Chapter 2: Hammer to the Core
"New Tuchanka," Ryder said, gesturing to the fiery ball that was Elaaden looming below. She never tired of the stunning orbital view the bridge offered her, imagining that she could feel the immense power of whichever planet the Tempest visited emanate from the depths of its core, sucking on her ship into a dizzying spiral had they let it; somehow planets seemed palpably alive from up here, despite perhaps being a wasteland as Elaaden happened to be.
If she watched long enough, that ephemeral sensation was enchanting, though today the feeling was marred by thoughts of what they were here for and all the turmoil attached to it; she wished she could stay right where she was and marvel at the desert world from afar without descending at all – there was little enough on the surface of this particular place that could be called enchanting. Not to mention just thinking of the abominable swelter she was about to experience down below made her skin itch uncomfortably in anticipation.
"As barren as ever," Evfra muttered from beside her, glowering down at the planet with obvious displeasure.
Ryder glanced at him, trying to gauge his mood. "Do you know what you're going to say?" she asked finally.
"Yes."
"…and?" Ryder prompted.
"I'm going to tell her that allying with my enemy will make her an enemy of all angara," Evfra replied levelly, as if that were the most normal thing in the universe.
"You– what?" Ryder spluttered. "That is a sure way to put her back up, she'll never ally with the Resistance like that!"
"Krogan respect boldness, or so I am told," he said, giving her a pointed look. "Diplomacy didn't serve you with her – or did it?"
"Well… no, but…" Ryder floundered for a good answer. "Look, I just know krogan better than you do and I can tell you that this isn't the best way to approach it."
Evfra crossed his arms and frowned at her. "The krogans' relationship to the angara is an entirely different thing from their relationship to other Milky Way species. This Morda needs to know that among us we do not fear expressing our intentions… and that she should be wary of anyone who does try."
"You mean Ashae?" she flinched slightly; she had been trying to avoid naming the woman in Evfra's hearing as much as possible, though she knew it didn't stop either of them from dwelling on her. In any case, Evfra didn't react to the name this time, visibly at least. "You want to imply that the True Resistance is trying to play her," Ryder continued.
Evfra nodded, then turned to look at the planet again. "Let's get this over with."
Ryder turned her back on the bridge to face him, leaning closer. "And here I thought you'd enjoy getting away from paperwork and Director Tann," she murmured wryly. "Don't tell me you're that eager to go back!"
"I enjoy that part plenty," Evfra responded, matching her tone. "It's the 'desert planet with unpleasant inhabitants' part that I am not looking forward to."
"Well, you could stay here for a while… have a mobile operating base aboard the Tempest," she suggested, smiling innocently. That would give her more time with him, which seemed particularly important since something was clearly stewing in him; she wanted to keep him close and find out if she could help. "I could make you an honorary member of my crew, give you access to SAM…"
"No," Evfra shook his head immediately.
Ryder maintained her smile, but his instant rejection stung. "No?" she asked, prompting him to elaborate.
Evfra blinked down at her with consternation, apparently aware how it sounded. "You gave me valid reasons to relocate to the Nexus temporarily… I don't trust the Initiative to keep funneling support, as it is I have to fight for everything, and even then they make it obvious it's a concession." His derisive tone indicated clearly enough what he thought of the penny-pinching strategy they applied to him. "What will they give me if I'm not there to hold their hands?"
Ryder pursed her lips thoughtfully, not really wanting to admit she agreed. "I can make frequent jumps back," she said, but she could almost feel Kallo's eyes burning the back of her neck; he didn't say anything of course, he wasn't included in the discussion – perhaps they should have done it privately, but it was too late for that now – yet she knew what he would have said. They would lose precious time she needed for hunting the Archon by doing as she suggested, and it would be the Tempest's engines that got the short end of the stick; and, by extension, her pilot.
Evfra frowned at her, as if exasperated by how she was taking it. "You know I wish it were that simple," he said.
"Yeah," Ryder replied a little stiffly, stepping away from him. "Let's go then, I suppose."
