A/N: Here it is!

I'd just like to thank everyone for the follows, favourites and reviews - you guys are really awesome, your support does help a lot :)

"Jaal? Peebee?" I try again. The rapid gunfire of an Anointed explodes into my temporary cover, spitting up rubble. I groan, dive for more stable cover behind a set of crates.

The Anointed continues its steady approach.

"SAM, sync me up with an Adept profile!"

Synchronisation complete, Pathfinder, SAM announces. I wait for a break in the hail of gunfire. One, two, three seconds. Grunting, I emerge from cover, fling my right arm forward in a wide arc.

The tell-tale boom-boom-boom-boom of a biotically assisted shockwave barrels forward, slams headlong into the Anointed kett. It lands in a heap of unmoving limbs. I flash-step back into cover, just in time.

The low drone of a kett drop ship hums above me.

To my left, a duo of Kelly's men spins through the air as a grenade goes off. They land with sickening cracks.

"Shit!" I mutter. I throw a glance to the cave entrance. "Jaal? Peebee? I need you to—"

Finally, Jaal's voice booms over the comms. "Ryder! Peebee is hurt! We need to get out of here!"

Three words and just like that, the entire world around me slams to a halt. For a brief moment, I forget about the battlefield around me. I swallow hard and try to get my rapid breathing under control. "Wh-where are you, Jaal?"

"Coming out now. Call for the Tempest!" the angaran demands.

I spin around. The sight that greets me sends my heart into my throat. Cradled in Jaal's massive arms, unmoving and far too limp, is an unconscious Peebee. Indigo blood trickles paths down the side of her head, over her arm.

"Ryder to Tempest! We need an immediate extraction! And have Lexi on standby," I order over the comms.

"Yes, Pathfinder! ETA two minutes," Kallo replies, his voice quivering just the slightest bit. Jaal finds cover behind a jagged slate of rock. My mind almost blank with worry, I rush out of cover to meet Jaal.

"What-what happened, Jaal? What happened!"

Jaal looks up, unshed tears brimming in his ocean-blue eyes. "She won't respond, Ryder… something is terribly wrong."

I lean out of cover, my gaze scanning for Kelly's remaining squad members.

Nothing.

I watch as the leftover kett weave from cover-to-cover. One… three… six… Too many!

I swipe a hand over my omni-tool. "Tempest, we're going to need cover fire!"

Cora's stern voice sounds over the comms. "Roger that, Pathfinder."

Jaal gently shakes Peebee, tears dripping down his cheeks. "Peebee? Peebee?" he whispers. I jab at a release button on the side of my head. My helmet retracts with a soft swish. I realise I'm panting when I lean my head close to Peebee's mouth.

A puff of warm breath whispers over my cheek. I release a shuddering breath.

"She's breathing!" I say, my voice shaky. The garbled sound of kett speech floats through the air. I check my rifle and lean out of cover. A kett Chosen sprints toward us. I take aim. Fire. The kett's head explodes in a fountain of green blood.

The sleek form of the Tempest arcs through the air, passes over us. It hovers a few feet off the ground, the cargo bay ramp lowering. Cora, Liam, Drack and Vetra take up defensive positions. They manage to catch the kett off-guard.

I snatch at the opportunity. "Let's go!" I order.

I sprint from out behind the safety of the rock. A Chosen steps out from behind a stack of crates. Right into our path. I think of Peebee and a fierce anger settles over me. I thrust my arm forward to trigger my omni-blade. Without breaking my stride, I jump onto a crate. Using my own momentum, I push myself into the air. The kett Chosen barely has enough time to look surprised when my omni-blade drives through the top of its skull, grim satisfaction washing over me. Should I really be enjoying this? I make a mental note and file the thought for later reflection.

To my immediate right, two kett Chosen rush forward, their guns at the ready. I rise to my feet, completely calm. With a single flash-step forward, I swipe my omni-blade across the first kett's throat. My chest feels ready to explode with rage, my breaths ragged. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, a voice warns me to slow down.

The second kett barely has time to raise his weapon. I thrust my omni-blade through its face, its mouth opening in a silent scream. I watch the kett's blood drain into the soil below my armoured feet. And I feel satisfied. More kett stream in from everywhere. My gaze falls back to the kett at my feet. My mind reels at the aftermath of my actions.

"Scott, come on!" Liam's voice blears over my comms. Clenching my jaw, I force myself to move. I notice Jaal running up the cargo bay ramp and my mind returns to Peebee. This gives me hope. A clear path lies before me as I pump my legs forward.

I find comfort in the steady stream of gunfire from my crew, trusting that their aim is true. Soon enough, I reach the ramp. I turn around to scan our surroundings. I'm about to follow after my crew when a kett emerges from the black cave mouth.

Primus.

She seems content to simply watch us, arms folded behind her back.

Cold fingers tickle down my spine and my mind screams a warning at me.

"Pathfinder, let's go!" Cora shouts from somewhere behind me. I set my jaw and pull myself onto the ramp.

Tempest, Cargo Bay, 11:32 Ship Time

Dad always used to say that feeling was good. Whether it be anger, grief, happiness… just feeling something, anything, it meant being alive. It meant there'd still be a fighting chance. He warned me about feeling nothing. He made me promise never to tread down that path. Emotion is good. Emotion will save you. I remember his words to me, as crystal clear as a bright, sunny day.

To be numb to the world, that's dangerous. Forget about the man who follows anger, or sadness. It's the man who feels empty that you need to worry about.

Standing motionless in the cargo bay, staring at a frantic Lexi and a motionless Peebee, I feel numb. But… numb is still okay, right? I barely notice Liam approaching, or Drack looking worried, or Cora storming off, or even that Vetra rushes off to follow after Jaal and Lexi.

