AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys, just letting y'all know that now I am officially on Summer break, and that means more time to work on this! However, don't expect uploads to happen more often, as I like having the backfill. Call it a security blanket. When next year starts up that will be my Senior year so I am unsure if that will give me less time to work, or more as I have all the big important stuff out of the way already. Anyways, just keeping you up to date with my work. Hope y'all enjoy this chapter, I thoroughly enjoyed making this one in particular!

I decided I'd begin my tour in the armory, just to see what other goodies Vetra had brought along. I loved the Valkyrie, and ARs as a whole, but Dad ensured that Sarah and I both were proficient with all weapon types. I was not displeased with the collection. The first piece that caught my eye was a shotgun. An N7 grade shotgun. The Piranha. When we left these babies were a pure proof of concept prototype, still not quite sure what the initiative did to get their hands on them. Seems this shotgun was capable of full auto. I decided I'd try it out on Eos.

The gun I saw next was quite a surprise. A Widow. There was a note attached, from Vetra.

"Scott, if you're reading this than this little beauty must have caught your eye. Don't worry, it's been modified so that unlike the original, it won't blow your arm off when you fire. Also, if you like this, know that out there is something even better. I wasn't able to secure one, as they are damn rare, but it's called the Black Widow. Where the Widow only holds one shot, the Black Widow holds three. Even if you don't want it, if you see one, TAKE IT! You would not believe the amount of favors or credits I could secure from just ONE. -Vetra" Oh dear lord I think I'm getting a gun boner. Just from the sound of that beautiful weapon. I chuckled at those thoughts and looked for a pistol. Normally the weight of those weapons would make it harder to use my biotics, but SAM assured me he'd be able to compensate by boosting just the right parts.

It came down to a choice between an ol' reliable, and something unfamiliar to me, but interesting. The tried and true Carnifex, a powerful pistol, or a Scorpion. Salarian developed. It fired what was essentially a small sticky grenade that detonated shortly after impact. Though tempting to stick to what was familiar, the whole act of coming here was embracing the unfamiliar. So, I took the Scorpion.

I stepped out of the armory back into the cargo bay, seeing Vetra running a few final checks on her omni-tool at a desk. I stopped to thank her for the absolutely beautiful selection and then proceeded to walk along the lower deck. I went around the loading ramp doors to two smaller ones that led to the rest of the ship. There was a small hallway. Above me was the glass walkway to the bridge, to the right was the med-bay, and the left crew quarters. Knowing Lexi likely didn't wish to be disturbed as she made final checks, I looked at the crew quarters.

To the left was a small relaxing area with a few chairs and small tables with a bookshelf. In front of me was a wall of four bunks. No doubt designed for rotations. A terminal was in the wall between two sets that looked like a message board. Leaving notes for others who bunk there. Seems Liam was moving a couch. Yeah, that's all you. Wait, what the hell? One bunk had two plushies. A kind of angry looking… plant? And a… zombie scientist? The hell? That must be Liam. To the right of the bunks was a coffee machine, and on the other side of the room from that a small alcove of two chairs and terminals. Next to the crew quarters were the bathrooms.

The bathrooms contained a sink, a few lockers, only one toilet, and a small shower area with two showerheads. Luckily it had a sliding door, no doubt we have rotations for those so none of the men walks in on the women or vice versa on accident. Across the hall from the bathrooms was the mess. A small kitchen with all the appliances and a small dining area.

Ah but at the far end of where I began in this hallway? My quarters, the door flanked by two ladders up to the next floor. Guess that means no chance of an incredibly slow elevator. I opened the doors and took in the view. The entirety of the far wall was completely see through, allowing me a 180-degree view of the outside. My bed was to the left, a double bed, so that means I'd have plenty of room. On the wall left of the entrance was a wardrobe, and to the right, a workspace. At the far center of the room was a simple viewing area, to just look out at whatever view I had. To the right of that was a small sofa with a coffee table, a private dining area, or just to sit and relax.

