Chapter 7 - Fight for the Future

Ryder took point, her Mattock raised and her senses heightened. Kett were travelling in parallel to them in the same direction. Vetra took potshots at them but they were just too far. They took it slow as they strode across the bridge.

A raised domed platform dominated the space. The Archon took to stage centre and his arms on his hips. Ryder aimed her rifle at him as a matter of principle, though he was out of range. Scott sat slumped in his chair, his face pale and sweaty. He was barely holding it together. Ryder's eyes blazed in fury. How dare he touch my brother! The Archon will pay and he will pay through his fucking nose!

"Pathfinder, your attempts to rival me is no longer amusing," the Archon hissed.

"Fuck you!" Ryder growled, her words echoed throughout the chamber.

"Hey Sara, got my clues?" Scott asked, panting slightly.

"You did good, Scott," Ryder said. "Hang in there, I'll get you out soon."

Vetra and Jaal flanked Ryder, their weapons raised. Ryder took strength from their presence. "The lumpy monkey face just likes to yak on and on, so easily distracted," Scott said, giving her a weak grin.

The Archon turned to face Scott. "So determined but so pointless. Your fates were inevitable. Struggle all you want, in the end you will fall to me."

With a flick of his hand, he activated the connection. Ryder's grip on her rifle tightened as Scott trembled under the pain. The Archon connected himself directly to the glowing hub above via thick steel corded wires. Scott whimpered as the Archon rose to the air, glowing with electrifying power. "Scott, hold on!" Ryder shouted as she watched the Archon rising out of her reach.

"No more mercy, kill them all!"

Remnant forces began to swarm their location.

"I'm out!" Vetra shouted.

Ryder fished a couple of spare thermal clips and slid them across the floor towards Vetra. Damn, we need an ammo run pretty soon. She popped from her cover and fired at the Destined before it could hide under smoke cover again. "Jaal, how's your ammo situation?" she asked through her mic.

"I'm down to my last one," his voice crackled through her omni tool.

Ryder spotted a crate of ammo just off to a distance. She glanced quickly to make sure the way was clear. Just as she was about to Charge over, she heard Scott's voice. "Shit, Sara he has access to Meridian!"

Fuck!

"I see it now. The Remnant are the architects of life. Pathfinder, you command nothing!" the Archon proclaimed.

Ryder kept moving. She so wanted to hurl a retort but she had to keep her wits about her. She made it to the ammo cache and promptly empty it. The Archon arched his back as a burst of energy rolled across the chamber. Scott cried out as the chamber shook. From the depths below, a Remnant Architect rose like a ancient monster of the deep. The angry red eye stared at Ryder for a split second before a bolt of energy slammed into her. "Ryder!" Jaal shouted.

Ryder didn't cry out, her breath was caught in her throat. She just tumbled backwards with the impact. A loud crack echoed throughout the chamber as the platform they were on broke. All three slid downwards, stopping only at the foot of the domed platform. Jaal picked himself up and rushed over to Ryder's side. "I'm fine, I'm fine," Ryder said as she tried to get up.

"Ryder, you're not!" he shouted, anger clear in his voice. "Shut up and sit down."

Ryder complied when she realised she had trouble getting up. Jaal's hands worked fast while Vetra had her rifle at the ready, covering them. Her shield had managed to stop the brunt of the impact but her torso throbbed in time with her heart beat. Jaal slapped a medi gel pack into her suit and her suit took care of the rest. Her breathing even out as relief flooded her body. Before Jaal could speak, Scott's voice rang out.

"Sara, the Archon is pulling too much power," he said. "Shut down the interfaces and he will have nothing to draw on!"

Ryder got her feet under feet, patting Jaal's arm in apology. "Scott, get me targets. I know it hurts but you got to call them out!"

Scott nodded though he knew Ryder wouldn't be able to see. "SAM, I need a little help here," he said through gritted teeth.

"Scott, I've marked the nav point. Please inform the Pathfinder," SAM replied. "I can't split my processes if I maintain the pain buffer for you. The Archon is taking up too many processes."

"Thanks, SAM," Scott said. "We will keep the ruse going."

"Sara, nav point marked," he shouted.

Ryder was sure Jaal and Vetra were tired because she sure was. There's only so much stamina a person have especially in a drawn out fight. Not to mention, they had already fought their way to reach the core of Meridian. Ryder didn't know where the Archon were hiding his reinforcements. Must have been up his slimy green ass or something. He had an endless supply of Observers, Assemblers and Nullifiers (and the kitchen sink) that continuously threatened to overwhelm them.

