Flash after flash occurred as the skies of Habitat 7 darkened; the usual intense thunderstorms intensifying, bolt after bolt of the superheated plasma slamming against the lightning rods and drenched ground. Underneath a rock overhead with lightning rods surrounding sat Ryder; a hot fire blazing next to him with what he managed to scavenge nearby. It didn't do all too much since he had to wear his insulated space-going armor, the air still toxic to him. He wasn't exactly sure why he returned to the failed golden world. Perhaps it was the haunting memory of his father sacrificing himself, perhaps it was the desire to start the vault that, or perhaps it was just another moment to keep his mind off life for the moment.

Footprints patted against the ground as he sat up, turning his head to meet the crazed Turian who decided to accompany him on his foolish venture. "Hey Vetra, looking real nice there." Ryder spoke, a soft chuckle escaping his throat as he laid back down. The Turian rolled her eyes, moving behind the human and sitting down, lifting his head up and resting it gently in her lap. "Oh shut up, Scott." She spoke, her arms resting along his as they both watched the fire and the clouded sky.

"I still can't tell how beautiful it is." He spoke through the comms, stretching his hands to meet hers, enclosing his fingers with her own, pulling her arms down a little further. "The planet?" she asked, tilting her head a little before looking up. Grinning, the human responded, "No, your face, Vet." Blushing a shade of light blue that wasn't quite visible to him, she gently pounded his chest, saying, "You tease. I don't believe I'm much of a gem myself, but I'd bet the Pathfinder's word might reassure me with that answer." Laughing a little bit, he sat up, moving next to her and pulling her head against his suited shoulder, he spoke, "Well, I don't quite know. I'm still wondering."

Sighing softly, she scooted a little closer to him, a massive thud sounding off behind them as another jolt of lightning struck behind them. "Kissy, kissy, that's all you youngin's are good at. Glad you at least have the quads to stand up and declare open war against a species Ryder, or else I'd call you less than a girl." A deep laugh spoke behind them a spherical helmet being pushed between the two. "I swear, from fuckin' each other up to fuckin' each other, your species has been on quite the rollercoaster." The Krogan bellowed, standing up before tossing some more dry material onto the fire, letting it roar up.

Jumping a little at his sudden return, the Turian sighed softly, composing herself, replying, "Oh, like you and Lexi aren't getting all smooched up in the medbay while we're not looking?" Scott snickered at her comment, Drax replying, "Her? Naw, she's too fragile. I like a gal who can hold her egg in one arm and a machine gun in the other." Leaning back, the human between the two smirked. "Well we know that's our Krogan then. No imposter there." He spoke, stretching a little bit as a crackle came over the radio. "Tempest ready to pick up. We've got a thirty-minute window to pull you out, Ryder. You planning on leaving that hellhole anytime soon?" a feminine voice spoke over the intercoms.

Sighing softly, he stood up, cracking his neck. "Yeah, Suvi. Send down the dropship when you've got a moment, we're ready for pickup." The human spoke, turning to the other two. "C'mon. Back through hell to get outta here, yeah?" he finished, making sure his gear was tightened before outstretching a hand to Vetra.

Dashing through the lightning scorched ground, the trio quickly headed to the makeshift drop zone they had created for further investigations of the area. Wasn't exactly the safest place in the world, but when you've got lightning rods that were just about taller than the mountains surrounding them, it's bound to be somewhat safer than an open plain. Moments passed as a small ship landed, the door opening to a small room before entry was pushed inside. "Well c'mon guys, we don't got all day, yeah?" a taunting, familiar voice spoke, adding, "Teatime's over." Shaking his head as he stepped onboard, Ryder responded, "Yeah, yeah Liam. Hold onto your panties, I'm here." Vetra and Drax followed soon behind him as they boarded the shuttle.

Hours flew past as they boarded the Tempest once more, exiting general orbit around the planet. Ryder sat in his room, staring at the shrinking view of the human's original 'golden world' as they headed away.

"Hard to believe, even after all we've been through with the Meridian, the remnant relics don't work there." A feminine voice spoke as the door behind her slowly closed. "Yeah, I know." He simply replied, sighing a little bit. "Still think about him, huh." Spoke the blond-haired human as she stood near him, leaning against the heated glass as she stared down at the planet.

