After a short de-brief with her crew, Ryder brought Jaal Ama Darav on board the Tempest, still docked at Aya. He was wary of the new aliens, but confident at the same time, sizing up the different species, races. Some he'd seen before from reports on Kadara and Voeld, some he could never have imagined.
Quick intros were made to the small group of crew who ventured out to meet them, gawk at him, more accurately, as she steered him towards her quarters to talk more in-depth about his plan to help them gain Evfra's approval to access the vault. Inside, the doors shut behind him and he walked slowly, looking around her room, then out at the vast expanse.
"Your ship is impressive." He turned back to face her, "Powerful too. I look forward to understanding it, how it works."
"Of course, you'll have full access." She walked over and out of habit turned her music on. She sat down on her couch and waited for him to feel comfortable. It was strange, having an alien on the ship, in her room. She wondered what he thought about humans, about her. She looked at the details of his clothing, the strange physiology of his knees, how they bent backwards. She recalled hearing an Angaran on Aya ask another how she possibly could stand upright on her legs.
He looked around her cabin some more, inspecting her desk and computer, then smiled and walked over to sit in the chair across from her. He took a deep breath, and gave her a thorough history of the Angaran war with the Kett.
She listened with concern and sympathy, thinking about everything they had been through. "Hearing all that, I'm impressed I wasn't shot on sight."
He laughed lowly, "We are a bit familiar with humans, and though our interactions on Kadara have not been," he grunted, "positive - they have not been aggressive like the Kett. We are willing to give you a chance. The reports of your success with the vaults on Eos and against the Kett have given us a glimmer of hope. We haven't had any of that in a very long time."
She leaned forward on her couch, "Where is Kadara? What people have you encountered?"
"It is a type of outlaw colony planet. There are many humans there, exiles they call themselves."
She snapped her fingers, "Of course, I forgot. There was an uprising on the Nexus and a group of our people left, abandoned the principles the Initiative stand for." She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, "Unfortunately, they are probably the poorest examples our species has to offer. I can't believe first contact with the Angara were with criminals and rebels."
He nodded, "I suspected it was something like that. Most Angaran on Kadara are the same. I understand, Ryder." He cocked his head and looked at her critically, "There are good and bad in all species, no one person or group are indicative of the whole. The Roekaar are the perfect example of that."
She frowned, "The what?"
He waved his hand, "We can discuss them later. For now, let's talk about the two planets we need to travel to."
He went over the plan to travel to Voeld and Havarl to find clues on the Moshae's location, and help prove their trustworthiness to Evfra, to gain his help.
She nodded, "I think that's a sound plan. I can understand Evfra's hesitation to trust us, and I'll do everything I can to prove ourselves. You need help, and I'm happy to give it."
He smiled, "I am looking forward to this adventure."
"I think we are making the first steps towards being allies." She stood up and held her arm out the way he had earlier in an Angaran handshake. His eyes crinkled in warmth and he touched his forearm to hers.
"So, um, is this music that I'm hearing?" he looked around her cabin.
"Oh, that," she turned a little pink, she wasn't sure how he would take it, "It's a playlist I downloaded when I moved in, I don't know what Angaran music is like."
"Mm, it is – similar, but different. I suppose like many things we will find out about each other. I like it. It is interesting."
"I'm glad." She looked up at him, he seemed more relaxed. "I have to say, I'm impressed you trusted me so much. I'm grateful, but it's still surprising. You stood up to Evfra, and took a big chance to come on my ship."
"It is worth it, to take the chance. You offered to help us, something we have never had. And, I just had a good feeling about you. I could sense your sincerity. An instant connection somehow," he took a deep breath and looked down at her, "Did you not feel the same?"
She swallowed hard, "I, uh-" she stammered, "you know, I kind of did."
"You must have, you trusted me enough to bring me to your private quarters. I could be doing anything back here right now, you would be completely at my mercy. I could easily overpower you." He reached back and touched his gun.
"I suppose." She met his gaze. "But then again, you trusted me enough to come back to my private quarters with me." She raised an eyebrow, "And you have no idea what I could be doing in here to you." She threw her arm down and snapped her omni-blade on instantly.
He stared at the bright orange glow of the razor sharp point. He looked behind it to see her giving him a huge grin. He let out a loud guffaw. "I look forward to getting to know you better Ryder."