Ryder slumped against the cover, keeping near to the console to maintain the connection. We can't keep this up, there is just too many. Taking a deep breath, she inched to the edge to lob a couple of omni grenades at the Nullifier. Before following up with a hail of bullets from her Mattock. A familiar cry of pain split her attention. Vetra! Without thinking, she Charged over to Vetra's position. Firing her rifle to keep the Observers from swarming her. Vetra hissed in pain as she pressed her hand over her arm. "How bad is it?" Ryder asked as she keep up her covering fire.

"It's not that bad, the laser burn a hole through my arm," Vetra said. "At least it isn't bleeding."

Ryder fished a medi gel pack and tossed it to Vetra. "I've picked up some extras," she said. "Give yourself an extra dose."

Wordlessly, Vetra took the medi gel and inserted to her hard shell. Ryder checked her omni tool, they were almost done with the console. "Shields down! Sara, hit that spiny worm with all you got!" Scott shouted.

"Got it, Scott!" Ryder said before turning to Vetra "You good?"

"Never better," Vetra grinning, her sharp teeth in full display.

"Don't do that again, Vetra. Your teeth scare me," Ryder laughed.

She Charged over to the Architect's exposed angry red eye, spraying her rifle across it indiscriminatingly. "Down!" Jaal's voice came through. She released her Charge and landed on her feet. Jaal flung a sticky grenade. Ryder took shelter behind a low wall as the blast rocked the Architect backwards.

"Sara, you got to say in range of the relay!" Scott shouted.

Damnit! Ryder moved quickly back to the console, allowing her shields to take the hits. She relied on the others to keep the Remnant off her back. Come on! Can this go any faster? It was an endless pop and shoot, pop and launch a Singularity, rinse and repeat. Finally Scott announced the console was unlocked and ready for her. Ryder made her way over to the console and slammed her right hand down, while her left gripped her rifle, firing at anything that strayed too close. A wall of agony slammed into her head, bring her to her knees. Oh my fucking gods! It was worse than she had ever experienced. What made this one different? Was it channelling way more energy than the rest?

Ryder shook her head to clear the fuzziness. "Scott, give me the next nav point!"

It didn't take long for the next to appear on her omni tool. "Jaal, Vetra," Ryder shouted. "Move out! We got two more consoles to hit."

Then, a shuttle flew into view. "Ryder! We're here!", Liam's voice burst through the comms.

"About time!" Vetra.

With Cora in point, her team leapt off the shuttle. Ryder tapped on her omni tool quickly, sending the nav point for the second console over to Cora. "Scott, give me the last one." Ryder said. "Cora, you take the second console, we'll do the third. Things will go faster now."

"Got it. Guys! Move out!" Cora ordered taking off to the second console.

A ping on her omni tool confirmed the location of the third console. "Let's go!"

"Exaltation is too good for you, I rescind the offer!" the Archon's words echoed through the chamber.

It wasn't the first time, the green asshole attempted to taunt them. Ryder was totally numb to his words by now and couldn't summon the energy to retort. Luckily, Peebee picked up the slack in that department. "Shove your offer where the sun don't shine!"

Ryder chuckled. Alternating between her biotics and guns, her team mowed down whole swathes of Observers. Ha! Observe this! They took as much ground as they gave in the ebb and flow of battle. One step forward, two steps back. At the back of Ryder's mind, she was keeping tabs on Cora's team's progress. She knew they were almost to their assigned console.

"If you cannot be leashed, I'll burn it all around you."

"Look around you, the Remnant are not flammable!" Liam yelled.

Ryder could hear Vetra's and Peebee's choked laughter via the comms. "Focus people," she said though she was secretly trying not to roll on the floor laughing.

The cacophony of bullets, explosions and biotics blasts filled the air. It was strangely comforting to Ryder. Her team, her crew, the bunch of people that saw her through thick and thin were all now fighting for a chance for everyone to live. I'll never be able to do it on my own.

"There is no world to hide you, no escape!"

"Yak, yak, yak," Drack said deadpan. "Is that all you can do?"

Even Drack is getting in on the fun. The Archon's voice grated on her ears. She took it out on the Nullifier that was in her way. Charging across the path she slammed into it's shield. Her arm extended with the asari blade in hand and it pierced the eye through the small window in the shields. She jumped backwards to give herself space to manoeuvre, all the while pumping shot after shot when its shield came down.

