Our Rose Garden

by Tatanka4Life

What Cora Harper wanted most was to have a place where she knew she belonged, a place she could call home. With the help and dedication of Sara Ryder, what had once been only a small hope was now a tangible reality she never wanted to let go of. Join the huntress as she reminisces on her journey to find home and shows the Pathfinder the blooms of new life she made possible.

Our Rose Garden

A/N: Mass Effect: Andromeda story spoilers ahead so if you haven't beaten the game I suggest you do that first. I do not own the Mass Effect series nor do I make any profit off of the writing of this fanfiction, outside of personal enjoyment. The copyrights, the series itself and everything Mass Effect belongs to EA and Bioware. Enjoy!

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Cora Harper was greeted by a gentle breeze of cool air playfully brushing up against her face as she stepped out onto the ramp of the Tempest. The Pathfinder ship was currently parked on the planet Eos where an endless sea of sand was accented by rocky formations of varying shapes and sizes. Walking distance away was Prodromos, the first successful Initiative outpost and home of several hardworking citizens creating their new life.

Although completely clad in her armor, Cora carried herself with an air of relaxation only a Remnant Architect suddenly shooting out of the ground would have been able to break. Luckily we already solved that issue, she thought amusedly. How she and the rest of the Tempest team managed to survive all the crazy shit thrown at them in Andromeda baffled her sometimes. Remnant Architects, Remnant purification fields, the Kett; Andromeda had been chock full of things trying to kill them. Yet we beat them all and managed to make this the home we came searching for.

She stopped momentarily a few steps down from the top of the ramp and let her eyes roam across the environment around her while opening her senses to take in every bit of the peaceful aura as she could. In her opinion, what best reflected the tranquility of Prodromos was the lake at the center of the outpost. The calm water was a canvas for the reflection of the rocky landscape, sun and outpost structures surrounding it. If she didn't know any better, she would have believed the entire scene was painted onto the watery canvas by Athame herself.

This place really is beautiful, she thought with a pleasant smile pulling onto her face. It was almost hard to believe that this entire settlement had once been covered in lethal levels of radiation and wholly uninhabitable, but only almost.

This place was, for Cora, a symbolic reminder of everything they had accomplished in Andromeda. From their disastrous first steps in Habitat 7 to their triumphant victory over the Archon, being second-in-command to the human Pathfinder gave her front row seats to the pivotal moments of not only the growth of the Initiative, but the growth of the human Pathfinder as well.

The rude awakening caused by the Ark hitting the aptly named Scourge was the beginning of it all. Finding out that their Golden World, Habitat 7, was ravaged by a frightening lightning storm and covered in poisonous air was one hell of a wakeup call in Andromeda. First Contact with the hostile alien species known as the Kett was really just rubbing salt in a very fresh wound.

Anyone who thought at that time that things couldn't get any worse was wrong, so wrong. After crash landing on the planet with their shuttles and having to face down a few waves of Kett to take over the control center for a planet terraforming technology, they activated what they would later learn was Remnant technology. The activation initially went well and actually made Cora hopeful again despite all hell breaking loose upon waking up.

She was ready to get off the damn rock and find the Nexus so they could start plotting their next plan. All they needed to do was return to their only remaining operational shuttle and get back on the Ark. From there she was sure Alec Ryder, their Pathfinder, would think of something and give them a target to aim for.

Her internal celebration was ended shortly after the activation. Something went wrong, whether because the technology was damaged or because they blunt forced it into working she didn't know. Regardless, a blast of energy sent Alec and Sara Ryder, his daughter, flying off the platform they had just fought to gain control of.

The blast alone would have only injured them, but it wouldn't have been anything serious. Unfortunately they weren't just hit by the blast. Sara's helmet was broken by flying debris, leaving her completely exposed to the poisonous air when extraction and spare helmets were nowhere to be found.

Cora felt her smile fade as the memories of their first day in Andromeda came flooding back. She still remembered finding Sara with Alec's helmet on, unconscious with blood caking the left side of her face. The source of the blood was a diagonal cut that went through her left eyebrow, upper eyelid and down onto her cheekbone. She could still see Alec lying dead nearby, his hand resting in his daughters.

It…it was a blow. To morale, to her heart at the thought of the loss the Ryder twins had sustained…and for the mentor she lost.

After that it was fast paced chaos. Cora could recall the hectic hustling and shouting of orders as they did everything in their power to keep Sara stabilized on the shuttle trip back from the planet. They had a doctor, but he could only do so much with limited materials. All she could do was offer her hands that were made for combat, not healing.

She didn't know if any of the help she offered did anything. Maybe it bought them time; maybe it hadn't made any difference. In the end she just wanted to do something, anything really, to help her comrade out.

The chaos continued when they reached the doctors on the Hyperion. She and Liam both were discarded to the background as real medical professional took control. On one hand Cora was happy Ryder was getting the help she needed. She just…she felt so damn useless. None of her abilities could make a difference here, not unless one of those Kett bastards tried to invade the Ark. Then she would be able to biotically crush them like a bony stress ball.

Then came the moment she still dreaded with her entire being—the moment they lost Sara for one of the longest stretch of seconds the lieutenant had ever experienced. The sound of Ryder flatlining echoed in her ears, tugging her lips down into a deeper frown at the reminder of the event.

They were losing her…and there was nothing she could do about it. Andromeda was just a one giant nightmare after another for the Ryder family. First the Scourge caused Scott Ryder's cryo pod to get damaged, then it took the father of the twins…and now it was taking Sara as well.

Cora prayed hard to every deity she could think of in that brief moment to not take the woman as Liam paced up a hurricane sized storm nearby. She hadn't known Sara Ryder long, but she had learned from their interactions before leaving the Milky Way how bright and warm she was to be around. She was a bright star, shining light and sharing her infectious happiness with everyone she encountered.

In those seconds the lieutenant found herself wondering if she would ever hear her entertaining jests again. Or if her life filled and excited hazel orbs would ever be paired with her warm smile or goofy grin without blood staining her face. If we lose her…Andromeda will be a thousand times darker for everyone, she had thought back then.

She still believed that, even more so now that they were closer. Thankfully the doctors, SAM and Sara's strong will pulled her from the void and back into the world of the living to become the new Pathfinder. She hadn't asked for it, but she didn't shirk away from the duty either.

Losing her father was a hard blow to Sara, but work gave her something to devote her full attention to. Decisions needed to be made about their direction and what they were going to do since Habitat 7 was a bust. Sara should have had time to grieve. In a perfect galaxy she would have had that time, but Andromeda was not as perfect as they hoped it would be. It seemed to want to swallow them whole without remorse.

Their arrival at the unfinished Nexus was a giant Krogan uppercut right to their sternum, knocking the wind out of them once again as they just started to get their feet back under them. None of the other Arks had arrived, the Nexus was damaged by the Scourge and still in need of repairs, an uprising tore entire families apart and left people suspicious and on edge, and the two attempts to colonize Eos ended in utter failure.

One look at the situation was all Cora needed to see that the entire Initiative was on the verge of imploding. One more thread cut and another uprising was bound to happen sooner rather than later. That left all the hopes of what remained of the hundred thousand explorers on the shoulders of the human Pathfinder and her newly assembled team. No pressure, the biotic commando thought with a short chuckle.

Huntress training kept her dialed in on their mission, which was part of the reason she rarely took time to stop and think of what they accomplished or savor it. Their mission placed them right on the frontlines of problem solving, jumping from one failed Golden World to the next to make them more like the advertisements that brought them there.

No excuses, no retries.

They had one shot at this and they had to make it count. The Nexus leadership had already proven they weren't capable of coordinating a biotiball team, let alone the whole Initiative. Sara Ryder, the sole Pathfinder at the time and their leader, had to become the tip of the spear to find them a path forward. At the same time, she also had to find a way to fix every mess the Initiative encountered or created themselves—Sloane Kelly's and the Krogan's disdain for the Initiative being two of the latter problems. Both I'm certain were caused by Director Tann's and Addison's amazing people skills.

In Sara's words, "Director Tann has the charisma of an Elcor conducting a funeral and the personality of a revenue director." Coincidentally enough, he was a revenue director before the line of succession fell upon his spineless shoulders. "And Addison has the attitude of a pissed of Batarian suffering from indigestion and the people skills of an irritated Vorcha, only with a larger dictionary and less spit flying."

"I'm afraid to ask, but what does an irritated Vorcha sound like?" Cora had asked hesitantly as she tried not to reveal her smile at the truthful remarks about the leadership of the Initiative.

A glint of mirth in Sara's eyes was the only warning she had before she began to do her imitation. "Ahh! You fix problems! Now! Don't care you lost father! You Pathfinder! Fix problems now!" she all but shouted on their approach to their new ship.

"Sounds like someone met our Colonial Director," the humored voice of a female Turian drew their attention up to the ramp of the ship and the source of the voice. "So you're the one whose making everything happen. Vetra. Vetra Nyx. Initiative wrangler, provisioner, gunner and everything in-between," Vetra introduced herself as she made her way down the ramp.