She turned off her omni-blade and smiled, "Me too, Jaal. Come on, let's go out and confer with the rest of the crew. We still need to decide which planet to go to first."
It was an uneasy meeting with the crew. This was no longer Initiative, the Alliance. Half the crew was mercenaries, recently on board, and Alec Ryder was no longer the Pathfinder. Ryder tried to keep the hesitation out of her voice, mostly successfully, as she and Jaal explained their plan.
"I get it," Cora said sarcastically, "Help us, or rather, help me, and I'll vouch for you, right?"
The crew reluctantly agreed, Drack deferring to Ryder, "Your call, Pathfinder."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." She was relieved. "I'll weigh the options."
Cora started to leave, then turned back, "Confidence? Not yet. More like optimism. You're not there yet."
Ryder frowned. As the team left, she followed up with Dr. T'Perro, then made her way to where Jaal was in the Tech lab.
They had a short conversation where she tried unsuccessfully to get more personal information out of him. Too soon, I suppose, she thought. She was able to get more information about the Moshae. She found him to be humble, and passionate about his people. He had a sense of humor too that she liked. Then he surprised her.
"There's something unique about you- uneasy, raw - but somehow profound." He cocked his head and looked at her closely.
"Wow, that sounds like a compliment. A nice one." She smiled.
He explained Angara were an emotional people that were free with their feelings. He suddenly looked around uneasily, as if he'd just thought of something. "I should get back to work."
"Um – when we have down time, I'd love to watch you work." She bit her lip slightly, taken aback at her own boldness. She'd just met the guy, a completely strange and unknown species.
"Sure, I could show everybody."
She pressed further, "Um- no, just us. So we can get to know each other better, or just share a hobby."
"Oh, of course."
She brightened, "Good. Good." She turned and walked out of his quarters, in a daze down the metal walkway. She realized her heart was beating faster than it had when they first landed on Aya. "Oh shit, I'm really in for it now." She shook her head.
"Kallo," she breezed on the bridge, "Set a course for Voeld."
On the planet, she took Jaal and Cora. As they walked out into the frigid blizzard, Cora said, "Why choose this one, Ryder?"
"It's the Resistance headquarters. We need to start there."
"I agree," Jaal said.
With Jaal's help, they made contacts, with a variety of reactions. Ryder attempted to reassure as much as she could that they were there to help. Even with some hostility they encountered, she was impressed with the amount of information and trust they were still willing to give them.
"Yes, I can help re-stock those medical supplies," Ryder promised the doctor, "I'll keep my eyes open when we're out there. Send me the navpoints."
Cora talked quietly to her as they left for the Nomad, "Ryder, we can't possibly help everybody."
She looked at her sharply, "I disagree. We aren't entitled to anything from the Angara. Trust is earned, and right now we are working at a deficit thanks to the exiles they've already encountered. Anything and everything we can do for them only helps us out, and moreover-" she stopped and turned to her, frowning, "How can you possibly look at them and how they are suffering and say no?" she walked briskly away towards the waypoint for the Nomad.
"Yes, Pathfinder." Cora followed her.
The next few hours, they fought the kett hard. They had their first encounter with Roekaar and Jaal finally explained the outlier group and what they stood for. In the Nomad, Cora and Jaal made uneasy small talk. Ryder focused on driving, and the mission.
"There are three monoliths on the planet," Cora advised, "just south of here."
Ryder nodded, "We definitely need to work on those. If we can get the planet atmosphere more lined up with what it used to be, it can be more habitable for the Angara, and we could put an outpost here as well. What do you think, Jaal?"
He nodded, "Yes, the Angara would be amenable to that. If that is something you could also accomplish here. Eos may have been an anomaly."
"Let's hope not," Cora said. "Set a path for the monolith?"
Ryder shook her head no, "You heard what Skoet said about his Uncle Niilj and the rest of his team. They may not have much time left. Who knows if they are ready to be abducted as well. We're heading there first. The monoliths aren't going anywhere."
Their rescue was successful, and Jaal finished assessing the other prisoners as Ryder talked to Niilj about the data they had recovered. Jaal excitedly talked to her as she walked up to him, "Ryder, you've made a lot of headway today. Liberating key Resistance agents and recovering information they stole from the Kett. You've put many doubts about you to rest. Even Evfra must now be convinced of your intentions. We can contact Evfra from the Tempest. He'll be sure to aide you now."