"Hard not to; he's the whole reason I am where I am today… And I suppose where the initiative and everyone that'll come to live in Helius." Scott spoke, his arms folded across his chest. A static cracking came over the room as SAM's net-link lit up. "Ryder, while it is true that your continued existence is dependent on your father's action; your work alone has made the Initiative successful." It spoke, flaring up slightly with lights as Cora nodded. "That's right, and I don't think your dad would have thought it this way, or wanted you to think of it that way. All of the accomplishments that have happened here; are because of you, Ryder."

A few moments passed as she set he hand on his shoulder, patting it and slowly walking out. "Oh, we're all waiting for your next word, Pathfinder. Meridian may be working, but we've still got more to do if we're to make sure our foothold is safe here for the oncoming arks." She spoke, waving as she left the room, the auto door sticking open as another set of footprints walked in, SAM node turning off for the moment. "So what's the plan now, Ryder?" the soothing voice spoke, stepping behind him and wrapping their arms around his torso.

"Well… I want to rest for a few moments. Give the crew some down time…" he started, turning around, his arms placing themselves on the Turian's waist, pulling her close. "Repay a few favors, and spend some time with my girl." He added, chuckling softly as her mandibles flexed a little bit; one of her signs of her embarrassment. "Still not used to being called that… But I like it, you know." She responded, rolling her eyes, taking off her visor and tossing it onto his bed.

They both sighed, the ventilation above them turning on, blowing cool air down on the pair as seconds turned to minutes. Eyes closed, they stood in embrace of one another, going uninterrupted as they enjoyed the still warmth of each other's bodies. Unfortunately for the duo, the intercom ahead came on: "Ryder, we're getting a vidcom message, urgency is moderate. It's Gil back on the Nexus—he's live right now; do you want me to tell him to leave a message?"

Sighing softly, Ryder planted his lips against Vetra's neck, saying, "Be right back, Vet. Get comfy, this shouldn't be too long." Nodding, she moved to his bed, sitting down on it as he left, climbing up the ladder just outside of his room to the upper floor, making his way to the vidcom room.

Tapping a few buttons, the holographic line was set up. "Hey, hey Ryder. Not too shabby looking, yeah?" spoke the human engineer that once worked aboard the Tempest. "Hey there Gil. How's Jill and the baby coming along?" asked Ryder, folding his arms and leaning back against the railing on the vidcom deck. "Oh, just fine, just fine. She keeps complaining that she gains weight, despite her dieting and… Women, pretty much. Baby's fine, far as I know… Bloody thing doesn't know when to…" he spoke, being cut off by crying in the background.

"…For fuck's sake…" he groaned, pinching his temple, a chuckle coming in return from Ryder. "Missing your old days, I think I hear in that tone." He spoke, a grin on his face, before adding, "Anyways, what's up man? Urgency said moderate, or whatever Kallo told me." Nodding, the tired engineer spoke, "Oh yeah, the guy probably still hates me for making all the modifications on the ship…" Rolling his eyes, he shook his head. "Anyways, yeah, I need to talk to you about something back on the Nexus—Jill wanted to as well, though I have no clue what she wants. Whenever you have a second, would you mind paying us a visit?" A few moments passed before the Pathfinder nodded, replying, "Yeah sure. Not doing all too much right now; Habitat-7 is still as good as it was when we first arrived." Lifting a brow, Gil replied, "Didn't they name it after you and your dad for what you two did? Ryder-I or something?" Sighing softly, he rubbed his forehead. "I'd rather not create an ego for myself; so I'll just leave it at the old name." he spoke, looking up at the hologram. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

As the hologram cut off, Ryder hit a message button, saying, "Kallo, Suvi, set course for the Nexus, the usual docking bay." A few moments as the ship lunged to life, the Salarian replying, "Affirmative, Ryder. Tempest en-route. We should be there in approximately twenty hours."

Closing his eyes, Ryder stood back up, stretching with a yawn. "Ryder, a word?" a feminine voice spoke up, the chief medical officer of the ship approaching him. "What's up Lexi?" he replied, turning his head, looking at the Asari. "SAM's giving me some strange vitals coming from your head; I think I can chalk it up to a diagnosis, but I'd like to make sure before I act on it and give him the approval." She spoke, pulling out a pad, typing onto it before speaking up once more. "From what they say, your serotonin levels have been in a steady decline; that is, your body seems to be absorbing them at a quicker rate than usual. Have… You been alright? Any stray thoughts, bad memories that flash in and out, so on so forth?" she questioned, Ryder being caught off guard a little.

