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It was silent amongst them, save for the chirping from the native life of Havarl; just minutes before, they had arrived at the Pelaav station and were coldly welcomed by the scientists residing there. It was understandable – she could hardly blame them for their skepticism and wariness, coming from a human woman accompanied with an asari and practically dragging along one of their own. Jaal Ama Darav, a seasoned fighter amongst the Resistance, who was purposely keeping her at arms-length.
She vividly recalled the subtle hesitation and blatant distrust from the varying citizens of Aya, which happened to be a sacred world where few of the angara were allowed to reside within. Aya was vibrant and full of wondrous sights, but most of them were closed off due to their sudden arrival. Their crash-landing after a narrow escape from the bastard behind all of this terror - the Archon.
Lorelei gently shoved away the overgrowth of foliage that attempted to smack her in the face with a frown on her freckled face. Neither of her companions had to deal with such trouble since they both had the advantage of height over her. Peebee was a few inches taller than her whilst Jaal held an entire foot taller than her; she stood at a measly height of one hundred fifty-seven centimeters and she was glad that none of her companions pointed out the difference.
Magnus would have made a comment for sure – Lorelei certainly would have smacked him for it, even if he was closer to Jaal in height.
Peebee was audibly sighing as they ventured further into the jungle-like environment and Jaal simply kept quiet, purposely maintaining his silence under the guise of keeping his eyes peeled for their surroundings. Lorelei certainly didn’t blame him, especially since she wasn’t entirely in the mood to deal with Peebee’s tangents. She had woken up with the realization that hit her like a shuttle.
Five days. One hundred and twenty hours. Since her father had sacrificed his life, whether for duty or out of familiar love – she still couldn’t figure it out. She had gone five days as the successor of his role and she had already managed to establish an outpost, begin the process of strengthening ties with the angara, and now on the hunt to procure viability throughout the entire galaxy.
All of these responsibilities weighed upon her and constantly reminded her of the lack of training; not just from her father for this role as the Pathfinder, but for the diplomacy and social skills that her brother, Magnus, held over her. Nearly every encounter and conversation she had with the angara, she purposely had to channel the personality or responses her brother would come up with – struggling to wear her heart on her sleeve.
Certainly not how she or her father would respond. With cold, harsh realities and the truth.
Lorelei’s ears perked at the sound of movement not too far from their position and the second she tilted her head upward, pale blue eyes narrowing at their immediate surroundings, she halted. She quickly threw her right hand up, signaling for her companions to stop, and she whispered, “Don’t. Move. I’m counting five Kett soldiers, three of their unleashed beasts, and one higher-ranking soldier. On my go, ready your weapons and prepare to throw out your biotics, Peebee.”
Peebee simply nodded her head, an action that Lorelei had caught in her peripheral vision and furrowed her brows. Releasing the breath she had been holding, she pointed two fingers forward and pounced with her modified sidearm at the ready. Peebee was hot on her heels, biotics flaring and engulfing one of the soldiers in a singularity that rendered him helpless. Jaal remained concealed by the lush vegetation and swiftly fired his modified rifle, aiming down the sights and picking off the beasts that attempted to snap their jaws at her heels.
One was nearly successful – then it was met with an armored boot to the jaw, efficiently breaking it and blackish-blood oozing from the gums. Lorelei had winced at the gnarly sight and figured it was best to put the damned creature out of its misery with two bullets piercing its skull.
While Jaal was easily sniping down the hostiles on the outskirts of the fray, her and Peebee were a force to be reckoned with as they either threw lances of biotic energy towards the higher-ranking soldier or Lorelei threw up a biotic shield over her left forearm and deflected every bullet and projectile thrown her way. The fight was nearly one-sided and Lorelei frowned as the last soldier crumpled to the ground, blackish-green blood staining the soil beneath their feet.
“Come on, guys. It looks like they were trying to get into this building over here and someone sealed it shut. I can bypass it with my modules and we can figure out what exactly they were after-”
As soon as the doors flew open, Lorelei swiftly side-stepped from the entrance as a dagger flew through the air and a voice cried out, “Stay back, or I’ll blow this entire place up! Stay… Stay away from me!”
Jaal was the first one to enter the small building, rushing to the side of an angaran woman bleeding out with her hands resting over her abdomen – the likely spot where all of the blood was gushing from, even if a little bit was pouring from the side of her mouth. Jaal crouched beside the distressed angaran woman, whose vision likely became hazy as she attempted to focus on Lorelei slowly approaching and Peebee leaning against the threshold.
