Habitat 6. A planet of oceans and beaches. Of water that was h2o and breathable air. It was going to be a paradise, one unlike the other worlds. Now it was encased in ice, temperatures below anything the Milky-way species could live in. With scars left from the scourge.
Voeld, that was the name the angara called it, was a war zone where thousands of lives were lost. The pioneer of ground fighting for the angara. Jaal had claimed that it was the pinnacle of all their cities, with advance technology.
Grace was having a hard time seeing it like that. Or anything really. Lifting her hand to shield the harsh wind blowing against her face, Grace stumbled through the ice and small layer of snow as she followed Jaal into the Resistant Headquarters. The trail to get from the Tempest to the base had been an agonizing experience, Especially when Peebee nearly slide off the trail into the ravine, almost taking Ryder with her. Had it not been for Drack and Cora, Grace was sure they wouldn't be standing amidst the angara fighters.
"Impressive." Cora hummed from the back of the group. "How has it held up against the kett?"
"Well enough." Jaal turned slightly, looking over his shoulder at the group trailing behind him. Around them Resistant pilots murmured. Their arrival was expected but the excited and tense hum spoke volumes of their hope and distrust.
"The kett have not tried taking the base outright with a frontal assault. Between the air cannons and storm they can't use shuttles. But we are sure as their numbers strengthen they will try to take it." Jaal made a disgruntled noise that Grace understood all too well. Prodromos had been in a similar situation till she took out the biggest kett base there. Now they seemed scattered amongst the sand dunes.
"Like to see them try now." Drack 'hmph'ed.
"At least someone's excited to crush some skulls." Peebee whispered to Liam who snorted.
Out of their miserably cold group, Drack seemed to be the most excited to be on Voeld.
Cranky Krogan likes killing things.
Grace sighed in relief as they finally headed into the base where the walls shielded them from the gales and the heaters warmed her frosty insides. Ryder had wanted to stop and wrap herself around the sunlamp, to soak up the warmth, but the eyes that watched chilled her more than the temperatures outside.
The resistant base was something of a marval. Built in the side of the mountain the tunnels ran in and through the mountain, making the twist and turns confusing at there was no real markers to tell where one was going. Jaal didn't seem to have a problem navigating them through though.
"SAM," Grace whispered. "Are you mapping this place?"
"I am." SAM's voice droned out the whispering. "You seem to have a problem with directions."
Grace stumbled in surprise as she felt herself relax just a little. "Is that, is that a joke?"
"Perhaps."
Grace snorted.
"Didn't know I was rubbing off on you SAM."
To keep herself from looking at the bystanders gaping at her, Grace found herself staring at the large frame in front of her. Jaal walked ahead of the group, leading them through the twisted tunnels. Like a mother duck leading her brood to the water. His blue rofjin fluttered behind him with each step. Its fabric twisted like a hand beckoning her forward where she wasn't welcome.
He hadn't been avoiding her persay but he certainly hadn't been welcoming. Aft first Grace had thought it was an angara thing, till she saw him with the rest of the crew. Him and Liam seemed the closest. They were often at each others side discussing cultural differences. The last time she saw them they had been in the process of making human-angara jokes and insults. Jaal sought Cora out for exercise routines, ones Grace wiggled out of. He always had many questions on her fighting technique or about the huntresses she trained with. Him and Peebee discussed in depth remnant technology. It was all jabber to her. Jaal sought out each member of the Tempest, but avoided her presence. He talked to all the crew in a relaxed manner, but when it came to her he was always tense and stand offish.
Grace poked her head into the tech lab, her eyes settling on the bulky form of the resident angara.
"Hey there big guy!" She cheerfully bounced into the room. Her hopes of actually making head way were high today. Especially after she bumped into Liam who told her how well Jaal was getting along.
"Ryder." He rumbled placing some containers down as he turned to look at her.
"I heard you moved from the crew quarters, I'm sure the bed aren't comfortable. Do I um need to order anything to make you more at home here?"
"No, I appreciate the gesture, but your 'Initiative' has nothing to offer." He almost sounded offended rather than pleased she would take the time to offer.
Grace gritted her teeth. Ever since the Nexus Jaal had been actively, not hostile, but certainly rude enough that she considered air locking him at points.
"Oh." Grace bit her lip to keep from snarling something rude at him. She had been constantly trying to get to know the male, or his culture, but Jaal didn't seem to open in the sharing department.
He nodded at her before turning around, back to the slim containers he had been fiddling with. Grace inched closer, wondering what it was he was doing. One container was unlabelled, the other she recognized.