I had to do a double take when I noticed the couch had an occupant. A monkey like figure, paws, a tail, and large feet all covered by a purple fur with a black lined and dotted pattern. The eyes were large and bug-like, the ears like tubes, and the mouth like a straw. That must have been Herik's gift. It was a Pyjak, a monkey like rodent from Tuchanka, the Krogan home world. It looked at me, chittering. I walked over slowly, and pet it, it seemed to enjoy the touch. I chuckled at my new pet, guess I'd need to come up with a name, and continued looking around the room.

The workspace was a large desk with both a private terminal and a hologram of SAM, likely where he connected to the Tempest. Behind the desk, left and right sides, were walls for a display. Like the model ship I found earlier. I gave the Normandy a nice spot on the left. Perhaps I'd dedicate the left wall for anything from the Milky Way and the Right for anything we got in Andromeda. To the right of the desk was a small bookshelf and vidscreen.

Before I left for the bridge I was curious as to just what was in my wardrobe. I didn't exactly want to wear the standard initiative shirt the whole time. I saw a leather jacket I could place over an initiative shirt like what I have now, but the shirt was black, the trim of the jacket was shite, and the rest was black. Next to that was a nice black Hoodie with the initiative logo on the chest and the pathfinder logo on the left shoulder and a blue trim over the center pocket. What I saw next to that however, almost was the death of me. A Blasto Tank Top. The image of that Hanar holding a Carnifex with a crappy explosion effect behind him. I wasn't sure whether to torch it, or to keep it for laughs. I thought I'd throw on the hoodie. Always liked those.

I left my room, and climbed the ladder up to the bridge and opened the door. To my right was another door, to the escape pod, and to my left, the way to an airlock. In case something or someone ever needs to be tossed out of one. Before one would reach the airlock however was a room to gear up in case we needed to use that path instead of the cargo ramp. But front and center was the bridge. Another 180-degree viewport like down in my cabin, front and center being a glass spot, likely where I'd give Nav orders and what not. To the right and left were seats with full pilot and scanning consoles. The right console was occupied by a Salarian with a brighter orange skin tone. I stood in the middle, looking out, as I once again reminded myself that this… This is MY ship... still didn't feel real.

Followed by a flash of sadness. I remembered that this should have been Dad's ship. He should have been leading people for decades, inspiring them. Me? What have I done? All I ever did was guard a Mass Effect relay. I haven't proven myself. I'm no hero. I'm just me. Just Scott. And I don't know if that is going to be enough. But these people need a Pathfinder. And I'm going to damn well try to be exactly what they need. The Salarian looked back and noticed me standing in the room.

"Ah, time for introductions!" He stood up with a smile, walking over to me. "You must be Ryder," he held out his hand, I grasped it and shook to return the greetings. "Kallo Jath. A pleasure to be here-and to meet you, of course."

"Good to meet you too Kallo, and its just Scott, by the way," still didn't feel right to be called Ryder or Pathfinder. That was dad.

"Of course. Anyways, I'll be piloting the Tempest at your word. Quite the ship! But it'll take a Pathfinder's guidance to see us through Heleus," he explained. Ever since I got onboard the weight of my new standing had been starting to sink in more and more. Wasn't sure I was ready.

"I'm still new to this. Being a Pathfinder, running a ship…"

"You'll be fiiine. As for the ship, I can help: I knew the Tempest when she was a blueprint," I wasn't quite sure what he meant so I simply tilted my head. "I was test pilot for the Tempest's early prototypes. I admit, I'm itching to see how she performs out here," he answered. Would certainly be handy to have someone who knew the ship like the back of their hand. We walked out onto the small glass walkway in the center and a console raised up from the floor. I wasn't exactly sure how to use it.

"So how do I…?" I glanced behind me and noticed the crew had walked into the bridge as Kallo explained.