"Uh… Well… yeah." He bluntly replied, scratching his head a little bit. "I see. I won't question exactly what it is... We can schedule some private time if you'd want me to flex whatever psychology I know. Two more questions, then I'll stop bothering you. Lack of motivation to perform tasks, thoughts of suicide? Your relationship with Vetra…" she begun, looking over the railing to see Jaal and Liam working on something with the merchant computer; too busy to pay attention.

"That going well?" she finished, the Asari's tight suit flexing with her as she sat down, typing on the pad still. "Erm… Yes on the motivation issue, no on the suicidal part. Vetra and I are fine, as well… We just… haven't had a whole lot of time to ourselves, you know… Hard to work a relationship when interruptions are everywhere and work every time." He spoke, shrugging and nodding at Lexi.

She nodded slowly at him, tapping her pad several times and then closing it, saying, "Alright, well, medically, you're diagnosed with acute to moderate depression. It's normal, given what you've gone through—I'd also suggest minor post-traumatic stress. So, I'm going to issue a notice to SAM to interact with incoming materials to slow the absorption of serotonin in your body. You have the diagnostics sent to you over email, and… Well, there's a few ways we can handle this. You can let SAM make the adjustments, let me give you some medication to take for a while or a shot that's experimental; like the one we gave to the settlers at Eladeen. Want some time to make a decision?"

Shaking his head, he replied, "I'll just take the medication. Tell SAM to work it where it is needed, he doesn't have to divert nutrients in excess; he's no nanobot." Nodding, the Asari pulled out a small metallic container from her lab coat, setting it in his hands. "The dosage has been measured prior to this meeting, I keep my options open; don't question it. Take one a day—you may expect a little drowsiness when you wake up after you start taking it, but other than that, side effects should be minimal. Oh, and Ryder. When we arrive on the Nexus, I've sent the dock manager a notice that we'll be there for at least a day. Take her out, spend time together. Turn your comms off and relax. You're stressed out above everything." She spoke plainly, smiling as she walked off back to the lab.

Nodding slowly, Ryder popped one of the small green pills into his mouth, swallowing it and heading back to his room, passing Vetra as she tapped on her wrist, her omni-tool flashing slightly. "Sorry Ryder, we'll have to catch up soon; Sid's calling me." She spoke, winking and waving to him as she walked to the personal computer area, activating the terminal. Ryder slowly moved back to his room, the auto-door behind him slamming shut. Groaning, he leaned forward, falling face first onto his bed; the various sounds of the engine running, the air flowing, the sounds running around the ship slowly fading from him.

Seconds, minutes, hours passed as Ryder slept heavily, snoring against the comforting soft bed while the ship approached and docked at the Nexus. Groggily, he lifted his head up, the Pathfinder opened his eyes, feeling a heavy weight against his back. Turning it slowly, his eyes fell upon the sleeping face of the one Turian that he felt at home with, his body moving to face hers, he draped his arm over her waist, pulling himself gently against her torso. It wasn't exactly the most comfortable with her usual armor, but he didn't care, her being there for the moment was enough.

As he pressed his forehead against hers, her mandibles flickered gently, the Turian stirring and speaking softly with her eyes closed, "You know you talk in your sleep sometimes. It's cute, especially when it's about me." Stiffening up a little bit, he opened his eyes, rolling them as he let off a short yawn, stretching his legs out and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her body close to his. "Ngh… Hard not to when you don't get much time with your lover now." He teased, leaning his head forward against her neck, nibbling gently on her plated skin.

A shiver went down Vetra's spine as she purred at his touch; the human's touch that was not too well known amongst her kind, yet was so irresistible once she first experienced it. "Don't get me going, Scott. Unless you're ready for th—" she started, being interrupted by the Tempest's intercom, announcing their docking was completed and that Director Tann was expecting a report from Ryder.