“N-no, I will not be taken by them… Not by the Kett-”
“Hush now, sister. No one here will take you from your home or anywhere else; you are safe and sound here, right in my arms sitting beside you. You can close your eyes and rest now – I promise this to you, that you are safe.”
Lorelei could only watch with her mouth sealed shut and her heart sinking into her gut. Those damned words were a lifeline to her and a damnation – a reminder to that horrid night, but now was not the time to be swept away with her memories. Not when an innocent soul lay dying before her. She lowered herself to the ground, nearly leaning over Jaal’s shoulder as she murmured, “You are safe now. The Kett have been dealt with and you can rest easy. No one will take you from your home – your safe place.”
Those were the last words that the angaran woman heard yet she was comforted by the embrace and how Jaal gingerly laid her down, closing her eyes as she gave her final breath. Lorelei felt her heart palpitate as Jaal glanced over his shoulder, his deep blue eyes meeting her pale blue, and he whispered, “She has passed, Ryder, but she is not the first. Sadly, she will not be the last… Many more will likely lose their lives.”
Lowering her gaze and focusing on the wound, noting that the blood had stopped flowing and was beginning to dry, she somberly replied, “I know, Jaal. Already, lives have been lost since I woke up and I’ve witnessed more death here than I had back home. All I can do is quietly hope that we can stop this madness before it worsens.”
Jaal’s cold, distant gaze had considerably softened at her words and the sliver of emotion she expressed; she knew that Jaal had conjured the assumption that she followed the ruthless calculus of death and battles, but it was likely that he now realized that she was new to this. That she hardly knew what she was doing, recently inheriting the role that her father proudly acquired. Afterall, she was the youngest aboard the Tempest and shouldering the burden of being their leader. Being their Pathfinder.
Lorelei was the first to push herself off of the ground and she brushed past Peebee, ignoring the questioning stare that the asari directed towards her. She hadn’t bothered to explain the details as to why she reacted the way she had when they first met; it was divulging sensitive information and digging up trauma that Lorelei was unsure would be safe to tell the asari. Especially when she considered how the Peebee had the “no-strings attached” attitude, which she blatantly admitted.
She had pushed the asari enough when they spoke on the Tempest, when she had run into the asari who had purposely been avoiding any interaction with Dr. Lexi T’Perro. Not a chance would she give the asari to push her now, especially when she was reforming her mental barriers and steeling herself for their mission. Now was not the time to crumble or share her personal issues.
Only two people knew the details of her trauma.
One was dead and the other was trapped within his own mind. She would not change that number any time soon, unless she found someone out in this damned galaxy that managed to pry her heart open. To worm their way into her thoughts in such a deep, personal manner and lower her guard.
Holstering her sidearm to her left hip, Lorelei barely shifted her attention towards her companions that regarded her with questioning stares and muttered, “Let’s get going. We’ll notify someone back at the Pelaav station to come and retrieve her body, but we must find these missing scientists and begin resetting these monoliths. We’ve got a lot on our plates and I’d like to finish up before hunger, exhaustion, or frustration hits us hard.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
All of the deep blue ichor staining the railings, vegetation, and the soil around them was unnerving; the bloodied corpses of the angara that they had fought moments before were beginning to cool and it worsened Lorelei’s mood. Jaal had forewarned them that they may run into extremists rallying and gathering on Havarl, which was understandable considering the planet was their homeworld. They were known as the Roekaar, which was supposedly formed and led by a former classmate of his - Akksul.
That was likely a story to be shared another time and Lorelei was more than willing to listen. Just not when they were ankle-deep in corpses and on a time-crunch to reach the coordinates that their possible ally had given them. Lorelei tapped her armored fingers against the jutting pieces of armor attached to her hips as they strolled across the walkway, subtly creating a beat as they were greeted with a sudden storm. She ignored the tingling sensation of her lavender locks growing soaked with each droplet and sticking to her nape, but the drumming of her fingertips halted at the sound of gunfire.
Narrowing her pale blue eyes to the left, she deftly reached over her shoulder and removed her modified sniper rifle from the holster on her back and peered through the scope. Roekaar – they were closing in on hazy silhouettes that seemed too lithe to belong to the Kett. Lorelei muttered, not bothering to catch her companions attention as she directed the question to her internal companion, “SAM? Can you make out who exactly the Roekaar are attacking?”
“I am unable to identify the thermal temperatures or genetic markers due to the distance, Lorelei. You will need to close the distance between yourself and the Roekaar.”