Ryder shook her head no, "We have to get this data drive to Techiix first to Buxil. You heard Niilj. Evfra can wait."
Jaal was taken aback, but admired her commitment to their cause. "Of course, and I thank you."
They drove to Techiix, Ryder determined to get the data drive to her as soon as she could. She knew there were more people out there depending on her. She'd only found 2 of the medical caches. There was one more. Who knew how many Angara were looking for those supplies? It weighed on her conscience. She'd never been in a position where the plight of a species was so precarious, and she was able to make such a difference. Her desire to crush the Kett was growing with every story of strength in adversity she heard from the Angarans, with their humility and solidarity.
They continued their mission, using the data drive information to defeat a major kett base. She dropped off the last medical supplies, and finally went back on the Tempest, this time at even Jaal's urging.
She conferenced with Evfra, who condescendingly talked about Jaal's reports of her "good deeds and adventures". She snuck a quick look at Jaal, who nodded supportively at her.
"But your true agenda is clear-" Evfra continued.
"I want you to trust me," Ryder pleaded, "I'm disgusted by how the kett are decimating your people. I think we can be strong allies. Please, let me continue to help you."
"Why should I? Jaal tells me you want to help rescue the Moshae. I know she holds the key to you getting into Aya's vault."
"Yes, but it's more than just that. She needs to be rescued from the Kett. I'm the one who can do it."
"Keep your promises, and perhaps our bond will continue to grow, little by little." he hesitated, then continued, "We have traced the Moshae to a special kett facility on Voeld. It has a shield that is dynamic, we haven't been able to crack it. Our processors are unable to keep up to the speed it is able to change."
Sam interrupted her thoughts, "Pathfinder, if we join my processors to their program, that would no doubt make the difference."
"Evra, respectfully, this time you need my help." She said confidently.
"Respectfully, the Angara don't need anything from you." Evfra said with distain. "We take care of our own."
This time she didn't back down, "With the processing power of my AI, I can guarantee the shield breach."
"An AI," Evfra thought it over, "Yes, that makes sense."
"He's physically connected to me, so I need to – well, I want to go."
"It was risky to be honest about your AI- and honesty makes you different from the kett."
"I hope so."
"You're welcome on the mission."
She felt relief, he was finally acquiescing. "Thank you."
"Our team will meet you on Voeld and take you to the kett facility. Stay strong and clear, Goodbye."
The transmission ended, and Ryder turned to Jaal. "Well, that went well." she smiled.
"Yes, thanks to you, Ryder. He is starting to see what I see in you."
"And what exactly is that?"
He stopped and turned to her, "Your loyalty, hard-working focus and bravery. I know you are committed to your people, as am I to my people, however you have gone further and taken on our cause, and shown your compassion and sacrifice. I just hope we continue to grow in this way."
"I plan to, Jaal. And, also, thank you for giving Evfra a good report."
"I only told him the truth, that was easy." They walked down the stairs. "You haven't mentioned this AI before."
"Yes, that's how I became the Pathfinder. It's a long story."
"I have time, I would like to hear it."
"We need to get back on the planet to rescue the Moshae."
He nodded, "Agreed, however, we have been on the planet all day, and if we don't balance battle with rest, we will soon burn out, and we will become as much an enemy to ourselves as the kett."
"Yeah, you're right. I guess I am hungry." She went to the kitchen with him following her. Drack had left some stew in a large pot. She peered in it.
"I don't know what you can eat, but this stuff is pretty good." She ladled some out in a bowl.
He looked over her shoulder and sniffed, making a face, "Thank you, however I have some nutrient paste I think would suffice." He reached in the cabinet for the supplies they loaded on the ship for him.
She took a bite of the stew and watched him carefully. He seemed kind of snobby sometimes. Some of their customs and habits were sure to be different to the Angara, some of them offensive. She sat down at the table and continued to eat as he opened canisters of paste adeptly as he'd done it a thousand times. She took a few more bites, thinking about how Krogans seemed barbaric in their ways. Maybe humans appeared that way to the Angara. She noticed Jaal had taken his gloves off, and started to ask him about his fused fingers when she inhaled a piece of food and started coughing, then choking.
He spun around immediately and was at her side in a flash, "What, what is it?"