"The console syncs to your implant. Just swipe, touch a destination here, and the nav system calculates everything. Very efficient!" He explained.

"It was optimized for a Pathfinder," I heard Cora speak up from behind me. She sounded sad. Hopefully just because it would have been Dad. I turned to face the crew, noticing Suvi had taken a seat at the left console.

"Everything's secure, if you're ready…" Vetra said with a hint of excitement sneaking through.

"Is anyone ready for something this big?" Liam asked, sounding unsure. Guess it was my turn to be Mr. Inspirational. I sure hope I picked up on a few things from dad.

"We signed on for the big stuff when we came to Andromeda," I reminded Liam. Kallo seemed to sense a speech and returned to his console, politely passing through the crowd.

"Command access is transferring successfully," Cora informed me. Seems it was the final status checks.

"Science and monitoring stations look fine. Lexi is reporting in…" Suvi reported.

"Helm is green. Gil reports the drive core is online," Kallo confirmed.

"This is it Ryder," Damn it Cora, it's just Scott! "The Tempest is yours. Unless you've got something to say, for the log?" She not so subtly hinted. Did seem like a good idea. I felt I should say something that would both hide my own doubts, help dispel the doubts of the others, and generally inspire them all in one fell swoop. I turned to look back outwards, speaking loudly and clearly to still be heard,

"We were all expecting a golden world. Guess life had other plans. Now there's just a long road ahead. But hold on to that dream. It might just see us through. And hey, things may look bad sure," I turned to face the crew, they seemed to be responding well at least. "But we've already beaten the odds-and we'll beat them again. You know it, I know it," except I don't, "So let's show them what we've got."

I noticed that my crew stood a little taller at that, determined looks on their faces. It was even feeling a bit contagious. Kallo command flight control, and off we went, the sunlit docking and habitation deck of the nexus leaving us as we left through an airlock into space. The thrusters charged for FTL, and we were off to Eos. Kallo said we should arrive in around two hours. He didn't want to push the Tempest as this was her first real flight in a long time and just wanted to make absolutely sure everything was running smoothly.


So far, I like what I've seen of Ryder. Seems confident, but not cocky, and not uptight about protocol and other bullshit. Friendly guy, and he seems passionate if that speech on the bridge is anything to go by. I was still concerned if he was unsure of me being on the ship, after all I basically forced myself onto it. I sent him a quick message asking to talk with me in the armory, which I had claimed, when he had a moment. My omni-tool pinged with a message, a call from Sid. I figured that Scott would have had a few things to look into, so I accepted.

"Something wrong Sid?" I asked.

"Hi Vetra, now that you're off on the Tempest, Kesh has been trying to get me a job," Sid began. I was about to chastise her for being lazy, something so unlike her but she continued quickly stressing the next part "Which I'm NOT complaining about. What I don't like is that right now it seems like I might be helping out with… clean-up…"

"What? Janitor not your dream job?" I chuckled.

"Not quite. I was just hoping you might be able to give me something both cleaner and more important," she asked.

"Oh, but Sid," I teased. "Janitorial is important! Keeping everything nice and clean so others don't get sick or dirty!" The sarcasm in my voice so thick you could feel it. Sid groaned and I laughed. I decided it was time to let her off the hook. "I'll talk to someone. Maybe they could use you on comms."

"So, you get to be with the Pathfinder, and I have to watch a radio?" Really Sid? Don't try to push your luck. I learned that the hard way. Luckily your sister loves you and you won't have to.

"The radio, or help Kesh with clean up," I gave her my ultimatum. She groaned, I didn't try to suppress the chuckle. At that moment, Ryder walked in. Guess he didn't have much to do anyway. I glanced at him, "Oh, hey Ryder," then looked back at my terminal to Sid. I heard her gasp,

"The Pathfinder's there? Let me say hi!" She asked. Seems Ryder already had a fanbase. Might as well humor her. Ryder casually leaned against a weapons locker.