"Is that...are those lotion bottles?" Grace's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at the blast-o space floral lotion.
"Yes," Jaal glanced at her, giving the slow studying look, before picking up the hanar produced product. "Vetra gave them to me, after she learned I enjoy making my own scents."
So the smelling was a culture thing? Or was it just him? She wanted to ask, but Jaal clammed up if she asked him anything too personal.
Circling around the table that stood between them, Grace reached out, picking up the unlabeled bottle. Her arm brushed against Jaals, sending the tingling sensation through her nerves where it settled low in her gut. Grace bit her lip to keep from gasping. It was the same as the last time she touched him, a shock followed by pleasant tingles.
Ignoring the fact that he jerked away from her, as if she burned him, Ryder brought the bottle to her nose giving it a delicate sniff. It was a spicy scent, something she couldn't place but it smelt good. Very good. Good enough that she wanted to dip her fingers in it and rub it into her skin just to smell like it. But Grace knew that would be rude.
And she wasn't a rude Pathfinder.
Lip twitching, Grace turned to tell him that she found the smell decent enough, and that he was very talented. She paused at seeing his gaze firmly settled on her. His lips were parted with harsh puffs of breath while his hand was stretched out, as if to stop her, but stopped. He had a pained expression on as he looked at her like she had just finished a striptease and had told him he couldn't touch. Grace snapped her gaze back down, as she cleared her throat.
"It smells good," She offered only to jolt as he groans and snatched the bottle away. Ryder looked at him again, but Jaal wasn't looking at her. His entire focus was on screwing the lid cap back on. An apology had been at the tip of her tongue when he spoke again.
"I have notice," His baritone voice sounded harsher, huskier than it had been before. "That you're people enjoy more of a floral scent."
Biting the inside of her cheek, Grace glanced at the door. She felt like she had just crossed so many lines. Perhaps the social cues between the pair just weren't lining up. Grace felt her face flush as she internally groaned at the fact she had probably just insulted him a great deal.
Hello foot please insert yourself into my mouth.
"For the ladies mostly." Grace offered as she slidde away from the table that trapped her next to him. Jaal's all consuming gaze snapped back to her face, stilling her retreat.
"Men tend to have a more spicier smell." Grace breathed out the words, trying to regain some sense of her dignity.
Lord what would Dad say right now.
It was a sobering thought that cooled off some of her mortification, enough to allow her to think properly. At least somewhat properly, since Jaal was still staring at her with that all consuming gaze. His silent studying of her face was far more intimidating than it needed to be.
Clearing her throat Grace gestured to the container he placed back down.
"Is this a um social thing? Scents I mean?"
Grace might be an idiot when it came to angara, but she knew a defensive stance when she's seen one. Especially one she used herself. Arms crossed, back straight, and a frown hinting at the corners of his mouth, Jaal, it would seem, did not enjoy her probbing.
"I am here to help you get the Moshae back. Not answer your inquires."
It would indeed seem she overstepped her boundaries.
"Ah, right, sorry. I have a terrible case of curiosity. I catch a hint of something I don't know and, like a dog chasing a car, got to figure it out." Something in his close off expression shifted. If he was human she'd say he found her bumbling apology amusing. But he wasn't and she needed to leave before he decided she wasn't worth breathing anymore.
"Bye!" She said a little too quickly as she scrambled backwards out of the door, hitting her shoulder against the frame as she tried to escape.
Grace had spent the better part of her night thinking about the encounter. Replaying it over and over again. Her embarrassment levels skyrocketed as she realized she had invaded a space that was not welcoming to her.
It's my own damn ship! She tried to reason only to feel the flame lick at her cheeks as she recalled reaching out and taking a possessions he did not offer her to look at.
Jaal was ever a perplexing puzzle she wanted to figure out. But the more time she spent in his presence the more of an idiot she felt like. Ryder desperately wanted to let sleeping dogs lay, but she just couldn't seem to let go. There was something about Jaal that kept drawing her back.
In a last ditch effort, before they got to Voeld, Grace went to see Lexi about his behavior. Hoping for some insight.
"We don't know much about his people, Ryder." Lexi pulled out her scanner and started running test on Grace. If she was in the med lab Lexi always had to prick her with something. It was like she had a compulsion to test things. Constantly.
"I know, it's just…." Grace sighed running a hand through her hair. The thick locks fell over her eyes again as she flopped down on a stool."he seems to get along with everyone but me."
"Perhaps it's your position." Lexi offered as she frowned at the scan readings. "He might be wary of your title Ryder and the power you wield."
Somehow Grace didn't think it was.
"Or maybe it's how he shows respect?"
