieved. It had been so long since Sloane had dealt with a clear-cut, black-and-white problem that she’d jumped wholeheartedly into eliminating the kett. Unsurprisingly, many of Sloane’s exiles had seemed to feel the same way, enthusiastically taking out kett after kett with a relish that would be concerning if they hadn’t all just spent some three-odd months trapped in a slowly dying tin can filled with rapidly dwindling food supplies.

The angara, now: they were the more tricky problem. Not that the people were a problem per se; they were certainly civilized, as much as any Milky Way species (and arguably more so than some). But Sloane just could not find it in herself to respect them.

Cognitively, Sloane knew it was wrong to blame the victim. She didn’t know the whole history behind the conflict between these angara and the kett. But she just couldn’t understand how the angara could be cowed by the kett. The Nexus rebels had been slaughtered and then abandoned by their own people. It was hard to fight your own fucking people. The kett, on the other hand, were complete strangers who shot before talking. In Sloane’s opinion, this was by no means a difficult problem. But the confusion among those idiotic, wishy-washy angaran administrators…

Sloane’s lip curled involuntarily with contempt. She refused to deal with that kind of bureaucratic bullshit again. She was finished with the slow, laborious council decisions, the hemming and hawing. Sloane was only interested in doing what needed to be done to ensure the security and safety of her people. And now that the immediate kett crisis was over, the secondary - and more long-term - crisis of surviving and thriving on this hellhole of a planet was paramount… and in particular, sustaining her Outcasts for the long-term.

As her people’s ranks grew, Sloane would need to find ways to sustain their needs. The tax she’d imposed on the residents of the Port was working out quite well so far, and if most of those credits ended up in her people’s pockets, or supporting the development of Milky Way businesses, well… it was the price the residents had to pay for security and safety. There was nothing to be done about that. But as more exiles clamoured to join Sloane’s circle, and more residents were kicked out for not being able to afford the fees, Sloane knew she’d have to find an alternative source of income for her people sooner than later.

Suddenly, her omni-tool sounded. One of Sloane’s krogan guards was calling from just outside the door. “What?” she answered impatiently.

“Some turian wants to talk to you,” grunted the guard. “Says he knows you from the Milky Way-”

“Just let me in. She won’t thank you for wasting her time.” An irate flanged voice interrupted the guard… a flanged voice that Sloane knew better than any other, and hadn’t expected to ever hear again.

Kaetus.

“Let him in.” Sloane was on her feet and striding towards the door without thinking about it. Before she reached the door, it opened and there he was, in the flesh. His posture was tall and proud, and he was as handsome as the day they had left the Milky Way - the day she’d closed the lid on his cryopod and watched his eyes drift shut with sleep.

Sloane was not one for big displays of emotion, but her heart seemed to swell in her chest and push its way up towards her throat as she reached out her hand. “Kaetus. It’s damn good to see you,” she said.

Kaetus nodded once and took her hand in a firm shake. “You too. When I heard you got kicked off the Nexus, I came as soon as I could.”

Sloane took her time removing her hand from his. “We didn’t get kicked off. We chose to leave. It was either that or stasis, can you fucking believe it?”

Kaetus shook his head. “I didn’t know what to believe at first. When I woke up on Elaaden with two krogan staring down at me, I thought I was having a cryosleep-induced nightmare. The krogan said-”

“Wait,” Sloane interrupted in confusion. “What do you mean, the krogan? You… You didn’t come from the Nexus? What... what happened to Ark Natanus?”

Kaetus’ mandibles lifted slightly in an expression of confusion. “I have no idea. I woke up on a sandy wasteland. There were damaged cryopods all over the place. I think the krogan who found me were collecting salvage. I thought they were going to kill me.”

“Why didn’t they?” Sloane wondered in confusion. Unfortunately, old grudges didn’t wear off even after 600 years, and there wasn’t much love lost between the krogan and the turians.

Kaetus gave a small sardonic laugh. “I think they could tell that I had no idea what in the spirits was going on. They brought me back to their settlement. New Tuchanka, it’s called.” He chuckled again. “A fitting name for a roasting-hot desert planet. But it’s actually pretty impressive. Nakmor Morda’s doing a good job out there.”

Sloane shook her head in amazement. “Fucking Morda. I’m surprised she didn’t eat you.” In spite of herself, Sloane was impressed. Wish we could take some lessons from the krogan. I wonder if ever…

She shook her head, discarding the idea for now. “How did you get from… Elaaden, you said? How did you get from wherever the fuck that is to here?”

Kaetus spread his hands helplessly. “I escaped New Tuchanka. Younger krogan can be hot-headed and careless, you know how it is. I basically hitchhiked all the way from New Tuchanka to the Elaaden Port, then paid for passage on a ship. I used about two-thirds of my credits to get here, but… here I am,” he finished, his hands dropping to his sides. “By the way, you might be interested to hear that Nakmor Kesh joined the council on the Nexus. I overheard some of Morda’s people talking about it.”

Sloane eyebrows leapt high on her forehead. Sloane would never forgive Kesh for allowing Tann to wake the krogan battlemaster, but she would be lying if she denied that Kesh was the most levelheaded person on the Nexus. “No fucking way. Tann stonewalled her the entire time I was there.”

Kaetus gave another brisk nod of confirmation. “But I didn’t come just to pass on news of the Nexus.” He took a step closer to her. “You know you can count on me, Sloane. I’m here to help you in any way I can.”

That ball of emotion swelled again in her throat, and she had to swallow hard to push down the urge to press herself against his tall and rangy form. Instead, she nodded briskly and gestured for him to follow her back to her chair. “Fantastic. I can use someone reliable and trustworthy.”

Kaetus followed her up the dais. “As it turns out, I heard something on the lift that might help. There’s a doctor, Ryota Nakamoto, who seems to have discovered an antibiotic that grows naturally on this planet. It sounds like he needs resources to refine the formulation and ensure that it works, but that might help offset the drain on medical resources at least.”

Sloane sat in her chair, one foot cocked up on the seat, and rested her elbow casually on her knee as she looked up at him. “Yeah, okay. It’s not exactly food and water, but medicine is helpful, no doubt. Put him in touch with me, will you? Maybe we can set him up somewhere. A lab or something. What do scientists need for their research?”

“We’ll find out. I’ll set up a time for him to meet with you,” Kaetus replied briskly. Sloane coolly nodded her thanks, but she was rapidly losing her battle to remain impartial with him. She had always felt more at home with the turians and krogan than with her own species; she wasn’t the type to tippy-toe around people’s feelings or to mince her words, and most humans didn’t appreciate that kind of bluntness. But Sloane had never felt more at home with anyone than with Kaetus.

Kaetus’ gaze slid over her face, and he seemed to see something in her bichromatic eyes that she was unable to hide, because he slowly approached her and placed his hands on the arms of her chair, leaning down with his face near enough to hers that she could see the brilliant corona of hazel in his irises. “I was afraid I would never see you again,” he told her bluntly. “You know that I’m not just here to be your second, right?”

Sloane took a deep breath, and for the first time in what felt like months, she smiled. “I know. You’re a big softie,” she teased gently. He chuckled deep in his throat, then traced the scarring on her lip and jaw with a gentle talon. “We have some catching up to do,” he murmured, then tilted his head to kiss her.

Sloane gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck, savouring the slightly rough feel of the skin at the base of his crest. Sloane would always get shit done; it was just her way. But with Kaetus at her side, it suddenly didn’t feel like such a chore.

[tiaraofsapphires]

my satellite (are you here tonight?)- Chapter 4

Nice and update!

Chapter 4: Calamity

Read on Ao3 here!

It was a relief to now have Jaal by her side, fully aware of everything that was going on. And it was also a relief, of course to a lesser extent, to have Lexi on their team as well.

Their time was spent in a mixed bag of on-the-sly prenatal care and trying to maintain appearances.

They, meaning Sara and Lexi, did an ultrasound, with only the two of them in the room, in the quest of arousing as little suspicion as possible.

Sara was beginning to hate the sneaking around, hated it even more when she was seeing this without Jaal with her.

As soon as the image focused, Sara vowed to bring him with her every time they saw the baby, crew’s suspicions be dammed.

It was a little pulsing lump, almost peanut-shaped. It didn’t look like anything close to human or angara or in-between the two yet

It was beautiful.

“That’s—that’s it,” Sara murmured, pointing a shaky hand at the image.

“There it is. Your little baby,” Lexi confirmed. She was smiling.

She didn’t cry then, but when she showed Jaal the pictures hours later and saw the trembling hope and undisguised awe in his face, she had to bury her face into his shoulder and compose herself.

After the initial excitement, it didn’t take a mind reader to know that Lexi was concerned about the whole human-angara hybrid situation. The scans so far looked promising as they could this early in the pregnancy, but Sara knew that Lexi had her misgivings.

They were going to wait for further development before more rigorous tests. Lexi wasn’t going to push anything that would potentially hurt the child, especially anything that required poking around at it.

This wasn’t a normal pregnancy. Sara had no illusions about that.

Hell, Sara was sure the only reason Lexi wasn’t berating her on the whole ‘you should've practiced safe sex’ thing and the ‘you shouldn’t have had sex with Jaal when he was going through a hormonal event that you didn’t understand’ thing and the ‘this entire situation dangerous both for you and your child, but mostly you’ thing was that Lexi didn’t want to accidentally alienate her patient.

And it was a good thing she kept her mouth shut. Sara already gave those things enough thought, and didn’t want them thrown in her face from a different person.

They already had their spats over SAM and his influence on her physiology. Sara didn’t want to have that conversation that would likely ultimately end in a ‘you shouldn’t go through with this.’

Sara was going to see this through, good or ill, and deal with whatever fallout may come.

It was an unspoken agreement between the two of them that Sara would still do her Pathfinder duties, like nothing had changed, though perhaps not get into firefights with everyone who looks at her funny.