She knew she shouldn't take it personally, but as she suited up and notified her crew to get ready if any of them wished to come along – none of them did, not even Drack – she couldn't help but feel as though everything had become about their relationship precisely because it had been founded on everything going on around them. The situation in Heleus was frayed and fracturing across all fronts; even though Mashiar hadn't succeeded in pitting the Angaran Resistance against the Andromeda Initiative, he'd made fine work destabilizing almost every major planet in the cluster one way or another, if it hadn't been that way to begin with. That meant neither she nor Evfra had the luxury of indulging their personal whims, she was ready to admit that, but she couldn't help but feel that them working together as a team was the missing ingredient to their success.
A little while and a turbulent landing later the pair of them disembarked, Ryder still mulling over what it was that bothered her about the Resistance leader, wondering if she was the only one who sensed trouble ahead. Not just in their business with Morda or the threat of kett attacks, the True Resistance scooping up all the resources and people they could out from under them, and even the surprising Roekaar revival, but also in Evfra himself. Driving silently in the Nomad from the grudgingly welcomed Initiative outpost to New Tuchanka proper, Ryder decided that she wasn't being oversensitive or selfish; she couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she felt the man withdrawing into himself and she saw no good coming of it. After a time, Ryder decided to break the silence; she didn't want to continue thinking about the subject anymore.
"Are there any cells nearby we can contact?" she asked.
"On this planet? No," Evfra replied. "Only your krogan have found it to be worth the effort, I doubt even…" he trailed off, face turning to stone.
Ah. Mashiar – if Ashae's name provoked tension, mention of the man behind Firaan's mask provoked an even worse anger in him that took twice as long to cool. Ryder didn't need to know what he'd been about to say about the former Resistance commander, but his stumble into the subject did highlight one of the primary issues Evfra was struggling with as she saw it: he couldn't bring himself to talk about what had happened, at least not in any great detail.
In the immediate aftermath of Firaan's identity being revealed, Evfra and Ryder had shared something wonderful in the face of all the pain and suffering the commander had caused; he had admitted in front of everyone that he loved her, he rallied the support of the Resistance members still remaining and he was ready with a plan, there was energy about both his words and actions. But as time passed, he brooded more and more over what had happened and refused to speak about it; and because he wouldn't talk, Ryder wasn't sure exactly what it was that bothered Evfra so much. She supposed it could have merely been a question of a loss of confidence; the Resistance had suffered a schism and she knew it anguished Evfra that he couldn't hold them together at the time, a feeling only worsened by the numerous setbacks they had faced since then.
"Jaal said that there are cells out there still who don't know," Ryder said gently. "We'll find them."
"You think I don't know that?" Evfra growled.
Ryder took a patient breath. "No, but I thought perhaps the Tempest could aid you there – we need more allies, Evfra. If we're going to win against the kett, like it or not we have to get ahead of the True Resistance and reaffirm their loyalty. It's entirely possible that many who went to her side aren't even aware of our side of the story."
"If they're willing to blindly trust Ashae because she says I've lost it, I don't want them," Evfra retorted.
"We can't afford to think of it that way," she replied.
"I will not work with a force that doesn't trust me as their leader."
"Ashae was one of your lieutenants," Ryder reminded him a little testily. "Why wouldn't they trust her when you yourself put her in a position of authority?" He opened his mouth, probably to snarl at her that Ashae was no longer entitled to the rank, but she went on before he could speak. "Evfra, they don't know, they weren't there to witness what happened and even many of those who fell in line on Voeld still aren't aware of the full extent of the conspiracy. You can't expect all of them to make the right decision without all the facts."
First Firaan, and then there were the defectors to contend with; at least, in Evfra's eyes Resistance cells allying themselves with the grandly named 'True Resistance', at Ashae's invitation of course, was a betrayal to the cause. He had personally trained some of those men and women; Ryder couldn't imagine what Evfra must have been feeling when people he knew and liked picked the wrong side. Or perhaps he thought that they chose Ashae because they thought him weak? Either way, she was afraid her love was slipping away from her into a darkness where she could not follow. One thing she was sure of, however, was that if Evfra kept thinking of the matter in this way, he would lose the war and the Resistance both; he couldn't afford to take it personally.