Respect was the last word she would give his staring. Loathing, hatred, suspicion, murderous intent? Any of those seemed a better fit than respect.
Lexi put down her scanner as she gave her the 'mother hen' look. "Are you eating enough Ryder?"
What ever crawled up his butt about her Grace didn't know, but she wouldn't let his glowering stop her.
"Ryder?" Cora called pulling her from introspecting.
"Huh?" Grace turned looking back at the crew who had stopped short.
"Oh look she's back." Liam snickered only to yelp as Drack smacked him.
"Kid, the er Jaal has informed us that we are free to look around while you attend the meeting with the-." Drack growled, searching for the word.
"Commander." Vetra finished.
"Right, okay." Grace rubbed a finger across the scar lining her nose. "Don't go trespassing where you aren't allowed and-."
"We know Ryder." Peebee interrupted. "Jaal gave us the whole spiel."
"Oh," Grace glanced towards the silent angara who was watching with a odd look on his face. "Right just wanted to reiterate."
"Uh-huh." Peebee gave Grace a knowing look. As if she knew what Ryder had been thinking about.
I'm not blushing, I'm not blushing, face is just red from the cold!
"Alright," Grace glanced at all the eager faces with a raised brow. "go be explores and don't do what I wouldn't do."
"So we get to tell people to suck our dicks?"
"Liam!" Cora sounded scandalized as Drack laughed a loud booming noise that drew more attention to the little group.
"Oh boy." Grace facepalmed before she turned to look at Jaal yet again.
"Lead the way." She waved her hand before her.
Jaal hummed before turning to walk through a large archway with guards on either side of it. The entrance fed into a cavern with vaulted ceilings. Grace took one look around and knew they had reached the command center of Voelds world.
"Jaal," Grace turned as her pace slowed. "Any pointers? This Commander, she anything like Evfra?"
"No," He paused looking back at her. "You need not worry, Anjik is more open than Evfra. She is a good friend and comrade. Her title here was hard earned."
He was praising the woman for all her efforts, there was pride showing in his eyes and affection. Grace wondered if there was something more than friends between the pair. Or the information about angara being hypersocial and very affectionate were true.
Pin that the think about later.
"So she's not going to snap my neck on sight?" Grace joked.
Jaal looked horrified. "No one will harm you." He growled stepping closer.
Grace frowned at the sudden behavior change. Perhaps she had insulted his people by implying that they would harm her.
Shit.
"Sorry I didn't mean to insult-."
"Jaal Ama Darav!" A voice called, cutting Grace off, which she was particularly happy since Jaal hadn't stopped moving till he was in her bubble.
Instead of turning to answer the voice that had called him, he leaned down, leveling his gaze with hers. Grace found herself trapped, unable to breathe, move, or think.
"Do not worry Ryder." He whispered holding her with that profound gaze. "I will not let harm come to you."
Her lips parted at the warmth in his voice, and for the first time Grace found that she believed she was safe. In a blink the fuchsia angara was spinning away from her as he gave a greeting to the woman who had called him before.
"Commander Anjik Do Xeel." Jaal's excited voice boomed off the walls as he met the pink colored angara halfway. They bumped their fist against the other's shoulder.
A greeting? Or sign of respect?
"I have brought the Pathfinder." Jaal gestured towards her, as she lingered by the doorway, stuck in a trance from his words. Grace mentally shook herself as she started forward towards the pair. It didn't matter what Jaal had said, right now she needed to be the Pathfinder. Even if it did make her feel warm on the inside.
"So I have heard, Evfra has informed me of your intent." Anjik's eyes turned to her, looking her over. The woman's face seemed tired. If Grace had to guess she would say the commander got less sleep than she did.
"Tell me Pathfinder, what is your purpose here?"
Grace raised her brow, looking between her and Jaal. "I'm sorry I thought that you were informed."
"I've red the reports and talked to Evfra myself, but I want to hear it from you, so that I might know your heart like the stars do."
"Uh." Grace reached up tugging on her bun. "Well I need to get into the vault on Aya, but truly that is a secondary goal."
Jaal shifted looking more intently at her face, a frown twisted his mouth as his arms came up crossing over his expansive chest. Gone was the warmth he had excluded to her moments ago, back was the distant cold suspicion.
"Oh?" Anjik too saw Jaal's shift as well. her inquisitive gaze bounced between the two of them.
"Of course." Grace tried to ignore the stares she was receiving from both as she straightened. "I need to settle these worlds, for my people, but I also need the angara's trust. Can't exactly live in a new galaxy when your unsure if your neighbors going to put a blade between your shoulders." Grace gave a little shrug at the end. Something she was sure the angara didn't understand.
