Chapter 9: Azimuth

"Talk to me SAM," Ryder said, eyes fixed on the white tiles, head in hands as she slowly rocked back and forth on the small bench that served as a chair.

Do you wish to unlock the door, Pathfinder? SAM asked in her head.

"No," Ryder replied. "We're playing this game. We need the angara on our side, resisting or escaping would only convince them that we are the enemy."

The current situation would suggest that has already come to pass, SAM observed.

Ryder was silent for a moment. "Give me a rundown. Can't hurt to know our options."

There are three possible routes of escape beyond your cell, but none of the scenarios present an opportunity that does not involve harming angara. After unlocking the door, the first path is directly through headquarters. I estimate a six percent chance of success. The second goes through the Resistance training grounds. That opportunity has a twenty percent chance of success, provided that it happens between team rotations. The third involves a ruse.

"Ruse?" Ryder perked up, lifting her head.

I estimate a one percent chance of success for that option.

Ryder grimaced. "Aren't you a bundle of joy." She sighed. "I'm not liking these odds. Are you sure the ruse wouldn't work?"

The probability of success is even lower if you wish to avoid antagonizing the angara, SAM added.

"So… we just wait," Ryder's head fell back into her hands. "Alright, then let's make use of the time. What do you think, SAM? Grand anti-Milky Way conspiracy? Kett sympathizers? The 'Invisible Hand of Fate' come to torment me?"

It is likely that the Roekaar involvement is only a part of the conspiracy, SAM said.

"So conspiracy it is."

The presence of kett on Voeld is not uncommon and their involvement may have been incidental; however the Roekaar posing as a prisoner did not appear surprised when they ambushed us. That suggests at least a degree of conspiracy.

"He wasn't there the first time we went, I'm sure of it," Ryder said.

I did not detect any prisoners at the time. However, the facility was connected to passageways beneath the ground that my scans could not penetrate. It is not outside the realm of possibilities that he could have been held there and found his way out.

"It's still damned unlikely that without us sweeping out every single kett that he would have escaped on his own. Unless they abandoned him down there. Even so, I can't believe he wouldn't have been restrained or locked away in some fashion."

The probability of an unaided escape is low, SAM agreed.

"So what is the missing piece of the puzzle?"

There is one consideration that has not been mentioned before.

"And what's that?"

Divide and conquer. The kett used a similar tactic to turn the angara against each other before they were revealed to be the true enemy.

Ryder cursed. "Of course! It makes sense… but why would this Firaan be helping them? Or does he even exist? Maybe we've stumbled upon a new faction?"

Firaan's identity is unclear; however, the evidence suggests a single angara, otherwise the dying Roekaar would likely have phrased his last words differently.

"Okay," she said. "So then what, a kett sympathizing Roekaar?"

It is not outside the realm of possibilities. Firaan may have infiltrated the Roekaar to further an agenda.

Ryder groaned. "I think I need to bring in the whole team on this one. Whoever this Firaan is, he clearly has the means and the connections to pull all this off and I need ears to the ground. He could be anywhere and could be anyone."

If Evfra is no longer accompanying us, the profile of secrecy will change. Ryder, may I ask about your relationship?

Ryder sighed. "I was afraid you were going to ask. What do you want to know?"

The angaran ability to link telepathically was not complete due to your divergent physiology; however, a rudimentary connection was established. May I ask if you feel any different from the experience?

"There was?" she asked in surprise. "Well, that would explain a few things. I'm not sure, I mean, I never thought about it… I don't think I'm different, although I have noticed I can sort of read him better. Maybe?" It occurred to her that she hadn't really considered SAM's presence in her head during the times she had been with Evfra; she wasn't sure how to feel about that, although she wasn't as uncomfortable as she thought she would be. SAM was just a natural part of her by now. Still…

I see. Thank you for your answer.

Footsteps made her sit up straight, eyes on the door. For a moment she thought they would pass her by and she thought she was going to crawl out of her skin just waiting for something to happen, but to her relief, the footsteps abruptly halted before her cell. She stood up, nervously wondering if someone had come to march her away to some elaborate execution that not even Evfra could stop.

No matter what lurid ideas she had about who was behind the door though, when it finally opened somehow she hadn't expected Evfra himself to be the one standing there, eyes like silvery clouds taking her in with a quick look that suggested he was reassuring himself that she was fine; immediately she was assaulted by butterflies in her stomach.

"Do I get a trial?" she asked, forcing her voice into neutrality, in case there was anyone else around behind him.

Evfra crossed his arms, frowning at her dubiously. "I hope you have a backup plan."