"Fine, but don't embarrass me," I turned to face him. "Ryder, this is Sid, my sister. Sid, Ryder," he chuckled, and had a friendly grin as he responded,

"Come on Vetra, I told you earlier, it's just Scott. Same goes for you too Sid, nice to meet you. So, lemme guess, little sister?" He asked me, keeping that grin on his face. Sid responded first,

"Who you calling little?" She joked. Yep, you're getting cut off. Besides, need to talk to him anyway.

"Look, kiddo, gotta go," I told her. Seems she wasn't done yet.

"Wait! Ryder-uh, sorry Scott, I just wanted to know if-" I ended the call before she could finish. She'll try to chew me out for that later but she'll get over it. I spun the chair around to look right at… Scott. Going to need to remember to call him by that. Unless I want to poke him with a stick that is… My voice became serious as I began to explain.

"I know it feels like I just jumped aboard your ship without explanation…" I began, he looked as if he was a mix of confused, and amused by where this was going. Did he really not even give it a second thought? He let out a small laugh,

"Come on Vetra, you and the Nexus had been sitting on your asses for over a year as things kept deteriorating, I'd have done the exact same thing, if nothing else for a change of scenery," it seemed like he was giving his full approval but that wasn't why I was here and he deserves an explanation.

"That's not why I came. Sure, I want to explore the galaxy, but I'm really here to work," I stood up and began pacing in front of him, explaining why this ship needs me. "I know everyone on the crew, and everything they need and like. Even the actuators Gil prefers for the ship. Better, I know how to get my hands on them. With me around, your crew's going to be at their best. You've already seen what weapons and mods I can procure, there's more I can do given the time. We've been failing for months Ryder…" he gave me a look but not without a smirk, I knew what my mistake was, letting out a small huff of air as a sign of amusement. "Scott. Now that we have you, we have a chance out there," I finished. More importantly that means Sid has a chance. And like hell am I gonna sit around and just hope that someone else is able to make things good enough for her, I need to make sure. Ryder smiled again, as he began his reply:

"Vetra you didn't need to explain yourself, I appreciate you did but I thought it was quite obvious that you'd be an asset. So long as you can handle yourself in a fight…" I nodded, "then we're all set. Your sister? I take it you're out here for her?" I nodded again, "And why do you think I'm out here Vetra? You read the reports, you know my sister is comatose and our dad is dead," he looked down, sad. I felt for him, I knew what it was like to lose a father. He looked back up, energy returning to his voice, "As for you, you got some laser focus…" he chuckled, leaning off the weapons locker. Interesting insight to the man I'll be working for/with. It felt more natural to go on with the oncoming banter I sensed.

"Hm, Yeah? Was it too much? Some people get intimidated…" I joked. Scott took a few steps forward,

"We need that sort of drive. I just hope I can keep up," he smirked, lifting his head to look at me. Even Turian women are taller than most humans. Scott included.

"You'll keep up. And I promise I won't tell if you don't," I teased. It was then that I noticed the conversation was just beginning to feel… weird. Not bad, just… different. So, I made an exit plan, "I should track down a lead for Gil's actuators. Back channels, you know?" I sat back down, "Talk later?" He nodded and I turned back to my desk. Scott walked out of the room, his thoughts echoing her own.

Were we just… flirting? No… we couldn't have been...


After the talk with Vetra, one I still was confused by my actions in, I enjoyed talking with her, it just felt… different… than most conversations do. Anyways, after that talk I decided I might as well check in on everyone else. Get to know the new faces as well. I walked into the room Liam had claimed, opposite side of the drive core as Vetra, just as Liam was moving his couch. And I had gotten stuck helping him. We talked over the beer he offered for his story during habitat 7. He had gotten several suspensions, but must have still done well as the solution was to essentially promote him out of the force. That landed him in a program called HUSTL, a multi-species crisis response force. We talked about the old days, if I still missed them, which I did. Talked about why we left. Me about wanting to explore the Milky Way but hinting at why we couldn't, which Liam seemed to appreciate. Liam was apparently just an average guy back home. Good family, friends, he just bought the pitch, said goodbye, and here he was, still believing in the dream.

