Tempest, 2100 Hours

"Pathfinder?"

The request came quietly but confidently from the door, filling the room which had previously heard only the white noise of FTL Travel. Wes kept the door open when he was working, thought it promoted "A truly open door policy" as one of his old CO's once said.

The newly minted pathfinder was sitting at his desk, skimming through pages of a manual he never thought he'd have to read: "Andromeda Initiative Publication 06P1: Pathfinder's Duties and Responsibilities". The manual closed automatically as Ryder pushed his chair back, seeing Vetra standing in the door, her head turned slightly as she looked around for him.

"Vetra, what's up?"

Vetra looked his way, the Turian's visor flickering momentarily as he could see it bring up info on him, what looked like a small picture and block of text scrolling beside her eye.

"Wanted to get some requisitions past your desk. Normally I don't bother you about these things, but it's weapons and ammo, figure you'd wanna take a look at that."

Wes laughed as he stood up, turning to pick up his omnipresent coffee mug before gesturing at the couch, Vetra nodding thanks before taking a seat.

"We just left the Nexus, haven't even seen Eos yet, and you're already buying guns and ammo?"

"What can I say? My job is to keep us ready for everything, including when things go south."

"Well, after Habitat 7, I think that's much appreciated."

Vetra handed Ryder the datapad, sitting back and crossing her legs while Wes picked it up, setting it to automatic scroll as he read and sipped his coffee. Silence passed between them as he read.

"If you need anything else, let me know. Specialty arms are a little hard to come by on the Nexus; didn't exactly pack for a war. But, I know a few people, back channels and all."

Ryder set the terminal down, exhaling as he wiped his hand over his eyes and through his hair, looking bleary eyed back at Vetra.

"No, it all looks fine to me. I don't think we're going to need too much. At least, I hope we won't."

Ryder stood up, holding his coffee as he walked around the cabin, looking at the bulkheads, the faux-wood floor, the windows to the view outside, stars rushing past at FTL speeds. Vetra watched him from her seat, the datapad tucked casually under her crossed legs.

"It's a hell of a thing, isn't it?"

Vetra cocked her head, one of her brow plates raised slightly at Ryder's comment.

"What, the ship?"

"That. But also all this. Andromeda, Heleus, the initiative…"

"The pathfinder?"

Wes exhaled slightly through his nose, laughing as he closed his eyes and bowed his head a little bit, looking up to stare forward out of the cabin's massive windows.

"Yeah. The Pathfinder."

A sip of coffee.

"When we came to Andromeda… when I came to Andromeda, I came for myself. Yeah, my sister and dad were with me, but I came mostly because I was curious, because I wanted to see what was out here. Dad was the pathfinder, he was the one who wanted to lead people, wanted that responsibility; I think part of that was his time as an N7. But I didn't want that."

Wes paused, taking a long sip of his coffee before looking out again, his eyes glassy as both hands cupped the metal coffee mug, the warmth comforting. Vetra stood up, the datapad forgotten on the couch as the sound of slow steps brought her behind Ryder, her reflection slightly visible to him as she cocked her head, matching his gaze to the stars ahead. She crossed her arms and tilted her head as she listened to Ryder, glancing at the reflection of his face every once in a while, sometimes down at the deck plating between them.

"I was ready to see what was here, to find what we had never found before, and I think my sister might have been the same way. But all of the sudden, Dad's dead, still don't know if I've come to terms with that, and I'm the pathfinder. There are 35,000 people on the Nexus; 35,000 people looking to me for a new home, for a life in a foreign, probably hostile galaxy; 35,000 people who don't know… who I don't know if I can care for or not. And in front of them, I'll be the confident path finder they need, but personally? I just don't know."

Silence hung between them as the hum of the engine got almost imperceptibly higher, the stars rushing by slightly faster. Ryder's gaze was glossy and distant, his eyes not focusing on the stars in front of him as his thoughts tumbled through his head, tired and confused and scared, but strangely peaceful for the vibration of the engine at his feet, the sight of the stars in front of him.