She rolled her eyes at the response and darted in the direction of the Roekaar, who were firing their weapons and shouting orders and curses into the air. Jaal was hot on her heels with his firearm withdrawn and he shouted, “Ryder! There are reinforcements on the way!”
“What exactly are they doing out here, Jaal-”
“Those are Natanus uniforms, Lorelei.”
Lorelei’s blood boiled at this newfound information and as she scanned their immediate surroundings, it suddenly grew cold at the realization of the survivors being pinned down and worn down. She was unsure if it was from the crash, apparent to all of the debris surrounding them, or if these attacks from the Roekaar weren’t new.
She positioned herself behind a piece of debris that was protruding from the soil and aimed down the scope of her rifle, calmly pulling the trigger the second a Roekaar soldier stepped into her crosshairs. It was growing easier and easier to ignore the cries slipping from their mouths, their grasping hands pressing down on their bleeding wounds. It was still difficult to shut out the gargling of blood as they collapsed to the ground.
Jaal and Peebee were swiftly taking down Roekaar soldier’s on their own, or providing a finishing blow for one that they struck down or confirming that those who were shot by Lorelei were truly dead. Everything was a blur and the only reminder that Lorelei was present in the moment was the pressure in her fingers as she pulled the trigger and the recoil against her right shoulder. The sensation and stinging kept her from succumbing to those intrusive thoughts.
The second the final soldier was shot down, a turian man quickly approached her and his mandibles twitched at the sight of her companions. He stood over a foot taller than her, close to Jaal in height, and he tilted his head downward as he chimed, “I appreciate the help back there. Name’s Avitus Rix. Sorry if my methods seem extreme. Civilian life is… trying.”
Nodding her head at him, scanning the immediate area and internally counting the survivors amongst them, she coolly retorted, “Lorelei Ryder. Human Pathfinder. I’m assuming that you're a former military man, Avitus?”
His mandibles twitched once more at Lorelei’s question. Raising a brow at him, the turian shook his head and sighed, “A Spectre. Special Tactics and Reconnaissance - I did the Council’s dirty work for fifteen years.”
A former Spectre; she should not be surprised that every colonist from the Milky Way came from diverse backgrounds, and not just their races. Also their professions or careers - it was also a reminder of a familiar woman, who had been a whisper on the wind before they left with the Andromeda Initiative. Crossing her arms over her chest-plate, Lorelei asked, “That explains your methods and tactics - on a random note, did you ever work alongside or meet the first human Spectre..?”
It would have been obvious of her connection if she personally addressed the woman by name and it wasn’t something she felt like explaining to Peebee at the moment. Avitus clicked his tongue and retorted, “Never personally knew the woman, but I met Commander Bellatrix Shepard - it was shortly after the battle on the Citadel. Why do you ask..?”
Lorelei shrugged, hoping that was answer enough for the turian and it seemed that he easily caught on. His gaze subtly shifted towards Jaal before maintaining eye-contact once more with Lorelei and continuing, “Well, this was supposed to be my retirement plan. Then Natanus hit the Scourge, and
bam!
Woke up here.”
It explained why they were stranded here, but not where the ark was. Lorelei frowned at the turian and she questioned, “What exactly happened? Where exactly is the ark, then..?”
“No idea, Ryder. I had to break out of my own damn stasis pod…”
That response made Lorelei gape at the turian and she lowered her arms to her sides once more. Her pale blue eyes scanned the turian for any sign of injuries that could be related to the crash and she muttered, “A fall like that should’ve killed you…”
Avitus snickered at Lorelei’s response and countered, “Those stasis pods are studier than they look and more credit than you give them. Most of the turian population is still missing – including Macen, our Pathfinder. SAM hasn’t transferred to me, so it certainly means that he’s still alive. Just, we don’t know where…”
Lorelei was skeptical – she had no idea the damage that the Natanus had incurred from the Scourge, and she likely was facing the sole survivors from the crash. Frowning at the thought, she gnawed on her lower lip and sighed, “There’s also a possibility that the SAM node was destroyed when the Scourge hit the Natanus-”
“I’d know if he was dead. Macen dedicated his life to Andromeda. He’s too stubborn to die now…”
She knew that the turian standing before her was close to the Pathfinder and that she had struck a nerve with her assumption. Lorelei was never the greatest at detecting when she was too harsh towards others and only knew when to soften the blows whenever she spoke with her mother and brother. It was another moment where a situation like this, conversing with another and providing hope, was better suited to her comatose brother. Lorelei pursed her lips for a moment before she added, “We need every Pathfinder that we can get.”