Jaal didn’t like the idea, but when Sara reminded him that pregnant angara still fought against the kett until they couldn’t anymore, he kept his mouth shut.

It was for the best. If things changed suddenly, questions would be asked. So far, the cluster had been quiet enough that most problems didn’t require a Pathfinder’s hand. More and more militia were being defrosted and sent to defend the various outposts, especially after the losses sustained after the battle to take Meridian. And there were three other Pathfinders that could help.

“Tell me you will think about stepping away,” Jaal had asked.

She couldn’t give him a solid answer.

Things were smooth, relatively speaking. She could almost seriously entertain the idea.

Until she received a flurry of emails from Kadara.

Christmas Tate had been doing his best with an outpost surrounded by slowly-healing sulfur springs and every manner of criminals.

Reyes had been as welcoming as he possibly could be to an Initiative outpost after putting a bullet in Sloane Kelly. But Tate was spread thin even with the Initiative militia present and the emails that he sent Sara made it clear that he needed a Pathfinder, specifically Sara, to help.

Allegedly, the general population held some feelings of respect for her, aside from severe Initiative malcontents, any surviving Outcasts, and the Roekaar.

Plenty of people wanted her dead. What else was new?

But there was no choice but for them to dock on Kadara and there was no choice for Sara but to disembark.

Jaal was insistent he go with her, enthusiastic to a point it seemed strange to Vetra, who was scheduled to go planetside to begin with.

Everyone and their mother knew Jaal hated Kadara. There was no reason he’d volunteer to come without good reason.

“Maybe we can raise our child here,” Sara mumbled when it was just the two of them in the armory as the ship started its descent.

Jaal looked utterly insulted, ducking down to hiss in her ear.

“Our child will not live in such a place of squalor and depravity like Kadara.”

Sara grinned and lightly nudged him.

“I know. I’m kidding. We’ll find somewhere.”

Jaal huffed and kissed the top of her head before shuffling out, muttering something about ‘sulfur springs’ and ‘horrible smell’.

Sara’s smile immediately evaporated as she focused on getting her armor on.

She really shouldn’t have turned that stone. It brought about questions that they didn’t have answers to yet.

Where would they raise their child? What would they do after it was born? Neither Jaal nor Sara would put themselves in positions to orphan their child, at least to the best of their ability.

And, right now, Sara was putting herself in a position where their child could die before it even had a chance to live.

Boy, did that make her feel like the worst person ever to live ever.

Still, duty called.

Sara donned the toughest chestplate in the armory and prayed to any gods that would listen that this wouldn’t end in disaster.

Lexi didn’t need to give her a warning before Sara got off the ship.

Don’t take a bath in the sulfur ponds. Don’t get shot.

Easy.

She checked and double-checked her armor, slung two assault rifles on her back, tucked a pistol to her hip, and collected her crew.

“Let’s not pick any fights we can avoid,” she said. “We’ll help Tate, you know, iron stuff out, and leave. Hopefully no one causes us any trouble.”

Vetra tapped fist against her open hand. “If they do, they’re screwed.”

Sara nodded.

“Very. Let’s go.”

Sara strode down the ramp on the back of the Tempest with Jaal and Vetra at her back. There was a confidence she didn’t feel as she walked.

She was Pathfinder. She got in firefights on a near-daily basis for months in

Tate wasn’t there to meet them, but they were quickly approached by a human woman who introduced herself as Yesenia Lopez.

“I’m Tate’s assistant,” she said in a way of explanation. She didn’t seem to like the idea of it, of being sent to do his errands.

Sara didn’t take in personally. It wasn’t like everyone was happy with the positions they were put in after being defrosted. She nodded. “Good to meet you.”

Yesenia gestured with a hand.

“I’ll take you to Tate. He has a laundry list of things he wants you to help him with.”

Sara internally groaned. Of course, just her luck.

Over the private channel, Sara muttered, “SAM, tell me if anything looks suspicious. Like, for real suspicious.”

“I will. There are no current threats around you.”

Alright. A couple minutes into her trip and no threat. So far, so good.

Sara didn’t want to think about the very precious and vulnerable thing that was sitting inside her. Not even a month into the pregnancy and there she was.

To be fair, very few of the habitable worlds were habitable at all. She was more likely to cause damage to herself and her child on Elaaden or Voeld, both of which were still on their way to reaching temperatures close to normal.

Can’t hide from the weather, but can shoot at people who want to shoot at her.

So. There wasn’t much she could do. It’s not like she could only take missions on Aya and Eos, which now had solar radiation levels that could be easily blocked by life support or even sunscreen.

She just had to find a way to boost her life support in her suit for Elaaden and Voeld. And hope that nobody shot at her when she was on Kadara.

Fine. It was all going to be fine.

Yesenia led them through the outpost. People they passed stopped and whispered.

There were always whispers.

Respect, disdain, mistrust, admiration. She didn’t want to be a god or a despot. She signed up to the Initiative to serve.

With that came whispers and titles. Savior of Heleus. The Initiative’s errand girl.

This entire situation was totally not planned, not even close to in-line with what she thought she would face at the end of a 600-year-long nap.

“How are things at the outpost?” Sara asked in way of conversation. Only so much could be gathered from just looking at the superficial.

Yesenia jumped at the question and glanced at her. There were bags under her eyes, a weariness in her posture. But she looked nervous, on-edge. “It could be better. Definitely could be better.”

That didn’t sound good, but Sara couldn’t know for a fact that what she was hearing really was that bad.

“Anything that I can do to help?”

She nodded, mouth curling in what could be mistaken for a grimace. “Definitely. I don’t think Tate would’ve contacted you if he knew you couldn’t do anything.”

They walked and walked to stop in a tiny courtyard-space surrounded by box-like buildings. The outpost had enough resources to pretty-up the place. Native flowers grew in boxes alongside small patches of familiar-looking crops.

Sara looked around, something like irritation heating her face. Tate was nowhere to be seen. They came all this way, and Tate couldn’t be bothered to show up on time?

“Where’s Tate? As much as I love seeing the outpost, you know, I’d like to actually do the stuff I was called here to do.”

She stared at Yesenia, looking for an explanation. The other woman seemed guilty for a second.

“Ah, I already messaged him. He will be here soon.”

Huh.

Neither Vetra nor Jaal said anything. They just shifted where they stood, looking around in idle curiosity.

Really, Sara shouldn’t have felt suspicious. She could chalk it up to prenatal paranoia that something felt wrong.

Still…weird.

She was about to ask SAM if Yesenia had actually used her omni-tool to contact Tate at all while they were walking when he spoke up over the private channel.

“Sara, the turian at your 11-o-clock is a combative position. His hand is going for the weapon on his back. Also, I have Lopez scanned and her heartrate is higher than what is normal.”

Panic like a lance cut through Sara instantly.

She glanced to the left, the action unseen because of the tint in her helmet, to see the turian in raggedy armor. His hand was moving to grab the butt of his shotgun. She glanced to the right to see that sweat glistened in Yesenia’s hairline. Her eyes were cutting towards the turian, almost like she was waiting for him to make a move.

Shit. Shit.

A set-up. They were set-up.

Sara fumbled for her pistol, the quickest thing she could access.

He was going to kill her. He was going to wound her and end up killing her child. She didn’t know. She couldn’t know. Either scenario couldn’t happen.

She had to kill him first.

She aimed just as he brought his shotgun from over his shoulder, pulling the trigger.

His knee buckled a bit right as he shot at her, firing too high, sailing over their heads.

The bullet exchange happened almost simultaneously, an explosion of sound.

People were screaming, Jaal and Vetra tensing behind her, hopping into action.

Sara staggered back, one hand holding her pistol and the other bracing across her abdomen.

She didn’t take him down. It wasn’t enough.

Fear narrowed her vision, closed over her throat.

If this had happened a month earlier, she would have stepped in front of Jaal and Vetra without hesitation.

But now there was something else to focus on: her child. Her little child who had no choice in being her child, no choice in being put in this position.

Jaal made the decision for her. He had her by the scruff of the neck, a handful of her armor, and yanked her behind him, shielding her with his body.

The turian male shouted something that she couldn’t understand and aimed at Jaal.

“No!” Sara yelled, impotent, useless.

While Jaal and Sara moved back, away from the turian, Vetra moved forward.

Vetra was quick and deadly, gunshots ringing out before the male could think to aim at this new target. And he was on the ground, holes smoking in his head.

“Are we clear?” Sara shouted, at SAM, at Jaal and Vetra, at anyone who would give her a straight answer.

“Clear!”

Jaal immediately turned to her.

“Are you okay?” Jaal asked.

His hands skimmed up her sides, brushing over her stomach. Sara shook her head, trying to put a semi-normal amount of space between them.

No, no, don’t treat me differently, not here.

“We’re fine, we’re fine.”

She said that like she knew for sure that was the answer. She didn’t know. She could’ve been shot and shock would’ve made it so she didn’t feel it.

But Jaal wasn’t panicking in a way that would indicate that she was injured and she didn’t feel anything so she could be fine but she didn’t know.

Vetra stared at them with a look of both confusion and suspicion.

Sara stayed impassive on the outside, giving an air of ‘oh, my concerned boyfriend, coddling me’, a lie and a truth meshing perfectly on her face. Just enough for the turian to buy it, maybe.

On the inside, she was frantic on SAM’s private channel, more emotion than words.

SAM already had an answer before she could ask the question, like he had already checked everything possible the moment the attack ceased.

“Sara, I am not detecting any changes with the health of the fetus. Though I would suggest not getting into that kind of situation again, both for your sake and for the sake of your unborn child.”

The words echoed around in her head, like a balm. She nodded at nothing.

Right. Not going to do that again.

A glance to the right and she saw Yesenia’s retreating back. She wasn’t running, but wasn’t walking either. Trying to be as nonchalant and disappear into the crowd while the chaos swirled around the outpost.