Much like I can't take it personally, she thought ruefully. Maybe she had been too focused on their relationship, just as Evfra was too focused on his perceived failure as a leader. She let the silence stretch, immersing in the rolling dunes and the shimmers of heat dancing across them. It didn't take long for the Nomad to skirt the pits and chasms between them and the entrance to the krogan settlement and they parked under a scraggly tree nearby. The scarlet leaves rustled as they got out, making their web of shadows dance across the shining hull of the Nomad playfully; they didn't really offer a lot of shade, but nevertheless she enjoyed the proximity of vegetation that apparently thrived on this otherwise lifeless rock.
"Will they let us in?" Evfra nodded to the guards posted at the entrance.
"Drack being here would have helped," Ryder said with a suffering sigh, "but they should. There's no reason for them to keep us out exactly, I've had dealings with Morda before this."
Evfra frowned. "Isn't he a member of your squad? Why don't you just tell him to come?"
Ryder winced; she had hoped he wouldn't ask. "Because… he's had a spat with someone. He didn't want to come because he doesn't want to kill the guy, the colony needs him – it's a long story," she waved a dismissive hand, trying to pass it off as unimportant and unworthy of further discussion.
Evfra blinked. "It is my understanding that your krogan is approximately a thousand years old. I would assume this isn't his first time facing a confrontational situation."
"Yes, he is. He's not my krogan, though, but he is krogan, you see."
"If he were a member of the Resistance he would have either learned to control himself by now or he would have been put out – why would you allow this?"
"You don't really understand how krogan work…" Ryder said weakly. "Perhaps I should explain…"
Evfra grimaced, scar twisting his lips into a snarl as he cut in. "Whatever explanation you have, I doubt it will make me appreciate such an ineffective chain of command; what if one of your team decides they don't like hot weather or they don't feel like fighting kett today, will you just let them stay on the ship?" he demanded.
Ryder gritted her teeth. "Of course not, and none of them would ask such a thing."
"Except this Drack, apparently," Evfra pointed out.
"Oh, no. No, no, no, you're not doing this," Ryder jabbed an angry finger at him. "You're not projecting your perceived issues with the Resistance onto my squad mates! Drack is one of the most competent fighters on my team, he's proven himself invaluable to both me and you, don't you forget that! So if he wants to stay on the ship, he can stay, and that's the end of that."
Surprisingly, Evfra sighed in apparent resignation. "Perhaps you are right. I have no quarrel with him, but your leadership can be… peculiar."
Ryder bit her lip, frustrated. She supposed she could have demanded that Drack come with them, she was within her rights to do so. Still, she did understand the battle-worn krogan's problem, but that didn't mean she had the right words to explain it to Evfra properly. To her – or likely most anyone from the Milky Way – that was just the way krogan were, and while Drack was the most level-headed krogan she'd ever met, she knew he would kill without hesitation if he had reason; it seemed perfectly sensible to her that he avoid further confrontations. Or perhaps Evfra was right and she was too soft on her companions. Weighing the question, however, only reaffirmed her original reasoning: she trusted each of them and their judgement, if one of them had an issue that needed resolving, she had never seen a reason to deny them help or the leeway they needed, so long as they didn't jeopardize anyone or her pathfinding duties.
"How about I tell you a little more about the krogan?" Ryder suggested, starting towards the entrance. "But inside. It's really hot out here."
"I hadn't noticed," Evfra said dryly, but followed.
The two krogan at the main gates had been watching their little exchange with some amusement, Ryder realized; as they drew closer their thick fingers tightened reflexively on their rifles, but they seemed to be exchanging credits now – had they bet on who would win the argument? It annoyed her, but she nodded to them politely as she entered and flashed her teeth in what she hoped they would interpret as a cool smile. Thankfully, neither guard appeared to have any intention of harassing them, and beyond the wager neither they nor anyone else inside New Tuchanka really paid them any mind.
"Have you spoken to Drack at all?" Ryder asked over her shoulder as she lead the way to Morda's – there was no other word for it – throne room. The krogan overlord was nothing if not pretentious about her claimed title.
"Jaal has, I've read a little about them in his reports and the… info packets kindly left on my desk." He didn't say anything overtly, but his tone made it clear enough that Evfra was offended by how Nexus leadership had handled the situation, and Ryder agreed; they could have shown more delicacy and at least offered to personally answer any questions he had about Milky Way species rather than – perhaps inadvertently – implying that he should familiarize himself so that he could avoid stepping into cross-cultural pitfalls.