He sighed, his grip on the Turian strengthening as she stroked the back of his head. "Just… One night… I'd like to not…" he started, huffing in frustration against her. She looked down at him in concern, obviously knowing the surface of his emotions, but being the bad reader she was, she only continued to comfort him without words for the moment. He held her in his embrace for several more moments before slowly releasing; leaving the Turian's grasp as he slowly sat up. It was a little sad to her, not just the loss of the warmth of her lover, but seeing the sight of him; her friend, the Pathfinder who saved the Initiative, the man upon whose shoulders rested the hopes and dreams of the arks that traveled across space and time.

"Scott I…" she begun, holding her hand out, gently touching his shoulder. He laid his head against it gently, replying, "I'm about done with all of this Vetra… I need some peace within my head… Without being called to blow up, save or report everything on a tight budget." Slowly standing up, he turned around, giving her his fake smile as he looked down to her; bloodshot eyes, the strain on him visible by this point. "Take some time for yourself, Vet." He spoke, leaning over and kissing in-between her eyes, his hands gently brushing her talons.

She wasn't exactly sure what to say; she knew something was wrong, knew she didn't exactly have all the knowledge on what was up with him. He left without more words, leaving her to his room. She sat there, her mind racing with the issue; all the negatives and positives that she could think in regards to outcome, coming to mind. After a few minutes, the Turian stood up, fixing his bed before seeing that her armor was affixed, heading out shortly after; up to the med bay.

"Lexi." She spoke plainly, her arms folded across one another. The Asari was sitting on one of the beds, fiddling with her omni-tool as Vetra approached. "Yes?" she replied, her head looking up to see the look on her face. "…So I take it he's not heeding my advice then?" she spoke before more words were exchanged. "I swear he's reckless to keep going… Alright, sit down Nyx. Medical talk time. While patient confidentiality is in order, I feel that ignoring this will do more harm than good." She added, directing Vetra to the bed across from her.

Wordlessly, the Turian obeyed, sitting down, looking over at the blue-skinned creature before her through her visor. "Ryder's been in a state of depression, having mixed symptoms of post-traumatic stress, depression, insomnia, overexertion… Overall, the human body and mind can only take so much strain at once if they think about it. Given what he's gone through and considers is his fault, he's been having a lot of issues when he's not with you—or he's not been discussing them with me around those times." She explained, pulling up a few files on her omni-tool, sending them to her.

"I trust that you'll keep those between yourself and him. He's been given a general antidepressant, though even with SAM's assisted distribution, it'll take a few days before the effects start to kick in." she spoke, looking up at the Turian. "He… Never spoke about this…" Vetra responded, looking down, her visor running through information as she ran through the overview of what went on. "How… Can I fix this?" she then asked, her three-fingered hands shaking as she removed the visor from her eyes.

"Pull him away. Find something he likes, do it with him. Do some research into who he was, try to get more in touch with him. Just spend time with him." The doctor responded, waving her hand. "Now, go, I've got an appointment in a few minutes." She finished, nearly pushing the Turian out of the door, returning her to her own devices.

Hours passed as Vetra stepped out of the Tempest, leaning against the ledge, waiting for Ryder to no avail. She sighed, a hand resting on her shoulder as another Turian sits on the guardrail, kicking her legs a little bit to the air. "What's on your mind sis?" she asked, looking over at Vetra who was staring off into space at this point. "Oh. Hey Sid. Eh… Long story." She spoke, sighing, rubbing her face softly. "Hm… Let me guess, let me guess… it's about the one who pathfound the way to your heart, hmm?" her little sister teased, a smirk plastered on her face.

"…Can read me like an open book still, sis. Yeah… Scott's not been doing too well apparently, I've been trying to figure out ways to get him in a better mood, enjoy himself more… Or at least get some time with just the two of us." She spoke softly, clasping her hands as she leaned over the rail. Sid's smile faded a little bit, but she put her hand against her chin, rubbing it slowly before responding, "Hm… I've got an idea, some people, some things that I can pull some strings for to get you and lover boy a day or so alone on the Tempest if you're up to it."