"Every outpost, every colonist, every world you set foot!"

"Oh for crying out loud!" Vetra groaned. "Is he a sore loser or what?"

The battle over on Cora's side began in earnest. The blue glow of biotics flashed in the corner of Ryder's eye. She wasn't worried. All things considered, Cora was the more experienced fighter, she had more leadership experience and was obviously more suited to the role of Pathfinder than she ever was. Ryder still didn't understand or agree to her father's decision to pass the role onto her. Nepotism is probably the the kindest word I will hear on this subject.

"Your Initiative will be ash and it will be your fault!"

"Who is the one turning into ashes here?" Cora screamed her contempt. "By the goddess, it will be you!"

The team took cover behind the pillar. Waiting while Scott raised the platform so that they could cross. Scott's pained whimpers coming through clearly over the comms. Her heart squeezed in fear for her brother's life. She was the only other person who knew the pain Scott was going through. Come on! Come on!

"You made this necessary. Your defiance earned this!"

"You forced this upon us!" Jaal roared. "We will stay strong and clear in spite of you and the Kett!"

The corners of Ryder's mouth lifted. She didn't really see Jaal as the type to participate in taking the piss out of the Archon. She flashed him a grin in approval. However, it sounded like the Archon was talking for the sake of talking. He wasn't responding to anything they say. Maybe we broke the Archon?

"Your people will beg and there would be no mercy."

"Please have some fucking mercy on my ears," Ryder pleaded. "Just fucking shut up!"

Ryder could see the console just past the Remnant horde in their way. Now to just actually get there.

Her reaction time were slowing, her arms were lead bars. The headache that was just throbbing before was now a jack hammer drilling her brain. How much longer? They had reached their console. Time in the battlefield had always moved fast but here it was agonisingly slow. Cora's team was also pinned down even. They were waiting for her to get over to interface with their console. Fuck, I shouldn't have split the team.

She checked her omni tool again after Pulling an Assembler into the air. Jaal's rifle barked and the Assembler went dark. The progress bar hardly moved since the last time she checked. Maybe that's because she just checked last than a minute ago. She growled in frustration and channeled it all into her biotics.

She sent duelling Push and Pull at a hovering Observer above Vetra's position. The resulting reaction practically ripped the Observer into dust. "What the hell, Ryder?" Vetra shouted as she brushed fine Remnant particles from her armour. "What did you just do?"

"I've no idea," she replied sheepishly. "Something I just invented?"

"As long as it works, I don't care."

Ryder grinned. The three of them worked well as a team. Moving in and out of cover to clear the field all the while keeping each other in view. Ryder could see why her father had favoured the 3 person team configuration and then drilled it into both hers and Scott's head.

Her father, the famous N7 solider of the Alliance, while she was only a lowly corporal when she was discharged to join the Initiative. If she had stayed would she had made N7 too? There was no way to know, not 600 light years later anyway. She was doing well in the Alliance, not exactly acing her classes but definitely competent. She was very much an average student but she had always did well in the field. Then, it all went sideways. Thanks Dad.

She shook her head. This is no time to think about what could have been. Ryder Charged at the Nullifier, her rifle jerking in her arms as bullets flew. She twisted in midair to avoid an Observer's beam. It was too close to avoid but her shield held up. She landed on her feet when her omni tool beeped. Finally! The console was ready for her.

Jaal watched Ryder did her acrobatic dance of destruction. She was a graceful dancer wielding both the deadly blue glow of biotics and staccato of cold bullets with ease. Jaal knew he was more than an adequate fighter. His years in the Resistance had ensured that. You don't survive long if you are not good enough. Ryder made him feel clumsy when he watched her in action.

She darted nimbly over to the console, pressing her palm down on it. Her grunts of pain came clearly through the comms. Darling, stay strong. He wrenched his eyes from her and kept up a steady fire at the Nullifier. The least he could do was to keep the Remnant off her. It wasn't long before her command came. "We're done here. Move out!" she ordered. "We're heading to Cora's team."

Jaal's feet moved quickly taking point anticipating Ryder's need to co-ordinate with Cora. The Remnant just kept coming. Ryder joined him at his side once her orders were given. He took comfort at her presence. "Here," Ryder said as she handed him a couple of thermal clips. "I've picked them up earlier."

Jaal reloaded his rifle and kept the spares. "We're almost there, almost done." Ryder said, encouragingly.

