Chapter 2
Axel ordered the ship to slow down, slowly drifting to a halt.
Everything was perfectly still, aside from the occasional pulsing of the cloud's tendrils.
The timer for the jump had run down by now, but Axel didn't want to risk it from within the cloud.
Who knows what kind of havoc it could cause?
Then he remembered this is where the Humans had arrived, close to their selected "golden world."
Axel became concerned that they might have run headlong into it.
Had the other Arks of the Initiative experienced the same thing? Just how widespread was this phenomenon? What did that ship that attacked him have to do with it? Who were they?
If that ship that attacked him were of the human ark, would it even be safe too seek them out?
All these questions and more weighed heavily on his mind.
Too many variables, he thought. To much unknown.
He needed to find out more.
"How close are we to where the human planet was supposed to be?" Axel questioned, as he stepped away from the command console, no longer in immediate danger.
If anywhere was a good place to start looking for answers, it would be there.
"Based on information gathered from sensors, the Human destination of Habitat 7 should be on the other side of this cloud." It stated.
"Get us there. Move slow, don't touch the tendrils, and be ready to make the jump if that ship comes back." Axel said, slowly pacing the deck.
The ship wordlessly complied.
Pausing for a moment, the computer seemed to be working out the best path. Then, steady and slow, it banked and began navigating the cloud.
The tendrils remained frozen in place, precariously jutting out in inconvenient places. The ship was often required to come to a dead stop, re-maneuver, and start again.
Through the labyrinthian cloud they pressed, continuing in the same fashion for some time. Until part way through, the computer suddenly chimed, "We are approaching the end of the cloud. Habitat 7 should be visible momentarily."
Axel nodded.
Time for some answers, he thought.
Between tendrils of cloud he saw flickers of blue and green. Occasionally spotting segments of the ring that surrounded the planet.
He found himself craning his neck and standing on his toes, straining to get a better view. But then, all at once, the veil was gone and he could see the planet, unobscured.
Once again, he felt the dread he had experienced upon entering the cloud. For though, most of the planet appeared to be fine. A massive section, that Axel guessed to be almost one-sixth of the planets surface, was a horrible blotch of scorched earth.
Looking closer, it seemed that some of the cloud he had just come through was attached to the scorched part of the planet. Coming off in strands like a broken spiders web, but frozen in place.
"Computer, give me an analysis." Axel's eyes never straying from the scene as he spoke.
"Sir, analysis that the cloud we passed through made contact with the planet, presumably having collided during the planet's natural orbit. It appears to have had devastating effects on contact areas. However, it appears that this event occurred some time ago."
Axel took a moment to digest what the computer was telling him and then asked, "What makes you say that it happened some time ago?"
"Scans from this distance, indicate that the planet has reached a form of equilibrium. However, this is anomalous in and of itself, due to the fact that such a catastrophic event, would have been more than enough to end all life on the planet and render it inhospitable. Significant external influences, with the use of terraforming technology are hypothesized."
Axel was beginning to despise this recurring feeling of confusion.
The Initiative had departed with some means of moderate terraforming, but to save a planet from an event like this?
That shouldn't have been possible.
"Begin searching for transmissions, specifically looking for mentions of ports, their size, and prominence." Axel ordered, once again leaning on his command console.
He needed a port, more for information than anything. But if it was too big, security and protocol would be too strict for him to float in unnoticed. However, if he docked his ship at too small of a port, he would draw too much attention to himself.
He needed a moderately sized port, but one that had a somewhat seedy reputation.
A place that lacked an overarching authority.
A smuggler's port.
He continued to stare at Habitat 7 as he waited for the computer's search to finish.
Axel inspected the names as they were found, first being the Nexus. However, it was confirmed to be the central authority for the Initiative. Which immediately ruled it out as an option.
The next few names that appeared were population centers that had been established on a few of the other golden world destinations.
However, his options were much fewer than he had anticipated.
Maybe only a dozen possible ports, some belonging to a native civilization that were referred to as Angarans.
With few options, little knowledge, and an abundance of problems and questions, Axel ordered his ship to plot a route for the Port of Kadara.
From what Axel had learned, it was a hub for all the unsanctioned trade in Heleus. It also acted as its own entity, independent from the Nexus.
