After Meridian
Sakura Ryder sat on her bed in the Pathfinder's Quarters on the Tempest.
She had shoulder-length black hair, her skin tone was brown, and her blue eyes were focused on the datapad screen. Her clothes consisted of a blue and white Andromeda Initiative uniform.
Several datapads were scattered in front of her.
The datapad Sakura was reading contained information on how the Archon died.
As a joke, someone put in the cause of death as 'The Pathfinder and her Angara boyfriend.' The Asari in charge of the autopsy called them out on it, saying there were no monsters in her morgue and they needed to study the body properly and find the actual cause of death.
Sakura had laughed when she first heard that, it was understandable for the Asari to have called them out. She had a job to do and she was going to make sure it was done right.
The Archon's cause of death was due to a combination of factors. Ballistic trauma, severe third degree burns, blunt force trauma, lacerations, and the fatal wound- severe trauma to the center of the chest affecting the heart and lungs.
She looked to her right at Jaal, smiling softly and warmly.
He was laying in bed, sleeping soundly. Head on the pillow and blanket up to his shoulders.
Angara were humanoid with several differences. A growth similar to a cobra's hood, folds of flesh on the sides of their heads which extended to their chests. Their hands had the bone structure for five fingers though the final three fingers were densely webbed into a single digit. Their lower legs are bowed backwards significantly compared to Humans or Asari.
Instead of his armor and rofjinn, he had on a loose black undershirt and matching pants that reached his knees. Aside from the scar on his left neck flap and another on his right cheek, he didn't look like a warrior who was ready for battle at a moment's notice. He was a head taller than Sakura.
A few days ago, he had the bandages wrapped around his abdomen removed, there was a scar.
Drack had joked to 'leave the scar collecting to the Krogan'.
The fight against the Archon had taken its toll on the entire Pathfinder away team.
It was thought biotics and bioelectrics were the only powers out there. Not the case, for the Archon had powers they'd never seen before. And she now knew why via datapads she has seen in various Kett bases that some Kett were downright terrified of their leader at times.
One was some kind of life-stealing power that could be used to heal minor injuries and begin the process of healing on major injuries of whoever used the power. When he tried to use it on Drack, it only earned the Archon a Carnage blast at near point-blank range which burned his armor, and inflicted third-degree burns to parts of his face. Drack was drained and the remaining Kett nearby tried to take advantage, but the old Krogan took them all down before falling himself; too injured to fight any longer and his prosthetics failing.
Another power inflicted slow to heal injuries. It was what nailed Vetra and Liam. The Archon, sick of their jump-jet circle-strafing, sent it out in a series of three hundred and sixty degree blades. This caught them completely off guard and took them out of the fight.
Cora attempted to kill the Archon with all out biotic fury. It would've worked, had it not been for the Archon's use of bioelectrics. An ability stolen from the Angara. His use of the ability was powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with Cora, brilliant blue and white biotics against orange-red bioelectricity. She nearly burned out, passed out, and the monster had his grasp on her. He had the nerve to call her 'worthless garbage' and to add insult to injury, tossed her to the floor like one would with trash.
Enraged, Peebee charged straight at him despite being exhausted from the earlier fighting, and unleashed her biotics. However, the Archon's corrupted bioelectrics overwhelmed her. It would have killed her had Sakura herself and Jaal not intervened.
Jaal was understandably angry, the Archon was using a twisted version of his peoples' abilities against them.
Worst of all was a power that, if it ran its course, left victims as pale corpses with cells showing signs of 'intense cellular degeneration'. There were Kett corpses retrieved after the battle that showed signs of the technique being used on them, apparently some revolted against or upset the Archon and paid the price.
During the battle, Sakura tried to block the technique with her biotic Backlash defensive technique. But it was too powerful, some of it got through and cut in deep. It wasn't instantly fatal. That was what was so cruel about the technique, one suffered slowly and painfully.
She was out of the fight, Jaal had gotten her to cover. And SAM warned him the Pathfinder didn't have long left, that the most likely way to save her was to kill the Archon.
Jaal went all out against the Archon. By the end of it all, with SAM warning how little time was left, Jaal finally stabbed the Archon through the center of his chest. However, the Archon's own blade had stabbed Jaal through his abdomen, and the technique that hit Sakura took effect. But being a defiant Resistance fighter, he pushed past the terrible agony wrought by the technique, and channeled in as much bioelectricity as possible, and forced it into the Firaan. The energy did enough damage to the Archon's body, his heart and lungs including blowing out a sizable portion of his back, that it was fatal.
This brought an end to the dreadful cell-degrading technique, apparently it was connected to a user's life-force.
Jaal was badly injured from the Archon's corrupted bioelectrics, the power that afflicted Liam and Vetra, had a sizable chunk of his solar energy drained by the life-force draining power, and several slashes plus the stab infused with the foul cell degrading power but stopped before it could seriously affect his major organs. Despite this, he managed to reach the control panel for Meridian, the communications was left open, and assured everyone the battle was won.
Though Sakura didn't know it due to being unconscious, Jaal had managed to get to her before passing out.
A week later, she awoke, after most of her team. She would visit Scott and Jaal, before Scott awakened the next week.
Sakura visited Jaal every day, and often slept in the room, until he awakened a week and a day later. She hugged him tightly, so overjoyed she cried tears of joy.
Sakura placed the datapad she was reading on the bed and picked up the last unread datapad, which displayed info on possible future moves and concerns. Including the fact the Kett were still in the cluster but disorganized, and there was the Kett Empire to deal with.