Cora hadn't known the Turian would become a great friend, nor did she realize just how much trouble the Turian and Pathfinder would cause as best friends.

Humorous as the imitation was, and boy was it hard to refrain from laughing, it was sadly somewhat accurate. Tann and Addison's qualifications for leading the Initiative were…shoddy at best. Though even that was being gracious. Sara, again, was the one to put it best later in their journeys. "Blasto and Bubin have the same qualifications as leaders. And Blasto actually had a sense of humor. Seriously, all I said was I tamed a Remnant Architect and sent it to fix the Nexus. You'd think I found a Rachni Queen and released it with how they reacted."

"Did you send an Architect?" Vetra probed humorously as the trio shared a drink on the Tempest.

Ryder shook her head no, but the mischievous smile pulling onto her lips made Cora brace for the impact of the coming joke. "Not yet. But I told them the next Architect I find will be tamed and sent to help." She paused then shrugged. "If it doesn't disobey my commands and decide to take control of the Nexus instead and enslave everyone on it."

"Ryder!" Cora scolded through her laughter.

"What?" Ryder retorted through barely contained giggles. "You should have seen their faces, Cora. It was priceless! Tann went so pale. I swear it looked like he woke up in a Krogan jail cell. And Addison looked like I had just squeezed the oxygen right out of her along with the pole wedged up her ass."

Her response earned her a chorus of laughter from the pair. "Ryder, you're the best," Vetra said.

"Definitely," Cora agreed.

The memory made her shake her head with her smile growing. That was back in the early days of their mission, but Vetra and Cora still agreed on the simple fact they learned that day: Sara Ryder was the best Pathfinder ever.

Ryder's jokes were well-deserved with the greeting Tann and Addison gave them. Not that Cora wanted a hero's welcome or a party, but to attack Sara because her father sacrificed his life to save hers? And to practically say, "Here are all of our problems, you'll probably fail at solving them and then we'll replace you with someone else. If you succeed, we still won't respect you, but we will take credit for your success," really reminded her why she would prefer to talk to politicians with her fists rather than words.

Despite the negative feedback from their lovely leadership, Sara attacked the issues head-on with little care of the politician's opinion of her. Cora fell into her own mission mindset as well. Most of the time, her eyes were focused on the next objective, the next problem to solve. How were they going to keep the Nexus and Initiative alive? What timeframe did they have until supplies became rarer than a human and Batarian friendship?

All these questions, and more, constantly ran through her mind at light speed. They were six hundred years and millions of light years away from the Milky Way. Turning back didn't seem to be an option, if it ever truly was one. Andromeda was home now, and any chance of survival in their new home meant finding the necessities to life: a steady supply of food, water and a planet with breathable air. Yet the Nexus leadership failed to accomplish finding anything except old hatreds.

Not surprising since they tucked themselves into a ball to kiss their ass's goodbye. Harsh? Maybe, but she was never good with politicians or reporters. Both groups always managed to get under her skin with their predatory behavior masked by fake smiles and condescending attitudes. It's almost like they're asking to be punched in the face.

Of everything Andromeda promised about new beginnings, reporters and politicians still remained relatively the same six hundred years away from the Milky Way. Not that she was surprised by that fact. Expecting reporters and politicians to be different was like expecting to find a summer beach on Noveria. You might as well ask a slaver to have morals, or a politician for the same thing.

Cora wasn't completely against the Nexus leadership. She tried her hardest not to cast too much blame on them for everything they walked into when they arrived after Habitat 7. The Nexus had a worse rude awakening upon reaching Andromeda than Ark Hyperion did in terms of who and what they lost. No one could have predicted the Scourge or what it would do to the Golden Worlds, not even a visionary like Jien Garson or a planner like Alec Ryder.

But, despite her best attempts to remain impartial and sympathetic, a small portion of her mind did blame some of the failures on the sheer incompetence of the leadership. In the same way Jien and Alec couldn't expect what to wake up to, none of the new leadership could match Jien Garson's charisma and desire to leave the past behind them. As soon as things got tough, everyone ran right back to their prejudices.

One uprising later left the Initiative split between those who remained loyal and the exiles. Entire families were split apart, some who wouldn't know until they were awoken from cryo. The thought of that left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't have any siblings or family in Andromeda…well, not any blood related ones anyways. But she knew a certain drifter Turian and human Pathfinder who did.

To tear them from the siblings they loved and would do anything for because of the stupid mistakes and desperation of a Director eight places down the line? Unacceptable was the nicest word she could think of to use, though that was after a handful of less than pleasant human, Asari and Angaran curses crossed her mind.

Looking back now, there were too few moments of bliss like the one she was taking in now back during the infancy of their mission. While it was true Ryder did her best to keep the mood light when it was possible, the overwhelming desperation of their mission sometimes rendered anything except a somber mood as inappropriate.

Things had, thankfully, changed since then. Finding and activating Meridian dispersed the cloud of anxiety that had once impaired her vision, allowing her to finally see and feel everything around her without fear of failure. No longer did she have to suffocate in fear about their supplies running out or an uprising burning the Initiative into ashes to be taken in a solar wind.

She could finally take a breath and see what was currently in front of her, and what was possibly on the horizon. She could look at this outpost without thinking of the long checklist of things to do piling up as she was standing here and instead see it from a different perspective…that perspective being the eyes of someone looking at a potential home years down the line.

Home… The word was about as foreign to the biotic commando as human society after returning from her time in Talein's Daughters. Every place she had ever considered her home had slipped through her fingers before coming to Andromeda. Sometimes it was just her biotic's that caused people to get weird and send her away. Other times she never received an explanation for why the people she looked towards for guidance were giving her the boot.

Cora did her best to handle it professionally and never let it become personal, but that didn't stop it from hurting. Being tossed around like a hot potato to be someone else's problem made her feel unwanted. Like her biotic's made her the equivalent of a leper needing to be sent away to a place she couldn't harm anyone.

Gazing upon this planet she had invested her time and heart into made one thing crystal clear for her: home was no longer out of reach. Andromeda was always meant to be their new home; it was meant to be a place of new beginnings for everyone. But only now did it feel—really feel—like she could actually call it home.

It's thanks to the Pathfinder home doesn't feel so far away. Sara Ryder went above and beyond to make Andromeda a real home. She put everything she had into making this new Galaxy a place where anyone, even an overpowered biotic, could belong. What Ryder had given them all was far more precious than any gem or item bought at a store. It couldn't be touched or held yet it could sustain a person for a lifetime.

Ryder had given them a hope filled future. Her thoughtful actions, her incredible will and her bright heart had ignited a path forward and brightened everyone she came into contact with. It didn't matter what humble beginnings you came from, how big, small or foolish your dream was or what was six hundred years in the past. Because of Sara they had a new beginning where any dream was possible and the bad blood and nightmares of the past could be put aside for unity.

Cora would remain forever grateful to Ryder for what she had done. Even if the politicians eventually forgot who made surviving in Andromeda possible, she and every other person touched by Ryder would never forget it.

That was not to say their work was done. Far from it. Even with Meridian activated there was still a lot of work to be done on the daily basis for both the settlers here and across the Heleus Cluster, but for now Cora was willing to put work behind her and absorb as much of this serenity as she could. We've come a long way from Habitat 7. Evidence of that surrounded her and warmed her heart like a lover cuddling close under the covers.

Before coming to Andromeda she could only hope that there was a future out here for her. Hope that the Andromeda Initiative would have a place for an overpowered biotic like her. Hope that her life with the Initiative in Andromeda would be different than her life in the Milky Way. Hope she would find a home.

Those hopes had bloomed into a garden of roses thanks to the Pathfinder—a bright, beautiful garden that never wilted. Just like her, she thought with a fond smile.

Hard work had made all of this possible, but the trip to get to this point hadn't been all serious work with no time for comradery, personal moments or even the possibility of finding love. Movie night had been one of those moments where the entire Tempest team was able to kick their feet up and do something that didn't include getting shot at by hostile aliens, getting attacked by giant alien space bears or dealing with politicians—the worst of the three in Cora's humble opinion. Ryder was usually the one dragging us into those messes, but she always made up for it by giving us moments where we could just stop, take a breath and relax.

This was one of those times for the biotic commando. She could have sauntered down the ramp and over to the lake to take her breath and feel the waves of tranquility break gently on her shore, but she hadn't. She chose right here on the ramp of the ship that she called home to observe the fruits of labor that the Tempest team and the settlers had put into this place.

I could get lost looking at all of this. The idea to get lost in thought on a quiet and aimless stroll tempted her like a moth drawn to a flame. It tempted her to strip off her armor so she could relax in casuals and let go of all the worries that could plague her thoughts.

Cora couldn't let herself do that, though, no matter how much she wanted to. She hadn't come out here without cause. She was on a mission, a mission that would take her away from the safety of the outpost to a place where Kett or local wildlife could attack. Wandering around here would end in her forgetting her purpose—that purpose being to spend time with a certain Pathfinder, alone.