"Not really the same thing as firsthand information," Ryder muttered, not sure if she was angry with Tann and Addison, or Evfra for not pressing harder. They squeezed by a small group of krogans loitering on the first hewn stairway; they appeared to be regaling each other with battle stories that sounded half fictitious and half physically impossible. "You know they have a… rocky relationship with most other Milky Way species at least?" she asked Evfra once they passed the krogans.
"It's hard to miss," Evfra replied, giving another pair of krogans a significant look as they eyed Ryder suspiciously. "I hope you are not reiterating a history lesson about the Krogan Rebellions, I do read what I'm given."
"I just want to make sure this goes well," Ryder grimaced, slowing her steps as they neared the level where Morda was.
"I know enough. Right now all I need to know is what I can do to make sure Ashae doesn't get her claws into Morda – whatever your history database says, the only really important thing I learned about the krogan is that I want them fighting on my side, and against kett if I can help it."
"Without knowing the nuances…" she began as she turned to faced him, forcing him to come to a stop before he could just barrel in. The tightness she saw in his face once again made her wish they could have avoided mention of Ashae at all, but it was nigh impossible under the circumstances; she would have to just live with the fact and allow for the Resistance leader's accompanying mood swings.
"I will be fine," Evfra finished her sentence, the finality in his voice punctuated with the flat stare he gave her.
Ryder's lips thinned and she was bursting with the desire to harangue him because he was being a culturally insensitive idiot about the coming negotiations; but looking up into those silvery maelstroms he had for eyes convinced her that he was unreachable by her arguments. Whatever he had planned, he intended to stick to it and, evidently, not to share more than he already had – probably because he knew she would object in some way. Maybe he was right, maybe the human approach wasn't the right way here, and who was to say how the krogan really felt towards the angara? They hadn't known each other long enough for her to draw any definitive conclusions about that. She prayed he knew what he was doing and gave him a reluctant nod of acceptance.
"Just… wait here a moment," she said, placing a light hand on his chest.
"Why?" he asked, but the corners of his mouth twitched in amusement at the request.
Ryder just shook her head warningly to stay silent and where he was, and then closed the distance between them and the chamber beyond with soft footsteps, peering around the corner. She tried to inconspicuously creep forward to get a glimpse of Morda and her attendants; it bought her all of five seconds to come up with a good reason to go back to the ship and plan things out properly, that stubborn seed in her not allowing the talks commence without at least trying. Unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately – she saw nothing of note before she had to duck back around the bend, lest Morda catch sight of her.
"Morda," Ryder said softly, "is not looking happy."
"From your description she is often not happy," Evfra grunted, though he kept his voice as low as she did.
Ryder grimaced. "Well, she's even less happy when she sees me usually, I don't think I'll be much use to you here, unless you want to listen to her call me 'Nexus' and rage at me for being an offensive blight on her agenda."
Unexpectedly Evfra caressed her cheek with a finger, evoking a familiar tingle in her skin. "You brought me here, and you counseled me. That's all I need."
Ryder snorted at that last – much counseling she had done – but the gesture warmed her all the same. "Good luck," she said and he strode in alone.
Evfra slowly stepped before Morda's perch, his approach accompanied by a susurration from the surrounding crowd of krogans as they murmured to one another about the alien supplicant, seemingly oblivious to the guards who took a threatening step forward to block his further ascent. Ryder knew from experience how difficult it was to ignore their well-practiced, hostile glaring; in light of that, the Resistance leader's poise and apparent indifference impressed her – she just hoped Morda would be equally impressed as opposed to offended. The krogan overlord was easily offended, unfortunately.
Winter-storm eyes were leveled up to where Morda must have been sitting; Ryder couldn't see her from where she stood, only Evfra and a few krogan at the edge of the perch and deeper in the chamber, but she could picture the overbearing woman all too well. It seemed as though Morda was intending to let the silence stretch while her attendants and guards growled and glared at the newcomer threateningly, as if she was waiting for them to soften him up, but Evfra merely clasped his hands behind his back and did not let his gaze waver for a second.
"Overlord Morda," Evfra said neutrally, inclining his head in respect, as one equal to another.
