One.

"...got no sense of…"

Two.

" ...preservation. Didn't shoot…"

Three.

Viraan tried to stand. The ground swayed beneath her. She gripped a railing, her world out of control.

A strong hand grabbed her from behind. " Where do you think you're going?" An angaran, most likely female, held her firm. " Oy, Callot, one of them is out,"

She inhaled sharply and swung hard. A sharp jab in the neck and she blacked out.

Waking up on Kadara farm in shock, Viraan learned in growing horror that Angara now turned to slavery as well. She swallowed hard and soaked up the solar rays to regain her strength. Familiar voices neared the shack. She recognized Saen and Haddon instantly on sight. Neither acknowledged her as they set about placing farming tools out of her reach. " Haddon!" She called out.

Saen turned toward her and pointed his pistol. " You say one more word and I will make sure you end up in kett custody,"

" You Veshanaan,"

" Careful," Haddon brandished a hoe. " We're not too picky whether you end up dead before we get what we want,"

Viraan lunged forward and nearly choked herself. The chain to the far post prevented her escape. All this time she thought the human would turn on her and it was her own people! Resistance members even!

The two men exited the shack again. Viraan struggled in vain to free herself but they anchored the chain to a post buried deep in the ground. Tools and resources out of reach, all she could do was watch free angara farm the vegetables that exclusively adapted to Kadara's toxic soil and water. When she finally passed out from exhaustion in the wee hours of the next morning, she woke again inside a mass land transport. Saen bled out dead within reach of her hands. Gunfire outside the transport alarmed her.

Lunging forward she pillaged his corpse for the key to her restraints, acting on pure instinct at this point. Once free she grabbed his Dhan. Whether she wanted Sara's help or not, she trusted that even Sara Ryder would help her figure out what the hell she just escaped.

The last glance over her shoulder was that of a kett transport loading up a daar's older population without resistance. Two days later, she sent the message to Sara asking for back up, not trusting her other contacts in the Resistance just yet. Sara turned the email over to Kandros promptly.

" Damn," He read it over and over to make sure that every word connected into a clear image. " And this is that female angaran that wanted your head?"

" Or my carapace," She tossed back, raking her fingers through her hair. " Shock aside, she's accusing Haddon and Saen, two former team mates, of horrible crimes,"

" Crimes that need investigated," Kandros agreed. " I'll have a team rendezvous with her. Coordinates help," He nodded to her cast. " How much longer?"

" Harry says total eight weeks," Sara smiled at the idea of being able to walk without crutches again. This wasn't the first time she needed to use crutches but it certainly is the most frustrating. " After that, I think...I don't think that Tann will let me back into the field," Truth be told from the number of experiences she had on Voeld she didn't want back in the field.

Being fired at point blank while trapped in a cab. Being almost captured by kett multiple times. Taking hits until her shields were collapsed and all she had was an out cropping, vehicle, or person to cover her. Running out of ammo in the middle of a firefight. Witnessing the aftermath of a kett raid on a daar and its hardy people. Nearly freezing to death more than once because they were forced to take the long way around kett at times. She just wasn't fit to be on Voeld, but other planets like Elaaden, Eos, or Kadara may be more suitable for her. Still she didn't want to be a soldier who was responsible for protecting people. That was too much on her conscience.

Kandros handed the coordinates over to Holland. " Do you want back in the field?"

She shook a finger at him. " You know I do. I almost died facing down well over twenty kett. All while 1. We were responding to Peebee who got lost. 2. We were on our way to a resistance mission. 3. We were ambushed. It wasn't exactly something people are prepared for. Especially former archaeologists,"

He smirked. " I think you like the thrill,"

" No. I hate the thrill. I like discovering history and people. Just not when they prefer to kill us," She shrugged and adjusted her crutch. " My brother chases thrills. Just not in women. His choice in women is more subdued, thank goodness,"

" Lexi T'Perro," Kandros stated with intention. " I approve,"

She raised a brow. " I hope you don't intend to make a move on her,"

He leaned in, taller than her. " I look forward to the challenge," His hand extended.

" You dirty dirty -you're teasing me. Ha ha. Because you'd know that I'd space you if you poached Scott's love interests while he's invested in them and they're invested in him," Half the Ops in the room went silent. " Kidding. I'm kidding!"