Ryder had an instinctive ability to know when her squad needed a moment that was not under the influence of combat fueled adrenaline or handling politics. It was one of the reasons she was a great leader. She knew when to push them to keep fighting and when to give them all a break. But despite knowing when her crew needed a break, the Pathfinder never stopped to give herself one. She was as stubborn as a certain old Krogan in Lexi's words and twice as hard-headed in Cora's.

I admire her work ethic and commitment to helping anyone she can, but even Sara needs time to rest and recuperate. Unfortunately, Lexi's assessment was spot on, as always. As the others were using the time off their Pathfinder had given them to relax on their own or lose a game of poker to Gil, Sara had gone out to Prodromos to run a quick errand. Her "quick errand" had taken her several hours longer than it should have, which meant she undoubtedly volunteered to help someone, or multiple someone's, with something of small or large magnitude.

Cora wasn't exactly sure where the woman was in the outpost. She hadn't seen her at all from the ramp of the Tempest and had yet to check in with her, but she had every intention of getting the woman to take a break. As her second-in-command, and as someone who cared deeply about her well-being, it fell to her to rein the Pathfinder in for an adequate period of rest.

"Sara doesn't know when to stop. She'll push through debilitating pain and exhaustion if there's a chance to help someone, just like she did when the Archon took SAM and her brother from her," Cora recalled Lexi's words when she pulled her to the side a few minutes ago. "I understand the importance of her actions, but if she keeps pushing herself without resting like the others, she will burn out. I've tried to get this through to her, and she does listen. But even with the activation of Meridian, the Initiative is still in the process of getting its footing, and Sara keeps rushing to support its weight."

The problem, if you could call it that, was the huge heart beating in Sara's chest. Ever since she had taken up the mantle as Pathfinder, she continually put others before herself all for the sake of doing what she thought was right and helping the whole Initiative, not just the leaders. During one break after a firefight on Eos, Cora decided to ask Ryder why she always went out of her way for everyone. The huntress approved of her willingness to help others, but she was curious if Ryder saw it as an obligation or if it was just who she was as an individual.

"No, I don't see it as an obligation," Sara explained as they rested outside of the Nomad. "Back in the Milky Way…me and Scott had to watch our mom's health deteriorate as we were unable to do anything. That feeling of helplessness…it was suffocating at times. Right now there are a lot of people who are harboring that same feeling." She shook her head. "I just can't stand by and watch when I can do something about it. We can help people, give them hope. But the small stuff just goes by unnoticed by people like Tann and Addison. They don't have time or make time to hear the small problems out because those needs are inconsequential to 'big picture' thinkers like them. Ignoring those needs, though, can lead to the people of the Initiative becoming disillusioned by their leaders, which then leads to the uprising."

"And then the big picture burns," Vetra added, giving the Pathfinder an appraising look for her candid answer.

Sara gave a small nod. "Exactly. What Tann and Addison forget is that they're in power right now because they are the last of the senior leadership. And I'm sure Tann thinks he'll be Director for the rest of his lifespan. But once the Initiative finally gets its footing and everyone is awake, people will want to have a say in who is leading them. From what I have seen of the current leadership, they won't be elected for anything beyond their original posts. Not because they lack good people skills, but because they've decided whose needs are important and whose aren't, and the majority of those decisions ignore the needs of the citizens for survival."

"Survival did need to take precedence," Cora argued. She didn't disagree with Ryder, but it was only fair to point out both sides of the argument.

Again she nodded. "Absolutely. Hard decisions did need to be made for the survival of the Initiative. It's part of the reason we still have a shot at making this work." Ryder's hazel eyes hardened. "But unleashing the Krogan to end the uprising? Granted I understand that some of exiles aren't fully innocent, but outright slaughtering them? They were our people. Friends, family." She shook her head in clear disgust. "That's not the order of a diplomatic leader. That's the order of a frightened tyrant."

"True, that was a bad call," Cora agreed. "When more people start waking up, they'll already question the leadership because Jien and her council are gone. But that decision won't sit well with anyone."

"Honestly, they have every right to be angry. But if people start sabotaging the Initiative because they don't trust the leadership, we're all screwed," Vetra noted wisely.

"Which is why I'm doing everything I can to help everyone here. Being a Pathfinder means leading by example as we find our way forward. They may never fully trust Tann or Addison, but I want to prove they can trust us. That there is still a place for hope and kindness out here despite how crazy everything turned out."

Respect was never to be given away on a whim, but Cora knew at that exact moment Sara had earned both hers and Vetra's unending respect. Her words weren't the empty promises of a trained politician reciting lines. Ryder meant them with all her being, and eventually succeeded in accomplishing that tough goal.

Most people in her combat boots might have seen defeating the Archon as their final deed before a long vacation, but not Ryder. She still made it her responsibility to help whenever and wherever she could. Cora couldn't call that a fault. The genuine kindness and heartfelt compassion that laid in Ryder's big, fluffy heart never ceased to amaze her and made her glad to have crossed galaxies, even if everything hadn't panned out the way it was meant to when they arrived at Habitat 7.

But things really had changed. They had three other Pathfinders, Angaran aid and the entire Initiative finally able to ease the burden originally placed on the Tempest teams shoulders. It was no longer up to just the human Pathfinder alone to solve every problem. We're not grasping at thin threads anymore. There's time for a break now and then.

"You're the only one she might actually listen to, Cora."

With a relaxed sigh, Cora tore her eyes from the lake of Prodromos and began sauntering down the ramp of the Tempest to the sands of Eos as she pulled up her omni-tool and connected it to Ryder's comm. In the distance was the Archangel painted Nomad parked at the forward station waiting to take her and the Pathfinder for a peaceful drive away from the outpost, the Tempest and anything else related to work.

"Ryder. You got a few minutes to spare?" she asked as soon as she was connected.

"For you? Always," was Ryder's sincere reply.

Cora's smile returned as she continued her walk towards the parked Nomad. That answer was the exact reason Lexi had asked her to do this. While Ryder's bond with her entire crew was strong, she had a clear soft spot for her second-in-command that anyone with eyes could see. Not that either tried to hide their feelings or their relationship.

"Come meet me back at the Nomad. There's something I'd like us to do."

"All right. I'll be there in a few minutes." She went quiet for a moment then said, "On three. One. Two. Three!" Ryder's grunt of effort was echoed by a few others in the background.

"Need a hand?" Cora asked. Whatever they were lifting sounded incredibly heavy based on the loud thud that followed their grunts.

"Nope. We only have a few crates left to unload. Shouldn't take us much longer." The biotic commando let a small frown crease her lips. She knew Sara and the others could handle whatever they were dealing with, but surely her biotic's would be handy. "We'll be fine, you worrywart," Sara teased knowingly.

She smiled sheepishly at the tease. "How did you know?"

"My Pathfinder senses were tingling. I'll be at the Nomad before you know it, I promise."

"I'll see you soon then, Sara."

"See you soon, Love."

Cora shut down her omni-tool with her smile turning into a grin as she continued to stroll towards the Nomad. Love. Sara had only started calling her that recently, but each time she heard it she couldn't stop the fond smile or stupid grin that pulled onto her face. Apparently her Pathfinder senses also gave her the innate charm to turn a huntress into a giddy teenager.

They hadn't always been this way with each other. There had been a time when Ryder's soft spot for her second-in-command had been innocent and one-sided.

She was always such a sweetheart. I was just too focused on keeping the mission alive to indulge her at the start. That hadn't stopped Sara from flirting now and then or giving heartfelt compliments, but the huntress also hadn't tried to stop her either. She was fine with it, and only a few had ever managed to make her blush.

Ryder considered those to be monumental victories.

None of the flirts or compliments ever made Cora feel uncomfortable. It wasn't like Ryder would see her in passing and start spewing praise and flirts without end. Talk about awkward. Most of the time they shared in simple conversation and got to know one another better as individuals. In that aspect there was nothing special about their interactions. The Pathfinder made the same effort to stop by and talk with everyone on the Tempest to get to know them all.

What made their interactions different when compared to the others were those rare flirts and heartfelt compliments. The flirts weren't awkward or anything she needed to use her fists to…advocate for respectful behavior. Usually Sara managed to work them into a jest all to get a laugh out of her. Cora could hardly shoo her away when she was genuinely charming and funny.

The compliments were the ones that made her stumble as if pushed to the side by a Krogan. She was used to combat compliments between comrades. "Nice shooting," or "Impressive display of biotic's," or any like that were normal. Claps on the shoulder in passing and meaningful looks to understand the praise was genuine were easy to deal with.

Sara's compliments, however, were completely different than what she was used to. It wasn't that her words were distasteful or inappropriate. They weren't. But they also weren't the words of a superior officer talking to their subordinate. It was Sara speaking from her heart, as she always did.

To have those warm words turned her way about who she was as a person rather than her combat prowess…it was strange, admittedly, but not in a bad way. The words Ryder shared were nice, gentle reminders that someone cared about her and appreciated who she was as a person. It left her with a warm feeling in her heart that remained long after her friend left her to check on someone else or do work.

