Chapter 1: The Archon's flagship Part 1

Notes:

Beforehand I apologize for any language and spelling errors that I might have missed.

Italics represents a flashback.

"Drack, anything you can do?" Ryder asked in the hope that this kett will somehow listen to Drack. She pulled out her assault rifle.

Ryder heard Drack ordered the Behemoth, "Krogan! Stand down!" But of course, it didn't work, because the Behemoth wasn't a krogan anymore. Now he was a kett.

They were in the Archon's chamber, luckily already having the relic. The salarians already fired the EMP. That only meant one thing. If they wanted to get out of there, they needed to hurry.

Peebee threw a Shockwave at a chosen and shot another one with her Sidewinder pistol. Drack finished the chosen that Peebee used her Shockwave ability on with his shotgun, and turned his attention back to the Behemoth.

"Drack forget it! It's not working!" She shouted towards him. It was pointless to keep trying.

She Charged the Behemoth and use Backlash on him. But had to duck quickly and moved into cover. Charging the Behemoth did almost nothing. It was almost a waste. She looked towards Drack and Peebee who had their hands full, fighting the different types of kett.

She decided to focus all her attention on the Behemoth. If he was dealt with the other kett can be killed off easily. But that was easier said than done. She peeked her head out of cover and saw the Behemoth was closer to her than she would have liked. She pulled an Omni Grenade and threw it towards his direction. Then she moved to the cover to her right.

She shot him a couple of times with her N7 Valkerie. But after a couple of shots, the Behemoth stormed her aggressively and she had to run around the room to get away from him.

"This guy's going to be trouble," Peebee shouted over the gunfire. She was sending a Shockwave towards him.

"Stay out of the way and give him everything you've got!" She was out of cover and while jumping by making use of her jump jet she shot him a couple of times with her assault rifle once again.

"These are my people they're messing with!" Drack shouted, anger was visible in his tone.

Ryder couldn't begin understanding what this might have let Drack feel. Using their own people against them. That's just…she hadn't the right words for that. So instead she said nothing, keeping all her focus on the kett before her. On the Behemoth. At this point, he couldn't be far from being done with.

She switched her assault rifle for her pistol, and just as Ryder wanted to use her biotics on him again she heard Hayger over her comm, "Ryder, this is Captain Hayger. We detonated the EMP!"

"Yeah, we know!" She shouted. The Pathfinder team did a lot of shouting this past couple of minutes. She might have sounded a little annoyed, but in her defense, she was busy killing kett.

"Raeka is still trying to free the captives," Hayger replied.

"I wish her luck, but I can't talk right now," that was the only thing she could say. She only hoped that Raeka would make it out in time. The salarians can't lose their Pathfinder. They've already been through enough.

"You sound busy- I'll let you go," he must've heard the gunfire in the background.

Just as he said that Ryder jumped using her jump jet to avoid being shot by a chosen and used Pull on that same chosen.

Drack used Concussive shot on the Behemoth, and when he was distracted enough Ryder Charged and used her Krogan hammer, and hit him a couple of times.

Peebee threw a Shockwave at him and shot him with her pistol. "Got him! Krogan's down!" She said in victory. Being very proud of herself for throwing the punch that finished him off. "Sorry Drack," she said as soon as she realized what she had said.

Seeing his fellow krogan killed by none other than one of his teammates couldn't be easy. Even if that krogan wasn't a krogan anymore.

Drack mumbled something that Ryder didn't hear, and she threw her attention back to the remaining kett. There was still a couple of dozen of them left.

10 Minutes later Drack shot the last kett with his shotgun and it left a gigantic hole in the kett's face.

"All right we've got the map- let's get the heck out of here," she ordered.

"Don't want to be here when those gun's come online," Peebee said.

"The ark is still okay," Ryder said as she looked outside. Feeling a wave of relief over her.

They ran towards the door but then Ryder stopped as she saw an ammo cache. Chances are very good that they will run into a lot more kett, and she didn't know about Drack and Peebee but after that last fight, her ammo was running dangerously low.

"Grab some ammo!" Ryder ordered as she kneeled next to the ammo cache and grabbed ammo.

Afterward, they approached the door.

As soon as they exited the room Ryder heard SAM's voice, "Pathfinder, a moment. I'm picking up krogan life signs onboard the ship. Several captives are being held not far from your location."

That stopped her dead in her tracks. Taking in her surroundings. Seeing the tanks with the yellow liquids. In one of these tanks where the Behemoth was.

"They are scheduled for exaltation," SAM continued.

Then we should get them!

"Could be the rest of my squad," Drack said.

She wanted to tell Drack that they will rescue them. That they will get every single krogan out of here. But then she remembered the power. "SAM, do we have time to get there before the kett restore power?" This was one of those times that she was thankful for SAM.

"If you act quickly."

They wasted no time moving forward. Fetching the krogan scouts. Until Ryder's omni-tool pinged.

She frowned as she heard Reaka over the comms, "Ryder, its Reaka. I'm pinned down. Don't think I'm going to make it."

"Where are you?" Ryder didn't waste any time.

"Near the holding cells where they're keeping several of my people. They're still alive."

This didn't sound good. "I ordered Captain Hayjer back to the ark", Reaka continued.

"You should be with himm," she said softly.