"Who comes before me and dares speak before I do?" Morda's cold, angry voice snapped on the heels of Evfra's words, cutting him off. Ryder held her breath when she saw Evfra stiffen visibly at her tone, but a moment later his broad shoulders relaxed again.
"Evfra de Tershaav, leader of the Angaran Resistance," Evfra replied calmly, this time waiting for her to address him.
Morda grunted dismissively. "I've already met the other one claiming that title – your quarrels with her does not interest me, if that is why you're here. Leave."
"Hear me," Evfra said a little forcefully, "I do not come to you to supplicate a matter regarding Ashae and you will never see me do so – she is a traitor as far as I'm concerned, worth no notice, a former lieutenant of mine who betrayed the very cause she claims to represent."
"In her version of the story you are on a Nexus leash," Morda replied, her tone prodding.
Evfra grimaced. "What leash?" he gestured wide with his arms before returning them behind his back, emphasizing his solitude. Of course, if anyone informed the overlord that Ryder had accompanied him it was a rather weak display in her estimation, but perhaps speaking to her alone would be enough. He must have seen what he wanted to in Morda's face, because he gave a slight smile before continuing. "I know Ashae well. Let me tell you what she offered you and then all I ask is that you listen to my offer. I trust you will choose wisely who to ally New Tuchanka with."
"You may proceed – but keep it brief. My time is precious."
Ryder was impressed; she must have considered Evfra to be intriguing if she was this polite. She wished she herself could see this side of Morda more often, but as of their last meeting she was sure that just the sight of her would be inflammatory; the overlord had finally relented and granted the Nexus permission to build an outpost after some tough negotiating, true, but that didn't endear the Nexus to any of the krogan, particularly after their treatment by the Andromeda Initiative's current upstart leaders.
"Of course," Evfra inclined his head again in acceptance and thanks, though he still looked to be glowering from under his brow. That wasn't his fault, really, Ryder thought with a small smile; he just had that kind of irascible face. "Ashae knows about your history with the Nexus, so she would have offered to pass along any intel she learned about them, of course."
"That much would be obvious to a pyjak," Morda cut in.
Evfra's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, correctly interpreting the insult even if he didn't know what a pyjak was, but otherwise he ignored the interruption. "Only, her intel will tell you that the Andromeda Initiative is trying to co-opt krogan independence and will send your warriors where they are not needed, all to divert your attention from what she's really doing."
"And what would she be really doing?" Morda asked, her tone clearly implying her patience was beginning to fray. Ryder bit her lip anxiously, crossing her arms as though to restrain herself.
"She would offer armed support in exchange for your support should she need it, fully knowing that the krogan would never need to ask because she's feeding you bad intel – because she thinks she understands the krogan and how to get you to fight for her without giving anything in return." Evfra hadn't exactly answered Morda's question, but Ryder saw what he was doing: if he let her draw him into an argument, the conversation would be over in seconds and he would never be able to say everything he wanted to. "You will find yourself fighting against other angara who I guarantee you have no wish to fight you."
Morda laughed. "You are not very convincing – krogan live to fight!"
"In other words, you enjoy fighting other species' battles for them?" Evfra asked and received a snarl of outrage from Morda and others. He had been reading up; he knew what buttons to push. "All you have to do is to press her a little for something, test just how willing she is to really help you in return – you will see that she is trying to use you."
"No one uses the krogan anymore," Morda pronounced with icy finality. "Let them try and we will feast on their corpses!"
"Push Ashae," Evfra insisted, "in her eyes, you all come second compared to her followers."
"And you do not put angara ahead of everyone else?" Morda demanded scornfully.
"I do not need to resort to manipulation," he responded curtly. "If I want to use krogan, you will know about it. If I want help from you as an ally, you will know about that, too." The angry snarls increased, but Ryder was sure she saw a few faces with expressions of approval – honesty was valued among them, but more importantly, Evfra had been right: boldness was the right approach the krogan.
"There's just one problem," Morda said, her voice surprisingly serene all of a sudden. "I know. I know that you are on a Nexus leash even if they let you off it long enough to scuttle before me by yourself."
Evfra's face tightened with anger, scar pulling at his mouth. "Is that what Ashae told you? After what I just said, you believe her?"
