More Than We Should
"And this … is the bridge." Scott gestured with a flourish to the command centre of the Tempest.
Sara stepped onto the bridge and paused to take it all in. Metal and glass blended seamlessly into the sleek design of the ship. The window at the fore of the room framed the alien stars of the Heleus cluster beyond. The Pathfinder's command console rose smoothly from the floor, inviting direction.
"… Wow." Sara drawled with a heavy dose of sarcasm as she strolled onto the deck. The female Ryder chuckled when she received a shove from her brother.
"I know you're impressed really. You haven't met Kallo and Suvi yet, have you?"
Scott indicated the two figures sat at their stations either side of the central aisle. Kallo Jath worked away in his pilot's seat, his fingers a blur of action as he manoeuvred the Tempest through the cosmos. To the Salarian's left, the human scientist Suvi Anwar was examining some readouts on her monitor. The science officer perked up and her head turned at the sound of the twins. Suvi swivelled and stood from her chair, making her way over with a warm smile.
"You must be Sara, a pleasure to meet you at last."
"I bet he hasn't said a nice word about me, has he?"
"On the contrary, he's been worried sick. It's obvious he cares for you."
"Aww, I knew you cared, little bro." Sara smirked, reaching up to ruffle Scott's hair.
"Shut up, I'm only younger by a few minutes." Scott batted his sister's arm away irritably.
Kallo stood from his seat and walked over with a wide smile. "Ah, another Ryder, welcome to the Tempest."
"Pleasure to be here." Sara took Kallo's hand. "She doesn't have a sister does she? Wouldn't mind a ship like this myself."
"No, the Tempest is one of a kind." Kallo enthused brightly, holding his head high proudly. "Some of the most advanced technology the Milky Way had to offer is housed in this very ship. Maybe I could show you some time?"
"That's great, thanks, Kallo." Scott cut in before Sara could answer. "I'm just giving her the general tour, maybe later?"
"Of course, of course, I'll look forward to it." The Salarian was unperturbed, still smiling wide. "I'll prepare some schematics I can show you."
"Sounds great." Sara managed what she hoped was a genuine smile. Leering over diagrams and charts was not her idea of fun.
"Come on, I've still got the rest of the ship to show you." Scott manoeuvred his sister by the shoulder.
"Of course, take care you two, don't get in any trouble now." Suvi waved them off warmly.
As the twins turned to leave the bridge, Sara turned slightly to Scott. "What's wrong, jealous?" She teased quietly.
"Trust me, Kallo's a great guy, an even better pilot. But when he gets talking, he never stops." Scott chuckled.
"Yeah, you're jealous." Sara prodded her brother in the ribs with her elbow. "I like him."
She pretended not to notice the glare he sent her way.
"I wonder what you'll make of the others, PeeBee, Drack, Vetra." Scott sighed, more to himself than anything. "You'll probably take to them pretty fast, as always."
"Aww, don't worry Scott, I won't steal all your crew from you. I'll just leave you the boring ones."
When he gave no reply, she moved her hand to tangle her fingers around his.
"You don't need to worry about a thing."
He levelled an even look at her, lips slightly turned in a smile. He was just like she remembered from the Milky Way, six hundred years ago. That warm, comforting smile and piercing gaze of her brother, was everything to her.
She chuckled to herself. Though everything had changed, some things had stayed exactly the same.
xxx
Scott showed his sister around the rest of the ship and introduced his team and crew. Sara could tell he was barely managing to keep his excitement reigned in about finally having a ship to call his own. The Tempest's crew were a colourful bunch: turian, asari, salarian, krogan and even a member of one of Andromeda's native species, the angara. It reminded her of the vids of the crew of the Normandy and the first human Spectre. It was strange to think that her own brother was something of a hero in a similar vein.
"Final stop on the Pathfinder tour." Scott smirked with a sideways glance as they approached one final door. "The Pathfinder's very own private cabin."
"Your own private cabin, eh?" Sara pursed her lips, impressed. "So this is what I can look forward to when they make me Pathfinder?"
A light chuckle, "Didn't you get the memo, only one Pathfinder per species, remember?"