Pure rage had Sara’s hand lifting up her pistol.

She felt it, a jolt of energy that radiated from shoulder to fingertip, as she lifted and aimed. With the lightest squeeze, a single bullet left the barrel.

Her aim was true. She didn’t feel a thing.

…

The rest of the stop, fulfilling the various menial jobs and mediating arguments, passed in a numb blur.

Tate had rained apologies for the breach in security, promising that nothing like that would ever happen again.

The turian, Alescus, was a former Outcast with a history of violence. He had paid Yesenia off, a hefty sum, to bring Sara out to the open.

Yesenia was still alive, barely, locked up in the outpost’s little prison.

Sara wished she had killed her.

There were suggestions made that they go back to the Tempest and leave. But some idiot part of her made her bark an order to stay.

She remembered Jaal and Vetra, especially Jaal, looming over her like the fiercest of bodyguards.

It was to make her feel safe. To make sure everyone else around them knew that if there was another attack, there would a hail of bullets to meet the attacker.

Without prompting, SAM knew to fiddle with her physiology, make her hands shake less, make her heart beat a little slower, even giving her prompts as to next steps.

It was a temporary thing, not even fully fixing the panic. It was still there, an ache sitting in the center of her chest. When it was time to fully feel, she would feel it and it would suck. She knew that.

SAM kept her spine straight, kept her composed, until she decided it was time to leave.

She resolved what she could and put tape and bandaids over what couldn’t be fixed in a day.

Tate was grateful for the help, that much was clear. It was some small victory to be had, though she was antsy to get to the privacy of her room on the Tempest.

SAM quietly informed her that he had been collecting names and details of all the errands she did that day and was already writing reports to be sent to the Nexus for filing away. She didn't need to ask how he’d be able to make it sound like her writing in the reports. He had his database on everything Sara Ryder and could probably masquerade as her through words for the foreseeable future.

She was in such a mood that any reports she wrote herself would probably unintelligible.

All she could think about was the light in that turian’s eyes, how he was out to kill her. He could’ve succeeded. He could’ve killed her. He could’ve killed Jaal or her child, which would have been the same as killing her. She knew her heart would've been shattered if she lost either of them.

It was a terrifying thing. The love of her life, and the product of their love for each other. Two things that she found on Heleus that she now couldn't bear to lose.

Her heart hurt in her chest. She wanted to cry and cry because she almost died and she almost lost everything.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to so many people.

But she knew she was being selfish. It wasn’t just her and her family that deserved safety and security in Heleus. She was Pathfinder. She was to provide safety and security at the expense of her own. That was how it fucking worked.

Now, it wasn’t as simple.

She had a conversation that she couldn’t remember with Suvi and Kallo about getting underway and going somewhere. Probably towards the Nexus. It was a safe bet that she said something about heading to the Nexus. Or to Meridian. One of the two.

Her fingers shook when she took off her armor. She fumbled over the latches and buckles as one by one, she looked less like a warrior and more like...something else. It felt like she was exposing herself, somehow less safe in the walls of the Tempest.

SAM said her child still lived where it rested inside of her. It was some source of relief. It had to be.

Lexi demanded another check-up, even though it had been two days since she last saw Sara. That was Tomorrow Sara’s problem. Right now was Scared-Out-Of-Her-Mind Sara’s time to try to make sense of what the hell happened.

Jaal followed her out of the armory, similarly freed of his armor and his weapons in their proper places.

The door shut behind Jaal as Sara moved further into her quarters. She sat down on the bed, kept her back to Jaal.

Inhaled and exhaled, shuddering.

Sulfur still clung to the back of her throat and coated her skin. She needed a shower. She wanted to boil herself and get rid of the memory of cruel eyes and a bullet that didn’t meet its mark.

Her hands moved up to rest on her stomach.

Still alive. Not tangible yet. She wished she was further along, that there was a little lump there that she could rub and know was real.

She was going to be a mother. She wanted to experience her child, all that she could.

“You shouldn’t be going out the field anymore, Sara,” Jaal said, shattering the silence.

She immediately bristled, still not looking at him.

“I’m pregnant, Jaal. I’m not an invalid.”

There was a pause. “What happened today could have killed our child, killed you.”

Sara’s irritation turned to anger, near-incoherent.

“That is a risk I have to take!” she yelled. “Living in Heleus isn’t 100% safe even if I wasn’t Pathfinder. But I am Pathfinder.”

Her hands were shaking, hadn’t stopped even since they left Kadara’s atmosphere, when SAM let her feel the panic that was at a simmer under the surface since the first shot.

It had been a close call. If Jaal hadn’t been there, she didn’t know what could have happened.

She barreled on. “I need to keep up appearances. I can’t just hole myself on the Tempest and not do anything. I’m still Pathfinder. I still have a job to do.”

When Jaal touched the top of her head, she jumped as if poked with a sharp object. She didn’t hear him move to stand by her side.

He recoiled.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered.

Sara shook her head.

“It’s fine. I—please touch me.”

His hand immediately returned to the top of her head. She relaxed immediately, whatever could be considered ‘relaxed’ in the middle of a near-panic attack. He fingered the loose strands of hair that had come loose from her ponytail.

Her anchor. Gods, she wanted to cry.

“My dearest, I’m not asking you to give that up.”

She scoffed. Funny, how he was usually the blustery, emotional one and she was usually the one to reason him out of irrational reactions.

He continued in a murmur, “I just—I want you to be safe. And I want our child to be safe.”

She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. This was where the difficult part came in, a kind of choice where there wasn’t really a clear right-and-wrong.

She didn’t know what to do. There was the safety of her child and there was her duty as Pathfinder. Both could exist at the same time, but it would be difficult. She couldn’t imagine going on raids anymore, killing kett and actively seeking out groups that want her dead.

One wrong move and this would all be for nothing.

But this was her job. She was the fucking human Pathfinder and her father foisted this job on her by fucking dying. She had no choice in this and she didn’t know how to let it go. She was Pathfinder. That and the paths she took in order to keep the cluster safe sunk into her DNA and was the entire reason she was pregnant in the first place.

“I don’t know who I am outside of being Pathfinder.”

She wrung her fingers together.

And that seemed to the root of the problem. Of course, she had her ‘abandonment issues.’ Her distant relationship with her parents, followed by her mother’s death, followed by her father’s death. And then there was the fear of losing anyone else because she cared too much about everyone.

And now there was this, this crippling feeling of inferiority. She couldn’t do everything, but she had to do everything. She had to help everyone, but couldn’t help everyone.

This pregnancy was going to put her on the sidelines at some point. It had to. Once she got big enough, she would have to stop going out in the field. She physically wouldn't be able to fight in the ways she was used to.

Even now, her mind was focusing on protecting her child. Her world’s axis shifted from the safety of billions of lives, to the safety of one. It snuck up on her.

“What am I when I’m not Pathfinder?”

She looked up from where she was focused on her hands when Jaal moved to kneel before her.

“You are the woman I love. You are the hero of Heleus.” He took her hands in his.

“If you can’t be Pathfinder, you still conquered the Remnant and the kett. You brought your people home.”

His hands rubbed on her thighs, massaging the tension out of them.

“My starlight.”

That drew a smile to her lips. Sometimes, the kinds of things he said would almost make her swoon like out of an old-time romance novel.

Jaal’s expression hardened. “My heart stopped the moment that cretin attacked you. I wish I could’ve killed him myself.”

She brought his hands up to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. There was little more she could do.

“I’m sorry for making you worry. I know—I know it was a mistake to go down there. But I don’t know what else to do. People look to me.”

He nodded.

“The burden of leadership. But you are not alone in this. Cora was your father’s second, was she not?”

She chewed the inside of her cheek. She couldn’t say anything.

She worked so hard to prove herself to Cora as usurper of the Pathfinder role. Giving it up to Cora made bitterness churn in her stomach.

Hearing nothing from her, Jaal squeezed her hands. “For our sakes, think about it. I just—I want to keep you safe. You and our child. I couldn’t stand to lose either of you.”

She nodded. At least they were on the same page in that aspect.

“Okay. I’ll—I’ll think about it. Maybe once we talk with Kandros we can get something sorted out with the APEX teams. With Cora, that can come later.”

Twelve more days and the entire damn cluster would know she was pregnant.

Jaal’s hands slipped under her shirt to rest on her stomach.

“Soon, our child will be in our arms. Now, it sleeps, safe. You are keeping it alive. You have the greater burden. I wish I could take some of it from you.”

He was earnest, guilty-sounding. She shrugged, cupped his face in her hands. His eyes narrowed a bit at the touch, kind of like a cat.

“It’s biology,” Sara murmured, trying to assure him that he had no reason to feel guilty. “But, you get to hold back my hair when morning sickness comes and massage my feet when they get swollen.”

She leaned down and kissed him.

“Gladly,” he said with a smile, “Anything for the mother of my child.”

[emmayame]

Day 7: What Is

This prompt answer is nice, (hopefully) funny, and has two parts :) The first one I’ve previously posted on my AO3, and the second one is brand new. If you have already read the first, you can jump right to the second here. 

Though Reyes Vidal called himself a betting man, the risks he took were usually precisely calculated. He prided himself on being careful and efficient. Any goal could be achieved - it was only a matter of elegant strategy and sufficient preparation. That afternoon he was brought to Kralla’s Song by the latter. There was a new element in the equation, a new piece on the chessboard that he needed to evaluate. It could either become a complication, or a perfect means to an end. Judging by the update he had just received from the docks, he was about to find out which option was more likely.

It was still early for the bar to be crowded, though even if it were packed, locating the Pathfinder would not pose a problem. Her pristine light grey uniform surely made it obvious, but that newcomer vibe she was sending off would give her away no matter what she was wearing. His keen eyes followed her as she headed to the bar counter and leaned on it with one elbow, turning to watch yet another visitor receive a lesson in manners from the bar’s owner.