She tried to name the feeling. Tried to wrap her head around what she felt, why she was feeling it and why it made her want to drop her professional barriers long enough to see what it could bloom into, but that didn't happen for a while.

Cora rounded the Nomad and stepped up into it to punch in the coordinates of her desired designation. With the coordinates set, she sat herself in the space between the passenger seat and the door to wait for the woman she cared deeply for. As she sat there, lazily hanging one of her legs outside to sway back and forth, her thoughts drifted back to Sara and their relationship.

What had lowered her barriers to find out if there was something more to the feelings of the flirty woman or her own? It hadn't been some dramatic realization that she had loved Sara since the day they had met, that was for certain. Love wasn't something that sprouted overnight. It was more like a rose garden. With the right conditions, a loving hand, and time it could bloom into something absolutely beautiful.

Through the entirety of their mission, Sara was a constant presence that kept their hopes burning brighter than any star within the cluster. Whether she was sharing a drink with Liam, learning more about the Angara with Jaal, talking science with Suvi, plotting to beat Gil in poker with Vetra or helping Cora with watering the plants in her room as she shared commando stories, the brown-haired woman never ceased to be a soothing wave of compassion and joy that glued the Tempest crew together.

She was always ready to listen or get a laugh out of someone with one of her witty remarks that were capable of brightening the darkness the Archon and the Scourge casted on Heleus. And it was always backed up by that genuine smile of hers that made everything feel okay.

Back when Sara first took over as Pathfinder, Cora had been unsure of Alec's decision, and a little frustrated to say the least. He was her mentor and had trained her to be a Pathfinder in case something ever happened to him. The protocols and the responsibilities, she could recite them in her sleep. Yet…he chose to pass on the mantle to someone untrained and unprepared for the duties.

It…hurt more than she was willing to admit out loud back then. The stab of pain of being thrown to the side again was familiar…but she hadn't seen it coming. She had thought…she had hoped leaving the Milky Way behind meant leaving those feelings behind, but it seemed regardless of what galaxy she was in she was doomed to live that pain over and over again for eternity.

The pain left her stranded in an impenetrable fog that prevented her from seeing beyond her personal dilemmas or objectively about her own faults as a soldier. Instead of seeing the whole situation of what her mentor was faced with, she was caught up in her own trauma, blind to reality and the choices left to Alec.

She never once blamed Sara for what she was thrown into. Blind as she was, she could still see that her friend was struggling to overcome the grief of losing her father. They would talk to each other about the old man, sometimes while watering her plants, other times over a drink. They'd share different stories they had about his desert dry sense of humor, their individual struggles to get along with the man, varying past stories of the Milky Way about their family and careers and even how crazy everything turned out in Andromeda.

At first Cora had thought it was her way of helping Ryder get through her grief and talk about the old man…but over time she started to realize how much she needed to talk through it, too. Through their conversations, the fog impeding her vision lifted, allowing her to understand everything far better than she could have back then.

In Alec's final moments he was faced with two choices: save himself and watch his daughter suffocate on poisonous air, or sacrifice his life for the chance to save hers.

"Your old man made the choice any parent who loved their children would have made," Cora once told Ryder during one of their deep conversations. She could only hope if she was ever faced with the same choice that she would have the true grit it took to sacrifice her own life for another.

Over the course of their mission, Sara had proven to her how misplaced her past doubts were. Where Cora always looked for a mentor to guide her, Ryder blazed a trail forward just like her father would have. Being her second became an honor. But Sara was special to me for more than being a great Pathfinder. Ryder was someone who didn't see her as an overpowered human biotic or as just another soldier to order around. She saw her as a person, a comrade, a friend, maybe even as something more.

Others had always seen what was on the surface, which was usually her biotic's. But not Sara. She looked beyond my biotic's and even past my service history all to find out who I really was underneath my armor.

All of it made Cora feel welcome, comfortable, cherished; three feelings that had been scarce in her life and never in one place at one time. The friendly bond they shared gave her a sense of solid ground she struggled to find in the past. It made her wonder if this feeling was what home was supposed to feel like.

What she wanted most was to have a place she knew she belonged, and their friendship and the Tempest provided that in spades. Pursuing something more in a misunderstanding of intentions could easily shift that ground and ruin it.

If I'm honest, I knew Sara wasn't just flirting to flirt even all the way back then. She never tried to hide the fact that she cared more than a friend, but she was also accepting of the fact that I wasn't pursuing her or flirting back. If Cora was ever to find out the depths of Ryder's care, it would have to be her who made a move.

For a while Cora debated with herself over what she was going to do. Their friendship was comfortable, and they honestly had a lot going on. Juggling a more intimate relationship along with the Initiative problems would be tough for anyone; Ryder being the sole Pathfinder multiplied that by a thousand.

And what if a closer relationship caused distractions in the field? They couldn't be distracted in fights against overwhelming odds or against hulking mammoths like Remnant Architects. What if one of them were hurt, or killed? Could they maintain focus after a loss like that?

There were so many angles to think about this from. They weren't in a position to be selfish and think about what they as individuals could want. The needs of the entire Initiative had to come before personal desires.

Several rational arguments came to mind as she tried to make a decision. Yet, in the face of those rational arguments, her heart fought back with rational arguments of its own. The Pathfinder team was going to be a commitment for a few decades, if not the rest of her career. There was no telling when things were going to cool off long enough for her to actually chase personal desires and dreams. Yes it would take a lot of work to sustain any relationship and chase her dreams with her current duties…but weren't those things worth fighting for? Better yet, wasn't that everything she was fighting for?

What sense was there in putting so much of her energy into fixing Andromeda if she never let herself enjoy her time? If or when she reached a ripe age, she didn't want to look back on her time in Andromeda and wish she had taken time to actually experience something other than the fear filled adrenaline rush of outrunning a purification field.

With her hearts arguments taking control, Cora decided to take her leap of faith during one conversation with the Pathfinder. They had been talking about her dream to have her own rose garden one day. Sara thought the dream was wonderful. It was then the woman would pass another serious flirt her way.

"I knew underneath all of your armor was a heart that is as soft and beautiful as a rose petal."

"Flatterer," Cora said, smiling softly at the heartwarming words.

"I mean it. I think it's endearing."

The truthfulness in her words made the huntress pause before responding. No one in the Milky Way had ever seen her in the brilliant light Sara seemed to see her in…but that made her special.

Unlike the assumption of several people back in the Milky Way, she never let her relationship with her Asari comrades become more than a friendship. One had wanted more, and she had been cute and charming, but her friendship had been enough for Cora. She was there to learn from the best, not find out what Asari skin felt like against her own.

Deep down, though, Cora yearned for a stronger emotional connection with someone; it just never seemed like the right time. But was there ever truly a right time to search for that or have it?

Here in Andromeda she wanted to find someone to share her heart with. She wanted to love and be loved in return without fear, without judgment, without restraint. She wanted to embrace the person she loved and feel like she was home in their arms and for them to feel the same way in hers.

Is there a place in her heart for someone like me? She wanted to find out, wanted to see if this good feeling she felt in her chest could grow into a beautiful flower or if it was a fleeting idea that would lead to a place of hurt. But is it worth the risk of losing this feeling of home? Her mouth decided to make that decision for her. "And underneath your armor is a big, soft, plushy heart I think just about anyone would want to cuddle with."

Shock pulled onto Sara's face first at the response and was followed by a pink blush tinting her fair skinned cheeks. Her lips slowly upturned into an infectious goofy smile as a light giggle escaped her. "You got me there, but is that so bad?"

"No," Cora shook her head, smiling at her reaction, "I think it's adorable."

Ryder had left that conversation with her bright smile refusing to fade away. Just the thought of her smile kept Cora smiling for several long minutes afterwards. Even in the present the memory made her lips split into a smile and her eyes shut just so she could visualize it fully. Damn her for having such an infectious smile. Her old huntress team would have teased her mercilessly for acting like a blushing maiden. But I'd take it all just to have this feeling.

Although her response did leave her with questions regarding her own feelings at the time, there was no time to ask those questions due to their run-in with the Archon and his fleet happening soon after and being quickly followed by First Contact with the Angara.

Both situations had gone well overall. Sure they had set the Tempest on fire during the former and then landed on an unknown alien world with said ship still on fire, but any landing you can walk away from is a good landing, right?

The world they landed on, Aya, belonged to the Angara, a peaceful race in a desperate struggle to beat back the Kett and regain their worlds. But they weren't fools either. They wouldn't blindly trust anyone declaring peaceful intentions after the Kett marched into their cluster doing the same.

Thankfully the Angara didn't shun them because of the actions of the Kett. Instead they gave them an opportunity to prove their desire for peace by saving the Moshae on Voeld and helping their people tame the wild, lush forest of Havarl. To monitor them and ensure they were true to their words, they sent a resistance fighter by the name of Jaal to join their team. He had not only proven to be a great asset to their team, but also a wonderful friend.