Anjik stared at her a moment before throwing her head back laughing. "You see the bigger picture than." She reached forward clasping Grace's shoulders and jostled her a little bit. "You will do many things, I believe." Grace flushed beneath the praise, her gaze shooting to Jaal who wore a small smile.
Anjik stepped back releasing her. Her weary smile was still curving across her pale pink face as Resistant fighters ran about in the background. This was a surreal moment for Grace. Standing inside a mountain, receiving praise, true honest praise, for the first time from an alien.
How did my life come to this?
"I have more than enough soldiers itching to help you Pathfinder." Ankik gave a sigh as she looked out amongst her command, most of the angara were absorbed in their task, some however were watching the exchange intently. " The Moshae is very beloved by her people. She inspired hope when there was just fear, at this crucial time we need her back."
Alec Ryders stern face flashed across Ryders mind at Anjiks tired words. Followed by Addisons hard eyes and harsher words.
"What hope do we have now that Alec is dead! He inspired thousands to take this leap. Now he's gone and left you, his inexperienced daughter."
"Please" Grace shook her head, banishing the morbid memory. "call me Ryder, only asshates call me Pathfinder."
The Commander nodded. "I would not want to be mistaken as one." Grace's lip twitched at her insipid tone.
"As much as I appreciate the offer for help, I work better in small squadrons." Less detectable, more efficient, and less lifes that lay across her shoulders should she fail.
"I'm afraid, Ryder, that Evfra has ordered that some of us accompany you. Surely you understand."
Of course she did. The resistance had been trying for years to get into the facility and double the effort when the Moshae was taken. And should she succeed it would booster moral. But it would be damaging to them if Grace did this alone, with her crew. From a viewpoint the angara would be disappointed in the resistance, they would lose support. And there was nothing more damaging in war than hope lost.
"What!" Grace sounded upfronted as she placed her hand over her heart. "Me and Evfra are best buddies, and he didn't tell me this. To shame I say!" Commander Anjik chuckled, shaking her head she moved the group further into the compound as Grace continued to talk.
"I understand Commander Do Xeel. Do they realize the dangers though?"
"Ryder we are at war, have been for years." Anjik turned her exhausted face looking paler in the lamps light. "We know the dangers, but we believe in you."
Of course you do. Grace gave her a small smile. This was a terrible burden the angara were laying at her feet. It was more than rescuing the Moshae and defeating the kett. She was asking Grace to inspire the Resistance again.
Fuck me. It was not the first time Grace wanted to run screaming from this galaxy and its backwards views. Aliens accepting help from virtual strangers, high ranking positions being passed to inexperienced soldiers, fucked up monsters and deathly machines. Fuck me.
"Of course," Grace nodded as she threaded her fingers behind her back. "Can you tell me when the troops will be ready?"
"They are ready now," She hesitated just enough for Ryder to know she was about to say something she's not going to like. "but we have a few problems."
"We always do." Grace sighed. "Tell me."
"We can't fly you out in this storm." Anjik sighed rubbing the side of her neck. "Unless you have some way to abate the storm we are grounded until then."
"Whale damn," Grace frowned. "Looks like the vault first then Moshae, and the other problem?"
"The facility is protected by a barrier. Out hackers have been working on codes to bring it down, but there has been little success."
"If you want, Ryder, I can look at them." SAM offered.
At the sound of the robotic voice, Anjik turned looking at Ryder before glancing around. "And that is?" She asked.
"SAM, he's my AI." Grace knew the dangers of telling her the truth about SAM, but if she wanted even a shot at getting into the kett base they were going to need him. "Do you mind? If he looks, his algorithms might be what we need to get pass the barrier."
"If it helps the resistance," Anjik tapped her omnitool. "I will have them send it to you."
"Alright, I'll have SAM keep an open channel with them. He will probably have a solution before we bring the vault back online."
"There is an 82 percent chance that statement is true." SAM informed.
Grace snorted. "Thank you SAM."
Now that everything seemed covered, Grace shifted her eyes to the map behind them. "Can I look at your maps?"
Anjik nodded. "Of course, if you have any questions just ask Kass." She then turned to Jaal who had been hovering at Grace's back through the duration of their meeting. "Jaal a moment of your time."
Ryder stepped around the commander, giving her a polite nod as the two angara huddle together.
"SAM," She whispers, barely breathing the syllables in fear that the angara clustered together would hear her. "Can you record what they are saying?"
"Of course…..Ryder." The brief pause between words gave Ryder a sneaky feeling the AI was trying to be funny again.