"Me?" Ryder asked, mimicking his gesture. She wished she didn't feel so ridiculously pleased to see him and tried to focus on her anger instead; all the same, she couldn't help but drink in that strong, severe aura he projected. "So throwing me in a cell didn't pan out, huh?" Well, she was a little angry at him for that, even if her mind knew it had been necessary.

Evfra grimaced. "You know I had no choice."

"I can't get out of here without your help," Ryder said. "SAM could maybe get me through the training grounds, but not without hurting people. Probably I would end up shot."

"Not an option," Evfra said firmly.

"So, to answer your question: no, I don't have a backup plan."

"I may be able to get your team away," Evfra said. "But it comes at a price."

"I can work with that!" Ryder said eagerly, unwinding her arms and stepping closer. "What do I need to do?"

Evfra smiled slightly. He was getting better at those. "The ship has to stay. I can smuggle them out on shuttles with a few people I trust not to give in to their suspicion of aliens."

Ryder didn't like it, but it could have been worse. "So the Tempest stays marooned. Can you arrange for a meeting between us before we leave in who knows how many directions? I need to tell them what's going on and where to meet; and don't you start with your 'this mission is a secret' nonsense because we are way beyond that. I'm sick of tiptoeing around my friends, I've been so nervous about giving anything away that I've stopped talking to them altogether. It's not conducive to a happy, trusting team."

He sighed. "There is another price," he said, but didn't continue immediately.

"Are you going to make me beg?" Ryder asked.

"Perhaps another time," he said. She choked, but he didn't let her get a word out. "You have to stay here and publicly announce that you will cooperate with the Resistance in whatever capacity we desire."

"That shouldn't be too difficult," she said, but his serious expression made her doubt. "What… exactly would the Resistance require of me?"

"Tactical information first and foremost."

Ryder threw her hands up and began pacing. "Evfra, no. You know I can't do that!"

"My people will settle for nothing less. If we want to convince them of your good intentions, this is an excellent step in the right direction."

"You can't be serious," she glared at him. "Evfra, I won't let my people be picked off by angara who are out for vengeance over something we didn't do in the first place!"

"You have little faith in the Resistance – or is it little faith in me to lead them?" Evfra glowered.

"I didn't mean it that way," Ryder said hastily, but knew she was only making the situation worse. "Look, you yourself don't trust all your people with the knowledge of what we learned… how could I expose my people's vulnerabilities under those circumstances?"

"It's called 'trust'," Evfra said flatly.

Ryder stared at him for a long moment, pursing her lips pensively. "I'm sorry," she said finally. "You're right, of course." Admitting it made her want to grit her teeth and punch something, but the way his face unclouded made it worthwhile. How did I get myself into this… she wondered, thinking back to where it all began. She took a deep breath. "Let's get it over with. Will I still have to stay in the cell?"

"Not for long," Evfra said. He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek, as if in consolation.

She savored the gesture and tried to curb her desire for more; she had to remember where they were, after all. "So, can you arrange a meeting?" she asked, trying not to get too entranced with the expression on his face. "To say goodbye, I guess…"

"Yes," he said. "Come, my lieutenants are waiting."

Trying not to show her nerves, she followed Evfra out. It took them all of two minutes to reach his office, but it was enough time for her heartbeat to quicken until she wasn't certain that she could speak without her voice trembling. Inside, she was greeted with wary, hostile faces, all eyes studying her as if they had never met her before. Saar was prominent among them, a small, satisfied smile on his lips.

"The Pathfinder has agreed to help us prepare our defenses," Evfra said without preamble and Ryder closed her eyes briefly. Although, when she opened her eyes again the look on Saar's face made all of her troubles worth it; he looked poleaxed.

"She would betray her own so easily?" another one spoke; she didn't know his name, but she had seen his face before.

"No," Evfra said coldly, "she has placed her trust in us not to use her knowledge without good cause. We are not the kett, who exploit everyone not their own."

"Yes, Evfra," the man said, looking abashed as he studied his toes.

"It must be a trick!" Saar exclaimed.

"You'd better believe it's not," Ryder snapped at him. "I have done nothing but accept your restrictions and I have tolerated your mistrust of me despite my offered hand of friendship. I wouldn't do this if I didn't mean it." Evfra actually looked impressed at that little speech; she tried very hard not to glow.

"Clearly you know us well enough to manipulate us," Saar retorted.