The little show made him smile wryly. He rather liked Umi and her no-nonsense approach. In addition, she had sharp hearing and even sharper memory – a valuable bonus which he knew how to put to good use.

Judging by the Pathfinder’s raised brows, the bartender’s particular brand of problem-solving made an impression on her. It was hard to tell if said impression was positive or negative, though, as her features became carefully neutral quite fast. Ryder appraised the asari for a moment, and then returned to scanning the room.    

Reyes had to admit that the conclusions of his quick scrutiny were conflicting. Her cool expression, plain short haircut and colour preference that spelled demure were at odds with her nonchalant posture and something else about her that he couldn’t quite put a finger on. Intrigued, he decided it was time for a closer look.

He pushed off the wall, leaving his vantage point at the far end of the bar, and sauntered toward her. The greeting rolled off his lips with practiced ease.  

“You look like you’re waiting for someone,” he said, gesturing Umi for drinks.

The Pathfinder turned and gave him a quick once-over, pausing to accept the proffered beverage before her eyes settled on his yet again.

“And you look distinctly non-angaran, Shena,” she pointed out matter-of-factly, clinking her tumbler against Reyes’.

Well, that saved him half the introduction.

He grinned. “You don’t say.”

They downed the whiskey and she took a step forward, extending a hand. “I don’t know about you, but I hate code names. I’m Amelia Ryder.”

Huh.

Reyes had always been good at taking the lead in a conversation. It was comfortable, familiar. He knew exactly what to say and how to steer the talk just where he needed it to go. That was how he preferred it. The Pathfinder’s self-confidence was adorable, really, but this exchange would not be different.

“You can call me Reyes,” he answered, taking her hand in his and making a step forward of his own, stopping just shy of too close. “And I despise code names just as much,” he added smoothly, lowering his voice to a purr.

She fell silent, her cheeks turning faintly pink.

That’s better.

Pleased with the result, Reyes was about to slip into his monologue, but, apparently, Ryder had other ideas.   

“I must confess, I am envious,” she admitted, looking up at him, a mischievous grin blooming on her face. “You’ve managed to charm Evfra into working with you. All I have achieved so far is a slightly less murderous look. And I thought I was impossible not to like!”

If Reyes weren’t used to keeping his expressions in check at all times, one of his eyebrows would probably arch at the change of demeanor. The Pathfinder that entered the bar seemed a composed, all-business kind of person. The smirking girl standing in front of him was too glib for her own good. The two personalities were so different that one of them had to be a carefully fabricated facade. The question was, which one?         

While he was trying to decide whether he was amused or annoyed, Ryder let go of his hand and spoke up again.

“So, Vehn Terev. Do you know where I can find him?”

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Reyes nodded, pausing to make sure she wasn’t about to interrupt him again, but Ryder actually kept silent. Satisfied, he stepped away from the counter and guided her to the balustrade.

The view that opened from there was gorgeous. In this respect Kralla’s beat Tartarus fair and square. The murky seclusion of the slums’ establishment was excellently suited for his line of work, but he needed to come up for air sometimes, both literally and figuratively. That’s why he often chose Kralla’s as a meeting place – when the content of the conversation to be had wasn’t overly sensitive, of course.

Ryder seemed to share his opinion – she looked rather enthralled by Kadara’s harsh beauty. Her eyes were slowly wandering from one mountain to another, stopping at a distant glimmer of a pond or an occasional burst of scarlet in places where the local coral-like plants prevailed. If Reyes didn’t know any better, he would suspect she was only half listening to his rundown on the situation. That could not be the case, but he still felt vaguely irritated at the thought.

“Actually, that Sloane Kelly character doesn’t sound so bad,” she commented, turning to face him.  “I’m sure if I ask nicely she won’t mind releasing Vehn into my custody.”

He quirked up a corner of his mouth. “Your positive thinking is commendable, but I doubt it will be that easy.”

Judging by her carefree shrug, Ryder didn’t share his skepticism. That kind of attitude would get her into a lot of trouble. Especially on a planet like Kadara.   

Luckily for the Pathfinder, Reyes was willing to help. It was part of his plan, after all.    

“But,” he continued, leaning closer to her, “there might be another way to get to Vehn. You work Sloane…”

“And while I’m at it, you can arrange for plan B. Perfect!” she nodded approvingly. And then she stepped away from him and headed for the exit.

His eyebrow did shoot up at that turn of events. That was…

Halfway to the stairs, the Pathfinder spun around.

“Meet me at the market in twenty minutes?” she offered, and then added, the same smug grin from before playing at her lips, “and thanks for the drink!”

And then she was gone.

That was going to be problematic, he realized. But not for the reasons he had anticipated.

***

Forty-three minutes later he finally spotted Ryder exiting Outcast HQ. He exhaled through his nose and called out her name, arranging his face into its customary amiable expression. The marketplace was quite busy, so it took some time for her to locate him and pick her way through the crowd.  

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, stopping in front of him, not a hint of remorse in her voice.

“Have a nice chat?” he asked levelly, crossing his arms.

What could have taken her so long? He seriously doubted Sloane’s ability to tolerate a person like Ryder for an extended period of time. Which in Ryder’s case meant anything longer than ten seconds.

“Actually, yes,” she nodded, mirroring his stance. “Her Majesty was quite civil and even let me speak with Vehn.”

For a split moment, Reyes’ smile became slightly strained, but he quickly composed himself. The girl was really getting on his nerves now, but she would never know about that. “So… no need for plan B?”

Ryder’s eyes crinkled with mischief. “I was so nice and convincing but she still didn’t let me take him. So, now I just have to do it!”

She motioned for him to follow her down the narrow alley and behind the corner of the armour shop. After a quick check of their surroundings, she turned back to him.

“While I was enjoying my little tour of the royal palace, I managed to do some discreet scanning. Turns out there are very conveniently placed maintenance shafts around here. I’m fairly certain that one,” she pointed a thumb behind her shoulder, “leads to the cells.”

Well, now he was surprised. Of course, the method she used to get the intel wasn't exactly ideal - she could have been caught in the act quite easily. Someone might say Ryder was lucky, but Reyes didn’t believe in luck. He believed in facts, and the facts said the cause of her success was, most likely, the Outcasts’ guards’ less than impressive IQ. Still, getting the intel was only half of the job. What counted was what you did with it.

“So what’s your plan?” he inquired conversationally.

“Well, basically I am going to hack my way through,” she shrugged, “and then test out some of the exciting omnitool mods I’ve recently installed on the cell door.”

Nice idea. A pity it won’t work.

For quite some time trying to override the port’s locks had been one of the popular hobbies in Kadara - apart from stabbing each other in dark corners and looting the resulting corpses. That was the reason the security protocols were changed. Now at a hint of interference the system went into lockdown and could only be unblocked by the correct code. Which she could have had by now if it weren’t for her being so sassy.

Oh, this is going to be good.

“So, is there any way I can be of assistance?” he asked pleasantly, his previous frustration with her all but forgotten.

“If you could keep a lookout while I’m dealing with the console, that would be really nice!”

She exuded such confidence and enthusiasm that he almost felt bad for what was about to happen. Almost.

“Why, of course!” he purred. Sauntering to the railing, Reyes turned around and gave her an encouraging smile. The Pathfinder flashed him another sly grin, and strode to the shaft’s entrance, preparing her omnitool on the way. Several moments passed in silence.

Three...two….one…

“Umm, Reyes?” Ryder’s voice was deliciously uncertain.

He made his reply sound casual, a bit concerned, because he wasn’t enjoying this, not in the slightest!

“Yes, Pathfinder. Is something wrong?”

“I’m not sure, but it seems like the system went into lockdown.”

He walked up to her and dutifully examined the console from over her shoulder. “Hmm, looks like you are right. You won't be able to open it now unless you have a code.”

Ryder cast a glance at him, her brows drawn together in a frown.

“I don’t. Obviously,” she waved at the red lock symbol helplessly.  “So… What about that plan B of yours?”

It took a considerable amount of his self-control not to let his amusement show.

“Well, it's funny that you ask…” he answered, leaning in from behind her to input the required combination. The lock chimed softly and switched to cheerful green. Ryder stilled momentarily, then slowly turned around. When she lifted her eyes to peer at him, they were dangerously narrowed. Some people would definitely find the glare she was giving him frightening. Reyes, however, found it deeply satisfying.

“You knew the code,” she spoke very slowly, as if she had to carefully choose every word before spelling it out, “and didn’t tell me?”

He shrugged innocently. “I would if you asked.”

Ryder’s lips parted, but not a sound was able to escape. For a moment the girl just stared at him incredulously. Then, visibly making an effort to calm herself, she crossed her arms and frowned up at him.

“All right, I’m asking now. What did you have in mind?”

He answered her with one of those playful grins she seemed so fond of using, and then explained the few remaining details of his much finer plan. This time she listened very attentively, her eyes never leaving his. When he finished speaking, she looked him over once again, shaking her head thoughtfully.

“We ain’t gonna be friends, you and I,” she huffed, turning to descend into the shaft.

Reyes snorted at her proclamation.    

Just about an hour ago, he would have agreed. Now, however, having to deal with the cocky Pathfinder didn’t seem like such a nuisance. The girl was insufferable, that part was still true and very obvious, but apart from that, she remained a puzzle to him. And Reyes liked solving puzzles.  

There was another thing he knew for sure, he thought, as he headed back to Tartarus, a slow, devious smile spreading across his face.

Teasing her would definitely be fun.

[thevulturesquadron]

Ok folks, here’s the thing: now that I finished ME:A I can freely sail the tags on Tumbr and there’s one tag that needs serious improvements: Sloane Kelly.   She’s one of my favourite characters in this new story-line so here’s a long post about her that probably nobody asked for.