It was just what Axel needed.
"Computer, take us to Kadara."
"Yes sir." It replied. "However, due to lack of data concerning this cloud, a roundabout route must be taken. Total travel time will be nine twenty four hour cycles. Do you accept his course of action?"
"I accept." He said, beginning to turn and walk off of the bridge.
He stopped, mid stride, remembering the enemy ships that had been chasing them.
"Computer, always have an emergency azimuth plotted in case those ships attack again." He added.
"Understood."
Satisfied, Axel continued walking away.
As he left the bridge and walked into the hall the spanned the spine of the ship, he couldn't help but feel like he was lost.
He had awoken, with the expectation that he would be getting right to work. Or at least have a definitive direction for his efforts. But now that he was here, all he had was to wait.
He needed to learn about his environment so that he could establish himself. But, the thought of sitting next to a receiver for nine days was not all that alluring.
He heaved a sigh as he removed Charlotte from his back and set her on the ground.
No point in carrying her when she could walk herself, he thought to himself as he tapped a few commands onto his wrist display.
He began walking away, and shortly after he heard the metallic clacking that indicated Charlotte was not far behind.
Feeling unsure, he contemplated how he would pass the time as he gave his ship a once over. There were texts to study, training to be done, there was also a plethora of ancient books and stories from every culture in the Milky Way Galaxy that he could read.
Plenty to keep me busy, Axel thought to himself as the doors to the engine room opened and then closed behind him.
Meanwhile, Sidera Nyx was monitoring a mission, currently being executed in the badlands surrounding Kadara Port…..
She watched, as the human Pathfinder, Scott Ryder, was carefully sneaking down passageways, hidden deep within a mountain range.
Though the tasks that had been expected of him as Pathfinder, establishing a safe place for humanity to thrive as part of a new celestial community, were finished according to the parameters that his forerunners had established. The Andromeda galaxy had thrown so much they hadn't expected at the Initiative, so much that it did not feel right for him to simply say he had done what was expected.
So, there he was.
Skulking through tunnels, hunting for raiders that had been preying on shipping lanes and smaller settlements. Sid didn't know why he kept fighting, but she assumed his reasons for fighting were the same as she had for supporting the Pathfinder, his crew, and especially Vetra.
The tunnels were almost like the veins of some massive creature, snaking and branching off in multiple directions. They were of Remnant design, some sort of highway between locations outside and a series of underground complexes.
These had been known of for sometime, outlined in data that had been recovered and translated from the Meridia station. But, with the demands of fighting raiders, the Kett, difficulties with the Scourge, and establishing multiple fledgling civilizations, not every Remnant cache and facility had been inspected and secured.
The Pathfinder had requested more effort be put into them, but his requests were either ignored or flat out denied. On the grounds that there was no need.
The Initiative possessed the SAM's, which were the proverbial "Keys to the Kingdom," Tann reasoned. No one else could possibly access the remnant technology in its entirety.
Yet here they were, following a lead Sid had on some raiders that had been using strange and advanced weapons against Initiative civilians.
Ryder rounded a corner and a doorway stood in the center of his video feed.
Weapon raised, he approached it cautiously.
"Any idea what we got in there Sid?" He asked, bracing up against the wall outside the door.
"No cards, Ryder. Gonna have to plant the bug for me to give you any info." Sid replied.
"You were close Sid, but the saying is 'no dice'. Well, then lets get to work."
He held out his hand towards the door, and it opened slowly without a sound.
Ryder entered the room and began to survey it.
It was a Remnant hangar, but large sections of it appeared to have been destroyed and then haphazardly repaired. He had come out onto a catwalk that ringed the lower area. Sid guessed he was at about the middle of the room.
Vehicles sat suspended in air, not appearing to be held in place by any visible means. Various Remnant storage containers were piled high at one end of the hangar. In the middle were areas that appeared to be for opening, examining, and testing the contents of the Remnant containers. The far right was a gathering area for the raiders, evidenced by a number of them working on various tasks or relaxing.
He looked around a bit an then spoke, "Well, we really stumbled onto a hornet's nest."
Sid knew that hornets were a human insect that were known for a venom that caused an intense stinging sensation. Turians had no equivalent, but she could understand what he meant.