Vetra turned her head, narrowing her eyes in suspicion as she asked, "You're not still using my name for your little things, are you?" Holding out both her hands in defense, her little sister spoke, "No, not at all! With the incident you two saved me from; all those people created a network for me and I've been working with them… But forget about that!" Grinning a little bit, she scooted closer to Vetra, speaking in a softer voice, a slight whisper, "So how far have you two gotten anyways? It's been what… Two months or so in standard time?" Her face turned a little blue as she narrowed her eyes, responding, "Sid! …we've uh… Well… He knows about home, our past; he's a great listener…" As Sid gave her older sister a grin; Vetra knew that the details had to be spilt or else she'd be on her for a while. "We've… Kissed. Spent alone time together in bed… Haven't screwed each other's brains out yet though. There's hardly time for the time we have together alone already." She spoke, sighing and looking out back at the Tempest, her blush still plastered on her face.

Clapping once, Sid smirked, simply saying, "Ahh… Now we reach the heart of the issue. When you two went out, I uh… Did some 'research' on humans and their practices. They're very touch-sensitive. They eh…" Making a circle in one of her hands, she slid one of her fingers through it. "If you get my point. They enjoy this a lot, and in relationships, it's apparently a big, big thing; not just for procreation or for random occurrences—depending on the individual and relationship I guess." She finished, leaning back. Standing up straight, Vetra twiddled her fingers a little bit, seeming a little bashful at those words. "I... I erhm… I guess you're right… I've never thought on it too much. Dammit Scott…" she spoke softly under her breath, sighing, slumping over.

"Ease up, sis. If I know anything about guys… Especially the ones here, oh boy… They're just as nervous as you are, sometimes even more so about messing up." Sid spoke, stepping closer to her sister, wrapping an arm around her shoulder to pull her into a hug. "Just relax. I'll pull everyone I can from the Tempest tonight, you and Ryder enjoy yourselves." She spoke, a soft smile going to her face as she looked down at her elder sister. Nodding slowly, Vetra hugged her sister, saying, "Thanks. I've got to pull some strings… Maybe I can find some things for the both of us to enjoy together."

A soft snicker escaped from Sid's mouth as she hopped away, bending forward a little bit and saying, "Don't get too rough with him now, lover girl." As she walked off, Vetra scoffed, chuckling softly to herself. "Ah Sid… Don't change." She told herself, straightening herself off before bringing up her omni-tool, sending out a variety of messages.

"Oh sis… I suppose I gotta rescue you from this one." Sid spoke as she entered the main building, heading to Operations. As the tram stopped, she stepped off, heading straight towards Kesh's office. Knocking quickly, she poked her head through; seeing both Drack and Kesh in her office, casually talking. "Erm, Director Kesh, can I have a moment?" she asked, leaning through the doorway as the Krogan nodded, shooing away her grandfather as the door was closed.

"So what seems to be the issue? You're in intelligence, right? Vetra's sister if I recall correctly." She spoke, folding her arms while looking at Sid. Nodding in response, she twiddled her three fingers while saying, "Yes… I have a request; I need some help and I can't exactly do this on my own without attracting a lot of attention." Narrowing her eyes, Kesh started to speak before being interrupted by the young Turian. "Nothing illegal, I promise. I'm not in trouble—though the Pathfinder isn't doing too well." She started, garnering the Krogan's attention.

"This stays close-lipped, alright?" she begged, looking towards the Chief Engineer. Sighing softly, they begrudgingly responded, "If it's not life-threatening, then yes." Taking that as acceptable, Sid spoke, "Listen, Vetra's telling me that Ryder's going through some mental issues. She's not sure why exactly, but I need help trying to pull the rest of the crew off the Tempest; apart from my sister and the Pathfinder. I know it's a long-shot, but I don't know how to even begin doing this by myself. I'm willing to put myself out if it means I can get your help here."

Looking down at her desk, Kesh shook her head, saying, "Humans… So… interesting, but so… Fragile at the same time. Fine, Sid. You owe me for this though; but I'll make it happen." Sighing in relief, Sid nodded, saying, "Thank you, Director. It's… So rare that I get to try to do something for my sister after all she's done for me—even though it's for her lover there." Stepping around her desk, the Krogan set a heavy hand upon the Turian's shoulder. "Listen. I know a lot of people who are waiting for their families to be thawed out, for families long gone that were left in the Milky Way. A lot of them are hurt by them not being there. If you want to start, then you're doing a great job without trying. Your heart's in the right place, let's just let time show us the results." She spoke, patting Sid's shoulder before moving back to her desk, typing on the holographic terminal, saying, "There. I've issued a general notice email to all those on the Tempest, minus Vetra and Scott. Mandatory investigations pending, yadda yadda, it's pretty much bureaucratic nonsense. Just make sure whatever happens, happens tonight."