 As I was playing I literally went from ‘ugh, this wacko, ruthless character’ that I couldn’t be bothered with to a character so complex and real it completely blew my mind. And I am both angry and so pleased with the way the game treats her on one side, and frustrated with the crap the fandom throws at her. K, so buckle up for some long character analysis. Spoilers ahead:

First things first - Sloane in game: her starting point is that of a merciless, self-empowered tyrant. Before meeting her you meet Kadara Port - the people that suffer from extortion, beatings in the middle of the street, ruthlessly being thrown in the Badlands to die if they don’t play by the rules - her rules. So first you see the decrepit state of the word she leads. Then you meet her - if her aspect does’t fortify the image of a corrupted, violent leader her attitude definitely will. She treats you with disrespect, and gruesome, final solutions (the traitor’s death) are the only kind of solutions she’s accepting. The game pushes these aspects so vividly in your face that you don’t get to see ‘the devil in the details’ (ex: more relevant for her than a political visit from someone from the Nexus is the fact that the Kett have gone suspiciously silent and she’s pushing the matter - a small fact extremely important for a latter mission when the game gives you the impression that Sloane was trying to hide the Kett activity on Kadara; also the fact that if you don’t take her offer you get kicked out and effectively locked out for a long time from the dialogue wheel that allows you to get to know her better). The game basically offers you free access to the bad parts. Which in my opinion, as you explore Kadara, is well done - you need to see the horrible state to which Sloane has fallen, you need to acknowledge the rotten ways and let them sink. Making you sympathize with a character such as hers from the get-go would be a pity and it would be sloppy AND less satisfactory as you dig later. And, above all, it would make you close an eye and 'forget’ the bad. Sloane Kelly is an antagonist and kudos to the game for keeping her that way. She’s not a villain and again, the game did a great job at keeping her out of that description. She belongs to the grey area and I would have been more than happy with that if she wasn’t put in an unjust antithesis with another great (but equally questionable) character - Reyes Vidal. But one thing at a time. 

Back to Sloane. The second time you get to interact with her is when you take the quest from Kaetus, her 'right hand turian’. Meeting him at the same time when the game gives you the option to talk more to her is no coincidence. You hear all over Kadara (I’d stress more from The Collective’s Base) how Sloane picks her people - and I am willing to bet that part of the rumors are because of her close relationship to Kaetus. But meeting him in fact gives more insight into her character. The Charlatan is only known to those he needs in order to achieve his goals. He doesn’t have close people, he does’t have friends (as his ex points out, and as much as it pained me in game, probably Reyes as well, given his relationship with my Ryder, I could not pick the option to contradict Zia, because at that point she was right) - he only needs his people to be competent, not a burden on his soul if he loses them; he needs to be able to replace his people easily, no mourning, no emotional instability. Sloane in game was different - she probably knows all of her people and gets angry for every loss. And her work is based on trust with her people. Her hate for traitors is palpable and final. Her close relationship with Kaetus was a first intriguing trait. So I wanted to know more. 

Then if you speak to her about the events during the uprising she states some interesting points of view which the player tends to disregard - and for good reason: 1. they can just be her point of view; no real dangerous person believes they are the villain of the story and in their mind they will always have 'good reasons’; 2. even if she did the right thing at that point in time - it does not excuse her methods in the present. So yeah, again at this point there is nothing revealing in game. 

The second point where the game made me take a step back on my views on Sloane was the secondary quest about finding the Kett on Kadara. Kaetus is visibly displeased that Sloane left 'her throne’ to get her hands dirty. And her exact presence there made so many alarms go off in my head. The turian wants her to stay back so she can keep face - it was clear to me at that point that Sloane was not single-handedly 'rulling’ Kadara Port. She was the tactician and the military authority; Kaetus was the brain. He was the gentle hand, keeping things together and in a way… keeping Sloane together. He was probably the one to convince her to keep the issue with the Kett hidden (and possibly, if you ask me, he’s also the one tempering Sloane to wait for the right moment to strike at The Collective). Fact proven by her presence there. She’s insulting Ryder but behind her calloused words and (defensive) arrogant attitude there is honor. She would not let a Nexus 'puppy’ (given Ryder’s age) take care of her issues. It’s not her style - to owe someone, more-so someone belonging to a group she hates and blames for the current state of things. Her territory, her people, her responsibility - that’s it. At that point my brain went 'o-oh, I smell muddy waters ahead’ cause I was starting to like her and starting to open my ears and eyes more to the entire exiles vs Nexus conflict. 

And then the grand finale - her call for help - probably it took a lot for her to bite down on her ego and ask you for help. But why did she do it? Cause Kaetus was put in danger - her concern for him was grater than her ego and her fight for power. And she only works with people she trusts. Whatever you’re doing on Kadara (even if you stop the drugs and she looks pissed off, even if you steal people from right under her nose and do whatever the fuck you want on the Badlands ) - she’ in doubt of everything else but you. She acknowledges your acts as good and trusts you enough to asks you to join her.  Hands down - I loved the duel scene so much!!!! Don’t get me wrong - it was such a frustrating scene and in my experience the hardest decision in the game. Because you have to choose between two evils - that’s all there is to it. Nothing else - no other option; no good answer - it’s Bad Scenario A or Bad Scenario B. And here comes the nasty part that I both hate and love - the game makes the choice easy for you cause it paints the situation as the lesser evil (Reyes) vs the worst outcome of the two (Sloane); because the game leaves out in the open only the bad parts of the Outcasts and makes you work if you want to understand Sloane and it’s the exact opposite with the Collective: you get to know Reyes, work with him, fall for his charm and… overall good intentions, but you have to dig through all of Kadara to see the blood-baths that The Collective leave behind for the smallest of reasons. I loved it because it adds so much to the story and hell knows I am a sucker for puzzles and complicated situations. But it’s also a bummer that if you fast-forward through the conflict you just miss it and the game risks enabling the image of the charming 'bad-methods-for-the right-reasons’ bad boy vs the unscrupulous 'got what was coming to her’ bitch. I admit I was furious the first day when I played that part because the game makes it easier for you to choose Reyes over Sloane, but I kept thinking and I am content with the scene - because it stays true to both characters, Sloane and Reyes. And I love Reyes with the same intensity with which I love Sloane, but I am happy with the taste of disgust his tactics left me. Because it’s part of the character and a wake up call (greatly staged by the game) that he’s no better than his opponent, for different reasons. This scene was meant to put both Sloane and Reyes on the same level but, not surprisingly, part of the fandom choose to ignore that and fall for the stereotype trap I mentioned above. As I said, through the entire game this was the hardest decision for me; I simply loved how heavy and blurry it was and I hated it for the same reasons; so yeah: A+ content here. And for my Ryder it was ten times harder - the irony of it all - since Reyes was ‘someone for her’ - sadly not the type of someone he wished, the sort that comes with title and power - but in the end her choice, purely from her role as a Pathfinder, was the one that Cora phrases so well later - better the devil you know. And personally for my Ryder, she knows things would be better with Sloane out of the picture, but the woman didn’t deserve to go down that way. So the decision was made.

I read people call Sloane an idiot for expecting Reyes to 'play nice’ during the duel. I would partially agree with them on something - she is short-sighted on people’s dualism, but she’s not an idiot. Sure, she lets herself exposed to both the Charlatan’s plan and Ryder (especially a Ryder that has something going on with Reyes) but she does’t jump in with just good faith. This is why she called Ryder there - not to save the day, but to be her 'eyes’. She knows her limits, she knows how exposed she is without Kaetus but in desperation she turns to the only person that has proven honorable and trust-worthy enough because of their actions - and that is Ryder. And it’s up to Ryder’s personality to either hold their part of the deal or jump on the other boat, be it by intent or involuntary complicity. What I deem as bad writing in this scene is the dialogue options for Ryder after you side with Reyes. But that is an entirely different topic. 

The sad part about this scene is that it feels like you get the chance to truly know Sloane only if you save her. Which is not the case with Reyes - you have all the info accessible prior to the decision, and what comes after you pick him only fortifies it. That’s the unfair part of the way Sloane is written but not without reason, because it makes sense and it stays true to her character and setting. Why would someone like her be an open card and justify herself to someone like Ryder Jr.? You have to earn that, and if I am allowed to be a bit proud, it feels like a big reward for picking her side, considering the disadvantageous position in which she was placed throughout the game.

Some things you learn about Sloane through this path - she’s honest; she’s a one piece sort of character - all or nothing; her compass is running on honor; she’s not a leader; she hates being a title and she’s not good at it. My guess is that without Kaetus she would have lost the grip on Kadara a long time ago. She’s not greedy (something I can’t say about Reyes) - she’s a desperate ruler turned despot because of her lack of skills in the department. She executes in power because she needs to, not because she wants to. She’s violent and short-tempered, not a visionary. And above all, before Ryder comes in to turn the balance, she’s an exhausted and in-over-her-head leader. But with her you know that what you see is what you get. And she’s not the monster you’re lead to believe. She’s one hell of a stubborn, passive-aggressive (and damaged) marble but if Ryder pushes the right buttons and proves worthy of it she acknowledges them (ex: the beating stops, the 'heads on spikes’ and murder stop at Ryder’s demand). Sloane will never (again) be the Initiative’s dog but she is willing to help someone she sees capable and in for the 'small people’ too; and now in the light of what I have read in the Nexus Uprising book, I dare say she’s willing to give a second chance to someone who’d inspire faith in their purposes here. For Sloane, the 'good person’ ship has sailed during the uprising. I believe that was the last straw before she completely broke and lost sense over what is reasonable and ethic and what is not. But I strongly believe she can be a good ally, and someone you can count on during the darkest hour once you’ve gained her respect. I believe BioWare has done the character justice. In game they added as much as they could to the character (not to say I would not completely love new content and development of her in DLCs ❤) but yes, to truly understand her you need to dig deep. And you need to read Nexus Uprising if you want to go even further. I don’t believe the game is lacking in this department and honestly I am one of those people that doesn’t complain when a base game only gives you a piece of information and the rest you find in books or comics. 1. Because more media means more ways of enjoying an universe to a certain depth that a game on its own can’t ever reach; 2. It makes sense experience-wise to learn about a situation/character only in light of the events that take place in game. This is the path of Sloane Kelly as well - similar to Loghain (Dragon Age), a character that only those that read the books can truly understand; or Benny Gecko (Fallout New Vegas) who, in a similar way, you only get to know if you don’t kill him at the Tops and if you read the comics; or another example Maevaris Tilani, a Dragon Age character that was mentioned in DA:I and for sure will appear in the next game, but that will be a complete unknown for people that haven’t touched the comics. And so, so many others. 

