Chapter Three: Pathfinder

After reclaiming his office, Major Adams set about cleaning his overturned space. His usually neatness thrown aside at the mention of a Geth attack. Even his desk was a mess of papers and turned over data pads strewn about. He released a deep sigh after going over the outpost roster and seeing the number of men and women whose families he'd have to inform.

"Major Adams." Shepard stepped gingerly into the room with her helmet removed. "Is this a bad time?"

"Shepard, no please, come in." Adams said as he tucked away the names of his fallen. "Your pilot said you had some bad news. Well, let's hear it."

"A Geth drone used the ventilation shaft to get into your archives. But the only data that was accessed was something called the Pathfinder project."

"Pathfinder?" Adams raised an eyebrow before shaking his head. "It figures."

"Care to elaborate, Major?" Shepard propped up an overturned chair and sat across from his desk.

The Major inhaled a long breath, "This was before your time, Shepard. Hell, I had just made officer back when Goyle was our ambassador. You have to understand, the First Contact War was fresh and many in the Alliance were keen on ideas to... catch up with the Citadel species."

"You mean they were looking for an edge in the event things escalated with the Citadel." Shepard repeated. "It's understandable, if a bit impulsive."

"Well, an Alliance attache to ambassador Goyle had the bright idea to start developing artificial intelligence as our 'edge.'" Adams emphasized. "Suffice to say, the project was thrown away and the attache was blacklisted."

"Did the project get any traction before the shutdown?"

"There might've been some proof of concept but no, nothing substantial." Adams continued, "Not unless Alec Ryder found an exorbitant amount of support to continue the project off the books."

Shepard titled her head at the name, "Ryder? As in the same one on this outpost?"

"No, that's Scott, his son. Otherwise known as the ever represent thorn in my side."

The Commander stared in confusion, "I don't understand. He seems as capable as any other soldier I've seen in action, maybe more."

"Not that it's my call but so long as his last name is Ryder, he won't get anywhere in the Alliance." Adams pulled up a quick display of Scott's service record. Several commendations and marks that would normally be the fast track up the chain of command. "He's not much younger than you, Commander, but no good deed is going to undo his father's mistake. Not that'll he listen to me at any rate."

Shepard mulled over the information. It explained why the name Ryder came up so often in the project. If Alec was working with artificial intelligence, it would also explain Saren's interest with the outpost.

"Major Adams, my mission is to chase down a rogue Spectre. Where the Geth go, you can bet he's behind it. And if it means getting closer to catching him, then I'm going to need a copy of that data."

The Major waved his omni-tool at the Commander, "Be my guest."

"I appreciate it." Shepard stood up from her chair, checking her omni-tool to confirm the transfer. "One more thing; I'm requesting specialist Ryder be transferred to my command with the Normandy."

"Come again?"

"You did just say it was a pain to keep him around." Shepard explained. "And if the data my rogue Spectre was after is related to his family then he'll be the closest thing I have to an expert for the moment. Plus, he's good in a fight."

"Well... I didn't expect that." Adams seemed at a loss for words. "Can I be perfectly honest with you, Shepard?"

"I'd rather you were, Major."

Adams let another sigh out, "Ryder's a good soldier. If his father didn't muck it up, he'd probably make a half decent N7."

"I'm sensing a but."

"Call it a hunch but I've seen a lot of marines over my years... Even without being blacklisted, Alliance and him don't make a good fit."

"All due respect, Adams, I think that's for Ryder to decide." Shepard stated firmly before exiting.

The Commander continued her stride, making her way through the outpost in search of the barracks. Thoughts raced through her mind quicker than she could walk. Saren's attack on an outpost so close to Arcturus was bold but clearly a feint for the data he wanted. First Eden Prime and then a relay outpost within human territory. He knows how to keep the Citadel out of his hair, that was for sure.

Then, there was the Ryder family. She had heard the name before, Anderson had brought it up when reminiscing over his N7 years. Nothing noteworthy at the time, another buried secret maybe? Shepard had trouble understanding the issue at heart though, same with Liara. How could anyone be judged by what their parents did or didn't do? After Mindoir, people said Shepard wouldn't be cut out for service with the Alliance but there she was. After Akuze, similar voices brought up the argument, but then there she was, the first human Spectre.

It brought her no small amount of satisfaction, recruiting a ragtag team of unlikely folk that no one would think could do anything. But then, the ball would be in Ryder's court soon enough. And Samantha Shepard could use all the help she could find.

Shepard wandered into the barracks, attentive eyes saluted as she approached. When she found Ryder looking her way, he remained seated on his bunk. His expression seemed bewildered more than anything. He lost interest in the conversation he was having with a blonde woman talking down at him.

"Ryder?" Shepard approached him, able to recognize some features previously hidden by the helmet.

"Shepard." He replied while taking in her emerald eyes and red hair for the first time. "Is there something I can help with?"

"Actually, there is." She ushered him over to the window with a clear view of Normandy. "I'm hunting down the rogue Spectre responsible for the attack on Eden Prime... and my ship has a spot that needs filling. Wanna tag along?"

With his duffel bag secured after nearly an hour of waiting to be cleared, Ryder made his way to the docking area. Dressed in his Alliance hoodie fatigue, he caught no small amount of stares as he finally found himself the one going off station. It was daunting, fraught with anxiety, but also mixed a strange sense of relief. Even as the Normandy promised only danger, he finally felt free.

"Scott!" Andy caught up with him midway through the hall. "Are you sure about this? I mean, I know you're fed up but you've got options."

"Yeah and this one seems pretty solid right now." He smirked. "Isn't this what you said I should do?"

"When I said figure out your life, I didn't mean go after the first attractive redhead that looked your way."

Ryder kept his pace, ignoring the comment. "I've gotta find my own way, Andy. Besides, with things the way they are, I'm not going to walk away from the chance to do the right thing."

"You still haven't changed..." She murmured.

They arrived at the Normandy waiting within the outpost hangar. The stealth frigate was a marvel, outshining any ship or fighter in the room.

Scott turned to his former pilot, "You should know I'm not just saying this... look, this is a good thing."

"Yeah, right. Am I going to be the one to tell Sara?" Andy stated with a knowing look.

Scott considered going in for a hug but settled on a handshake, "Seeing as I'm going to be busy helping the first human Spectre chase another rogue Spectre, that'd be great."

Andy accepted the handshake with a shake of her head, "Of course..."

He continued walking backwards to the Normandy, "Oh and feel free to mention there's a Prothean expert on board. We're probably going to dig up tons of Prothean stuff along the way."

"She's going to kill you." Andy told him over the noise of the frigate.

Ryder stepped aboard the Normandy's ramp as the ship came to life. Halfway up, the Commander stood in her fatigues, waiting for him.

"Ready to get off this station, Ryder?" She asked, nodding inside.

He took his place alongside her, "Lead the way, Commander."