She remained quiet as SAM and Ryder spoke to one another.
"SAM, how many do you see? I'm guessing about fifty."
"From this vantage point, I can see sixty eight individuals. However, a lack of rest and nutrition faculties suggests that this is only a section of the raider encampment. Many more could lie further within." SAM informed.
"Sid, are you able to see anything that could give us eyes on the rest of this place?" He asked.
Go time, she thought as she began looking through Ryders video feed. The remnant systems in the area were either destroyed or disabled, so she couldn't use those.
But maybe they had set up their own surveillance to make up for the lack of a system in place. This gave her an idea.
"Ryder, could you get a bit closer to the common area on the far side of the room? I need a closer look."
"Gimme a second." He replied.
The camera shifted a little as Ryder adjusted himself. He began making his way down the catwalk, occasionally peaking at the events below. All the species from the Milky Way were present, there were even a few Angarans present in the mix
Ryder would occasionally stop and watch an activity or try to listen in on a snippet of a conversation, but so far there was nothing Sid could pick up on as particularly important.
Sid activated Ryder's scanner on a more subtle mode and began analyzing the area. Several veins of wires spread out across the room and away, further into the complex. One of them led to a terminal in the congregation area.
That's it, Sid thought.
"Ryder, I need you to patch me into that terminal on the edge of the common area. You see it?" She asked, still panning along the other veins to see where they went off to.
His camera moved around briefly as he searched and then came to rest on the terminal she was talking about.
"I see it. I'm on it."
As Ryder began to near the spot that would give him the best vantage point, Ryders camera suddenly panned over to the center of the room as a sudden burst of activity came from the center of the room. Several voices began calling out agitated warnings.
Sid peered closer at the screen, trying to find out what had caused all the commotion.
She and Ryder both jumped when one of the workstations in the center of the hangar suddenly exploded. Though the blast was far enough a way that it hadn't reached Ryder, but it didn't stop Sid from asking.
"Ryder! Are you alright? What happened?"
There was a brief pause before Ryder quietly responded with, "If I had to guess, I think he may have pressed a big red button?" Sid scowled at his little joke and she didn't even need to see his face to know he was smirking as he said it.
His camera turned as he began moving a
Simultaneously, Vetra appeared on her wrist communicator.
"Sid, we just heard an explosion! What's going on?" Concern evident in her sister's voice, a tone that Sid was not unfamiliar with when she herself had been in trouble.
"I'm not sure yet, it looks like a raider accidentally set off some Remnant tech." Sid told her, but it had been the wrong thing to say.
"What!? We are on our way."
Sid quickly tried to reign in her sister. "No Vetra! It was just some idiot who blew himself up. Ryder is fine, he was a good distance from the blast."
Her sister looked hesitant, her professionalism coming into conflict with her protective nature.
"Alright. Just tell him to be extra careful. I don't like him going in there alone." Vetra said.
Though her voice was even, Sid could see the worry on her face.
"Don't worry sis, I've got my eyes on him. I'll keep you posted." Sid promised, giving what she hoped was an assuring smile.
"Thanks Sid, we will be right here." Vetra said, her features becoming a little more relaxed.
Sid ended the communication and returned her attention to the task at hand.
Ryder had dropped to the ground level and was creeping closer to the terminal. He was able to move pretty quickly because almost everybody had either gone further into the complex or to the center of the room.
Sid saw that he was only a few feet away when Ryder suddenly stopped moving.
He was so close, why had he stopped? She thought to herself.
She looked a bit closer at Ryder's video feed and understood why.
Every single raider in the room had stopped dead in their tracks and stared fixedly in the direction where Ryder was hiding. But they weren't staring at him.
They were staring at the door.
With a barely audible hissing sound, the door slid open.
A pregnant moment of silence followed, and everyone in the room continued staring at the door.
Ryder wasn't at the proper vantage point to see through the door to begin with. He was just barely able to see the door, and still not be seen by the room's other occupants.
Sid realized she had been holding her breath. She tried to remain calm, but struggled to release the breath slowly so as not to puff into the mic.
At that exact moment, a human-like figure, shrouded in silver, entered the room.