Vetra shifted her weight slightly, the creak of her armor stealing Wes from his Reverie as he visibly started, a small bit of coffee spilling onto the platform beneath his feet. He turned around, smiling melancholically at her as he spoke, closing his eyes for slightly longer than a blink before picking the datapad up from the couch and handing it to her.

"And look at me, telling all you this. You don't need to hear this. Yeah, those requisition orders look fine, and if you happen to find a pathfinder while you're at it, bring her on board. Maybe she'll be better at keeping a good face than I am."

Vetra took the datapad, looking down at it as she locked it before walking forwards, standing abreast of Ryder as she looked to the stars, Ryder turning around again to match her gaze, taking another sip of the black coffee.

"You know, Ryder, I talk to a lot of people. It's most of what my job is. And if there's one thing which I think they need, it's hope. Everyone came here sold on a new home, a paradise, a 'Golden World' on which to start new, and what they got was a mysterious death cloud and worlds which could barely support a krogan. Hope is what pushed the Nexus into uprising, what makes everyone so cynical. If nothing else, you've brought hope back. While it may not put food on the table or ground under feet, that counts for a lot."

Wes inhaled deeply through his mouth and blew it out his nose as he listened, weighing the words against his own guilt of unpreparedness.

"I hope you're right."

"I know I'm right. I was there for the uprisings; I saw them happen. And what caused them was a lack of hope. People seeing nothing but an empty space and a 600 year long conn game. But with a pathfinder, no matter how inexperienced he may be? There might be something out here yet. Besides, you've got the best team I could find, and the best ship I could save. If nothing else, we'll make sure something happens."

Wes laughed weakly, another sip of coffee. Vetra looked at him, her mandibles open in a sympathetic Turian smile.

"I won't say don't worry about it, pathfinder. There's plenty to worry about in a new galaxy with hostile aliens and an energy cloud that is trying to kill us. But, have hope. You're a pathfinder, and it sounds like your Dad knew what he was doing when he chose you."

Scott smiled again, closing his eyes again.

"Thanks, Vetra."

"Talking's what I do. And besides, if nothing else, I've learned that I should be worried about that… whatever it is you're drinking, not guns. By the looks of it, that's your fourth cup."

Vetra gestured over her shoulder at the two empty caraffes sitting on Ryder's desk. He laughed, sipping again. His tone was jocular, again, the mix of confident professionalism with a hint of sarcasm, the pensive tone of before passing like a storm over a lake.

"Six, actually, and it's called coffee. Humans drink it to stay awake, it's got a decent caffeine content and a flavor you can really learn to love. I'll bet the Nexus has some sort of Turian equivalent, if you want. I know I'm half addicted."

Vetra walked over to the desk, picking up a carafe and putting it to her nose, recoiling as she smelled it. Her mandibles opened with unabashed disgust as she looked inside, a slightly horrified look finding Ryder as she spoke.

"What do you make it out of? This shit smells like a Pyjak's Spit!"

Ryder walked towards her, laughing.

"Coffee beans. You let the water steep in them. I'll show you sometime. But, for now, I need some sleep. I don't think I've let off the accelerator since SAM node."

Vetra nodded, walking towards the door, the automatic latch beeping as it opened for her, neither her not Ryder having noticed it had closed. Wes spoke, right before she got to the door.

"Vetra?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, Pathfinder."

"Call me Ryder. Or Wes. Pathfinder's just a title."

Vetra paused, looking down with what might have been consideration, had Ryder known Turian faces better.

"We'll see about that. You know where to find me."

Comments:

So, I finally finished Andromeda... played through most of it in two days. And coming off of it... I can't wait to sink my teeth into it. It's definitely a different beast than ME1-3, but I'm excited to tackle it.

Wanted to get a jump on the game and all the characters early, so I wrote this about 2 hours after finishing my first play through. I know, it's not the best thing I've ever written; I give it a 30% chance I delete it and try again and a 100% chance I at least revise it and add more. But, I wanted to put it up, and see what you guys thought before I re-worked it.

Comments would be loved (and useful) but above all else: enjoy!