And the second part - the way Sloane is portrayed in the fandom. Only surfing through Sloane’s tag on Tumblr made me furious for reasons that are all too obvious. And on top of all the insults she receives, what irked me were also the complains about her looks, how they changed her from the young in-trailer version to someone old and full of scars. On the contrary, I love her more because of that - because everything - her personality, her motivations, her past and her current self - makes more sense in this context. Someone the same age and experience (or lack thereof) as Ryder would nullify Sloan’s character entirely. And on top of the hate towards her, the way the fandom embraces Reyes with open arms and strips him of the shit he’s actually doing is making it extremely unfair. Reyes is so palpable and real because of his unappealing mix of traits - because he’s not romanticized as the bad boy stereotype with a heart of gold. He’s frigging problematic and I think the game is more than clear about it in enough scenes, culminating with the duel. I truly believe this is the fandom’s fault for making these two characters flat and stereotypical and yeah, it bothers me cause I love them both, but Reyes has enough defenders as it is and I think it’s time to have something else in the Sloane tags other than hate and complaints.

[catierambles]

Part V

Parts I-IV here, here, here, and here

Ryder parked the Nomad just outside the cave, seeing Sloane standing at the cave mouth, arms crossed over her chest.

“Took your sweet time.” She snapped when Sara approached and she gave her a look before swinging back around and heading back to the Nomad. “Ryder! I--let’s just get this over and done.”

“You guys stay out here.” Sara said to the Turian and Krogan at her flank.

“You sure, kid?” Drack asked, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“I’ll be fine.” She said, “Make sure no one makes off with the Nomad.”

“Call us if you need us.” Vetra said and they went back to the Nomad, opting to stay outside it as Sara rejoined Sloane, the two walking shoulder to shoulder into the cave.

The tunnel eventually widened out into a cavern and they looked around.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.” Sara felt her shoulders tense and the two turned, watching Reyes emerge from the shadows.

“Goddamnit, Vidal.” Sloane said, “I’m here to deal with the Charlatan, not some third rate smuggler.”

“They’re one in the same.” Sara said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose and Sloane turned on her.

“You knew?!” The yell echoed off the stone shrilly.

“Calm down, he played us both!” Sara snapped back, “Move on.”

“I’ll deal with you later, Pathfinder.” Sloane ground out before turning back to Reyes as he hopped down from the ledge he had been standing on. “What the hell do you want?”

“I propose a duel. Winner takes Kadara Port.” He offered.

“So you guys are going to shoot each other?” Sara asked, “Sound plan.” It was said with a roll of her eyes.

“Better two people shooting each other, than a lot of people shooting each other.” Reyes said and his gaze lingered on her, but she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“I accept.” Sloane said, cocky, confident that she would win.

“Fantastic.” Reyes said and Sara moved to the outer edges, backing away from the two as they started to circle each other, hands hovering over their pistols.

Pathfinder, SAM’s voice came over their private channel, I am detecting a third heat signature. A sniper, his rifle on Sloane Kelly. She let her eyes ghost over the area, catching the glint from the scope in the shadows before looking down.

She was expecting it, but still jumped as the shot rang out, louder in the cave and Sloane gave a shout, falling to her knees as the blast tore through her chest.

“Bang.” Reyes said, mimicking a gun with his fingers and Sloane collapsed onto the ground, her life spreading out in a widening pool beneath her, soaking into the dirt.  “Spread the word, Kadara Port is ours tonight.” He said and Sara turned on her heel, heading for the cave mouth. As much as she was angry with him right now, she hated Sloane more, hated what she had done to Kadara, making the residents little more than slaves. Reyes might be shady son-of-a-bitch, but at least he cared. “Sara!” She heard her name, but kept walking. Just a little more, just a little further. “Sara, please!” The pleading tone made her heart clench and her eyes burn. He was suddenly in front of her, looking at her with those mercurial amber eyes.

“Get out of my way.” She said, not looking at him but when she tried to move around him, he stepped in her way. “Reyes, please, get out of my way.”

“You asked me why.” He said in a rush, “You asked me why I lied, why I kept lying to you. I had a thousand chances to come clean and I didn’t.”

“You told me why.” Sara said, “You were scared I’d choose Sloane over you, well I didn’t, so...”

“That’s not all.” Reyes said, “I liked the way you looked at me. I was scared if I told you, that you would stop looking at me like that and I...” A pause. “I wasn’t The Charlatan when I was with you. I wasn’t Shena. I was Reyes. What we had -- have -- wasn’t a lie, isn’t a lie. I wasn’t using you, or manipulating you. I really do love you, Sara Ryder. None of this will mean a damn thing, if it means I lose you.” She finally looked at him, seeing the naked vulnerability in his eyes and on his face. He stepped closer to her, reaching up to touch the side of her jaw and she put her hand over his. Testing boundaries, he leaned into her, eyes moving over her face.

With a sigh, Sara closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to his and it was as if a dam broke, his arms coming around her, crushing her against his chest as he took control of the kiss.

Her back hit the cave wall and she gasped, his lips going to her neck.

“Reyes.” She sighed, her fingers moving through his hair. “I love you.”

He pulled away at that, looking into her eyes and she traced her fingertips over his lips.

“I love you.” She said again and he pressed his forehead to hers.

“You have terrible taste in men.” He quipped and she smiled.

“The worst.”

[kestrelsansjesses]

Unexpected Reunions

[Summary: Tiran Kandros insists that Wren Ryder takes him to Kadara, to witness the final showdown between Sloane Kelly and the Charlatan. Expecting to confront Sloane directly, he's instead startled to find he changes the course of the battle entirely. All Kelly/Kandros background is taken from the Uprising novel and is canon. Did he have a thing going on with her? The world may never know, but what happens next for Ryder and Kandros?As always, comments welcome and encouraged! Can be read as a standalone or as chapter 8 of ‘New Galaxy, Same Old Thirst’ which can be found on my AO3, linked above, or the previous chapter here. 

Kandros x Ryder] 

Kadara stank of rotten eggs, appropriate given the situation that Wren Ryder and Kandros had found themselves in. “Sloane won’t like you coming with,” was all she told him, but she had let him board the Tempest, and let him share her room as they traveled to the planet, not saying much else; there wasn’t anything to say. They knew the risks, but as far as Kandros was concerned, Sloane was still a matter of Nexus security, and what happened on Kadara could change everything. Whether the change would be for the better or for the worse remained to be seen.

Now they rode in the Nomad together, Ryder’s fingers tight around the wheel as she maneuvered up and down hills, trying to not do a shitty job of driving. “Please try not to kill us, Ryder,” Kandros said, holding on to a sidebar put there for that express purpose. Well, the key word there had been ‘trying.’

Despite Ryder’s questionable driving skills, they arrived at their meeting spot on time, though neither got out of the vehicle just yet. “What was she like? Before this, I mean.” It was Ryder who broke the silence, Kandros staring straight ahead out the windscreen, trying to see any human figures near the cave entrance.

“A good leader. Capable. There was a lot about Sloane to admire.” And maybe more than admire, if Kandros’ tone was anything to go off of. Ryder didn’t push any further, though whether it was for her sake or his, she didn’t know. “It’s hard to believe she would fall to this. She is- was- a helluva woman.” With that, Kandros opened the door to the Nomad and stepped out, unfolding his body and stretching out his neck. Ryder followed silently, eventually overtaking him to walk in front, trying to put her body as a shield between Kandros and Sloane’s figure, becoming larger as they walked slightly uphill.

Focused completely on the mission, Sloane didn’t seem to notice Kandros at first, her eyes snapping to Ryder as she said, “Took your sweet time.” Then she seemed to realize that Kandros was not Vetra, and her frown only deepened, arms dropping from being across her chest so that one hand could rest on the holster of her pistol. “What the hell is he doing here, Ryder? I don’t recall telling you that you could invite… guests.”

Stuck between the two of them, Ryder felt largely ignored and strangely small, but she stood her ground. “Don’t you think you owe Kandros an explanation, Sloane? He-”

“Can speak for himself,” Kandros finished. “I had to see what kind of… paradise Sloane Kelly left us for. Glad to see you made so much of yourself after betraying the Initiative.” Every word dripped with disdain, but he didn’t even bother to reach for his own gun. One corner of his mandibles twitched, something in the movement like a pulsing vein in the forehead, or like a quivering mouth corner.

“I don’t have time for this macho bullshit. Come on, Ryder. Let’s get this over with.” Whatever confrontation Kandros had expected, it wasn’t this. Sloane turned her back on him entirely, the conversation apparently over. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shook his head. Later. There would be time for it after, even if Kandros had to force it at the end of a gun.