Their mission logs expanded dramatically after their landing on Aya, but the Tempest team and their Pathfinder were up for the challenge. Rescuing the Moshae was first on the list and had gone well, but on their mission to rescue the revered woman they learned the terrible truth of what the Kett were doing to those they captured.

Exaltation. The word alone sent chills up the huntress's spine and made her shift in an attempt to regain the comfort she had moments before. Nothing she had experienced in the Milky Way came close to the disturbing process they witnessed in the Exaltation Facility. The Kett were literally transforming the people they captured on a genetic level into willing members of the Kett race.

They called it a gift. Cora called it a monstrosity.

Their new knowledge led her to aiding Kandros to the best of her ability by creating strategies to help with their fight against the cruel aliens. Had it helped in the long run? She couldn't say, not with any degree of certainty at least. She wasn't exactly Sarissa Theris, but she couldn't sit around twiddling her thumbs after learning the truth about Exaltation.

At the same time, she felt her rose garden of hope wilting away in the solitude and suffocation of dark space before she could see them bloom. The enemy they were facing was capable of transforming anyone against them, and those who were turned were loyal to what changed them. It was the worst kind of enemy and made everyone restless.

As all hope felt like it was fleeing back to the Milky Way, the Pathfinder swooped in to save the day as she always did with reassuring words and that smile of hers that made the troubles they faced feel miniscule.

"Hey, don't worry so much. I've got everything covered. I have a mass effect field toothbrush in case we need to pick a lock, a giant Krogan to bust down walls, and I have you."

Sara's words had started as a reassuring quip, but ended on a warm note that left Cora speechless again. Her flirts had once been playful and innocent, yet they were steadily changing from playful flirts to heartwarming declarations of care. There was no way to deny that the Pathfinders feelings delved deeper than the gravity wells in the Remnant vaults, and it was becoming clear to the huntress that her feelings were following them down into the unknown.

Figuring out what was at the end of this gravity well would have to wait. Right now wasn't the time to piece together all of that, not when they had just witnessed the nightmares of the Exaltation Facility. We have to keep our focus on the mission so we can prevent those Kett bastards from performing more of their horrors on the residents of Heleus.

First step to that was acknowledging the words of her friend who was becoming more.

"How do you do it?" Cora asked.

Sara raised her scarred eyebrow in question as confusion pulled onto her face. "Do what?"

"How do you know exactly what to say to rekindle my hopes even when everything seems to be falling apart around us?"

Ryder smiled the affectionate smile Cora wanted to believe was only saved for her. "Because I care about you."

And just like that, her rose garden of hope started growing again with a few extra seeds of an emotion she wasn't quite ready to name.

Before she could thank the woman for her words or say something meaningful, SAM informed Ryder she had a message from the doctor watching over her brother. Sara excused herself immediately then left to see what was going on. Cora had only seen her briefly on her return…It wasn't reassuring. Every ounce of energy and life in Sara's being appeared to have been ejected out the closest airlock.

"Ryder, how'd it go?" she had asked in passing, hoping to figure out what happened and if there was anything she could do to help.

"I…it was fine."

An easily detected lie, but the lieutenant respected her privacy and didn't push the topic. She'll talk when she's ready to, and I'll be here for her when she's ready, she had thought at the time. Cora let her retire to her bedroom and asked SAM to keep her updated if their Pathfinder needed anything. It wasn't until late into the night cycle of the Tempest and the Nexus that SAM informed her of Sara needing her after departing from the ship.

Where had she gone and why had been her first two questions to the AI, and the answers she received only served to create a Kadara sized mountain of pain to grow in her heart. When Ryder went to visit her brother earlier that day she had told him the truth about their father's death and the failed Golden Worlds. The truth had hit Scott hard, as it had with all of them, but because of his fragile state it sent him into shock with the possibility of psychological damage.

I don't wish the pain I saw in her eyes on anyone. Cora opened her eyes to stare back out at the lively environment around her, hoping it would ease the returning pain the memory was bringing forth.

The night Ryder left the Tempest, she went back to the Hyperion to visit Scott when no one, save for a few graveyard shift workers, were around to bother her or see her tears. She wanted to, "Tell him about all the good stuff I wasn't able to," as she put it

On the way to check on her, Cora inquired about her well-being. SAM had put it quite simply. "Not well. She is experiencing a depth of guilt and sorrow I cannot accurately describe."

His words hastened her steps and her heart rate in an instant. SAM was an advanced AI that received direct sensory input from the current Pathfinder. In short, SAM was able to see and feel everything Ryder did…and he couldn't accurately describe her guilt or sorrow. Worried didn't describe what Cora felt at that moment. Had she been unable to restrain herself, she would have ended up sprinting across the Nexus to the elevator just to reach her friend.

It took a few deep breaths, but she managed to stay calm and not incite mass panic on the Nexus.

She found Sara sitting in a chair next to her brother. Her usually ponytailed brown hair was loose and messy, no time taken to brush it after restlessly tossing and turning in her bed. Her shoulders were hunched, burdened by the weight of blame she was casting on herself as she held his hand in hers and talked quietly to him about their accomplishments.

It was…painful. No, the huntress shook her head, painful doesn't even come close to describing what it was like to find her in that state. To see the bright star that was Sara Ryder snuffed out in guilt and sorrow was agonizing. Seeing her hurt like that, hearing the pain in her voice as she spoke to her unconscious brother…it felt as if someone was methodically piercing needles into her heart as slow as they could. And with each pump of her heart, the needles pierced deeper.

The metaphorical pain was almost physically debilitating as she could only stand, listen and watch the heartrending sorrow consuming the brown-haired woman's entire being. Breaking free of the stasis field of shock she was stuck in was a tremendous struggle. Eventually her body responded to her internally screamed commands to move already so she could provide some sort of support to her friend in her time of need.

Pulling a chair up next to her, she attempted to soothe Sara's agony through clumsy words and the physical comfort of a hand rubbing her back. This wasn't exactly a scenario she was trained to handle or had much experience in, but for Ryder she would try her hardest to help.

Nearing the end, the huntress brought the woman into a warm embrace where they sat for a few long minutes with Sara trying to pull herself together and Cora simply happy to be stable ground for the Pathfinder in her moment of vulnerability. In their embrace there was no judgment for being human and shedding tears for the sake of someone she loved. Only waves of comfort and understanding broke on her shore, easing the fears and guilt lying within her heart.

Sara came by the next day to thank her for her support while also apologizing for bringing her out that late to console her, but Cora was quick to interrupt her.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Ryder. Like I said last night: we're in this together. If you ever need to have a real talk, I'll be here for you. I've got your back."

Ryder had smiled genuinely and thanked her again for her words before quickly falling back onto a joke she had not expected her second-in-command to turn right back on her.

"Are you sure it's my back you're watching, Cora?"

Cora smirked. "Maybe, maybe not. You'll never know for certain if my eyes trail anywhere else. Well, not unless you get side mirrors attached to your armor."

The look of shock on her face had been priceless and still made Cora laugh to this day.

"SAM, requisition side mirrors for my armor, please."

"One moment…Pathfinder, there are no viable mirrors that would not impede your combat ability. Should I expand the search parameters?"

Sara sighed in defeat. "No. Thanks anyway, SAM."

"I guess you'll never know now," Cora teased with a laugh coming on.

"Laugh it up, Cora."

Oh, she laughed hard and without restraint.

That joke was only the first in what became a new dynamic for the duo. Because of the moment on the Hyperion, the level of trust and care between the pair had grown tenfold. Sara had been at one of her lowest moments then. She was drowning in despair over the possibility that her actions had permanently damaged her brother—the last of her family. Yet instead of hearing an outside voice of doubt tell her that she wasn't fit to be Pathfinder or tell her that her tears would ruin her image and lower morale, Cora told her what she believed to be true: she was more than capable of being a Pathfinder and everything would work out for the best with her brother.

"Because he's a fighter, just like you are."

The lack of scolding and judgment made her feel more comfortable in her role as Pathfinder and closer to the lieutenant. Cora felt closer, too. From the start she had tried to maintain her huntress mindset in the battlefield and off, leading her to let the flirty jokes from Ryder pass by like a shooting star in the night. That came to an abrupt end after that night. From that night on, she started firing back with her own jokes regardless of who was around.

The flirty banter battles continued as they tamed the forests of Havarl and brought Voeld from hypothermia in seconds to hypothermia in minutes with neither ever pulling through for too long, especially when Vetra or Jaal were around. The former of the pair fueled the battles to continue by goading them with comments like, "Oh, are you going to let her get away with that Cora?" and "You can't give up yet, Ryder. You had her on the ropes."

Jaal, on the other hand, had a habit of making it a little awkward by asking questions on long drives in the Nomad to them both. He didn't mean to make it uncomfortable. His curiosity about their relationship was innocent and real, but his questions often led to awkward replies and silences that consumed everyone in the Nomad.