Nodding, Sid quickly left the room, typing on her Omni-tool, sending the information to her sister about what's going on. Passing Drack, he scoffed a little, leaning against the wall, speaking, "Got a few screws loose, does he now." Freezing, the Turian spun towards him, saying, "You didn't hear what went on, please. I don't think this information would be lightly held out if it spread around the rest of the Nexus." Chuckling softly, he stood up, saying, "Listen. The lad saved my clan more than once; stopped some crazy tyrant from taking over and declaring open war with the Initiative. He deserves my respect; I'll refrain from speaking, though it is something we should address if it doesn't get fixed anytime soon."

Standing up, he waved his hand before moving away, the old Krogan wandering over to the docking bay, the tram ride moving past quickly as he hung around Hydroponics, looking around and enjoying the sights as he moved to the second floor, leaning against the railing to look out at the Tempest as a few guards marched towards it; minutes later, left with the remainder of the crew that was onboard. They each begun to wander about, no doubt work that his granddaughter had assembled from Sid's request. Letting off a soft grunt, he spaced out, exhaling as his eyes closed, leaning forward and clasping his hands together as his mind wandered about, recalling earlier days.

Hours passed as the metaphorical sunset in the roof of the Nexus paved the way for darkness to cover the sky, an indicator that it is time to rest. The Tempest was cleared for all but one Turian, awaiting the return of its captain on the bridge. She sighed softly, leaning forward against his terminal, her eyes closed for several moments; wondering about how it truly felt to oversee everyone, to have so many lives depend on you. For the most part she only had Sid to look after—and it'd been some time since her little sister needed much of her anyways; despite constantly getting into trouble. Letting off a soft yawn, she rested her eyes for a few moments; a warm pair of arms wrapping around her torso through her armor plating.

"Heya handsome." She spoke softly in her general nonchalant voice, stiffening up a little before turning around, her arms finding their way around his hips; the Turian's eyes never opening. "We finally have some alone time tonight." She continued, her hand brushing against his cheek. "So I've heard. I also heard the good doctor wasn't so discreet with my health." He spoke softly, in a slightly tired voice.

"Don't worry about that, Scott. I'm glad she told me; I never… We never stopped to wonder how it was affecting you at all throughout our trips together. I would have made more time if…" she started, the human lifting a hand up behind hers, bringing it downwards slowly. Vetra's eyes opened for several moments, visor-free as he pressed his soft, warm lips against her mandibles.

"I… All I needed… All I need… Is here, Vetra." He spoke softly, pressing his body gently against hers, a brilliant blue blush plastering against her face. Taking her hands, he slowly led her out of the bridge, down the ladder, catching her and using his strength to carry his lover to his room; gently setting her down on his bed, sneaking up alongside her, curling against her side with an arm wrapped around her midwaist. Turning her body towards him, Vetra craned her head over his, cradling his head against her neck. "Scott… You know you can talk about this stuff, right? I know everyone expects you to be a hero now but… Even heroes get holes in their hearts." She spoke softly, her right hand gently running through his hair with her left running up and down along his back. "If not with anyone else… I love you, please, don't hide these things from me." The Turian finished, sighing softly, pulling the sheets over them as they enjoyed each other's embrace.

Sighing softly, he nodded, his body shivering a little in her grasp. "Vet… I don't like pushing my burden on anyone; it's not just you… Sort of got it from my own father whenever mom was a topic that was touched on. It's a terrible habit, I know, but it's pretty much what I know." He exhaled, hands around her wrist. Frowning a little bit, she rubbed her head back and forth against the top of his.

"Ryder… Hun…" she started, her right hand trailing down his arm, her three fingers intertwining in with his own. "Change comes about slowly, but… Let me work with you, please." She spoke, wrapping a leg around his waist, pressing her lips against his, closing his eyes. "Not every firefight is physical, and not every firefight has to be done alone. I'll be damned if I'm going to lose you to either." She then added, smiling a little bit afterwards.

"So we've got this ship to ourselves tonight… And I've taken dozens upon dozens of supporters that help with… Up close interactions." She spoke into his left ear, purring softly. "Let's make up for lost time now…" the Turian finished, pulling him atop her slowly.