"Enough," Evfra said firmly, narrowing his eyes at Saar until the man began to squirm a little. "Compose your questions. I have need of her first, then all of you will get to work shoring up Aya's defenses with her information. Get word out to all the cells and by the Stars make sure that no one shoots first." They all murmured their ascent, dispersing. "Come," he added to Ryder and she followed him. They left the Resistance headquarters and headed for the docks.

"Nicely done," she said after a while, noting as she looked over her shoulder that no one was following them to guard her.

"It is temporary," he said. "Now they are testing you. If I can take you to your ship and you come back, you will have won a little respect. If you tell them everything they want to know, you might even win a little trust."

"So I have a long way to go before I can sleep outside the cell," Ryder remarked. Evfra gave her an exasperated look, but it seemed a mix of his usual gruffness and a newfound fondness that she found endearing.

Minutes later they were aboard the Tempest and suddenly Ryder felt like she maybe would have rather stayed in her cell and just ignored the entire situation. She had requested that the team meet her in a few minutes, but she had a call to make first; Evfra had elected to wait for her in her quarters. It was more a territorial gesture than anything else this time; angara were stationed both outside and inside the Tempest, all of them watching her suspiciously as if it wasn't her ship to begin with, so it only made sense that the Resistance leader would symbolically take control by taking over the Pathfinder's space. Though, she thought the bridge might have been a better choice if that had been the only thing he aimed for. Butterflies again.

Establishing the vid connection, the image of Director Tann materialized next to her in seconds. "Director Tann," she said in way of greeting.

"RYDER! What is going on? What have you done?"

"I haven't done anything," Ryder said. "I don't have much time to talk, so please just listen. The Initiative is being set up and I'm doing everything I can to clear our name, but I need you and the others to keep your heads and not do anything drastic. The angara are still our allies whether they realize it or not and I want to make sure that…"

"Ryder, we're not prepared for a war, the kett already have us preoccupied beyond the limits of our resources – whatever you did to make the angara angry, undo it quickly, I don't want the details, just find the path out of this situation, Pathfinder!"

"That's my goal," Ryder replied, gritting her teeth. "But I need your promise that you won't take any action against them."

"My word will not prevent others from reacting, particularly the krogans," his voice dripped with derision. "This is a disaster! One day our diplomats who were supposed to be our eyes on Aya suddenly showed up on our doorstep without a word of explanation, now Addison is demanding more protection for Podromos which we don't have and Kesh…."

"Director," Ryder cut in firmly. "Figure out the politics, that's your job. Just make sure that everyone is too occupied with each other while I fix this."

Tann frowned, disliking her tone, but he sighed and nodded. "Best of luck – for all our sakes you had better succeed." He cut of the link. Ryder rolled her eyes.

"So, we're finally doing something?" Vetra's voice made Ryder turn, more than a little relieved to hear the light tone from the turian as she walked up the stairs to join her.

"About time," Drack followed.

"This is going to be interesting," Jaal said. "I met Evfra on the way here. I have never seen him in such a good mood." Ryder stared at him for a moment. Good mood? Well, she supposed Evfra wasn't exactly as standoffish and cold as he was before, but… he still had a face like a stone most of the time.

"That's his good face?" Liam asked. "I don't think I want to see his bad face."

"You don't," Jaal agreed amiably.

"Ryder," Cora nodded her head.

They gathered around, falling silent and looking at her expectantly; most of them remarkably relaxed for effectively being prisoners on their own ship. Ryder cleared her throat. "First of all… I'm sorry for keeping everyone in the dark."

Peebee snorted. "It wasn't exactly a secret – or, was it?" she looked around at the others.

Ryder winced. Of course she would jump straight to the sneaking around. "I wouldn't have gone about it this way, but it wasn't my secret to tell. The situation has changed, however."

"Yeah," Liam said, "the glowering guys posted around the ship made that obvious."

"Someone has been doing their best to set the Initiative up and have them and the Resistance go at each other's throats." A few muttered curses greeted that news. "We found evidence that someone posing as a Roekaar is behind it – at least, he's the one who staged the scenes that have the angara pointing guns at us. He calls himself 'Firaan' and our analysis suggests he may be collaborating with the kett."

"Impossible," Jaal said. "A Roekaar would never ally himself to them!"

"Which is why we think he's only pretending to be one," Ryder said. She took a deep breath. "I… have to stay here. But I also need eyes and ears out there, tracking down this Firaan. Evfra has offered a way out, he can take each of you off of Aya with a few men and women he trusts."

"Assignments," Liam nodded his head.

"Why assignments," Drack drawled in his booming voice, "we should be hunting down this Firaan pyjak by hitting every Roekaar camp we can find! That oughtta draw him out."