Grace narrowed her eyes. "What's up SAM? You're usually all Pathfinder this and Pathfinder that."
"Am I an asshate?" He asked instead. His flat tone made the curse sound all the more funny. Ryder pressed her fist to her mouth to attempt to stifle her laughter.
"What?" She chortled. "SAM you'll never be an asshate, you don't even own a hat."
"I would prefer to stay off you shit list as you have eloquently put it." SAM intoned
Grace snorted as she stood before the blue spherical map. "You'll never be on my shit list SAM. your..." She hesitated, unsure how exactly to categorize the AI housed inside her head. Alec had made him, with her mother's helps, so it made him a weird part of her family. But Grace didn't feel comfortable saying that.
"Special." She ended lamely.
"Thank you Grace."
Ryder stiffened, her breath hitching at the sound of her name. Closing her eyes she pressed the heel of her palm into her lids. "Thank you SAM."
"I believe Ama Davar and the Commander are finished now. Would you like me to playback the recording?"
Shifting her weight Grace glanced back at the angara making his way to her with steady strides."No, later, when we are alone."
"Understood."
"Now," Grace refocused her attention. She itched to listen to the recording but knew better to. She had a priority as Pathfinder, nosy Ryder came second. "tell me about the map. Did the Tempest get scans of the world before she landed?"
"Despite the storm I was able to pick up the enemy movement, some bases, and all the monoliths."
"Okay." Grace pulled up her omnitool, interfacing with the Resistance map she pulled up a small version of the area around them. "Lets start planning a course. Bring up all the information."
Comparing the two, the resistance had more details on the kett and special markers on certain areas.
"Jaal," Grace looked over her shoulder at the hovering angara. "What do these markers mean?" She tried ignoring the fact that he had the disapproving frown on his face again. Perhaps whatever he and the commander spoke about was not a pleasant topic.
"They are slave camps, where they kett keep our people before they disappear off world."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Grace counted each marker, five in this area housing who knows how many people. And that was only the small portion of the world she could see. Her mind reeled at the fact that there were so many in one area. More so was that she couldn't stop picturing prodromos where corpses of her people lay their glassy eyes reflecting the last moments of horror before death claimed them.
Grace clenched her fist, trying not to imagine an angara lying upon one of those tables. But the picture of pale fuchsia colored skin splattered with blood left her shaken. More than she should have been.
"I would not 'kid' about such a matter." Jaal sounded very offended that she would imply something like that.
"It's a form of expression" Grace seethed as she shot him a look, one that morphed the look of offense into shock. "it means I'm not happy."
"SAM, start plotting a course to these monoliths. Make sure its where I get to fuck as many kett as I want up."
"Understood Pathfinder, updating your nav system now."
"And tell Peebee and Liam to meet us by the Nomad." They were going to be the first ground rotation.
"Jaal," Grace turned giving him a feral smile. "You ready to kill some kett?"
"As I'll ever be."
The view from the Resistance exit would probably breathe taking if it weren't for the fact the the blood freezing blizzard blocked everything in a white blanket of snow.
"Fuck it's cold." Grace hopped on her feet across the snow to reach the Nomad.
"Don't have to tell me." Liam grunted as he scrambled into the Nomad, followed by Peebee who had insisted that her regular armor, i.e. her jacket and pants, were fine in the weather.
The asari's teeth were chattering together when Grace climbed in. Shooting the blue woman a look that spoke volumes, Grace started the Nomad. It purred to life beneath her fingertips, Ryder cranked on the heat and shuddered in her Pathfinder armor. If the rest of the world was like this, she might be in more trouble than she had thought.
"Everyone buckled?" Grace asked as she looked at the map one more time. There was a chorus of clicking sounds following her question. Ryder could help but smirk.
"Ya mom." Peebee snorted as she cuddled into her scarf she lifted from Vetra. Ryder wondered if the turian knew she had the clothing.
"I require assistance." Grace glanced over to Jaal who held two wrong ends in his hands as the looked at her.
"I'll help." Peebee practically purred as she started undoing her straps. She jolted forward, slithering between the gap between the front seats. Liam grunted when she kneed him.
"Jaal can you arch forward, not on my hand, okay just-shit."
"Okay Peebs, move." Grace pushed at her shoulder, as the asari elbowed her again. As the she retreated back, Grace reached for her buckles.
"Should have done a tutorial on these stupid things." Unlatching her belts, Grace shimmed partially out of her seat the nearly lay across his chest.