The three of them entered the darkness of the cave, a single, broad ray of light illuminating a cluster of rocks like they were a stage. It was suitably overdramatic, sending Ryder’s mind into overdrive. There was something to be said for going with another woman to take revenge on something done to her turian lover and if Sloane had been more likable, perhaps Ryder would have actually offered some comfort, or at least tried to. Kaetus wasn’t there, though she had little doubt that he would have been if he hadn’t been hospital-bound.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.” A voice from above and a body from the shadows, turning into a familiar form. Reyes Vidal. Not a complete idiot, Ryder had her suspicions from the start- people gravitated to Reyes. He was well-known, and seemed to have pull that no ostensibly ordinary man on Kadara should have. He was a friend, of a sorts, close enough that she thought he would have said something. Apparently not. She looked behind her, but Kandros only looked puzzled. Reyes would be nothing but a name on reports to him, the situation escalating out of his control, a rapid dialogue between Ryder, Sloane, and Reyes that named people and situations he would have never heard about. It was hardly the reunion with Sloane that Kandros wanted, but there was no space for him to step in.

Reyes dropped down, sending motes of dust swirling into the soft sunlight. “A duel. You and me. Right now. Winner takes Kadara Port.”

“I’ll take those terms.” Kelly spat into the dirt at her feet.

Kandros grabbed Ryder’s shoulder, pulling her back from the almost gravitational orbit the two now-circling combatants seemed to have. “I can’t stand by and watch this happen, Ryder. Sloane needs to be extradited back to the Nexus and the Charlatan is a possible threat to Nexus security.” His hand on her shoulder was too tight, though he seemed to realize it, lightening his grip fractionally, eyes never straying from the two.

“This is their battle. It’s not just you versus Sloane anymore.” It never had been. The day had spiraled out of even Ryder’s control, meaning they could only watch as Sloane’s hand curled around her gun, a faintly cocky smile gracing Reyes’ face.

Another few tense seconds of watching, and then Kandros leaned into her ear again, breath a tense whisper. “Sniper. He has his sights on Sloane. Ryder, I can’t let them.”

“Kandros, don’t let yourself get shot for this idiotic fight over Kadara,” but he was already moving towards Sloane. Whatever he thought of her, he needed the revenge to be on his terms, and he couldn’t just stand by and watch a woman die. Sloane Kelly, former head of Nexus security. Sloane Kelly, leader of the Outcasts, responsible for deaths back at home, a rebellion that had occurred when Kandros was still lost in the vastness of their new galaxy. He had taken up her title and her mantle, but never easily, and damned if he was going to let her die, not when he still had to ask her why.

Just as the shot rang out, Kandros pulled Sloane backward, the unexpected movement throwing off her center of gravity so that she stumbled. What should have been a gut shot went high instead as Sloane sank downward, hitting her upper chest and rocketing her backward. Blood flooded instant and liberally, coating Kandros’ fingers as he put pressure on it. “Ryder!”

“Kallo, we need immediate medical evac to my coordinates. Tell Lexi to prepare for trauma, gunshot wound.” If they didn’t act quickly, it would be fatal. As it was, there was no way Sloane could run Kadara like this; she would be out of commission for weeks, if not months. If she survived at all.

“Kadara Port is ours tonight.” Evidently, Reyes agreed, already directing his men into movement.

Covered in Sloane’s bed, Ryder shook her head. “Reyes. I can’t say I agreed to any of these tactics. We need to have a discussion, you and I, when this is over.” There was no time for it now; Kandros lifted Sloane’s top half and Ryder took her feet, both jogging, trying not to jostle her. Sloane was already pale, completely unconscious, but the Tempest was descending with the dock lowered, Lexi running out with an emergency trauma kit in hand, Drack and Vetra following closely behind with a stretcher between them.

As gently as she could, Ryder helped Sloane into the stretcher. She would have to radio Kaetus as well, to let him know what had happened. He’d want to be on the Tempest with Sloane, no matter what happened afterwards. One empire was crumbling and another had risen, and though she thought Reyes would do a better job… This was a fucking mess.

Kandros and Ryder were left at the bottom of the ramp, Kandros shaking his head. “This isn’t how I wanted it to go, Ryder. I didn’t want her to die.” He was broken, almost small, and so tired.

“She could still survive. Lexi is the best doctor I know. She’s brought me back at least once.” The attempt at levity missed entirely, Ryder’s false smile fading as soon as it appeared.

Blood-soaked fingers entwined with his, not caring about the mess they made. They were silent for some time, still just standing there. She leaned forward so her head could rest against his armored chest, and he put his head on top of hers, tilting his face downward to rest in her hair, each soft breath sending stray strands floating upward. “She’ll survive, Kandros. Then you can ask her every question you have.”

“Ryder, I’ve managed to decrypt the Meridian files.” Gil’s timing was impeccable.

“I need to be alone. I’ll take the Nomad and take care of Kaetus, bring him back to the ship. Let me talk to him.” Turian on turian, or man on man. Lover on lover? Ryder’s head was pounding and she wanted nothing more than a long shower; there was blood in her hair now, from where she had inadvertently reached upward to straighten something out.

“Kandros, I’m here.” It was all she could offer. It wasn’t enough.

“I know,” he said, and they stood for a moment longer before breaking apart. They both had work to do, miles to go before they could bathe and sleep and rest.

[space-mother]

if you're still taking writing requests, maybe scott gets caught up in some of reyes' smuggling business (maybe hurt or kidnapped, even) and reyes is losing his mind from the guilt?

so i got asked this kinda one about five or six times, so i’m here to deliver what the people want! hurt/comfort, ~3200 words, tw for violence and blood. HERE’S THE AO3 LINK. thanks to @kadarakings for betaing.

“Look, you don’t have to do this for me,” Reyes said as he leaned against the table, all lean lines and soft smiles, “But I would be eternally grateful if you did.”

“Don’t you have an army of mooks to do this kinda work?” Scott asked. He sized Reyes up as he sauntered over to him, enjoying the not-so-subtle posing that was definitely for his benefit. Reyes smiled.

“An army of mooks, but only one you,” he said. If he objected to Scott trapping him in place with his hands braced either side of him on the table, he didn’t say anything. In fact, Scott thought he quite liked it, if the flush of colour rising above his collar was any indication, “This could be something big for the Collective. For Kadara. I don’t want to take a gamble with this. I want my best man on the job.”

“I’m your man, am I?” Scott asked, his voice low as he pressed up against Reyes. He loved the way his lashes fluttered at the contact, like he could hardly control himself despite his cool composure.

“I should certainly hope so,” he said as he looped his arms around Scott’s neck, “What do you say?”

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” Scott trailed off. Reyes lifted his chin in an invitation he couldn’t resist, and he met him half-way with the kiss. Reyes Vidal was a very hard man to say no to.

–

Ryder should have known something was fishy from the moment he arrived at the meet sight. For a start, the contact had chosen a deliberately obtuse place to meet: deep in the bowels of a maze-like cave system several times the size of the one the Collective used as their base. They had wanted to speak to the Charlatan himself, no fronts, no guards; Reyes had reasoned that Scott was enough of a celebrity at that point that they wouldn’t take his own absence personally.

Scott had voiced his concerns, but Reyes had assured him he wasn’t taking any risks with the deal or with Scott’s wellbeing - even if scars were dashing, apparently. He said his info was watertight, and a lot of time and credits had been spent to get them to that point. Scott trusted him.

It took a while to find his way to the meeting point, even with SAM’s help. He took comfort that the readings only showed one life-form ahead, so at least it (probably) wasn’t an ambush - he sincerely hoped it was the contact, and not some happy little eiroch taking a nap. What he found when he rounded the final corner, however, was a single angara perched on a crate in the middle of the small clearing. She looked up when he approached, and tilted her head coyly to the side.

“You’re not the Charlatan,” she said, then paused, “Are you? That would be some twist.”

“I’m not the Charlatan, no. I guess you could call me his right hand man, for now,” Scott said. She seemed harmless enough, but he still kept his distance. SAM told him she had a pistol strapped to the small of her back.

“That’s not a good way to start a partnership. We did arrange to speak with him personally,” she said with a slight frown as she slid from her perch, landing on her feet with a nervous bounce.

“Which sadly isn’t possible at the moment, for which he sends his sincerest apologies,” Scott said. She seemed a little on edge, but he couldn’t really blame her, “And me, of course. But don’t worry, I’ve been given a carte blanche for this - anything I say comes with his full backing.”

“You must be close for him to trust you like that,” she said, clearly fishing for more information. When met with Scott’s polite silence, her lips thinned in displeasure, and she crossed her arms, “Right. If it can’t be helped, I suppose we should get on with negotiations then.”

“I suppose we should,” Scott said, trying to be agreeable. Her reluctance was understandable but he still owed it to Reyes to at least try and put his best foot forward in getting somewhere. Frankly, he was kind of surprised she hadn’t just shut him down then and there; last minute failure to meet agreements weren’t usually so well received.

They used the crate like a table for the informal proceedings. The angara, who still hadn’t introduced herself, seemed to relax as they got into the minutiae of cargo drops and credit transfers once she realised Scott was serious and had a decent idea of what was going on (Reyes had uploaded the need-to-know basics to SAM; the rest of his operations remained a mystery). In fact, she warmed up enough to him that she seemed fine with trading jokes and insults in that wonderfully open angaran way, and was apparently completely undeterred by his total stonewalling when it came to pressing for more personal details of the Charlatan.

She seemed young when she opened up a little more. Bouncy, bright. She reminded him of Sarah in a way.

“Well, I think that just about wraps this up,” Scott said once the final transaction was authorised and sent, tens of thousands of credits flashed away in an instant. They’d been at it for the best part of an hour, hashing out the deal and then setting it up. Reyes might have pushed a little harder but Scott figured he’d be happy enough.

“It has been a pleasure doing business with you, Ryder,” the anagran said, stowing her datapad and powering off her omni-tool, “And I promise the Nexus will never find out about this.”

“Much appreciated,” Scott said with a laugh. SAM silently pinged Reyes to let him know he was done. He stepped to the angara with his fore-arm raised in the manner Jaal had shown him. She scoffed and pushed it aside, pulling him into a one-armed hug. Scott was taken aback, but returned it anyway. He didn’t want to offend.