"We've trusted the Pathfinder so far," Cora interjected. "If she needs us to do this, I say we do it and trust her again."

"We're not much of a Pathfinding team without a Pathfinder," Liam put in. "Or her connection to SAM to help us."

"I will help all of you as much as I can, Liam," SAM said.

"I suppose that's good enough for me," he replied.

"You're my team for a reason," Ryder said. "You're all the best in your own fields and right now I need that confidence. Please, guys, help me out here."

"We need to work on your speeches," Cora smiled, wincing a little.

"What did this Director Tann of yours say? I thought I heard his voice," Jaal asked.

"Not much," Ryder said. "As usual. Nothing helpful, but I think he will keep the Nexus occupied with their own problems while we sort this out."

"That would be wise," Jaal nodded approvingly. "The angara will not trust you again if you begin to behave aggressively."

"What will you be up to?" Peebee asked.

"Sitting in a cell mostly," Ryder grimaced. "I need to sort of be their hostage right now. It's a show of good faith. Evfra is where everyone can see him, so there is nothing to suggest he's working with us and all of you will just vanish, so I should be fine under his protection."

"Just point me in the right direction," Liam said.

"Alright, here it goes: Vetra, I need you on Kadara. Work your contacts, Firaan must need resources and I doubt he gets them solely through the Roekaar or any official channels." Vetra nodded, looking pleased. "Drack, I need you an Elaaden."

"Let me guess – I have to babysit," he said.

"Yeah, well… I need you to keep the krogan focused on the colony. We don't want to antagonize the angara, I want to make sure that Morda doesn't get any ideas in her head."

Drack barked a laugh. "I don't think you have to worry too much about that, kid."

Ryder nodded. "Cora and Liam, I want you both on the Nexus."

"Holding back the tide with a candle," Cora said.

"As much as I respect Director Tann's abilities," Ryder said dryly, "I want to make sure that the others have you two there to turn to, people they know have been out here and who know the real situation. I'm counting on your crisis response skills, Liam; people are going to be shaken up by the news coming from Aya soon enough if they haven't received it already, and Cora, you're my second in command. That's got to count for something."

"Count on it, Pathfinder," Liam said.

"Jaal, I need you on Havarl. Work the Roekaar if you can. I think they aren't the only players in this game and I need to find out more."

"And they would sooner shoot you or the others than talk," Jaal agreed. "I will do this."

"Thank you," Ryder smiled. "Peebee," she began, but Peebee cut her off.

"I don't see how RemTech is going to help with this. And that's what I do. RemTech!"

"I need you to go to Voeld," Ryder said. "I want to find out everything there is to know about the facilities Evfra and I visited. There is an ancient angaran city under there somewhere and I want to know if Firaan is making use of it."

Peebee groaned. "The ice world? Ryder, sometimes… ugh, fine!"

"You're the archeologist," Ryder shrugged apologetically.

"But you owe me for this. I get to pick a destination once! After we get our ship back, I mean. If we get our ship back. We will, won't we?"

"Deal," Ryder rolled her eyes at the onslaught, smiling. "Of course we'll get her back."

She went over a few more details with them, outlining each trap they had walked into and the clues they had found, answering their questions and filling in the gaps in the story as best she could while skipping over the details of what happened between her and Evfra. Eventually the talk died down and they all exchanged looks.

"We're with you," Liam said, and the others nodded or voiced their agreement.

Ryder felt a burst of fondness for all of them and she smiled. "Good luck to you all – come back soon, if you can. Otherwise you might find a skeleton instead of a Pathfinder, with the inscription 'Bored to Death' over my grave."

"Oh, I'll definitely be back quickly," Peebee said, shuddering. They left, talking among themselves.

Ryder really wished they wouldn't do that. There really was nothing more to say, though, so she descended to the Research Room, then hesitated before climbing down the stairs to enter her own quarters. As expected, Evfra was there and as soon as the doors closed she smiled.

"What are you so happy about?" Evfra asked, frowning.

"I'm getting used to seeing you in my quarters," she said, ignoring his exasperated sigh.

"Well, don't get too comfortable with it. Neither one of us is going to see it for a time."

Ryder's smile faded. "I know," she said seriously. "I don't suppose we have a little time here?"

"Not if you want to make this work," he remarked, but he did step closer and give her a tender kiss. As soon as he pulled back he frowned down at her with those nebulous eyes of his. "Come. We've done all we can here."

Ryder sighed regretfully and followed him out; she became his prisoner once more as soon as they approached the lower decks where there were more guards. What mattered most was set in motion, though; the arrow had left the bow.