Avitus nodded and replied, his eyes scanning their immediate surroundings and gesturing towards the path that they came from, “Debris and stasis pods from the Natanus are scattered across the sector - some of the debris from escape pods and stasis pods are all over this planet as well, so it can be used to trace the Natanus. Between the two of us? We should find
something
.”
They certainly would. Lorelei would be the one to cover much more ground and area than Avitus would, but she was hopeful that he could do one thing for her before she was finished with Havarl. Jerking her head towards the path they came from, Lorelei responded with a faint smile on her face, “Well, the settlers need someone like you – a sign that there’s hope then.”
It seems that this response didn’t soothe the turian; in fact, the opposite occurred and he sighed with a weary glint in his eyes, “I’m merely a stopgap for them, Ryder. Macen… Macen is the solution. I’ll give you my frequency, so call me when you need something, or you find something.”
Lorelei merely nodded her head and the second her omni-tool pinged with the notification of another frequency added to her channels, she quickly turned on her heels and made her way down the path with her companions following close behind. Neither of them had the chance to utter a word as she mumbled, “We’re not going to accomplish anything if we stop now and ponder over the possibilities - we’ve still got a planet to heal and a vault to reset. Let’s get a move on.”
Those words struck a nerve within her and she felt disillusioned. Whatever was slowly building up with the accomplishments and success she had garnered within the past few days came crumbling down – for a brief time, she was merely a stopgap. A temporary solution for the conundrum that the Andromeda Initiative was facing…
Now she was their permanent solution and it was another reminder of her role and her place. She was the sole Pathfinder until she managed to recover one, whether they’re dead or alive.
She shuddered at the thought that briefly soared through her mind and caused the void within her heart to rumble, once more. They had recovered her from Habitat 7, but not her father. Not the original Pathfinder. Lorelei felt the hairs on the nape of her neck rise and when she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed that Jaal was watching her closely.
He no longer harbored that distrust and wariness in his gaze; it had been replaced with a softness she hadn’t seen before her mother passed and her brother cradled her in his arms on that horrific night. It made that void snarl in response and she quickly turned her gaze away, purposely ignoring her companions as they pressed onwards.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Victory was once again theirs and it was now shared with her newfound allies, who had happily greeted her as they reached the Pelaav station once more; she likely appeared as a deer-in-headlights as they rushed to her, smiling and gently holding her close as they shared their findings and positive readings. Not only was she greeted by Kiiran, but Taavos and Esmus were standing behind her with soft expressions on their faces.
They had gathered together and it was all because of her.
Because of her actions and advocating for the recovery of Havarl from the rapid decline; it had shown Kiiran and Taavos that she was not one to turn on a budding alliance, and that traditions should be broken to support their families for Esmus. All because of her determination and dedication.
Lorelei had detached herself from the idea or the reality of someone holding her hands, embracing her closely, and the bleak possibility of anyone kissing her once more – it was a surprise when Kiiran had embraced her, the angaran woman also close in height to Jaal, and resting her chin on Lorelei’s scalp.
Peebee was the first one to point out how her “star-kisses” were much more noticeable, now that her face began to flush and her face felt hot from the touch. Lorelei hesitantly reciprocated the embrace and noticed the faint smile on Jaal’s face as he regarded the scene before him. A few seconds had passed and Kiiran likely sensed Lorelei’s discomfort from the prolonged touch and expressed her apologies with a sheepish smile. It was a smile that Lorelei returned, much to her companions’ surprise.
She flinched at the sound of her omni-tool pinging, receiving a call that seemed important, and Kiiran snickered as she gestured upwards, “Feel free to answer that call on our hologram device upstairs, Ryder. You’re more than welcome to go up there and if anyone has an issue with it, send them my way. I’ll deal with it!”
That response caused Lorelei to softly giggle and she darted up the stairwell, unaware of the smiles on her companions faces as she disappeared from their sight. After opening a few doors and coolly explaining her intentions, Lorelei stood before the device that she was directed towards and the smile on her freckled face was quickly wiped away at the familiar face that the hologram had formed.
Director Foster Addison.
“I have received notifications and reports of your progress on Havarl, as well as the fact that you have procured plenty of viability for Havarl, Ryder. However, from the last message sent from you, are we truly giving up this world after all the effort you put into this..?”
It was a genuine question without any ulterior motives laced behind it, at least from what she could tell. It seemed their last conversation knocked a little bit of sense into the older woman and it allowed her to release the tension that had gathered in her jaw. Hopefully this conversation would be much better than the one they had on Prodromos.