Nervous shifting and fidgeting would begin soon after until one of them, usually Jaal, broke the silence with the perfect solution to ease the tension. "Hmm. Ryder, I think I see a Kett patrol up ahead. Perhaps we should…stretch our legs?" he once asked after causing an awkward silence.

"Yes!" Ryder had all but shouted in excitement of escape. Mind you, they were on Voeld that time and nowhere near any heat lamps. "Leg stretching is a fantastic idea Jaal. Don't you think, Cora?"

"The sooner we get out to stretch our legs, the better." She hadn't cared that it was colder than Noveria out there. Crushing Kett in the freezing temperatures was preferable to their current situation.

While it was easy for both to deny outwardly that there was nothing brewing between them, it was far harder to do so within their own minds. The truth was their relationship had been changing towards something more for a long time. No one had forced Cora to fire back with flirty jokes. She was doing it on her own free will and was enjoying it thoroughly just as she did when they spoke more seriously. She wanted this, but she wasn't sure what this was.

That question was one the biotic commando tried to use some of her downtime to consider an answer to. Somewhere down the line I stopped seeing Sara as just the Pathfinder and began seeing her as a person I cared deeply about, Cora thought. She knew they both cared about one another, but the question was how far did that care stretch? Was she already far more attached than she should be? Was she setting this all up for failure?

The questions were maddening and impossible to answer on her own. It was something they needed to discuss together so no one got hurt. If they weren't willing to or didn't want more than the enjoyable flirty friendship they had, then…well, fine wasn't exactly how she would describe it. When I figured that out on my own I realized just how far my heart had followed her down that gravity well.

She was falling hard for Sara. She wanted to be closer, wanted to see what those unnamed seeds would grow into and if they would bloom into something as beautiful as Ryder…but fear prevented her from confronting the woman. Excuses were easy to come by every time she tried to summon up the courage to ask if they could talk seriously about their relationship. There's a lot going on and we need to stay focused on the mission right now became fast friends of hers.

All of that came to an end when they finally found the Asari Ark. From the outside, the mission had gone incredibly well. They rescued the Ark and its survivors and gained a second Pathfinder to aid the Initiative. Beyond the surface, however, the situation was a lot more complicated. Where everyone on the outside saw it in black and white, the Tempest team was submerged in shades of grey.

They had entered with the hope to find the original Asari Pathfinder and bring her and the crew of the Leusinia home to the Nexus. But the original Pathfinder had died because…because Sarissa Theris—her bodyguard, her Tiamna—left her to die. What made this worse, other than the fact that one of Cora's idols had left her Pathfinder to die, was that Sarissa took the role up herself and didn't bother to tell anyone the truth so she could be their shining hero.

Cora had felt too many emotions at once to process it in the middle of combat when they found out. Instead she latched onto her disappointed anger and crushed as many of the bony bastards as she could for all the pain they caused. Her anger was only increased by the presence of Sarissa joining them in their final fight as if she was the hero who saved the entire Ark.

It was only when they finally saved the Ark that she confronted her idol for what she had done. Even as they brought the evidence forward she still acted as the righteous defender. She even tried to drag Sara into it which only pumped more anger through Cora's veins. Her Pathfinder put others before herself. Her Pathfinder acted not for personal glory or gain, but so everyone could have a chance at life in Andromeda. Her Pathfinder cared about the lives of her crew as if they were her own family.

Sara was nothing like Sarissa. Sara was better than Sarissa.

As the lieutenant was steadily losing control over her temper, Ryder remained a pillar of level headedness that kept her biotic's from reacting to the situation. She told Sarissa that she needed to tell the Ark the truth. Sarissa refused to, begged them not to do it. Neither heeded her words. How could they when she already betrayed the trust of her Pathfinder?

Human Pathfinder and second-in-command shared a single look before the captain of the Leusinia approached them. In the look Cora could see that Ryder was willing to be the one to tell them because of how personal this was to her. She didn't want to put the huntress in a position she might regret, but Cora remained firm. She would be the one to do this. If she didn't stand up for what she knew was right in her heart, she would never be able to look at herself in the mirror again.

So she told the captain the truth…ruining the life of one of her idols and giving the Asari a new Pathfinder to follow who was just as green as Ryder had once been but was ready to follow the example of a true Pathfinder.

The entire mission left her heart hurting over what she had learned about her idol, what she had done to her and what she saw in herself. For so long Cora looked to Sarissa's manuals for guidance, going so far as to memorize quotes from it like she was a priest learning a religious scripture to help her in combat…but it had all been a lie, hadn't it? All of her writings on sacrifice and duty…it was just words. Worse, they were words she followed blindly.

These thoughts led her to one that hurt even more. If I was made Pathfinder, I would have been just like her…I would have abandoned Sara or even her father just like Sarissa abandoned her Pathfinder. Cora had rested her head into her hands as she sat in the crew quarters with the weight of that thought settling in like a Krogan roommate.

Her heart tried to argue that she was nothing like Sarissa and that she would never abandon Sara…but her mind had won out in telling her that she was the human equivalent of Sarissa. She had tried to model herself after her for so long…and she succeeded.

Ryder, bless her heart, gave her time to sort out her thoughts on her own at first, but what she really needed was her words to give her solid ground again. Whether she realized time alone wouldn't help or she simply sensed Cora's internal turmoil, the Pathfinder entered the quiet room not long after their return, ready to help her in any way she could.

"Hey. You okay?" she asked gently.

Cora shook her head as she gripped the sides of her head. "Can I just do today over again…and not have a Pathfinder stripped of everything she loves?" There was nothing to hold onto here anymore, not for her, not for Sarissa…the ground was caving beneath them so they could fall into a mirror that showed them who they really were. The huntress lowered her right hand to the table and turned to meet the soft hazel eyes that were trying to bring her in from the cold into the warm arms of someone who cared.

Any other day they might have, and part of her heart wanted to walk into that embrace, but her legs had already given out on her.

"I put so much trust into Sarissa…but the Asari were just as lost as we are," she said, her disappointment in her own belief and the sadness it caused clear in her voice as she looked away.

"We know our mission. I think we're finding our way pretty well," Ryder responded confidently.

A smile managed to make its way onto Cora's face as she breathed out a laugh and turned in her chair to face her again. "I should have known better than to say that to a Pathfinder." She bowed her head in a short nod and continued, "Thank you for being there on the Leusinia." If Ryder hadn't been there, she wasn't sure what would have happened. She wanted to believe she would have ousted Sarissa…but there was no certainty there.

The Ryder's were the ones to show her what real Pathfinders were like. They were meant to blaze trails towards their destination, true, yet that didn't mean sacrificing others along the way. They stood side by side with their allies against any threat and remained true to the Initiative dream for new beginnings. If a sacrifice had to be made, they were the ones who stepped forward to give everything they had for a mission or another person, just like Alec and Sara did.

Realizing what it took and meant to be a Pathfinder helped to further her understanding on why the old man had chosen his daughter over her, besides to save her life. It wasn't because her abilities as a soldier were lacking or that she wouldn't have been able to lead a team. It was something more, something she needed to be openly honest about with Sara.

"Can I…tell you something?" she asked hesitantly.

"Anything."

There it was again, her undying commitment to do whatever she could to help, even if it was just being a shoulder to lean on. It made her next words even easier to say. "The old man was right to choose you as Pathfinder instead," she admitted. She once questioned the decision of their first Pathfinder, but now that she had seen what Sara was capable of compared to who she was, it was clear why Alec had chosen her. "I don't…blaze a trail. I always look for the mentor, their plan. I don't have the spark you have."

"Cora…"

"I mean it, Sara," she interrupted her attempt to argue in a soft voice. "You have a spark in you that inspires the people you meet. All of us here on the Tempest aren't here because we have to be. We're here because we want to be here, because you're an incredible leader and a gem as a person. It wasn't Tann or Addison who made Prodromos a reality. It wasn't Sarissa who jumped in to save the Moshae and secured peace with the Angara. It was you. Your actions and your spark have kept the dreams of Jien Garson, your father and the rest of the Initiative alive…As a Pathfinder? My mistakes would have been worse than Sarissa's."

Humbled silence fell over Ryder. Her features revealed her struggle in accepting the words of the biotic commando and how badly she wished for her to stop seeing herself in such a negative light. Cora couldn't hide from it, though. She was a great soldier, sure, but a Pathfinder needed to be more than a great soldier. They needed that unique spark Sara had. The spark that inspired and captivated others to follow them anywhere just because they believed.

She didn't have that spark. She was just a soldier. A solider that followed the teachings of someone who abandoned their leader then pretended to be a hero.

"I didn't do all of that alone," Ryder finally spoke. "Without all of you picking me up when I fell and keeping me going, I wouldn't have gotten this far. And if you were Pathfinder, you would still be smart, talented, wonderful Cora."

The honesty in Sara's words baffled Cora and made her breathe out a disbelieving, yet also hopeful, laugh. "Is that what you see?" Did this woman really see her as more than a mirror image of Sarissa?

"It's what I always see," she replied honestly.