"Well, now they've got the prime Ryder back in action, they'll soon see sense. If not, maybe, we could 'path find' together?"
"There's always a place for you here. You never need to ask." Scott smiled warm, sincere.
Sara returned his smile gratefully. She opened her mouth to say something as she turned, then let out a sharp gasp as pain suddenly lanced in her abdomen. As soon as it came, it passed.
"Easy." Scott warned with furrowed brow as he eased her over to the bed. "You sure you should be up and about yet?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine, relax." Sara waved her brother off. "Just a twinge. I probably just moved the wrong way, maybe some cramp. Turns out lying in a bed for months on end is no substitute for proper exercise." She gave him her most reassuring smile.
"I should call Lexi, she can look you over."
"Scott." Sara reached out and gave his arm a squeeze with a smile. "I'm fine, stop worrying. I'm not gonna keel over and die. It was just a twinge, really. I fought off the Archon, remember? A little pain isn't gonna kill me now."
A heavy sigh, "You're right, you're right. I'm sorry, I just-"
Sara could see him bite his tongue to stop himself.
"What is it?"
"I've nearly lost you twice now." He couldn't quite meet her eyes. "You very nearly never woke up from stasis. Then, when the Archon had you, I … I don't know what I'd do if I lost you again."
Letting out a sigh of her own, Sara stood from the bed. She reached up to cup her brother's face in a gentle hand, forcing him to look her in the eye.
"Scott, I'm not going anywhere, not after all this time."
She leaned forward to rest her forehead on his, closing her eyes contently. She reached her lips out and laid a soft kiss over his.
"You'll have to shoot me to get rid of me now. You're cute when you're worried about me though." She murmured with a chuckle.
A breathy laugh in response. "I didn't- I mean, I wasn't sure if-"
"Nothing's changed." Sara leaned back with a smirk as his tentative eyes searched hers for answers. "New galaxy, new ship … still just me and you, against it all. We're still us."
"You make it sound so romantic." A relieved smile.
"Good, I was trying after all." A cheeky wink, then she very deliberately turned her head and eyed the bed for a long moment, before turning back. Big blue eyes shimmered and shone with life brighter than the stars outside.
Scott allowed himself a smile then leaned in to kiss her again. At first it was tentative, nervous after so long of being apart. Then it quickly became desperate, passionate, in only the way a forbidden love could be. All the while, the stars sparkled and danced across the cosmos all around them.
xxx
Scott breathed deep and slow, savouring every second of peaceful solitude. They lay in bed still, covered only by the sheets strewn haphazardly across them both. Their legs still intertwined. Sara was dozing lazily, her full lips parted slightly, brown locks tousled and out of place. Across all the planets he had visited, in all the galaxies, Scott had never seen anything so beautiful, and he had seen some wonders in his life.
He gently leaned over and pressed a warm kiss to her brow. She slowly stirred with a groan, just like she used to in the Milky Way. Her large, pale blue eyes fluttered open and those lips turned into a familiar smile as she found her brother. She stretched her arms and neck with a yawn and settled back down with her hands over her chest.
"Morning." That slight scratch to her voice was beautifully amplified by her drowsiness.
"Morning." Scott smirked, propping his head on an arm as they gazed into each other's eyes. "How're you feeling."
"Good, great. I've missed this. You know, just us."
"Me too."
"How long has it been since we could just … be together like this?"
"A few hundred years I think, give or take." And a smirk.
Sara threw him a glare with a humoured smile.
"Alright smartarse." She turned to gaze at the ceiling, her brow furrowed suddenly. "You know, nothing will really change, will it? We'll still have to keep this- us a secret, won't we?"
A long pause.
"I guess so."
"I know it's stupid, but I- I just had this idea that maybe, when we finally got out here, things would somehow be different, you know?" She wiped at her eyes with a sniff. "Just being stupid I guess."
Scott never liked to see her down. He settled back down into the bed then pulled his sister over towards him, she obliged with a ghost of a chuckle as they cuddled close. Her head rested on his chest and hand over his heart.