She tried to speak, but couldn't. Her eyes were watering, her hands were at her throat, frantically trying to let him know what was happening.
"Ryder! AI – get the doctor!" he yelled out.
Contacting Dr. T'Perro, emergency. She heard Sam in her head through her panic.
He yanked her out from behind the table and leaned her limply over his arm as he smacked the middle of her back. Once, twice, finally just as the door opened and Dr. T'Perro rushed in, the food dislodged out and Ryder took in a loud rush of air, "I'm fine, I'm fine!" she croaked out. Jaal continued to give her forceful blows on her back.
"Dammit, stop! It's out!" Ryder grabbed at his arm holding her across her waist.
Dr. T'Perro reached out for Ryder's shoulder and looked down to meet her gaze, "What happened?" she glanced up at Jaal who had stopped smacking her and was helping her straighten up.
Ryder held her hand to her the front of her throat and gasped in a few more breaths, "I choked on some food. Jaal helped me. Sam said he was contacting you."
"He did, I came in as fast as I could." Dr. T'Perro scanned her. "Looks like everything is okay now." She looked at Jaal, "When you have some time, I'll show you the Heimlich maneuver, it's more effective on choking adults."
Jaal frowned, "This happens often?"
Ryder leaned against the table, "No, hardly ever, actually."
Jaal went to the fridge and got her some water. As she drank it, Dr. T'Perro closed her scanner. "You feeling okay?" Ryder nodded. Dr. T'Perro continued, "No permanent damage. Good work, Jaal." She turned and left for medbay. As the kitchen doors closed behind her, Jaal turned to Ryder. "I strongly suggest you try nutrient paste. There are no hard pieces, and would not pose a choking risk."
She shook her head and laughed, "I assure you, it is a rare occurrence. I was distracted by you, and probably over tired."
"I apologize."
"No," she smiled, "I was just anxious to talk to you some more, and wasn't paying attention, totally my fault. Thank you, for saving my life."
"That was frightening, but I can't take that credit, the doctor was here very quickly."
"Wouldn't have been if you hadn't ordered Sam to call her."
"Sam?"
"My AI, it's named Sam," she caught her breath again. Her throat still felt sore and irritated. "Well, now that that's over, let's sit down and eat," she saw the look of apprehension on his face, "I swear, we've been through far worse with the kett already. I promise to go slower. Come on, it will be fine."
He nodded, and sat and ate with her, watching her carefully through the meal. There were no further incidences. He answered her questions about Angaran culture, history as best he could, given Evfra's admonitions to be careful about being too open with the aliens.
She cleaned up their dishes when they were done, and turned to face him. "So, I'm going to take a shower, get cleaned up. Would you come by my quarters so we can discuss the plans for tomorrow? Say, in about an hour?"
He nodded, "Certainly."
She smiled, "Good."
They walked out of the kitchen and she headed for her quarters. An hour later, she was still towel drying her hair when there was a ping at her door. "Enter," she called out.
She smiled wide when she saw him in her doorway. "Jaal!" she gestured to her couch, "Have a seat." she gave her hair a few more vigorous rubs and put the towel over her desk chair. She grabbed her data pad and sat next to him. "So," she brought up a map of Voeld, "I'm thinking we should get the last medical cache supplied, then meet the team and get the Moshae. What do you think?"
"Yes, I agree with that plan. And the monoliths?"
"I'm anxious to work on those as well, but she is the priority. It may take a few days, we don't know what we're facing. Sam is confident he can crack the code now that he has the Angaran program." She noticed Jaal staring at her. "What?"
"Hm?"
She leaned back, "You're staring at me. Does the thought of an AI in my brain worry you or freak you out?"
"No, actually, I was looking at this-" he reached out and touched her hair.
She laughed, "That's my hair. I brushed it down straight. It's wet from the shower. It'll dry in an hour or so." She sat very still as he continued to examine it between his fingers.
"Interesting. Does it hurt when I do that?"
She smiled, "No, it has no nerve endings except at the base of my scalp. You can check out anything you find interesting, I don't mind." She felt a flush over her cheeks thinking about how that sounded.
"That's a kind offer." He said. He let her hair fall, then asked, "I am curious about your clothing, it is different from before."
"Oh," she looked down at herself, "These are like pajamas, clothing we wear to, you know, hang out in." she had on a tank top and loose shorts.