"She told me much more," Morda went on. "She said you were romantically involved with the human Pathfinder, you were intimate – who knows what things you picked up because of your disgusting cross-species mating."
Ryder's middle felt like a ball of ice at those words; they hadn't even tried to keep it a secret anymore, they were well and truly past that point, and there was no reason for the krogan not to know about it, yet something about how she was saying it… She had never taken Morda to be a xenophobe – at least, not beyond the typical resentment krogan harbored towards some alien species, if not all – and it was clear that not all krogan shared the sentiment, judging by the uncomfortably shuffling feet and frowns, but she noted that they also looked confused. Perhaps Ashae had been whispering in Morda's ear so to speak, turning her against Evfra and the Angaran Resistance by insinuating something – or, knowing Ashae personally, believing it herself – but clearly the overlord hadn't shared what Ashae revealed.
"My personal relationships with anyone are none of your concern," Evfra said coldly, his stormy eyes radiating electric anger.
"You expect me to trust your word when you would take someone like her to your bed?" The scorn was back in her voice.
"Someone like her?" Evfra's lips drew into a silent snarl. "If you think my involvement with Ryder has any influence over my position as leader of the Resistance, you will regret underestimating me."
"You dare threaten me? After the insults you have thrown at my feet and your troops gathering around the Remnant ship? Oh, yes! I know about them, too," Morda said vehemently. "I certainly know that I didn't grant you permission to violate our territory!"
"My troops?" Evfra asked in genuine confusion. "I haven't sent anyone to Elaaden."
"Liar!" Morda roared. "You forget, that one knows you as well as you claim to know her, she's seen your battle plans! She told me about angara on Elaaden, did you mention them? Of course not! Because you didn't want me knowing. I'll tell you one other thing, angaran: I know how your species suffers in this climate; well, as far as I'm concerned, you'll be pleased to know the lot of you can consider yourselves banned – unless I give express permission."
Evfra seemed to realize that Morda was not going to be swayed; she already had been. "Very well," he said in a tight voice, "I will withdraw and leave you to your… deliberations. If you change your mind, as I'm sure you will once Ashae betrays you as she betrayed me, I will be ready to negotiate on behalf of the Angaran Resistance."
"Leave my sight before I have my guards throw you out," Morda called after Evfra, who was already leaving. His steps weren't hasty, but he didn't dawdle, either.
Ryder tensely waited for Evfra to come back to where she stood before finally unwinding her arms and gesturing sharply in a silent question towards the krogans. He just grimaced at her in response, eyes cutting to her and back ahead as he walked passed her and back up towards the surface without a word. Ryder followed, not sure if she should kick him or not for not listening to her; not that she thought the outcome would have been much better if he had. Not to mention that comment at the end, the nerve… she groused over it in her head, wondering if she should attempt to give Evfra a talking to about his wording. He made it sound like the Initiative was weak and Morda equating the Resistance with them was an insult – well, maybe that hadn't been his intention, but it was as good a subject to funnel her frustration into as any other part of this disastrous meeting.
Evfra didn't slow down or say a word until he was pulling himself back into the Nomad, and even then all he did was mutter at her to get them back to the Tempest and let him think. Ryder tried to pry his thoughts out all the same, giving both gentle coaxing and irritable prodding a crack, but he simply ignored her, silently fuming and tempestuous silvery eyes gazing into nothing as his attention was turned inward. By the way his lips almost peeled back from his teeth every once in a while in a silent snarl, she could guess the tone of his thoughts at least. Perhaps he was just composing his strategy for what to do next, but she wasn't about to let it lie. Thankfully the Tempest wasn't far, so she didn't have to wait long before she could demand answers. Once aboard, Evfra headed straight to the meeting room instead of her quarters and Ryder followed, wondering what he was up to.
"Evfra," she said firmly, grabbing ahold of his arm, trying to grab his attention as well. "Will you please tell me what the hell is going on? Why won't you say anything?"
"I told you to let me think," Evfra growled, glaring down at her, but a moment later his expression softened to a mere frown of displeasure.
"I know that went badly," Ryder said as calmly as she could, "but if you just talk to me I'm sure we can figure out what to do next. Morda isn't the only avenue to the krogan heart."
Evfra looked away, silent.