"One day, we'll find our own place, a planet just for the two of us."
"That hasn't turned out too well now has it? All the golden worlds were a bust."
"Well, thanks to Meridian, the worlds are turning golden again, aren't they?"
"True." She murmured with a smile. "It's so hard to believe, I almost forgot."
"And I'm the Pathfinder, remember? I'm your Pathfinder."
She snorted at that.
"So tell me what you want, anything at all: worlds full of trees, jungles, maybe nothing but snow or lava. You name it, I'll go out and find it."
"Well," She began uncertainly, drawing lazy circles over his chest, "I guess, I've always wanted to have a place right on the frontier. Somewhere I can just go outside and walk straight into adventure." A warm smile graced her lips once more at the thought. "Somewhere I'll never know what the next day will bring."
"Then I'll find you the most dangerous, life threatening planet there is." Scott smirked, pressing a kiss to Sara's head. "It should be simple enough, everything seems dangerous in this galaxy. In fact, I'll get you an entire cluster or two."
"Now you're just being stupid." Yet her face was brighter at the thought.
She shuffled her position again, this time rolling to lie on top of him. Scott played with her hair as she gazed at him with bright blue eyes that mirrored his own.
"You know what I really want?" Sara murmured softly.
"Tell me."
"To stay like this, forever, even if it has to be secret. These … moments between us, sometimes I think it's the only thing keeping me going."
Scott smiled. "I love you, more than I should."
"Fuck what we should." Sara almost spat the word, her expression desperate, pleading. "I love you too, and I don't care what the galaxy thinks, this one or the last. I don't care that we came into this world together. This right here is the only thing that matters to me."
"Took the words right out of my mouth." Scott caressed his sister's reddening cheek lovingly.
"You were never one for words." Sara snorted. "I still remember your speech at Mum and Dad's anniversary dinner."
The brother laughed, shaking them both slightly. "Oh God, don't remind me. That was such a train wreck."
Sara shook her head with a smile before lowering her head over his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He found that so relaxing, having her weight upon him, his arms wrapped around her. It was just so natural.
"Do you think they'd hate us?" Her voice was thick and tentative.
Scott breathed deeply before replying, idly stroking her back in a soothing rhythm of circles. It was a question that had come up more than once. Each time Scott had said the same thing, maybe worded differently, but always the same. It never seemed to stick for long, but still he always made the effort.
"Nah, Dad dedicated his life to illegal AI research, Mum was pretty supportive of all that, wasn't she? Is that really so different from us?"
"We're not some computer project, Scott. We're … we're brother and sister."
"What I mean is … we're both looked down on by society, feared and maligned in similar ways. Yet, we can't go rogue and … I don't know, bring down a space station. Well, maybe we could, but not by just being together. What harm can us being together possibly do compared to what an AI could? They'd be surprised sure, might take them a while to get round to the idea, but no, they wouldn't hate us. I don't believe that."
Sara merely hummed in reply, lost in thought.
"We couldn't have kids though." She murmured after a while. "It wouldn't be right. You know there's all sorts of health risks involved."
"You never know, maybe a Doctor could sort something out. They can do anything these days. Remember how we talked when you were in that coma? Anything's possible."
"Maybe." Sara seemed to brighten at the thought. "Just, don't ask Lexi about it. She might be an expert and all, but … but let's give it some time before we tell anyone, ok?"
"I won't say a word, I promise. We'll work it out," Scott swore to his sister with another kiss to her head. "One day we'll be able to just be us."
Sara grasped her brother's arm and squeezed it tight for a second. They lay there in silence for a while, just listening to the beating of their hearts.
"I hope they don't hate us." Sara whispered. She didn't need to say who.
"Well, they couldn't hate you anyway." Scott squeezed his sister in a cuddle. "I'm the evil twin remember, corrupting his sweet, innocent, little sister."
"Little? I'm older than you, remember?" She scowled.
"Yeah, but I'm taller." He smirked.
A laugh. "And what makes you so sure that I'm not the evil one?"
Sara turned once more, her face bright, just like he remembered. She leaned over her brother, arms planted either side of his head as she loomed over him.