Her breath caught at the sensation of touching him. Like always there was a small spark, followed by the tingles, but the contact was prolonged, and as she twisted pulling the right buckle from behind him, Grace started to feel a pulse. It was a warm sensation that felt like the sun warming her cold skin. It felt like warm water trickling across her skin, caressing it. Like a lovers touch. Grace could feel her cheeks heat up as she tried not to squirm across the angara's chest.
I'm not blushing, just cold.
As her fingers fumbled to loop the strap around his broad shoulders Grace could hear the tell tale sounds of him sniffing. Bitting her lips she refused to glance at him as she pushed the latch into the locking mechanisum before flopping back into her seat.
"Tada!" Grace pretended she wasn't out of breath while she reached for her buckles again. "Safe as a bug in a rug."
"A what?" Jaal turned confusion printed upon his face. Grace bit her lip as she realized he looked cute with his brow furrowed and lips twisted in a puckered frown as his eye-
Stop it now! Grace hissed at herself as she looked down at the many latches, falling silent to ignore the strange warmth that had spread between her ribs.
"Idiom dude." Liam reached forward patting his shoulder.
"Ah." Jaal nodded. "You have a very perplexing manner of speech."
"Tell me about it." Peebee snorted. "You haven't even heard the worst of it."
"I see." Jaal hummed as he settled into his seat, slightly tugging on the straps that were digging into his armor. He fiddled with the buckle a little.
"Ryder," He glanced at her, eyes brighter than they had been since the first time she met him. "You can follow the lights down." Jaal suggested. What the broad angaran didn't know was that behind him the two other occupants of the Nomad were bracing themselves while he relaxed into his seat.
Ryder smirked, forgetting about the complex emotions that arose seconds earlier, as she cast a look at the rearview mirror. Babies, she snorted.
"Yes Ryder, follow the path." Liam begged.
Jaal frowned as he turned to look back at the human male. "What's wro-."
"Oh-kay!" Grace chirped as she whipped the Nomad forward, straight off the cliff's ledge.
The screeches were well worth the feel of her heart dropping to her stomach. Hooting, she laughed at the downwards descent before hitting the vertical thrusters, taking the momentum out of the fall before they hit the ground with a decent thud.
"That was fun." Grace grinned as she pressed the Nomad onward into the storm. She glanced at the mirror again. Peebee and Liam were still stiffly clinging to the handbars.
Cackling she glanced over at Jaal to see his reaction. Only she ended up swerving the Nomad at the look he was giving her. Back was the warmth between her lungs, hotter than before while her stomach did a funny clenching sensation.
Grace swallowed nervously, looking back out the window. Her hands wrapped around the wheel till her knuckles throbbed. Taking a calming breath she pressed her foot down on the pedal.
Respect would be the last word she lable his stare. Passionate, all-consuming, intense those were just a few.
"I thought you said you'd take the path!" Liam grunts as he peels his hands off the bars. He is sure he swallowed his heart somewhere between his high pitch girl screams and the more manly squawks that came out when they hit the bottom.
"Correction," Grace whipped the wheel to the side as she navigated past the large pillars of ice shooting up from the ground. "I never said I agreed."
"You said okay, that sounds like you agreed." Peebee huffed.
"Come on Peebs? What happened to living life on the dangerous side?"
"Living is the first part of the statement and it's what I plan to do for a long long time." She argued.
"Well I don't hear Jaal complaining." Grace pouted as she sped through the blizzard, making course corrections when it was needed.
"It was...exhilarating." He says thoughtfully.
"See!" Grace beams at him before looking back at the road when he simply gives her that all consuming stare again.
"I don't think we need a repeat." He added after a moment.
"Losers." Grace grumbles, though there's no bite to her voice and she's still smiling.
"What did we lose?" Jaal questions as he looks around at his companions.
"Just Liam's dignity." Grace hummed while there was a sputtering from the back.
"OOOOOH!" Peebee hoots while Liam slumps in his seat, though he has a smile present on his face.
Perhaps Voeld wasn't going to be too bad after all.
Voeld was bad. Extremely bad. Between the kett ambushes, the shitty storm kept visibility down, there was a good possibility Ryder would have a frozen grave in the near future. Worse yet was the cold didn't seem to affect the kett much. But it definitely affected Ryder, even with the updated heating system in the wet suits.
Wading through the ice, Grace peered over the rock at the camp. She could see the pods, where the angara were being kept.
"Report?" Grace asked as she looked towards Jaal who had his rifle out, scoping the terrain.
"There appears to be a dozen angara in holding." His voice carried over the comms. The wind otherwise would have eaten his words.
"And that's the ones we can see." Liam added as he crouched down behind Ryder. "There's at least three times as many kett."