He grinned at her. He had never felt more alive. Jaal never thought when he boarded the Tempest he would be part of the vanguard to take down the enemy of his people. He had never expected to like the strange alien Pathfinder but here he was. Shoulder to shoulder with her and never prouder. "Yes," he agreed.

His eyes couldn't help but be snagged by her hard shell. It was dented and cracked in multiple places. Her helmet gone and her hair in a limp pony tail. Perspiration rolling down her jaw, down the hollow of her throat. She caught him looking and she arched an eyebrow at him. "See something you like?" she asked.

Jaal didn't trust this mouth to not say something stupid so instead he smiled. The private moment was interrupted by Vetra's rifle barking. "People, can you make eyes at each other later?" Vetra asked exasperatedly.

Ryder reached out to him and sent a small tingle up his arm. Later.

Ancestors! The things this woman can do to him. Even in situations as dire as theirs, he would always feel hopeful of their circumstance if she was there with him. He shifted his attention back to the battle field and allowed his training to take over.

"You earned this! Every life lost is on you!" the Archon's voice boomed.

Scott's cries served as a counterpoint to the roar of the battle. "Hurry, Sara!"

"You think you are special? We have exalted countless species!"

It was chaos. Remnant were closing in from all sides. Ryder Charged to avoid an Observer's laser only to blunder into the red energy field of the Architect. Pain wracked her body as she scrambled to get clear. Joining up with Cora had only made things marginally better. However, even with more firepower, they were barely able to keep the Remnant from overwhelming them. There was only so many thermal clips and power cells to go around.

Ryder began to rely heavily on her biotics, leaving ammo for those who would need it more. Adrenaline flooded her veins and her heart pounded as it tried to keep up with her. Come on, faster! The progress bar was hardly moving, it was far too slow. She backed against the side of the trench. She could make out the angry red eye of the Architect following her. It loomed over the entire team. There was no way they could clear the smaller Remnant while that thing thwarted them at every turn. Hastily, she checked her Disciple. 24 rounds. Time to make them count.

Her amp burnt hot as her biotics flared her. She tapped the mic on her hard shell. "Charging in 3, follow up at will."

At the count of three, she Charged towards the Architect. Her arm extended with the blade outstretched. She felt the sharp asari blade embed itself into the Architect before it snapped. Activating her jump jets, she pushed herself away while pumping round after round into the red pool of malevolence. As she cleared the field of fire, landing heavily on her knees, the team unloaded everything they had.

The Architect screeched as it rocked backwards in pain. Can it even feel? It would take time for it to recover, this would be the time to clear the remaining Remnant off their platform. Ryder thrusted herself back behind cover with the help of her jump jets. She would have preferred to stick to her biotic jumps but her amp was burning too hot, it was shooting pain up her neck and down her spine. Her Remnant interfacing induced headache was fast turning into the thumping dance floor of Vortex.

"Got it exposed! Lock it down! Interface now," Scott's voice came through her omni tool.

Fucking finally. Ryder rushed over to the console and slammed her palms down. "Is that it?" she asked through clenched teeth. "Scott!"

"Just one more, just one," Scott shouted. "Hurry!"

Ryder glanced at the new nav point on her omni tool. That's not too far. "Cover me!" she screamed as she dashed out.

50 metres.

She trusted her team to keep the Remnant off her back and her shields would cover the rest. She ducked under the lasers of a group of Observers. They exploded under the combined biotic and tech attacks while above her head. The noise deafened Ryder turning the world into a high pitched whine.

40 metres.

Ryder Charged past a pair of Assemblers. She saw them tracking her movements out of the corner of her eye. They jumped backwards trying to keep ahead of her. There was a white flash and a shot clipped her shoulder that sent her sprawling to the ground. Just as she was getting up, the Assemblers detonated in flames under a bunch of omni grenades.

30 metres.

Ryder employed her jump jets to navigate through the raised platforms over the endless void. Don't look down. Don't look down!

20 metres.

More Remnant, more everything. There is just no end to them!

Ryder cleared the wall of Remnant before her with a combination of jump jets and good old fashioned leg power. Her breaths were coming fast and heavy. No, no, no. Implant now is not the time for one of your jolts.

10 metres.

Almost, almost there! "This is not the end! I have the network," the Archon yelled.

"Not for fucking long!" Ryder cried defiantly.

0 metre.

She Charged to reach that console just that much quicker. Pushing her hands onto the interface, white energy crackled through her fingers as pain took over. At least we can be sure of mutually assured destruction!