"I can have some pretty corrupting thoughts too, you know." Sara's smirk was certainly evil.
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"I think it's better if I show you." Sara barely whispered and swooped in for the kiss.
Scott caressed her back lovingly as they fumbled together. The morning was lost to them, savouring the precious little time they had to just be themselves. Locked away from the galaxy in that cabin, the twins showed each other just how much they cared.
xxx
"We're breaching the atmosphere now, landing in five, Pathfinder." Kallo's voice pinged in over the comm. The barely discernible drone of the Tempest's engines seemed to disappear entirely as the salarian eased the ship into a landing.
Scott adjusted the gauntlets of his armour till they felt just right, then went to retrieve his helmet.
"So, this planet have a name yet?" Sara was busy giving her rifle the last once over.
Scott patted her on the shoulder as he passed by her. Since they'd finally left the seclusion of the Pathfinder's cabin, it had been back to regular, normal brother and sister for them, nothing out of the ordinary.
"Only a bunch of numbers I think." Drack grumbled, his bulk sat across two seats. "Astronomers. You'd think people who look at stars all their life would have a bit more imagination."
"It's easier to name planets as clusters when your millions of light years away though." Scott test slotted his helmet into place over his head with a familiar suction noise. "Besides, there's too many planets out there. Soon enough you run out of variations on 'Utopia' or 'Discovery', even if you just put 'New' at the start."
"Hard to give a damn about numbers though. Whoever fought to the last man to protect Planet D3490-1?" Vetra was craning her arms in backward arcs to limber up.
"Shouldn't we get to rename it as the first people to make planet fall?" The female Ryder raised her eyebrow with a hopeful glint in her eye.
"You'll have to make that case to Director Tann I think." Suvi inputted over the comm.
"That's a no then." Drack shook his head with a snort.
"What shall we call her?" Unperturbed, Sara moved over to the tiny view port in the side of the hull, craning her neck to try and get a better glimpse of the rapidly approaching sphere. "Looks pretty green to me, greener than most planets we've found so far."
"Green?" The krogan offered. "Big Green?"
"Don't you have a romantic side, Drack?" Sara turned to face the old warrior with a smirk.
"I think I ate it, about six centuries ago."
"What's krogan for green then?"
"Depends, which krogan?" Drack smirked. "We have many languages and dialects. Do all humans have just one word for everything?"
"Fair point." Sara conceded. "What's green in your particular brand of krogan then?"
"Kannalar."
"See, that's much better." Sara smiled. "Welcome to planet Kannalar everyone."
"Works for me." Vetra shrugged.
"You aliens are easily impressed." Drack shook his hefty head but didn't complain further.
"Alright everyone," The Pathfinder drew their attention. "Now that's settled, we're just here to scout Kannalar out – That does have a nice ring to it – No need to do anything too risky, just assess the planet's suitability for settlement. We'll break into pairs to cover more ground, Drack you're with Vetra, Sara with me. Anyone see anything they can't handle, call for backup immediately."
"You got it, Pathfinder." Sara winked at her twin.
"Touching down now, Pathfinder team." Kallo alerted them over the comm.
Scott felt a slight lurch, less than an elevator would cause, as the Tempest met solid ground under Kallo's expert control. The exit hatch hissed as the hydraulics got to work, the dark metal ramp lowered smoothly to reveal a luscious green paradise beyond.
"Happy hunting."
xxx
Kannalar was a marvel of a planet, according to Initiative files, it had been little more than a barren wasteland of endless storms six hundred years ago. It wasn't expected to change at all by the time the Arc's reached Heleus. Yet fate and design were in their favour. The activation of Meridian had clearly had a dramatic impact on the planet's surface. In the space of a few short months since the Archon's defeat, life had burst into life on this now green utopia.
"So, I believe we had a bet." Sara smirked as the Ryder's wandered around the wild grasslands of Kannalar. A still lake hung to their side, their view was framed by hills and mountains that arced across the landscape gracefully. Blue skies above dotted by the occasional cloud drifting by.