"I couldn't leave my people- I had to try. And now. I think it's over. From one Pathfinder to another…farewell. Reaka out." Regret was heard in Reaka's voice. Regret that she couldn't rescue her own people in time.

This wasn't a call for help. This was a call to say goodbye.

Ryder couldn't blame Reaka for wanting to rescue her people. There is a possibility that she would have done the exact same thing if she was in her shoes.

Ryder led out a sigh. No. This can't be happening! She paced from one side of the room to another side. Trying to come up with a solution.

"There isn't time to save both. Once the kett restores power you'll be trapped," SAM said.

It almost angered her how calm SAM's voice sounded. As if this decision should be easy. And not as if people's life depended on it.

"Ryder…my scouts", said Drack.

This is what she talked about, isn't it? This was the impossible choice. Her impossible choice.

She let out another heavy sigh and closed her eyes.

Ryder was sitting on a bench, admiring the view. She was waiting for Katherine, she was on the Citadel and they agreed to meet. Since Katherine has become the first human Spectre, she was always busy. She didn't know what her mission was about, but there were some rumours. A news reporter interviewed her and asked her about her mission, but she couldn't deny or confirm it.

Ryder didn't ask, she knew better.

"Sorry I'm late," Katherine said as soon as she arrived.

Ryder pated the bench next to her, "Sit."

Katherine had her N7 hoodie on with black pants. Her dark hair was still as short as when Ryder have seen her last. She placed her brown duffle bag on the ground and sat on the bench next to Ryder.

"How's your mom?" Katherine asked.

Her gaze fell on the ground, "She's getting worse."

Katherine touched her shoulder, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Then Katherine opened her duffle bag and got a chocolate bar out. "Want some?" She snapped the chocolate in half and offered Ryder the one half.

She took it from Katherine feeling the smooth texture of the chocolate in her hand, "Thanks". She studied the chocolate and then took a bite from it. Feeling the chocolate piece melt in her mouth.

"I heard that you lost one of your crewmembers," Ryder saw Katherine taking another bite from her chocolate bar. Her blue eyes not portraying any emotion. "I think he was Lieutenant Alenko", she said. Unsure if she got his name right.

Katherine was always good at not showing her emotions to anyone. Even the people closest to her.

Katherine gave her a small smile, "Yes Kaidan."

"How…" She stopped, unsure if she should ask.

Katherine frowned, "Sara you know you can ask me anything."

Ryder sat up straighter, "I heard that you had to make a choice. That you had to choose between two of your crewmembers."

Katherine gave her a smile, but Ryder wasn't sure what that smile had meant.

"How…how did you know who to choose?" Ryder asked.

Katherine looked straight before her, "It was the hardest decision I had to make in my life. And if there was a way to get to them both I would have done it." She frowned, relieving the memory, "But a decision needed to be made. I knew if I didn't make one, both of them would have died."

Ryder knew she felt guilty. She knew that Katherine blamed herself. But telling her it's not her fault wouldn't accomplish a thing.

Ryder didn't know what to say. She wasn't good with this type of thing. "That must've been an impossible choice to make. I don't know if I could've made a decision like that."

Katherine was always someone who Ryder could look up to. She had a strong character.

The first human spectre held her hand, "You're stronger than you think. Sometimes someone needs to make the hard decisions. The decisions no one else is prepared to make." A human female with red hair and an Asari walked by. Chatting with each other. "But I hope that you'll never have to make a decision like that."

"Pathfinder, you need to make a decision," SAM said. This time through their private channel, interrupting her thoughts.

Ryder opened her eyes. She looked around her. Both Peebee and Drack waiting for her to make a decision. To choose who will be rescued. The salarians or the krogan scouts.

"No."

"Did you just say no? Ryder you have to choose," Peebee said. Her expression on her face was serious.

Ryder couldn't be sure, but it almost seemed like Drack knew what her plan was. As if he had read her mind.

"No, I don't. I'm not going to leave one group here. We're going to rescue them both. I refuse to choose."

Drack approved of her decision. Peebee not so much.

"Pathfinder I advise against that," SAM said.

"I agree. If we fail then all of us are stuck here. I do not want to become a kett. I like being an asari," Peebee said. Making her case very clear. "If we fail-"

"Stop thinking what will happen if we fail. Think of what will happen if we succeed," Ryder interrupted Peebee. Her voice portraying her optimism.

"I don't know Ryder," Peebee was still not convinced, "SAM said we only have time for one of them. Not both."

With this Ryder agreed. Time was the issue here. She nodded slowly, "I know," she said softly. She bit the right side of her cheek, "That's why we're going to split up."

"Splitting up is never a good idea Ryder. Clearly, you haven't watched enough horror vids."

"We don't have time for this!" She snapped at Peebee. They need to get going. "Drack, you and Peebee are going to the krogan scouts. I will go and find the salarians."

Drack gave a firm nod, "Good luck kid."

She gave him a smile, "I don't need luck." She looked towards the door ahead of them, "After you get the scouts go directly to the Tempest. Don't wait for me. If the power comes back on, and I'm not there you tell Kallo to get the heck out of here."

Peebee and Drack didn't say anything.

She stared at Drack, seeing his yellow eyes. "Got it?" Ryder asked. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Peebee took a breath to say something, but Drack spoke before she could say anything. "You've got it, kid."

Notes:

All feedback is appreciated.