The air smelled of death and decay, as Sara Ryder walked through the seemingly endless debris field. The cloud was blackened and the ground was littered with munitions and all sorts of species, some she recognized and others foreign to her. She tried to focus her senses, but felt nothing but a haze and an overwhelming foreboding of what she knew was coming.
Off in the distance, she saw a large red light pierce the blackness that was the sky over the horizon. A light that steadily got brighter and brighter. Looking around the dimly illuminated ground she recognized the faces of those around her. Scott, Lexi, Suvi, Vetra, everyone that fought along side her. Their faces permanently contorted in in anguish and pain. Tears forming in her eyes she tried to say something, but she couldn't form the words. Falling to her knees, she turned her attention back to the menacing red light as it approached.
You exist because we allow it. And you will end because we demand it.
"NO!" Sara screamed. Looking around her she saw the faint outlines of her bed and other furniture in what she now recognized as her bedroom aboard the Tempest. Letting out a heavy sigh she stood up and walked towards her window overlooking the Onaon system.
"Should I alert doctor T'Perro Ms. Ryder?" She heard the familiar disembodied voice ask.
"I'm fine SAM, and what did I tell you about calling me Ms. Ryder" Sara quipped as she continued her gaze.
"That it makes you feel old" SAM responded. There was a lengthy pause. Over the last 4 years she had overcome the Kett threat, created a multitude of outposts and colonies, and hell even brokered a truce between the Angara, Exiles, Krogan, and Nexus.
"All we accomplished and yet I can't shake these damn dreams" Sam said quietly.
"It is my understanding that dreams are a natural part of biology for just about all species. Though you're increased adrenaline and heightened heart rate falls outside normal parameters, and your stress levels while awake are beginning to manifest more consistently" Sam explained.
"Well I can't control what I dream about SAM, And Lexi would just lecture me about my caffeine intake before bed" Sara said smiling, thinking about Lexi as the overbearing mother of the ship.
"Well she isn't wrong" SAM said plainly.
"Never should've taught you sarcasm, anything else to report SAM?" Sara asked.
"Director Tann asked for your presence at your earliest convenience, Jaal requested another day of leave for personal reasons on Aya, and Vetra wanted your sign off on a recent requisition order" SAM detailed. Sara broke away from her gaze and began to get dressed.
"Tell Jaal he's good to go, and I'll speak to Vetra on my way to the vidcom. Must be pretty important if Tann is calling me" Sara said throwing on her jacket.
"You once said your sarcasm was an endearing trait of your family. I have my suspicions that Director Tann doesn't agree with you" SAM said. Sara chuckled.
"Nothing get past you does it?" Sara said as she left her quarters. Climbing up the ladder, she made her way over to the Research center where she found Vetra and Liam in the middle of a debate.
"Ryder, help me out here. Liam seems to think we can blow more eezo on Nomad upgrades while we've done next do nothing to upgrade the Tempest" Vetra explained crossing her arms.
"This bird hasn't seen anything remotely close to combat since taking Meridian, and that was four years ago. Watching her or her brother drive tends to make me believe improved shielding is the right way to go. For all our sakes" Liam said smiling patting Sara on the back.
"You know its weird, after all these years your jokes still aren't funny Liam. You had a requisition order for me?" Sara asked motioning towards Vetra's datapad.
"Nothing out of the ordinary, gardening supplies for Cora, ionic capacitors for Peebee, heat dampeners for Gil. Well within budget." Vetra said showing her the pad.
"I really ought to have you just handle this" Sara said placing her thumbprint on the pad.
"Can't have you pawn off all your work" Vetra teased.
"So, about the upgrades?" Liam asked.
"Just because we haven't had trouble doesn't mean it can't happen. Plus, my bed is about 30 feet that way so yeah, Vetra gets her shields on this go around" Sara said as she walked upstairs. Vetra shot Liam a smug look.
"Oh, shut it" Liam said waving her off.
Sara approached the vidcom and checked the messages.
"Missed calls from Addison, Tann, Kesh, and Kandros. What the hell could they all want?" Sara wondered. She placed the call to the Nexus. A few moments later, their silhouettes appeared around the table.
"Ryder, we've been trying to get in touch with you for some time, we have a situation that requires your immediate attention" Addison said.
"I guess so, but even Pathfinders have to sleep sometimes. What's going on?" Ryder asked. The four figures looked around to each other. Kandros was the first to speak up.
"As you know, all QECs with the Milky Way have been unresponsive since our arrival. Well we have discovered a vessel on the fringes of Heleus space. We initially thought it could potentially be the Quarian ark, but our long range scans have discovered it to be alliance in origin" Kandros said. Ryder's eyes went wide.
"How the hell could an Alliance ship make its way out here?" Ryder asked, a tone of utter shock in her voice. Tann stepped in and brought up the scans.
"We are unsure, but most troubling is that this is no ordinary vessel" Tann said motioning to the side of the ship in the image. Normandy SR-2. Sara's heart began to sink.
"According to reports, this was one of the most advanced vessels is all of known space at the time of our departure, and the Alliance wouldn't just let someone take it out for a joy ride to Andromeda" Addison added.
Alec Ryder's personal logs began to play in Sara's head as she tried to maintain her composure. Liara T'soni's final message, the alerts from Turian and Alliance space, the feeling of dread began to set in.
"Which brings us to you Pathfinder Ryder" Tann said snapping Sara back to reality. "We need to you to board the Normandy and find out how it made its way all the way to Andromeda, search for any clues as to what happened to its crew, and anything else important of note. We need this done immediately and with discretion" Tann explained.
"Understood director" Sara said simply.
"We can have APEX teams ready to mobilize for assistance" Kandros added.
"That won't be necessary" Sara said quickly.
"If you insist, but we need to know what the hell is happening out there. Here are the coordinates for its location. Report back immediately when you discover something" Kandros said.
"I'll report back soon" Sara said before cutting the connection.
"This is troubling" She heard SAM say on their private channel.
"Yeah, I've never told anyone of my father's logs. So far as I know that info was only to Jien Garson and my Father. This isn't good" Sara said almost in a whisper.
"At least we'll have clarity of the situation, from there we can assess" SAM said. After a moment of contemplation Sara picked her head up.
"Give Kallo the nav points, and get us there ASAP. Tell Drack and Vetra to suit up and ready roll within the hour. What's our ETA to the nav point at FTL speeds?" Sara asked.
"Estimated arrival time at one hour and twelve minutes" SAM explained.
"Good. And SAM?" Sara asked.
"Yes Pathfinder?" SAM responded.
"Mission parameters stay on strict need to know basis. My authorization" Sara said as she turned to make her way to the armory.
"As you wish, Pathfinder Ryder" Sam responded.
Meanwhile on the fringes of dark space. A robotic figure walked through the CIC and towards the helm of a dimly lit ship.
"We've been pinged several times, and we've detected a sharp blue shift emission heading in our direction. I think it's safe to say we've been noticed" The synthetic voice said. A taller figure stared out into the cluster that was before him.
"Only a matter of time I suppose, let them approach, but conduct all appropriate scans, and standard precautions. Time to see if these initiative reports are accurate, we're not equipped for another fight" The figure said.
"Aye commander" The voice said.