I made my way up via the cargo lift to engineering, get to know Gil. I opened the doors, stepping in. He stepped away from the console and greeted me,

"Pathfinder making the rounds!" he remarked jokingly. I smiled, reaching my hand out for a shake, which he accepted.

"Just Scott Gil," I chuckled.

"Slumming it, huh? Want to see how the riffraff are making out?" Smartass huh? I like smartass.

"Hey, it's a dirty job… Are you the riffraff spokesman?" I asked. Gil smirked, glad to see I was playing along,

"King actually. Might want to bow. Otherwise, things might start falling off the Tempest at the most inopportune times," he joked. No way am I giving him that kind of ammo.

"I'll take my chances," I joked. "Just want to see how things are going with the ship." He went to a more business mode. I use that term loosely however…

"I can coax more out of this baby than some might think, but we shouldn't go too far or push too hard between Nexus stops. For now," he explained. "It just feels good to stretch our wings, you know? Locked in idle too long, you start to drift. People same as ship. Stuck on the Nexus, gotta say I was regretting joining the Initiative," given the uprisings he was hardly the only one. Wonder what made him stay though…

"Seems like life back there was pretty bleak," I remarked.

"Not gonna lie, it sucked," he claimed. "I tend to live the way I work: kinda 'feel it, do it.' Not a lot of close ties, no real sense of purpose," he explained. Been there done that Gil. He continued, "Figured maybe I'd find my calling in Andromeda. Then I got here and, oops, I just made a decision there's no turning back from. I was going nuts on that station. You can't know how jazzed I was when you showed up."

"We're exploring this cluster. Eventually the galaxy. If your purpose is here, we'll find it," I reassured. He seemed to appreciate that.

"Then the question will be, what will I do with it?" He chuckled. "In the meantime… You just keep pointing this ship wherever you want her to go, and I'll make sure she can get there. Deal?"

"Deal," I confirmed. We nodded and I left the room, heading to see Cora in the Biolab. I entered and saw her rummaging through a crate in the far side of the room.

"Nice place you've found here," I remarked. Trying to start a conversation.

"Clean air. Plants. Helps me think," she explained. She seemed agitated. I had an idea why, might as well bite the bullet, see if I'm right.

"Something on your mind?" I asked. She stood up, sighing.

"Maybe," then she kicked the crate, using her biotics to boost her strength. A bit hard I might add.

"Woah, hold on there Cora, don't need to risk accidentally putting too much power into those," an unhinged biotic could be dangerous to both themselves, their surroundings, and those around them. Not to say Cora is unhinged no, but even one flash of anger, has the potential to result in an overkill of biotics if not careful.

"Sorry Ryder," again she won't call me Scott, why? "I don't normally lose it like that. A huntress should have better control," she explained. Ah damn it no, not this again, please… I grimaced internally, staying polite on the outside. She continued, "But some things stick, though. Like losing the old man." Believe me Cora, I know very well. You lost a friend, yes, I lost a father. And my sister is comatose. I knew it wouldn't be a great idea to voice those thoughts:

"There's a lot of loss going around. Dad," I emphasized the word, "the golden worlds…" I reminded her.

"A friend and mentor who trained you to be a Pathfinder…" Cora continued my sentence. In a way that sounded quite passive aggressive, an oh so slight emphasis on Pathfinder. I almost countered, to say, 'a father who gave his life so you could live, a sister stuck in a coma' but she continued before I could. "I said I wouldn't get in the way. I meant it. But… I prepped for years as your father's second, then he chooses you. An untrained Pathfinder and all this mess to fix? The hell was he thinking?"