"How? You're so captivating…and damn heroic, and all I see in the mirror is Sarissa—the Pathfinder I might have been."

Ryder furrowed her brow. "Why would you even think that about yourself?" She sounded completely perplexed but didn't give Cora any time to explain. "Sarissa abandoned her Pathfinder then lied about it to stay a hero. When confronted with it, she made excuses for her actions like a coward so her image would remain intact. You fight harder than anyone I know. You don't give up. You save lives and help your friends. And you never ask for recognition or applause."

"That isn't—"

"It is true, Cora." Sara shut her eyes and brought her hand up to touch the scar through her eyebrow. "Ever since Habitat 7 you've been there for me. We helped each other through losing my dad. You helped me pick myself up after I hurt Scott." She shook her head and opened her eyes with gratefulness gleaming in the hazel orbs. "I'll never forget that, and I won't stand for you seeing yourself as anything less than the wonderful person you are."

Cora's eyes fell to the floor as she was rendered speechless. No one had ever said anything so kind to her and actually meant it. But those eyes and that voice weren't hidden behind armor. They were stripped bare so the huntress could see what their playful flirts never revealed.

Breathe, she instructed herself. Where this conversation was heading was foreign territory with only two outcomes. Either what was blooming between them would die, or it would continue to grow into something beautiful. Just the thought of the negative outcome made her more nervous than navigating the Scourge ever could.

Easy. Breathe. Cora inhaled a calming breath through her nose and lifted her eyes to meet the hazel orbs waiting for her. This was her chance to get an answer. Was there really something more here or was she reaching for something that didn't exist? She needed to have that answer now. If it was no…she would handle it. It wouldn't change her respect for the woman in front of her. They would simply remain friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Ryder…Sara…what is this between us? I enjoy the flirting. It's been a lot of fun. But I need to know if that's all there is to it. Because…" Cora shut her eyes and let out a shaky, nervous breath. When she opened her eyes, she stared at the floor between them. "Because I feel a hell of a lot better when I'm close to you."

"Really?" Sara asked.

She nodded but kept her eyes pinned to the ground. It would be better this way if rejection was coming. Sara wouldn't have to see the hurt it would cause and she wouldn't have to see the look of pity for letting her feelings get invested into a fantasy. At least that was her excuse for refusing to meet her eyes. The simple truth was she was afraid. Afraid of being rejected by another person important to her, afraid of heartbreak.

Deep down she was disappointed in her own cowardice. But the disappointment was batted away by loud voices past experiences and the knowledge she gained from them. Rejection was an old friend, but not the good kind. It was like a parasite that continued to latch onto her life no matter how many times she tried to remove it.

Even though this situation was in a different galaxy with a different person who had never let her down, she couldn't help but feel like she had just opened the door for the parasite to worm its way back into her life. Now her heart was completely vulnerable and there was nothing she could do about it except hope this time would be different.

"Cora…" The commando shut her eyes, bracing for the inevitable rejection as she mentally cursed herself for being such a damn idiot. "Can I have permission to hug the crap out of you? Because I feel the same way."

Ryder's response was like inhaling a breath of oxygen after nearly suffocating. Happiness swarmed her entire being and made her eyes shoot from the floor back to the Pathfinder's joyful eyes. "Permission granted, Pathfinder" she responded cheekily, smiling as she moved to stand up.

Sara giggled lightly and met her in a warm embrace that washed away all of her fears of rejection. "You are a hundred times the woman Sarissa is. Never doubt that."

Cora shut her eyes and smiled as she held her a little tighter. Those words from anyone else would have felt hollow or forced, but coming from Sara she was willing to believe them. After a few more seconds of holding onto her, Cora released her and took a step back with her smile still firm on her face. "Thanks. I'm okay. Or, I will be. Just have some thinking to do—if I can get you off my mind."

Sara smiled warmly and gave a small nod. "Okay. If you need to talk, just let me know. My door is always open for you."

The feel of someone tapping the foot she left hanging out the Nomad jolted Cora awake from her memories. Below her, Ryder stood clad in her armor with a few strands off her long brown hair loose of the high ponytail containing the rest. Her lips were pulled into a fond smile as her eyes gleamed with bright life bursting at the seams.

"Fancy meeting you here," she greeted as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Fancy that," Cora replied with an easygoing smile.

She hopped out of the Nomad and met her lover's lips in a short but tender kiss that filled her with blissful warmth the freezing temperatures of Voeld could never take away. This place of bliss was one she wanted to get lost in forever, but Cora needed to steal Ryder away from the rest of the Initiative before anyone else called for her aid today.

Reluctantly, Cora broke off the kiss and prepared to guide the conversation and her lover towards her planned destination. She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of the small pout and near on puppy dog eyes Ryder was leveling her with for ending the kiss they were both thoroughly enjoying.

She's too adorable. A smile still in place, the huntress leaned back in to give her one more kiss before asking, "Did you finish up with those crates?"

Ryder, sated by the second kiss, nodded. "Yep. I'm ready to go whenever you are."

"Hop in then," she replied, jerking her thumb at the Nomad behind her. "I've got the coordinates set already."

With another nod, the pair loaded up and sat side by side in the front seats of the versatile exploration vehicle. The Nomad came to life and, with Ryder at the controls, accelerated at a steady pace on the sandy path towards their destination.

"So, are we on a mission and need to move quickly, or is this a leisure drive where no boosters are required?" Sara asked curiously.

"Impatient, Sara?" Cora teased.

Sara's eyes were pinned on the road, but even then Cora could see her eyes light up in recognition of the familiar tease. A smirk pulled the corner of her lip up as she glanced over. "Curious, Cora." She returned her eyes back to the road, her posture relaxing as she realized where they were going. "Are we going on a picnic?" Partly a jest, partly an honest question.

The huntress chuckled lightly but shook her head. "Afraid not. I want to show you something." She reached her hand over to Ryder and brushed her fingers up her arm. "And have some alone time with you away from prying eyes afterwards."

Sara spared her an affectionate smile and dipped her head in a small nod. "Okay."

Cora smiled back and retracted her hand to not impede on the Pathfinder's piloting of the Nomad. No sense risking a Kett ambush or not seeing a sudden turn because she wanted to touch or hold Sara in her arms. There will be plenty of time for that later.

With time to think, she was tugged back into her reverie.

Her conversation with the Pathfinder after the Asari Ark left her in need of some soul searching. Throughout her life she had always looked towards others for guidance, trying to find a foundation on which to stand and belong…but Sara's belief in her had shown her something important: she already had a foundation to stand on and a place to belong.

She possessed years of military experience and special training with some of the greatest soldiers she had ever met. By constantly looking in the distance for someone else to follow, Cora lost sight of the solid Remnant structures of experience she was standing on.

Andromeda was becoming a galaxy full of opportunities to seize. More than that, there was a future for her out here that she could have never had back in the Milky Way, and there was someone special to her that she hoped to share it with.

As they waited for trouble to come calling from Kadara, she decided to put together a little project on Eos to symbolize her newfound foundation and new start towards the future. She managed to get all the supplies together with a little help from Vetra, but it wasn't something she wanted to do alone. She wanted to share it with Sara so she could express her gratitude in way that was more meaningful than words.

It didn't take much convincing despite not telling her anything about what they were doing or the reasons behind it. Sara made it a priority, though, and brought them there as soon as they could. Much like they were in the present, they set off together to the little space of land next to one of the lakes of Eos where her project was located.

"So where's your mysterious project?"

Cora smirked and turned around while still walking towards her project. "Impatient, Sara?" she teased.

"Curious, Cora," she returned with a smirk of her own. "I mean, I came out here all for some alone time with you without asking a single question."

"All for alone time, huh?"

The woman nodded enthusiastically. "Yep. I even considered bringing a blanket and a basket in the Nomad so I could try convincing you to have a picnic by the lake with me. But my curiosity over what you planned made me relent against it." She shrugged helplessly. "Plus, I couldn't find any decent sandwiches."

A laugh escaped the huntress as she continued her backwards walking. The image of Sara and her having a picnic by the lake as they were surrounded by miles and miles of sand gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling she didn't want to let go of. "That sounds nice. Maybe after we're done with all this work we can convince Vetra to tell us where all the good sandwiches are stored."

"And flowers, maybe even some candles if it's a night time picnic. Hmm." Sara stopped and brought her hand to her chin in thought. "If the radiation is clear we could even go for a swim or walk along the shoreline…well, as long as no Kett or giant bugs ruin our fun. But that's why we would have shotguns."

Cora stopped her backward movement and smiled widely at the brown-haired woman. I'm going to have to start having SAM file her ideas away for a later date. They're too lovely to pass up. She stepped forward and grabbed Sara's hands then began tugging her playfully so she would follow her. "Come on, Sara. I can't lead us to my project if you—"

Cora's words fell short as the back of her foot hit a rock and sent her tumbling back first towards the ground with a dragged Pathfinder following her. The soft sand caught her while Sara barely managed to catch herself with her hands on either side of the commando's head. Before she could even begin to apologize for their crash landing, she became acutely aware of how close they were as she was locked in the lush lands of Sara's eyes that were gazing deeply into her own.