"SAM," Grace tucked her hands into her armpits, hoping to starve off some of the cold. "how long till life support stops?"
"Estimated time: 33 minutes."
That meant each kill had to be less than a minute.
Shit.
She had been stupid to think getting the vault back on came second to helping the resistance. At this moment the storm made visibility hard and the cold harsher. After she took care of this camp, Grace would be replotting courses to each monolith, bringing the vault back online was going to take priority if she wanted to attempt a rescue or even help the angara.
No good if I'm frozen to death.
She was going to have to change up tactics. Long range wouldn't cut it in this storm, and she'd freeze to death before the fighting was over.
It was going to be a quick and bloody battle.
"Alright," Grace bounced back onto the ball of her feet looking up at the towering form of the kett camp. "I'm heading in. Liam, Peebee take the right. Jaal cover my six."
It didn't occur to her, till she was charging the enemy ranks with no cover and just her kinetic shields that he might have no idea what she meant. Which lead her to realizing that she never once discussed battle strategies.
Grace could only hope he was good with that sniper as he was from deterring her from conversing with him.
"Fuck." Grace throws a biotic barrier as she charges a Chosen.
Twisting her body, Grace spun behind the kett before plunged her asari blade through the Chosens middle. It spasmed around the blade, spewing green blood from its mouth while gurgling something. There was a heavy thud from behind, Grace turned watching an Anointed charge at her. Using the Chosen as a body shield while the Anointed laid down a suppressive fire. Ryder pulled her pistol to shoot off heated rounds taking his shield before he was taken down by a head shot.
Over the comms she could hear Liam whistle before commenting on Jaal's aim.
A clean shot.
Grace smirked as she dropped the corpse and rolled to cover switching to her shotgun. Peering around the crate she counted ten kett.
Five bullets then reload, need nine seconds between the reloads.
Narrowing her eyes, Grace lept over her crate before jumping towards the chosen cluster. She used her fist, driving it into the ground. The metal groaned beneath the hit, as a biotic wave pulsed outward, knocking the kett off their feet.
With a roar Grace pumped her shotgun, exploding heads left and right before diving for cover again to reload before popping off to finish off the last staggering kett.
In the distance she could hear the recoil of a sniper hit incoming kett who were trying to flank her. Grace found herself panting with a smile on her face as she knew she was probably giving the angaran a hard time.
On the job training is always the funnest.
As she drove for cover again, her kinetic barrier dropped as a spray of bullets took it down. Hissing Ryder flexed her fist as she did a quick look to see a Destined, Anointed duo work together. Between the thick smog, which cloaked them, and the kett automatic weapon, Grace was officially pinned.
"Liam!" Grace called over comms. "I need a Destined taken down."
"A bit busy Pathfinder." Liam grunted over the comm, there was an eerie familiar shrieking noise Grace recognized that wraths made.
"Shit, Peebee," Grace called as she popped off a few rounds before ducking again to avoid getting hit. " Liam need help."
"What about you?"
Grace huddled further into her shelter as a spray of bullets bounced off the metal wall. The chill of the weather was slowly seeping into her suit, and despite the sweat trickling down her skin, Grace could feel her movements getting slower the colder she got.
"I'm fine," Grace barked "now go."
Drawing her pistol, Grace fired off a few shots into the blue cloud before ducking again. It was no use, she was going to have to use a biotic charge and hope her shields held off long enough to take cover again. Limbs shaking from anticipation, Grace prepared her run when her comm crackled to life.
"Ryder," Jaal calm toned relaxed the heavy thumping of her heart. Something about his overall control of the battlefield translated across the comm, soothing the anxiety that always formed in the pit of her stomach amidst the fighting.
"I will not let harm come to you."
A warmth lit in her veins, Ryder limbs stopped shaking as her breath evened out. Even being in the middle of chaos, Grace had found her eye of the storm. And it had come from the most unlikely of places.
"I can take out the Anointed if you use those biotics of yours to clear the smog."
"Biotics?" Grace risked another glance at the blue smokescreen. "You want me to use a biotic blast?"
"If that is what you call it." Jaal chuckled, a sound she hadn't heard before. It was nice.
Grace gave a giddy laugh as she bounced on the tips of her toes. "For you Big guy, anything."
"Yo, less flirting more killing." Liam hollard.
"Not flirting Liam!" Grace hissed as a bullet scraped against her helmet.
Piss!
"Alright, here we go." Rolling, Grace threw a shockwave, the metal bridge shuttered beneath the attack, hitting the smog down the center dispersing it into the atmosphere.