It walked slowly, deliberately. Its reflective suit casting occasionally glints from the lights above.
The figure didn't walk with a swagger, like a raider boss. But it did have a commanding presence.
Sid could not read the figure. She wasn't sure what species or gender it was.
Human was an easy bet, but something seemed off. Asari was possible too, but it didnt have any apparent feminine features. Quarian? Geth?
Nothing fits the bill, she thought.
"Sid," Ryder whispered. "Are you recording this?"
"No, should I be?" Sid whispered back, before scolding herself.
"Something feels off about this one." Ryder said, an edge replacing the lightness from earlier.
Sid quickly tapped the record symbol, and a red dot began slowly pulsing in the corner of the screen.
"Its recording." She informed him. He responded wordlessly, his helmet bobbing up and down a fraction of an inch.
The figure stopped a few feet into the gathering area, without a word from either the figure or the bandits, they began to congregate into a half circle. The silver figure at the center.
Sid saw Ryder's camera begin to move. He was repositioning.
"Sid, I'm gonna patch you and SAM into the system. You two know what to do, I'm going to keep an eye on this guy." Ryder whispered.
Occasionally the view would flick to the terminal, which was almost within arms reach. All he had to do was place the bug, and she and SAM could work their magic.
Sid thought she saw some motion towards the rear of the congregation, when her display lit up. Indicating that the bug had been placed and she was now receiving data. She immediately turned from the video feed to her terminal.
Sid switched her com link from Ryder to SAM, so she could talk freely without distracting him. "SAM, we're in. Is everything being bounced through the relay?"
SAM's calm voice responded immediately, "Yes Sid, if anyone detects our interaction with their system, they will only detect the decoy."
"Perfect." Sid had learned a lot from her first time "helping" the Pathfinder out of a bad situation. She wasn't going to be some liability that everyone had to worry about.
Flexing her fingers, she got to work. Occasionally asking SAM to review her coding, but otherwise the two worked in tandem; breaking through encryptions and sifting through to find anything important.
Her fingers were a blur and her eyes poured over her screen, they had gotten lucky. This terminal was connected to main hub of the complex.
It didn't have much in the way of info that explained why they were here, who the silver figure were, or even what they were doing here.
Sid thought this was strange, but didn't dwell on it long.
A map of the complex revealed that this was only a small portion of the facility. It was like a diamond, with six facilities located at the apex of each of their respective points. With another central area at the very center of the diamond. However, pathways forced you to go through the center before reaching any of the other locations.
Like a heart, Sid thought to herself.
She found a camera system, but all the cameras were only located on the paths leading to the central chamber.
Nothing could be seen inside.
Sid dragged a talon across her mandible. Strange, maybe they hadn't installed the cameras yet, or maybe….
Before Sid could follow through on the thought, SAM interrupted her.
"Ryder is trying to make contact with you."
She switched her comms again, back to Ryder.
"What is it Ry-" Her words died out when she saw what was happening in the room.
Ryder had repositioned onto the elevated walkway and was looking down on the group. The raiders had cleared a path between themselves. Down the middle of the walkway stumbled a lone figure, towards the silver figure.
The stumbling figure was a Salarian, and behind him was a trail of blood.
Sid followed the trail, and a mix of shock and horror filled her, for she saw that it led in the direction of where the explosion had occurred.
She focused again on the Salarian, and this time she noticed he was missing an arm. .
His face was shredded, strips hanging down or gone altogether. His other arm clutched his stomach, at first Sid thought it too was injured. But as she looked closer she realized the he was trying to keep his innards from falling to the ground.
A wave of nausea swept over Sid. She brought her hand to her mouth, fighting back the urge to vomit right then.
A chunk of…..something slipped between its fingers and splattered to the ground.
Sid was forced to look away, taking deep breaths.
Then she heard the voice. Distinctly human, yet void of any emotion.
No inflection or tone.
Just words.
And it forced her to look.
"You have failed us."
It was the silver figure, and they were speaking directly to the injured Salarian.
The latter of the two only stared.
"Not only have you failed us, but you have failed in such a way you can never make amends. Never be of use again." The figure stepped close the ravaged frame before it.