"We rarely wear so little clothing."
"I hope I'm not offending you," she frowned.
"No, not at all. It allows me to see more of you, literally."
She blushed full force. Clearing her throat, she said, "Are humans very different looking?" It was hard to know what was under their uniforms.
He nodded, "Yes, but in a pleasing way."
"Oh, well that's good." She took a chance, "Um, actually, if it's okay, I was curious about your hands." She reached out for his, "May I?"
He nodded, and she held his hand between hers, looking at the structure, turning it over. "It's like some of your fingers are fused together. Strange."
"No stranger than you having too many fingers."
She looked up at him, laughing, "Yes, all a matter of perspective, right?"
"Yes."
She looked down at his hand again, lightly running her fingertips over his skin. "Ooo, what's that?" she asked, feeling something buzzing. She put her hand directly over his, palm to palm. She looked at him surprised, "It's more intense."
He pulled his back suddenly. "We have bioelectric properties. Do you not?"
She shook her head no, "I remember Sam telling me that about Angara in Aya when he was doing scans. No, humans don't. Well, some of us have biotics, which is a force we can control and output. I don't have biotics but Cora does. So does Peebee."
"Interesting. Perhaps I will investigate that with them."
She stiffened, "Oh, sure, I mean, if you think it's necessary." She pushed her hair behind her ear. She'd already heard Peebee wondering about Jaal and if Asari could mate with Angara.
"You hesitate. You do not think it is advisable for me to do so?"
"I just – Cora is kind of closed up, I mean, you could ask her about it. Peebee, well, you just need to watch out for her. She's very, uh, how would you say it? Very forward."
"I do not understand."
"She's probably looking to come on to you. She's a very sexual person."
"Free with her feelings." Jaal said, nodding.
"More than that, like, sexually aggressive, in a bad way. With a lot of people." She tightened her lips.
"You do not approve."
"Not of her."
"I see," he nodded, watching her critically. She had a red flush on her face again. Angara blushed as well, but not as much as this human did. Perhaps it was her reluctance to be open with her feelings. He looked down and studied her body language. She was leaning towards him, almost touching him. She appeared nervous when speaking more personally with him. What was that she'd said before, Watching him work so they could get to know each other better? Was this a strategy? He didn't get the feeling she was a manipulative person. He held his hand out again for her, "Did it feel unpleasant when you were touching my hand?"
She shook her head no, "Not at all, just unexpected." She tentatively put her palm on his again. This time he controlled the intensity. "That's better."
"We use this ability as a form of communication, and healing. It also can intensify – experiences."
She looked up at him, "Really? Like what?"
He was flustered, she hadn't guessed what he meant. "It's – something we can talk about another time."
She nodded, pressing her lips together smiling. He pulled his hand back and took a deep breath, "Ryder, this has been a most enlightening discussion."
She beamed, "Great! I'm hoping we can meet here in the evenings to strategize and plan our missions for the next day. It's my office, after all." She held up her datapad.
He squinted his eyes at her slightly, "You do not seek the council of your crew? Isn't Cora your second in command?"
"Of course I talk to them as well, but too many opinions with different agendas muddy the water and cause dissention. You saw how our meeting went earlier."
"True." He nodded.
"Besides, we are the strangers here, you are the expert. I need your council and input. We're a team. At least, that's how I see it," she laughed, "I know that seems weird, you only just met me."
"No, I understand what you mean, and I – feel the same." He stood up from the couch. "It's getting late, I know you need to get some sleep."
"Yeah, true." She put her datapad down on her desk and sat on the edge of her bed.
"Is your throat okay?" he remembered the incident earlier.
"Oh yeah, kind of embarrassing, actually. I'm so glad you were there to help me out. Please don't mention it to any of the other crew. They – already see me as a sort of impostor."
"What do you mean by that?"
She shook her head, "We'll save that conversation for tomorrow. It's a long story."
"I look forward to hearing it. Goodnight, Ryder." He looked at her for a lingering moment, then left her quarters.
As the door closed behind him, Ryder looked down at the floor and let out a long breath. "Fuck me," she muttered.
Outside her door, Jaal hesitated for a moment. He put his hand over his eyes, the sight of Ryder sitting on the her bed, swinging her pale pink legs back and forth, the feel of her smooth skin as she shyly touched his hand, it was – titillating, and he knew he had to block it out.