Lorelei crossed her arms over her chest-plate, tilting her head from side-to-side as she calmly answered, “Yes. Not only are we still at the stage of a budding alliance, this world is also sacred to the angara – it is their homeworld. Many of them would see the possibility of an outpost as an act of betrayal if we attempted to make this planet our own. I suggest that we send a handful or a dozen of researchers and ambassadors to attend to the matters at hand and assist the scientists here.”
Director Addison softly hummed at Lorelei’s suggestion, the older woman tapping her fingers against her sides as she was pondering over the possibilities until she murmured, “You have made your point, Ryder, and it certainly is a reasonable one. I would not want to risk what you have carefully built so far. You have made waves, Ryder, and you’ve continued to do so. Now, if you could..?”
This was the part that Lorelei had forgotten about.
Whether it be motivation for the colonists or jargon that the politicians would meticulously offer to the Nexus, Lorelei gnawed on her inner cheek and she sighed, “We’re not just here to survive or to scramble for resources – we came out here to research and explore. Havarl is made for that and everything that we learn not only helps us… it also helps our neighbors, the angara, as well.”
Director Addison nodded her head at Lorelei’s professional response, likely expecting such a thing from her rather than a casual speech, and that was that. The hologram shimmered into nothing and she was now standing in silence, just now realizing that the angara scientists who were up on the same level had disappeared.
Until footsteps slowly made their way upwards and a voice chimed, “You could have gone against your words or initial judgment to set up some sort of outpost, but you didn’t. Why is that, Ryder..?”
Jaal. He had slipped away from the small celebration that the researchers were likely holding beneath them and now stood before her, leaning against the railing of the stairwell. Lorelei slowly turned on her heel and pursed her lips at him, slightly tilting her head up so she could maintain eye-contact.
“Because that’s not how I run, Jaal. I may be cold and distant, but I can recognize when a place, person, or an object holds significant meaning to not just an individual – but to a group. You willingly shared what you know about Havarl, as well as Mithrava, with me and it would be a slap to the face if I set up an outpost on the home-world of the angara.”
He seemed inquisitive after such a response and it caused him to push away from the railing and draw closer to Lorelei, his deep blue eyes never shifting from her pale blue eyes that narrowed at him. A mere foot was between them now and he muttered, “You purposely close yourself off – not just from me, nearly a complete stranger to you, but the others aboard the Tempest. I can sense that it troubles you whenever anything that involves heavier emotions is directed towards you. I may be pushing, but would you share why that may be..?”
Lorelei gaped at him; no one since that night had bothered to question in such a gentle manner, excluding her family. The psychologists and therapists she worked with were direct and blunt, a preference that she had stated, but it was never approached like this. So delicately. She didn’t realize that her mouth had slightly opened at his question and she forced herself to tear her attention away from him as she whispered, “I-I had a… Well, I had a traumatic experience not too long before coming out here, Jaal. I… I don’t fully trust sharing what happened that night or anything so personal to me because…”
Jaal’s gaze had softened so much that she felt her lower lip quivering, but she shook her head and purposely steeled herself. Now was not the time, even if she shared a shred of how she was truly feeling with Jaal. The angaran man standing before her quietly hummed until he drew closer, shielding her from any possible intruders from the stairwell. He replied, his voice quiet enough for her alone, “Because it was used against you? I can understand why that can cause such a response, but I want you to know that I appreciate what you’ve shared with me – that you trust me enough to know. I swear to you that I will not tell another soul about this.”
She sorely hoped that he would hold to that promise.
It was hard enough to stomach the fact that someone had a vague idea as to why she acts the way she does, but she felt like she would vomit if she mentioned anything else. She ignored the tremors overtaking her fingers. Shaking her head and slowly stepping back, no longer shielded by Jaal’s towering body, she gathered her composure and retorted, “Now you know, even if it’s just a fragment, Jaal. We should head out – we’ve finished up here on Havarl and I’m itching to get out of here.”
Lorelei had side-stepped around Jaal, who quietly hummed in response and trailed after her down the stairwell. The second they both reached the landing, Lorelei tilted her head to the side and gestured for Peebee to group up so they could leave the Pelaav station and board the Tempest. Peebee snickered at the expressions on their faces and darted towards them, throwing a casual wave in the direction of the scientists and sealing the door shut behind them.
The rain had stopped as they made their way down the walkways that would lead them towards the Tempest; it was likely a coincidence, but it certainly felt like a sign to her. A sign that things may turn for the better and that they could accomplish more and more, strengthening the alliance between the Initiative and the Resistance.
Maybe… Just maybe, she’d feel safe enough to lower her guard.
Just a little bit.