"Which one?" Scott chuckled, picking up a pebble and skimming it over the lake. "I think I lost track of them all after the drinking challenge in Chora's Den. Brain damage will do that to you."
"First one to climb the highest mountain of course." Sara indicated a peak a short ways in the distance. "Remember? We said loser gets to buy drinks for a month."
"How do you even know that's the highest mountain?"
"I don't, but we've got to start somewhere."
Scott chuckled. "Alright sis, you're on."
"Good … and go!" Sara took off into a full sprint, laughing gleefully.
"Hey! Cheater!" Scott took off after her with a shake of his head. He used his biotics to pull him further along, trying to close the gap.
Sara saved her own biotics, opting instead to use her jump jets to give her an extra boost over the longer jumps and higher climbs. They soon made it to a sheer rock face, no safe way but to climb. Still ahead, Sara leapt into the air, her jump jets carrying her high and she latched onto the cliff. Scott followed suit a short ways behind.
"What's the matter, Pathfinder?" Sara called back, panting. "Too busy enjoying the view?"
Scott chose that moment to look up, seeing Sara's behind shifting side to side rhythmically as she climbed ever higher.
"Tempting, but no." He called back.
He heard a faint chuckle reach him over the winds that whipped around the mountain.
Onwards they climbed, until Scott spotted a ledge that Sara was reaching fast. He'd barely caught up at all to his sister. He tried using his biotics to climb faster, but it did little good. Sure enough, Sara reached the ledge before him and disappeared out of sight.
"Wow." Sara enthused once she reached the top of the ledge.
"You weren't this enthusiastic about the Tempest." Scott strained a little as he clambered up the rock face shortly behind his twin.
"Come on, I was just playing with you. You know I love her, but this place is just so, so …"
"I know." Scott murmured as he finally caught up with her. They hadn't reached the summit yet. The twins stood in a cavern that bored all the way through the mountain. On the other side, the scene that was laid out before them was surreal: beyond their mossy ridge, bright green meadows roaming inside a boxed canyon, great waterfalls streaming down the cliff faces, turning into rivers somehow both red and blue. Strange animals, like a cross between a big cat and a deer wandered about grazing.
"Just think," Sara breathed, "We're probably the first people to ever see this place."
"Was it worth the trip?"
"Definitely."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
"Hey, look over there." Sara moved off to the side. Scott followed her gaze and eyed a cavern that extended further up the mountain. "Come on, I haven't beaten you yet." She laughed then took off again.
Scott was quicker on the pace this time and kept close on his sister's heels. They clambered up through the tunnel system, going higher and higher. Scott managed to get about level with Sara, brother and sister jostling for the lead. Then they emerged out into another cavern that made them forget about their little race.
"Wow." It was Scott's turn to stop and stare. Another opening looking down on the valley below, a waterfall hung over this one. A hole in the roof of the cavern brought beams of sunlight cascading into the hollow. As the light hit the water, a beautiful rainbow of impossible colours and pigments danced majestically off the shimmering wall, back into the cavern.
"This is amazing." Sara padded forward within touching distance of the waterfall. "Now this is a planet I want to live on!" She turned, smiling bright and wide.
In that moment, everything just made sense to Scott. The life and light in his sister's eyes, the play of colour against her fair skin, the serene landscape beyond that framed her. It was all perfect. It was the entire reason he had come to Andromeda. He hadn't even realised it when he set foot on the Hyperion, yet here it was. He didn't say anything, what could he say? He just walked towards her slowly, greedily cherishing her with his eyes. He never wanted to forget this moment. She cocked a confused eyebrow at him for fraction of second, and then he saw that she too understood.
They moved together, meeting in the middle amid a dancing rainbow, a mini galaxy just for the two of them. They reached out and embraced each other close. It was chaste yet passionate at the same time. Scott put every forbidden feeling he held for his twin sister into that hug and Sara responded. When they finally separated, Sara anchored her large blue eyes to Scott's. What words could ever follow that moment?
"A month's worth of drinks?" Sara smirked.
"A month's worth of drinks." Scott nodded. "Cheers."
He took off, darting for the opening that led higher still.