Ryder let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright, then I will do the talking! Whatever nonsense she was spouting about us, not all krogan share that sentiment, I saw it in their faces now and I know it to be true. You still have support there, we just have to…"
"There's no point," Evfra cut in angrily. "Morda isn't the problem. Ashae is, it's her we need to deal with once and for all."
"Saying that doesn't make it happen out of thin air, we still know far too little to…"
"I can get inside her head, predict her movements," he cut her off again. "I will stay aboard the Tempest, we must go to every planet and organize Resistance forces on each front, we need the majority and we need it now. Any undecided cells will have to fall in line or suffer the consequences."
"Evfra, no, you're playing into her hands!" Ryder balked. "She wants you to make mistakes, she's provoking you with the information she fed to Morda."
"And the angara by the Remnant ship?" Evfra demanded. "She's gathering her strength right under Morda's nose and she made sure the krogan would barr me from Elaaden, I must respond in kind, otherwise I've just ensured a safe haven for her precious 'True Resistance'."
"Those angara might not even be there at all!"
"They're there, and they're hers," he scowled stubbornly.
"Mashiar is still out there," Ryder pointed out, bracing herself for his reaction to the name, but surprisingly he just gave her a flat stare.
"No. I know it's not."
"How would Morda know the difference between Roekaar and Resistance? It could be, you can't discount the possibility."
"Mashiar is finished," Evfra made a dismissive gesture, slipping from her grasp as he moved away from her. "Besides, what possible reason would he have to send angara loyal to him to a derelict Remnant ship?"
Ryder frowned. "As I recall we never really could figure out what went on in that man's head. Who's to say what reasons he would have? He's completely crazy," she shivered, uncomfortably reminded of the last time she had seen him, that cinnamon desert scent filling her nose and the cold metal of his blade pressing into her side, his mocking voice in her ear…
"No, Ashae is trying to divert my attention with those angara, she's baiting me into focusing on her activities here while she scoops up the remaining cells. We have to get to them before she does, everything hinges on having the superior force. Elaaden will have to be last, even though that allows her time to strengthen her position."
"Still sounds like she's provoking and you are reacting, Evfra," Ryder said irritably. "Either way, she's in control of the battlefield as long as you focus all your attention on her instead of actually leading – you need to focus on the kett! That's why people follow you, that's the Evfra they need to see, because it's him they want to follow!"
"I am always focused on the kett," Evfra snarled hotly. "Don't ever imply that I am not!"
"I wasn't," Ryder gritted her teeth, hurt that he thought she didn't understand after all they had been through together. "But you're letting Ashae get inside your head! Don't give up on the krogan so easily, they're…"
"The krogans have already decided whose side to take," he growled.
"Will you stop interrupting me?" Ryder shouted, patience snapping. For a long moment they just glared at each other, until finally she decided that this was getting them nowhere. She took a deep breath before continuing. "I know you think what Ashae is doing is personal, but ultimately she left because she thinks she is the better candidate to defeat the kett. All I meant is that we can win if we lead by example, and the best way to do that is to stop treating her as if her claims on a leadership title are legitimate – we legitimize her by making her the enemy."
"It is personal," Evfra retorted, "and I have no intention of letting her or anyone else take over the fight, I forged the Resistance into a force to be reckoned with and stars be my witness, I would rather die than let anyone demolish it because they happen to disagree with how I conduct my personal life! Or have you forgotten that you were the reason she went against me in the first place?"
"That's unfair," Ryder said quietly. "Firaan was the one turning all of us against each other in the first place, the reason why Ashae thought I was a bad influence." For a split second she thought Evfra might snap back at her that he agreed with that sentiment, but he said nothing, only letting out a slow breath to calm himself. "So you're staying?" she asked after a moment, breaking the silence.
"For now," he said, looking troubled now – or was it uncomfortable?
"Will you… stay with me?" Ryder asked stiffly. She desperately wanted to forget their argument, forget the krogan and the Resistance, all of it, and just enjoy his company and the prospect of having him to herself for more than brief visits whenever she swung by the Nexus; but the stress of the situation wouldn't allow her to relax, not even for a moment.
"Unless you want to keep me in a closet," Evfra replied, almost sounding apologetic.
Ryder smiled. "It would serve you right," she said. "But I'd rather keep you close." She wished that would be enough.