“You know, I had a gut-feeling this would go badly when I first arrived, but I’m glad to be proven wrong,” he said. It was a little awkward, but he’d never done business with an angaran before.

“Aww, Ryder,” she said, and pulled back slightly while still hanging on to him. Her smile had a thin, cold edge to it - almost as cold as the muzzle of the pistol she pressed against his stomach with her spare hand, “You should always trust your gut.”

Ryder heard the shots before he felt them, two in quick succession, inches apart. There was no pain at first, just the concussion, a winding blow that knocked the breath out of his lungs like he’d been punched in the stomach.

“I know you’re listening, Charlatan,” she said out loud, like the cave had been bugged (maybe it had),“The Outcasts didn’t die with Sloane Kelly, but your pet Pathfinder dies here! You’re not as untouchable as you think!”

A hot wet heat in his gut unfurled like a flag, spooling down the front of his compression suit, seeping through his armor, and Scott realised it was blood. His blood. He was bleeding. The angaran tried to push him away from her but he clung on to her by the front of her vac-suit like a drowning man; they struggled like that as SAM filled his head with warnings and alerts. Scott shoved her up against the crate hard enough to make her cry out and drop the gun, but then she pushed back, hands locked around his wrists, trying to break his hold so she could escape before back-up came.

SAM advised him that back-up might not come in time. They were so deep in the mountain. The second shot had ricocheted off his pelvis and nicked his renal artery. There were several countdowns rolling over at once, projected against the inside of his skull. None of them started above the ten minute mark. SAM could only do so much.

The angara drew back, punched him in the face, once, twice, and his nose cracked. His legs gave way beneath him, but when he fell, he brought her down too. He rolled them; he wasn’t strong enough to hold her down but he could use his weight to his advantage. She bared her teeth as they struggled; blood from his broken nose dripped onto her face. She reached out blindly with one hand, her fingers scrabbling against the stone floor to reach for the gun she had dropped, the other hand jammed against Scott’s face in an effort to hold him off.

He could feel his strength failing, his grip slackening. His vision was blurring, dimming. He was dying, and he didn’t need SAM to tell him so. The angara managed to use the slack to reach the gun and swung it round; with the last of his wits, Scott activated him omni-blade. It bit into the thin skin beneath her jaw, pushed on through her neck like a hot knife through butter. There was a flash of anger in her blue eyes, fear and hatred. Then, there was nothing but a dimming light, and the diminishing gurgle of blue blood, spilling out over his hands and from between her parted lips.

Scott couldn’t keep himself upright any more. He couldn’t decipher what SAM was trying to tell him, it was all just noises, lights behind his eyes. The pain was coming now, a savage raw ache that drilled through him with every laboured breath. He put his hands to his stomach, but he wasn’t strong enough to press down. He watched in muted horror as the blood seeped through his fingers, blackish and unbidden.

He didn’t want to die on top of her, the angaran. He twisted to the side, rolled away as far as he could, which wasn’t far at all. Just far enough that was was on his back, staring up at the grim, grey ceiling. Scott closed his eyes, let himself settle. A tear rolled down his cheek. He always thought he’d die under the stars.

–

A numbness filled Scott from head to toe. He couldn’t feel limbs at all, as cold and heavy as lead, but he was vaguely aware there was someone holding his hand. He couldn’t feel the touch, but he could feel the pressure. Noises filtered through the cotton wool that surely stuffed his aching head, urgent voices, what sounded like alarms. The low rumbling of a badly insulated engine. Was he on a shuttle?

He tried to open his eyes, but the effort was gargantuan. His face was cold - no, not just his face, he was cold all over.  It was a struggle to make sense of the shapes moving around him - people, leaning over him, scraps of cloud rushing past the window, and– Reyes. Reyes, sitting by his side, hunkered down like he was trying to make himself as small as possible. He had Scott’s hand clasped between his own, pressed to his lips. His eyes were shut tight and he was talking without sound, silent muttering; there was blood on his face, his hands, all over his lovely flight suit.

“Reyes, blood,” Scott said, or rather, he tried to. His tongue wouldn’t move the way he wanted it too, “Are you hurt?”

Reyes looked up, his eyes wide and red rimmed. His face creased into an unreadable expression, something wild and wounded that made Scott more scared than the medics did. He reached out to cup his cheek with a trembling hand.

“Scott,” he said, his voice breaking, “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry– I should have– I should have went with you, I should have been there. Scott, I’m–”

“You’re okay,” Scott slurred. He tried to smile. He hoped he was, because he couldn’t keep his eyes open any more. The darkness was creeping into the corners again. He was just so tired, “You’ll be fine. You’re fine.”

–

When Scott opened his eyes again, he was far less groggy but not much less confused. It took a long hard minute of blinking up at the ceiling for his brain to reforge itself through the fog of painkillers, and it all came racing back. His breath caught in his throat. His heart-rate spiked, causing a chirp of alarm from his vital monitor and a warm welcome back to consciousness from SAM. Lexi was at his side with her scanner flaring before he could even try and sit up.

“Don’t,” she said in a hard whisper. She was clearly furious, the anger simmering just below the surface, but Scott could almost feel the waves of relief rolling off her, “Don’t you dare try and move or I’ll sedate you again.”

The threat held a vague appeal, especially considering the dull ache in his abdomen like a full body bruise. He was tired. He fell thin, insubstantial, like he’d been pulled too far in all directions, “Why are you whispering?”

Lexi’s mouth tugged into a neat frown, and she gestured to the far side of the room. Scott had to strain his neck to see without sitting up but there, slumped in a chair and soundly asleep, was Reyes Vidal. On the Tempest. On his ship.

Someone (Liam) had put a jacket over him, like they didn’t have blankets to spare.

He looked so much like he belonged there. It made Scott ache in ways that had nothing to do with the bullet wounds.

“By all rights I should send him home via the airlock for this, but he brought you here, and he’s adamant to stay,” Lexi said, disapproval dripping from every word. She sighed and looked back down at the scanner, “He hasn’t moved since you arrived. He even took a swing at Drack when he tried to throw him out.”

Scott didn’t say anything. He simply lay his head back down and nodded. His mouth felt dry and his throat hurt, though he couldn’t remember if it was from intubation, or screaming, or just thirst. Lexi met his eye and held it. She lowered the scanner.

“Look, I know I’ve got about twenty seconds before you ask me to leave so you can talk, so I’ll be brief: you were shot twice in the lower abdomen. Both bullets perforated your intestines, with the second ricocheting off your pelvis and nearly severing your renal artery, causing severe internal injury and bleeding. This isn’t just something you slap medigel on and forget about in the morning, Ryder. You’re going to be here for a while,” she said. She paused, shifted from foot to foot, “But you’re alive, and lucky to be so. As much as it pains me to admit it, that’s in no small part to Mr Vidal’s quick actions. He got you into this mess, and he pulled you out. By the skin of your teeth, but he did. Make of that what you will.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Scott said. His voice was raspy, weak. Lexi managed to give him a tight smile and place a hand on his arm for just a second before she left. That touch alone made him feel like he would choke on his guilt. He waited until he knew she’d be well gone, and then tried to push himself up on his elbows. It was hard - every shift sent fresh coils of agony through him, but eventually he was more or less sitting upright against his pillows.

“Reyes,” he said softly. There was no response, so he tried again, “ Reyes. ”

The smuggler frowned in his sleep as he slowly stirred, obviously exhausted and not happy about being disturbed - but then as if remembering where he was, and why, he suddenly snapped away and sat up properly. The jacket slithered off him and onto the floor, forgotten.

Scott realised then he was still covered in blood. Scott’s blood. He’d washed it off his face and hands but his flight suit was still stiff with blackish gore, like he was the one who had been shot. He realised then that he must have been the one to carry him to the shuttle. Scott’s fingers curled in the soft blanket covering him. Tears threatened to well up in his eyes, his vision blurring for a new reason.

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said, his throat tight like someone had grabbed him by it. He looked away, “Like you thought I wasn’t coming back.”

“Scott, I–” Reyes began, but whatever he was going to say died on his lips as he got up and crossed to the bed on unsteady legs.

“I wouldn’t do that to you,” he went on, and he was crying properly by then, unable to stop the tears streaming down his cheeks. He was lying through his teeth. He had been ready to do that to him. After he killed the angara, he had laid down in the dirt next to her knowing he was about to die, and he had damn well nearly made his peace with that.

Reyes took his face in his hands. He brushed away Scott’s tears with his thumbs even though he was crying too, and pulled him into an ugly, desperate kiss, “I’m so sorry, Scott, I am so sorry.”

Scott clung on weakly to the collar of Reyes’ jacket, a tender imitation of his struggle in the cave. He shook his head and sniffed wetly, “No, no, don’t. Don’t be sorry, I’m the one…I’m the one that’s sorry.”

Reyes pulled back, looking genuinely baffled, “What on earth could you be sorry about?”

“I wasn’t careful enough. I– I knew something was up as soon as I got there, I should have pulled the whole thing. I just didn’t want to let you down, I knew how much you had riding on this,” Scott said through the tears, “And your credits, I lost all those credits. She had me send them before she– before she–shit, I fucking fell for it.”

“My credits?” Reyes repeated slowly, “Scott, I don’t give a damn about the credits! I can lose ten thousand credits, I can lose a million credits, but I can’t lose you . I love you, Scott Ryder. I will never be so reckless with something so precious, so long as I live. Kadara Port could burn to the ground, and the Collective with it. I know now, the only thing that matters is you.”

Scott touched his forehead to Reyes’ and closed his eyes. He brought his hands up to touch his neck, his face, and buried his fingers in his short hair. He could hardly process what he was hearing, but his heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest, “I love you too. Please, stay with me a while.”

Reyes smiled. It was thin and it was tired, but there was a well of affection there Scott knew would never run dry, “I’m not going anywhere until we can walk off this ship together.”