"Hey! You jerk!" His sister's annoyed growl reached him from behind but Scott paid no mind.
The twins raced higher and higher up the mountain. Scott's breathing became heavier and more laboured as the air grew thinner and less bountiful. A break in the rocks ahead led to open sky and the twins followed it. Sara made up some ground, her slighter form made her just a bit more nimble and able to scramble up the rocks more quickly. Neck and neck, they both leaped for the top.
Clambering out into the frigid air, Sara and Scott gazed about. They'd reached the summit, the beautiful valley strewn out before them on one side. A low cloud covered some of the landscape beyond with a haze. The orange star in the sky was beginning to set as it crept towards the horizon.
"Don't tell me … it was a draw?" Scott shook his head, panting hard.
"That … was just a test." Sara too was out of breath. "Next mountain … will be bigger. We'll … we'll settle it then."
Scott nodded lamely, unwilling to argue. Then he turned to face the sunset. "Gorgeous view."
"Yeah."
Sara moved in front of her brother and pointed one of his hands off into the distance. His other arm naturally wrapped around her toned stomach.
"You see that ridge over there, the one overlooking the river?" She asked.
"Hm-hm?"
"I think, that's where we'll build our house." She smiled warmly, resting her head on his shoulder. "And we'll make it a proper house, not some prefab off the Nexus. It'll be brick and stone, some wood. Like something old back on Earth."
"I'm no architect." Scott murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "And I don't remember you ever liking to build things either."
"We'll hire someone, there's bound to be an Architect or two on the Nexus. And if there isn't … we'll build a log cabin, work our way up."
"One step at a time?"
"One step at a time." Sara promised.
"Sounds like a plan to me."
The sister turned to face her brother. "Good. I want to do this right. I want to make this work."
"It will." Scott swore with a kiss. "We'll make sure of it. That's all I want, to live out here with you, where we can grow old together."
"That sounds an awful lot like a proposal to me."
"Well, I don't have a ring on me," Scott smiled at her then slowly knelt on the mountain peak of a wondrous alien world, a sunset to their side, illuminating the sky in vibrant yellows and oranges. "But if you'll have me, I promise myself to you for the rest of my days. I love you, Sara Ryder."
Sara swallowed thickly, tears gathering in her eyes with a wide, silly smile. "Where were those sorts of words during Mum and Dad's anniversary?" She laughed, her voice thick with emotion.
"I think I saved them just for you." Scott winked at her then took her hand gently. "Well what do you say?"
"Of course it's a yes!" Sara laughed then knelt herself to hug him close. "But I get to design the house."
"Fair enough." Scott laughed as he held her there. They moved back for a moment and both gazed into clear blue eyes, then they sealed all of their promises with a kiss.
"-Pathfinder? Come in team Ryder-"
The crackle and jolt of Vetra's voice on the comm coming to life startled both Ryders. Scott sighed and smiled at his sister before replying.
"Scott here, can you repeat that?"
"-Me and Drack have run into a little trouble, could use a hand-"
"-Ha! She could use a hand-" Drack barked over the turian, the sound of some snarling monster audible over his comm. "-I'm doing just fine-" His voice trailed off into a serious of krogan curses.
Vetra's sigh carried over the comm loud and clear.
"-Drack thought he'd get up close and personal with the local wildlife. Now they fancy having krogan for lunch-"
Both Ryder's sighed.
"We're on our way." Scott pinged over the comm then honed in on the turian and krogan's location on his omni-tool.
Sara stood. She didn't look upset at the interruption.
"Race you down?" She jerked her head down the mountain, that playful smirk gracing her lips once more.
"Loser gets to drag Drack out of that thing's stomach." Scott chuckled, cracking his neck side to side as he too stood.
"You're on." Sara laughed then without further ado, turned and jumped off the peak. Blue energy surrounded her as she used her biotics to control her descent.
Scott shook his head with a fond smile, and followed suit with a biotic assisted leap of his own.
The twin's dove and jumped down the mountain, racing to their next adventure, just like it used to be back in the Milky Way. Their lithe forms silhouetted in the fading light of an alien star.