"He was thinking about saving the life of his son Cora. Not trying to spite you. Don't take it personally. And besides, it's not like I'm as untrained as you're seeming to say. I'm a recon specialist, which should help, I'm proficient in all weapon categories, thanks to dad, my biotics are strong, I'm good with tech, I have SAM, and all the tips and tricks dad passed on over the years. Am I at the same level as him? Absolutely not, but I'm not some hopeless grunt either. I hope this isn't going to be a problem Harper…" my voice a mix of annoyance and anger, hands crossed over my chest. Professional mode. My least favorite mode. This is a great start to our friendship, but it's her fault for seeming to take it personally and blame me at the same time, even if she isn't saying it.

"I don't want a rival, Ryder. just answers." She sighed again, regaining her composure. "It's done. Best I can do now is be your second. Keep your father's mission alive," is she REALLY implying that I wouldn't? He was my fucking FATHER Cora!

"I'm already doing that," I told her and stormed out of the room. Introductions with the others will need to wait, I need some time alone. I headed for my cabin. I entered the room and flopped down onto the bed face first, letting out a deep sigh. What the hell was Cora's deal? It was if she had some sort of plan ruined by it. It sounds farfetched sure, but… some of the shit she said was just uncalled for. I glanced at the clock, noticing we should still have about an hour or so till we arrive at Eos. It occurred to me I hadn't showered since before going into cryo. No shower in over 600 years. I should probably fix that. I grabbed a change of clothes and entered the bathroom. I knew we had rotations but it also wasn't shower time, so I entered the shower room, undressed, threw my clothes and towel on a hook, closed the door, and turned on the faucet. Hot as always.

I stood there for a small while, letting it run down my back, head against the wall in thought. I was thinking about Mom, thinking about Dad, worrying about Sarah. I remembered something I had said to Vetra, about how I was out here fighting for my sister just like she was. I remembered what Addison, Tann, and Cora had said, different words, but all saying the same things. Expecting me to fail. I thought… if I fail, what would happen to Sarah? If I fail when she wakes up she'll be all alone. Worst case scenario she'll be all alone and everyone here will be doomed to die a slow death by starvation. If I failed, I wouldn't just be failing myself. I'd be failing Dad. I'd be failing Sarah. I'd even be failing mom. I can't let that happen. I won't. I refuse. I remembered my own doubts and what I said during my speech earlier. 'Let's show them what we can do!' Damn fucking right we will!

I finished my shower and returned to my cabin, deciding to put my under suit on and reading the logs from that Dr. T'Soni, wasting time for those 30 minutes I had left, eager to put my new-found inspiration to use. The 30 minutes went by in a flash. Kallo informed me via the ship's PA that we had entered the Pytheas system, where Eos was located. I set down the data pad I was reading and headed for the bridge when SAM gave us some news. He found a signal. And not just any signal, this signal was similar to that of the ruins on Habitat 7. Near the failed outposts no less. I think we had our landing zone.

"Kallo, take us in," I ordered.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and even the tensions that showed up and Ryder's own doubts. Don't worry I still plan on talking with the others and the convos that are just asking questions but after how I felt the convo with Cora should go, listening to her lines, hearing the passive-aggressive phrases and such I felt this made more sense, and gave Ryder a chance to deal with his doubts and loss. For now, at least. I still have some ideas to really put him through the wringer. I would also like to note that I don't apologize for the way the convo with Cora went. I wrote that segment as I listened to the convo, paying absolute attention and that was my interpretation. However, I would like to clarify that hostilities early on does not mean they can't be friendly later. Remember the armor choice Vetra mentioned last chapter? This inspiration will be a large part of said choice. And with the pairing itself, I never planned for them to just jump into a relationship, and I won't. They're starting as friends, like in the game, that get closer and closer and for some reason they aren't quite sure of or just denying they flirt. Eventually… well… you've played the game. Anyways, see you on Eos!