"Enjoying the view?" Her voice was a breathless whisper, as if the wind would carry her words across all of Eos if she spoke louder.

"You're beautiful, you know that, right?" Sara responded tenderly.

"I—…" Cora cleared her throat as she fought in futility against her blush. "You're too sweet to me. Come on, let's not…" The huntress's words escaped her as Ryder's gloved hand caressed her cheek. "Get…distracted."

"How can I not when I have someone like you here?"

"Sweet talker."

"Only for you."

A smile tugged onto Cora's lips as she leaned up into a sitting position, forcing the Pathfinder into one as well as she straddled her lower half. She nudged Ryder's nose with her own. "Good."

She trailed her hands up Ryder's thighs and gently placed them on her hips without either breaking eye contact or removing themselves out of their close proximity. Staring into her eyes, it made the rest of Heleus seem six hundred years away in a different direction. Here, together, there was no Archon, no Kett, no fears. Just them and their deepest feelings reflected in their eyes.

"May I kiss you?" Sara asked. Unlike her ask for a hug, her voice was timid, vulnerable. Ryder wanted to kiss her, that was as clear as the blue sky above them, but she didn't want to accidently overstep any boundary between them.

Cora appreciated the thought, but there weren't any boundaries left between them. She wanted a deep and intimate connection with this woman straddling her, and she wanted everything that came with that. Kisses included. Slowly, she leaned forward and captured Sara's soft lips in a gentle kiss.

"Does that answer your question?" she whispered upon parting.

"Absolutely." Sara's lips met hers again only this time without timid hesitation. Their lips melded together in a slow kiss that burned with passion but was not rushed in any way. They were savoring the moment, letting their feelings guide them as they explored this new realm of intimacy.

They didn't leave that spot for several minutes. Kisses would end and leave the pair touching and soaking in the lovely feeling of being in such close proximity to one another. Then one would kiss the other with every intention of it being a short kiss so they could continue on to the project, only for their kiss to evolve until their tongues met again in a dance that neither was willing to end.

Eventually they did get out of the sand and made their way over to her soil converter that would one day turn the spot of useless dirt into the rose garden she had once dreamed about.

It would take years for the soil converter to actually turn it into that and it was possible she wouldn't actually see it happen, but that was fine.

"Asari think in centuries," she explained. "Lay a foundation then step away. Let it grow into something you might never expect." The words were meant to be about her garden, but she also felt that it fit how their relationship had bloomed. "Pathfinder training was my foundation. It gave me a whole galaxy of directions I could go." She shook her head. "I don't need someone else's plan, just a good beginning. The first seeds of a garden." The huntress knelt down to her soil converter, cupped her hands like a chalice and scooped up a mound of seeds mixed with soil. She stood back up and approached Sara with the seeds in her hands. "Or someone I need in my life."

"Someone you need, huh?" Sara repeated, smiling as she did. "I could get used to hearing that."

Cora laughed lightly. "I'll have SAM make a recording," she teased.

"I want to keep hearing it from you," Ryder said tenderly.

"You will…but first." She put her hands out and Ryder cupped her hands the same way so she could give her some of the seeds as well.

The pair had tossed the seeds and soil up into the air after that then shared one more kiss before returning to the Tempest. Since that day they were practically inseparable. The new intimacy was…incredible. Tender. Heartwarming. Whether it was a tender kiss on the cheek or lips in passing, one of Sara's warm hugs or the Pathfinder nuzzling into her neck as she rested her back against the huntress's torso while they lounged on her couch, Cora found herself loving every moment of it.

Nothing she had experienced before came close to what it felt like to be with Sara. The cozy warmth she felt just by being near her, even when they were drifting into sleep, was nearly indescribable. The reason for it being only nearly indescribable was because Cora had found a word for it.

Home. There was no better way to describe how it felt when they were alone together. They could just be when they were together. No Initiative looking over their shoulder, no Archon to hunt, no fears for the future. It was just them lounging or cuddling together as they shared in conversation or dreamed quietly about their future.

It was truly amazing.

The Nomad shifting to go down a sand dune startled Cora into awareness of their arrival at their designation. "Huh, guess I was lost in thought," she murmured mostly to herself.

"I didn't want to interrupt wherever your thoughts were taking you because of how much you were smiling," Sara explained the reason for her silence. "But I admit I am curious what has you so deep in thought today. You had the same faraway look in your eye when I found you at the Nomad."

"I was…thinking about you and me," Cora admitted, a somewhat bashful smile tugging onto her lips. It sounded so damn corny to say, but she didn't care. Well, as long as no one except Sara knew about that cheesy line. The thought of Drack or Vetra finding out was enough to make her shudder in fear of what kind of teasing they'd aim her way.

"Aw, Cora! You're going to give me cavities with that level of sweetness."

Cora's smile became a teasing smirk as the Nomad halted. "If being sweet could give cavities, I'd have a mouthful because of you already."

Sara beamed brighter than the sun in response, keeping a smile on Cora's face as she took in every aspect of the smile; the cute dimples, the way her eyes lit up in pure joy, the scar that only added to her beauty, the beginnings of a blush in response to the longing stare. "You're incredible," Cora said the first thing that came to mind.

She began to cringe internally at yet again sounding like some cheap romance vid, but the loving smile on Ryder's face kept it at bay. "And you're beautiful."

The pair disembarked the Nomad as soon as it shut down and started the short trek over to the patch of land where they spread the seeds for her garden. Unlike when they first landed on Eos months ago, there were no sounds of ricocheting gunfire from the distant canyons or Kett drop ships, nor was there any local wildlife waiting to spring out from behind a rock or life support warnings pinging them for dangerous levels of radiation.

Now it was quiet, the past battles a distant memory as new life was waiting to bloom.

"I forgot how quiet it was out here away from everything. It's so peaceful," Sara commented softly.

Cora dipped her head in a nod of agreement. Out here there were no responsibilities waiting for them, no missions to complete, no commotion from a building outpost. It was just them and the tranquil peace of nature surrounding them. "Romantic, too," she added.

Sara's gloved hand found hers and intertwined with it. "After we see what you want to show me, want to sit for a while by the lake with me? I'm in no rush to go back as long as you're not."

"Sounds like a plan." A very good plan since she wasn't in a rush to return either. It was incredibly rare for them to have real alone time. Cora cared a lot about the Tempest team, but damn was it hard to steal Ryder away from all of them for an extended period of time outside of the night cycle.

When they finally reached the garden, Sara stilled in shock at the sight before her. The huntress would have done the same if she hadn't already known what to expect thanks to one of Vetra's contacts. But it was also because she knew what to expect that she had chosen to take Ryder here in the first place.

Cora released her lover's hand, took a step forward then kneeled down to the dirt where a small blue flower bud was sticking out of the ground. "Amazing, isn't it?" She gently touched the bud of the flower, smiling as she did. I never thought I would even get to see the beginnings of the garden. Yet here they were with plant life and patches of grass starting to bloom on the once barren planet.

"But…how?" Ryder sounded dumbfounded in all the best ways.

Cora stood back up and turned back around to face her with an affectionate smile on her face. "Because of you." She glanced back to the flowers as she continued, "When you activated Meridian, plant life here on Eos began to grow again. A side effect of that was this," she said, sweeping her hand out in front of her to motion to the flower buds and grass.

When she turned back to face the Pathfinder, the astonishment was still glowing in her eyes. Time to hit my point home. Cora stepped back over to Sara and took both of her hands into her own. "New life is beginning to bloom in Heleus all around us, Sara. But you'll miss the beauty if you don't take the time to step back from work and look with both eyes open." She squeezed her hands gently. "Don't burn yourself out before you can see what awaits us in the future. Please."

Ryder's eyes fell to their held hands as she digested her words. After a brief moment, she squeezed Cora's hands and raised her eyes to meet hers again. "I won't." She let her lips upturn into the affectionate smile the huntress knew was saved for her. "I wouldn't want to miss seeing how your rose garden turns out."

Cora smiled back at her and closed what little distance was between them. "Our rose garden," she corrected, nudging Ryder's nose with her own.

Sara grinned then captured her lips with own, allowing their tongues to meet in the familiar dance that never ceased to make her weak in the knees. She brought her hands up to Ryder's ponytail and undid it with practiced precision before lacing her fingers into the long brown tresses, deepening the kiss and eliciting a moan of pleasure from Sara.

The pair parted with smiles and gently rested their foreheads on each other. Both wanted to sit by the lake to either continue kissing or just sit together, but neither moved. Cora was too lost in the hazel orbs gazing deeply into hers to think of anything beyond the beautiful woman she had fallen in love with.

"I love you, Cora."

And with those three words everything fell into place. All the struggles they faced in Andromeda, every nightmare they were forced to conquer and all the pain they suffered was all made worth it by those three words and the warm feeling her heart. Because no matter what the future held, she knew…

"And I love you, Sara."

She was finally home.