Those kett Chosen… I can still feel my omni-blade driving through their flesh. And I enjoyed it. I enjoyed killing them.

Liam meets my gaze, his hands coming to rest on my shoulders. "You alright there, Scott?" Drack hovers behind Liam, his krogan's gaze unflinching. I gulp, the sound too loud in my ears. I take a few moments to steady myself before sending Liam a resolute nod.

I touch a trembling hand to my omni-tool. "Kallo, we should head back to Kadara Port."

"Right away, Pathfinder… is-is everything alright?"

I hesitate, my mind bringing up the images of Primus and an injured Peebee. Is everything going to be all right? Are we walking into another war? I notice Liam and Drack watching me with questioning looks. No point in causing unrest, right? I'm going to need my crew at their best. So, I lie. "Everything's going to be fine. We'll figure this out."

Over the ship comms, Kallo sighs. "Good to know. ETA to Kadara Port 30 minutes."

Some leader you are, I think with disgust.

Tempest, Pathfinder Quarters/Bridge, 15:50 Ship Time

Several hours later I lock myself away from the world and my crew.

Even Peebee, I think with shame.

Informing Kelly of the events a few hours ago was not easy. Those five men were under my command. They were my responsibility and I failed them. And as it turns out, they all had families. Kelly wasn't very receptive of my news. However, she seemed to take it in stride. Much better than I thought she would. That doesn't make any of this right, though.

I lower myself on the edge of my bed. I bury my face in my hands, already feeling the onset of a headache. No one said this would be easy. You think you have it rough now? Come talk to me once you've lost people under your command.

Oh, dad… I really wish I could.

Pathfinder? SAM's voice surprises me.

"Yeah?"

If anything, your father would ask you to stay strong. For the people you need to protect, SAM offers. And he's right. Of course he's right. I have people – family – on the other side of these walls that need me.

"Do you think that's what kept dad going?"

It is the only thing that kept Alec going.

My door panel chimes. "Hey, kid, you going to let me in, or what?" Drack growls over the comms. I type my door code into my omni-tool and allow Drack entry. The old, nearly ancient, korgan wanders into my quarters. "Sulking really isn't a good look for you."

I'm about to retort when I realise that Drack is right. Instead, I find the floor more interesting to look at.

Drack grunts. "You've never killed like that before, have you?"

I feel my face go slack with surprise.

"Jaal told me everything. He said he'd never seen you so full of hate before… hah, I told him to wake up. Everyone is filled with hate," Drack pauses, his vivid green eyes assessing me. "Am I right?"

I push myself up and grit my teeth. "Killing with hate is normal. But… enjoying it?"

Drack bellows with laughter. "Let's get one thing straight; killing is not normal."

"Animals kill all the time," I fire back.

"They kill to feed, to survive. We kill because we can. Which of the two do you think is normal?"

I turn my back on the krogan old-timer and make my way to the bay window. Sighing, I lean onto the railing. After a few moments, Drack joins me. "You got a scare today, I get it. So did we, but hiding from your problems won't solve anything."

"I know."

"Do you?"

All that anger, all that hatred for the kett, for myself, it finally boils to the surface. I snap my gaze to face Drack. "I know, Drack! I do know! It's just… how…"

And finally, Drack's gaze softens with sympathy. "You're ashamed." A statement, not a question. My grip on the railing tightens, my knuckles turning white from the pressure. Ashamed… the word feels like an unspeakable weight on my shoulders. That's really a polite way of putting it. What I am is something closer to a coward. That's what dad called himself when mom died. A few weeks just before the Initiative left the Milky Way, he would get lost at the bottom of a bottle. And every single time, he'd call Sarah and I for help. It angered me. We were hurting, too. Did he not realise that?

And then, late one evening after I had tucked him into bed, he admitted it. For the first time during one of his drunken stupors, he spoke of his troubles. What a pathetic coward I am. I never agreed… then again, I never disagreed either. I simply left him to his demons.

"You know, kid… I've been to so many wars, I've lost count of it all. Was I ashamed of all the killing? Sure. Did it get any easier? Not a chance. But, it helped having something to come back to. And then I realised, it helps even more when you know what you're supposed to be fighting for. When that krogan shaman gave me little Kesh, the fighting seemed to make sense," Drack finds my gaze and places a burly hand on my shoulder. "Kesh made all the killing worth it."

I think of Sarah, our childhood together, our time apart, those agonising few months waiting for her to wake up. I think of her boisterous personality, her easy smile, how she always has time to listen when I need to speak. And then I think of Peebee…

A vulnerability, a deep-seated need to be wanted and loved, lies hidden underneath her hardened exterior. I want to protect that, I need to protect that from this new, strange world. Peebee's my one safe harbour, a shelter I can run to at the end of each day. That's what I need to fight for. So, why feel ashamed?

The Tempest, my crew – my family – they need my strength. The Nexus, the humans, they need my guidance. And finally, I feel a great weight lift off my shoulders. I scoff and shoot Drack a smile.

Kallo's timid voice breaks the silence. "Uhm… Pathfinder?"

My smile falters. "What is it, Kallo?"

"I'm receiving an incoming vid transmission from a kett dreadnought…"

The words take a few seconds to sink in, but when it does, I'm already on my way to the bridge, Drack close on my heels. I feel that anger return to the surface and I allow it to guide my actions. Emotion is good, I think to myself.

Use it.

When I storm onto the bridge, I throw Kallo a nod. "Patch it through, Kallo."

The bay window dulls. A kett face flickers into existence. I clench my jaw at the sight. Behind me, Drack growls.

"Pathfinder," the kett answers, an eerie glint to its gaze.

"Primus," I sneer in return. "What do you want?"

So, I do apologise if you guys come across any spelling/grammar mistakes. I try my best to avoid them and look out for them.