Sweat trickled down her face as she watched the Anointed fly to the side, knocking into some crates. In a rapid session three bullets hit the kett. First two taking out the rest of its shield, the last one hit right between its eyes splattering the ice below with acid green blood.
Before Ryder to voice her thanks, something caught her attention.
The Destined was nowhere to be seen.
"Fuck!" Grace jolted as she saw something glint to her left. Stumbling she jumped back just enough for the ketts blade to slice the air she had once been.
"Ryder!" Jaal barked, "Get back."
"I can't!" She snarled, dodging another swipe before using the shotgun to block the second blade.
The Destined made clicking noises before ducking as a bullet ripped past its head. It smashed something on the ground, creating a thick blue cloud to disappear in while Grace spun blindly around.
"Fucking shit, hell no you sneaky bastard!" Grace jumped before launching herself at the ground causing a nova, the biotic wave cleared most of the smoke, and by the sound of the thud behind her, Grace would assume that the Destined had been caught too. Spinning she whipped her shotgun against its forehead, causing a spray of blood to hit her chest before she brought the gun down, crushing it's skull beneath the steel stock.
"Shit Ryder," Liam sounded winded as he dropped to her left. Despite his breathless state when she looked at him, he appeared unharmed. "I think it's dead."
"You think?" Grace panted before she wiped the brainmatter of her breastplate. "It's still twitching?"
"Probably because it just took a shotgun to the face." Peebee slid over some crates kicking a dead chosen in the head.
"I guess that could cause the synapse to keep firing….maybe." Grace gave a brief thought to the matter before dismissing it. "Okay, Jaal keep look out, Peebee Liam lets get to releasing those angara."
She had them sweep left, to the larger cluster of holding cells, while she made a trek to the roof. Her footsteps faltered as she caught sight of an angara sunlamp.
"Found a heater." Grace called over the comms she debated if she had enough time to soak up some warmth before releasing the angara. The choice would be taken from her hands as Jaal was snarling something across the comms.
"Incoming kett!"
"Shit." Grace dropped down to the crates below, being the closest to the dropship, she was going to have to make a lone stand for a few minutes.
Even with all the blood pumping in her system, Ryder could feel the cold seeping into her bones. Her ligaments were stiff and she felt sluggish in the on slaughter of wind knocking her petite form about. It was going to be a struggle keeping the kett at bay while her team regrouped.
Really would hate to die today.
There had to be a solution. Grace glanced at the shuttle to the surrounding area till her eyes landed on four small canisters huddled together. Her lips curled into a smirk as she rushed to get closer.
Perfect
"Bottoms up boys!" Grace yelled as she plucked the grenade from her hip and tossed it. The shell hit the ground, blinking red light flashing while rolling into a cluster of explosive canisters.
"Ryder" SAM's voice fluctuated, sounding as worried as a robotic voice could. "by trajectory, you are in the explosion radius. I advise moving."
"Well shit." Grace grunted as she rolled, trying to flash jump into cover.
She didn't make it.
The force of the explosion catipulted her into the air, only to hit the ice face first with a thud. She slid a few feat before coming to a stop. It would seem her kinetic barrier and biotic shielding took the brunt of the blast. Grace had been lucky.
"Your a fucking idiot," Nebula laughed as he watched his sister struggle with the kickback of the rifle in her arms. "Here brace your body like this, so you won't fall back on your ass again."
"Shut up Neb!"
"Pathfinder," SAM's voice pulled her from her daze." your helmet is cracked."
"Noted." Grace grunted as she lay against the snow, trying to regain her breath. And pieces of her dignity. She could hear the hiss of air escaping through the cracks of the helmet.
Really hoped no one saw that.
Comms were going off the chain with a chorus of concerned voices, the most notable one being the angara who spoke excessively loud.
"RYDER!"
"M'fine!" Grace lifted an arm, waving before flopping back down.
"I would advise fixing the hole in your helmet Ryder." SAM nagged.
"Okay SAM." Grace said through gritted teeth as she slowly shifted into a squatting position. Lifting her arm she allowed the omni-tool interface to run a sealing protocol. Once the protective glass was fixed, Grace stood to look out amongst the cooling flames of the burnt kett bodies. Those who hadn't died in the explosion were picked off by Jaal it would seem.
He's as good as Nebs.
The thought brought an odd burning sensation to her back.
"Ryder!" Liam hollard. "You're on fire."
"What-no I'm not-ah shit your right!" Grace jerked trying to pat the fire out on her shoulders.
"Stop, drop, and roll bitch!" Peebee yelled as she gathered snow to through at the Pathfinder.
Voeld really did suck.