"You have failed to a degree beyond not completing your task, you have undone progress." The silver figure continued to speak without emotion.
The Salarian seemed to remain oblivious to the words. Still clutching its abdomen.
The silver figure was now less than a foot away from the creature that had vexed them.
In a movement that was almost too fast for Sid to register, the silver figure snapped the Salarian's neck.
A sickening cracking and popping sound filling her headset.
Its neck at a grotesque angle, the body began to slump forward. The silver figure gave it a slight shove, and instead fell backward.
The body collapsed with a hollow thud.
Less to clean up, Sid thought gruesomely.
The silver figure remained there for a moment, then abruptly turned on their heels, and left.
Sid watched, as Ryder did, while the figure strides away. The raiders stared at their fallen comrade, emotion absent from their features. It looked like a congregation of statues bearing witness to a demented execution.
Two raiders stepped forward, picked up the dead Salarian, and carried him out after his executioner.
The rest of the room slowly resumed their activities, but the conversations from earlier were now gone.
Ryder's voice in her ears made her jump.
"Sid, Im making my way out. I want you to send that video to the team. I'm getting out of here." He whispered.
"Will do, Pathfinder." She obeyed, switching comms back to her sister. There was a brief delay as the video connection was made. Moments felt like hours as Sid nervously drummed her talons on her thighs.
Then the connection was made and Sid felt immediately assured by her sister's determined expression. A mixture of a glare and a scowl, with the ghost of a smile. But Sid saw her sister's eyes sharpen upon seeing Sid.
She knew something was up.
"Sid, whats wrong? Whats happened?"
"Hey sis, so uh— well its hard to explain but…" Sid wasn't sure how to explain what she had just seen. So she decided she wouldn't.
Just tell her what she needs to know, Sid thought.
"Ryder is on his way out. We successfully bugged the system, but we saw something strange happen. I'm sending you Ryder's footage now." She informed, quickly cutting the footage to a few moments before the silver figure had entered the room, and then sending it to Vetra.
"Thanks Sid." Vetra said, her face having shifted to one of her "concerned older sibling" looks. But just then her wrist pinged, informing her the video had arrived.
He gaze shifted to the left side of the screen.
"No problem. Ryder will be out soon." Sid replied. She was about to cut the connection when Vetra stopped her.
"Sid wait a second."
Reluctantly, she stopped, expecting her sister to start grilling her for info.
"The Tempest needs to make a pit stop before we head back to Nexus, you got a spot for me?" Vetra asked, gently.
Sid knew she shouldn't have felt surprised by her request. This was Vetra's way of offering help, but without putting pressure on her.
Sid smiled a bit, "Kadara Port is having a merchants market this week, plenty of cool stuff on cut prices. I could use your expertise if your willing?"
Vetra's mandibles rose ever so slightly, "I'll see you soon."
With that the video feed cut.
As she was left in the darkness of her room, she slowly wrapped her arms around herself. The facade she had been holding up, fell. Her body began to shake, as if she had been walking on the ice planet Voeld naked.
Sid was terrified.
She didn't know what that thing was, but she knew it was a threat unlike anything they had seen. Maybe not as great a threat as an army of Kett, but nothing to be underestimated
They had just executed one of their own soldiers, and no one had dared to intervene. No one even seemed to make comment, or lament the loss.
She opened her windows, the shaders slowly rising, letting in the lights and sounds of Kadara Port. She hoped it would help ward off the rising unease.
Things were finally looking up, for everyone.
The last thing Sid wanted was another unknown forcing its way into their lives.
—-
Axel began stretching.
It had been a boring few days, but he was only half a day away from the Port of Kadara.
One more training session and a quick rest seemed like the best way to pass the time.
As he prepared, he marveled at how convenient it was that he was arriving during a special merchant market. All the cities vendors would be coming out, and the promise of slashed prices would draw in plenty of people.
He could slip in and no one would give him a second glance.
A/N: Hey everyone!
First and foremost, I am sorry for the delay on this chapter and the ones on my other stories.
Wish I had an excuse, but i wont lie to you all like that. All i can do is apologize and promise to be more diligent in my writing. Thank you all for your continued support!
Your reviews are always appreciated, and they help me to improve my work. So, any and all are welcome!