With the remaining Kett in the cluster in disarray, she and her team focused on healing, on regaining lost strength. Being out for a week weakened a person, she could feel it. Weeks were worse, Jaal was able to lift her off her feet easily, not so much now.
They were currently on their way to Aya, to do a test run in the Teshaan training arena, having left Meridian the day before.
She read the last bit of information about the Primus and her forces. She hadn't been sighted since the battle, but there were concerns she might start trouble in the upcoming months. Sakura sighed, and placed the datapad on the bed. Hope it takes the Kett backup years to get here.
She looked at Jaal, slight worry on her face.
The Primus and the threat she had issued worried her. The Kett, after the Pathfinder turned down her offer, declared she'd Exalt those closest to her and force her to watch. And she looked right at Jaal. It horrified her so much, even though it was just a holographic projection of the Primus, she protectively stepped in front of Jaal.
The thought of the needles going in, black lines spreading, bones cracking and breaking, blood turning green, skin turning black, bony armor growing…
If one were to ask what one of her greatest fears were, Exaltation would be it. The thought of it happening to anyone she cared about...to Jaal…
She shuddered. It was what sometimes brought nightmares. And made her want to hug Jaal tightly and keep him safe.
Those thoughts were enough to get SAM's attention. "Pathfinder, I suggest sleep. And not thinking of anything related to Kett, a good chance it would result in nightmares."
Sakura sighed. SAM was right, and it was very late The only one awake at this point was likely Kallo.
Sakura quietly stood up from bed, gathered the datapads, and carefully placed them on the nearby table next to the couch.
She walked to bed and laid down, head on the pillow. And pulled up the sheets over herself.
Sakura snuggled closer to Jaal.
The Angara wearily opened his eyes. "Still awake?"
"Not for long." Sakura yawned and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. She looked at Jaal's blue eyes, and his face. And raised a hand, rubbing his cheek gently, before wrapping her arm around him. She felt water in her eyes and closed them, feeling the tears roll.
Jaal raised a hand to wipe her tears away. "What's wrong?"
"Was thinking about how we almost lost you..." She gently cupped his cheek with her other hand. "I heard what the week after the battle was like. How bad it really was."
Jaal hugged her. "I am still here."
Sakura leaned forward to kiss Jaal tenderly on his lips. She then pulled back to lay on her pillow and sighed. "I love you so much."
Jaal smiled. "I love you too, darling one."
Sakura closed her eyes, and slowly drifted to sleep.
Jaal's voice sounded so far away, whimpers between moans of "No."
Sakura awoke and realized it wasn't a dream. She quickly sat up and looked at Jaal.
He seemed to be struggling against restraints, in a nightmare.
Sakura shook Jaal by the shoulders. "Jaal! Wake up!"
Jaal's eyes shot open, darting around. He drew deep breaths.
Worry was on Sakura's face. "Are you okay? You were whimpering in your sleep, struggling against something. Saying 'no' over and over."
"Stars..." Jaal was still shaking. "The Primus had us. And my family. And was going to force everyone to watch as the Primus...Exalted...me." His voice grew shaky. "I was suspended helplessly. You, my truemother, everyone else stuck in stasis fields. The Kett had the syringes...and was about to...no...no...no..."
Sakura hugged Jaal tightly. "You're okay. The Primus doesn't have anyone from the Tempest, or your family. And we won't let that witch do that." And another reason to kick her sorry ass, giving Jaal nightmares.
Nightmares like these were what Nahva Tovaan, one of the Angara doctors present during and after the Battle of Meridian, had warned about. The female Angara had told her and Lexi it was a common occurrence for Resistance fighters in a wakened state, especially if they have seen horrors such as the Kett slave labor camps or in Jaal's case, Exaltation.
Jaal hugged back, his breathing relaxed and the shaking having stopped. "You make me feel safe."
Sakura released her embrace, Jaal doing likewise. And laid beside Jaal on her pillow. "Are you sure you are okay?"
Jaal shifted to his side. "Yes, with you here." He hugged here close.
"Glad to hear." Sakura snuggled as close as she could and closed her eyes, hoping the rest of the night would be pleasant dreams and sleep.
When Sakura awoke again, Jaal was sleeping soundly.
She looked at Jaal, his facial expression at ease, compared to what she had seen when he was having that nightmare.
Before the Andromeda Initiative, if someone had told her she was going to go to Andromeda, and fall in love with an alien there, she'd dismiss it as total fantasy. Even when she climbed into her cryopod and slept for six hundred and thirty four years, arriving in Andromeda two and a half million light years later, she still would've thought it was all a fantasy idea.
Now, it wasn't a fantasy idea anymore, it was reality.
On the Tempest, it was impossible to tell the time, there was no day or night cycle. "SAM, what's the time? Andromeda Initiative standard."
SAM's reply was quick. "5:42AM"
"Thanks, SAM." It was early still, enough time for a few more hours of sleep. She snuggled close to Jaal and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.
In a few hours, either Lexi, or Peebee with a cheerful "Rise and shine, sleepyheads!" would wake them. Until then, that was a few more hours of sleep.
Shameless female!Ryder/Jaal fluff. I needed some, and I can imagine others need it as well…
Will continue Angaran Mother's Day. Had dental surgery two weeks ago and it threw me for a loop for a bit, but feeling a lot better.
Let me know how I did, what needs improving, etc as it is welcome!