Kandros put his arm around her shoulder. " You know upon my turian honor that I respect boundaries. And upon my turian honor I will not insult you or your brother's efforts to help us find a home. To find our people," His arm dropped from her shoulder and pat her back. " Now hop along. I have your comrade covered,"

She looked him in the eye. " Viraan may be a - well an unpleasant individual, but she's a proud soldier. She loves her people. If you prove to her that we're just as worthy, that's one less obstacle and it's an achievement to APEX, not Ryder,"

" But it's Ryder who knows the monsters well," Kandros intended to see the whole mission through to round up Haddon and Saen. " I"ll need that mind o yours when we apprehend them,"

Sara hobbled away glad to be of assistance when she couldn't do much physically. Kandros pointed to Holland. " Team Alpha. Immediately." Holland moved to the console to pass along orders.

Scott, Lexi, and crew escorted a weakened Moshae Sjefa back to Aya where they were greeted by a welcome party of Evfra de Tershaav, Governor Paaran Shie, and assistants. " You almost killed my sister," Scott hissed at Evfra after the Governor extended an embassy invitation to Aya.

" Your sister volunteered to be useful," Evfra walked with Scott unafraid of the Pathfinder and crew. " She's living and breathing on the Nexus,"

" I know. You spoke with her. Seems you have a difficult time vetting people's character," Scott cleared his throat forcefully. " I assume you are following up,"

" Why wouldn't I?" An insulted Evfra demanded.

" You let Terev flee to Kadara," Where Sloane Kelly killed him and put his head on a stick, but that was BESIDE the point.

Evfra grabbed Scott's arm and faced him. " You do not know what you speak-"

Scott scoffed. " You are unaware of how much interracial, interpersonal politics I have encountered in the past two and half months. I have a full degree in political fuckery from field experience alone,"

" Then you understand why-"

" If you don't resolve the situation, I will," Scott warned Evfra before removing the angaran hand from his forearm. " Now I'm going to contact Director Tann and start the opening of the embassy on the Nexus,"

Evfra paused and let Scott move three steps back to the Tempest. " You can escort Prad Shan Kevas with you back to the Nexus. He requested the position and supplied a replacement sniper. Your sister can help him understand the Nexus faster. Reduce interracial complications,"

Three hours later, Prad boarded the Tempest with minimal belongings. Jaal hugged him like an old friend even though they just met, the pair bunking together in the tech lab. Vetra and Peebee snacked and watched the men from the meeting area above. " They gossip like girls," Vetra chuckled. " The angara are a strange race. Like the Elcor except with audible passion,"

" Hey! My father was elcor,"

" We know," Vetra nudged Peebee back. " Jaal doesn't let us forget. Nor does he let Liam bully him into answering every question. It's good to see Jaal with a friend,"

Peebee rolled her shoulder recalling her spat with Sara on the shuttle before it crashed. " Prad's taken. Another Sara victim," Vetra slapped her upside the tendrils. " What was that for-"

" For calling my sister a whore," Scott called up from the research station. " Thank you, Vetra,"

Vetra moved to hold the Pyjack, and rubbed his head. " That's a good boy. Too bad we can't give you a mate," The pyjak wrapped its tail around her arm and leaned in to the tender touch.

" You know that it pees everywhere, right?" Liam moved from a console diagonal to Scott. " I'm with Drack on this one. Put it in a stew,"

" Hey! That's the closest we have to a pet. We are not adopting a kaerkyn," Vetra scolded Liam in swift change from teasing to serious.

" Ha!" Peebee slipped the pyjak a piece of her veggie chips. " I bet Jaal can convince you,"

" Nope," Scott shook his head plugging away at the research station. The schematics on the screen preoccupied the Pathfinder. Vetra smirked. " Stop that, V,"

Vetra put their mascot down and leaned on the railing again. " I want to see blue babies, Scott. We'll even call one of them Alec, Sam, and what's your mother's name?"

" I appreciate the thought, but no amount of blue babies will make this world any safer until we give people the security they need,"

" Hey, Lexi!" Vetra called out the Tempest doctor that walked through the door. " You should convince Scott to let us relax at the Nexus for a few days,"

Jaal and Prad poked their heads out.

" See. Even our guest agrees it's a good decision," Scott frowned up at them and made the mistake of glancing over Lexi in subtle appreciation. The heckling lasted the entirety of the trip back to the Nexus. Before they set foot on the Nexus, Prad learned more about Scott than Evfra ever would through spies.

Tann and Sara waited for the Tempest crew.

" Sara?" Tann hesitated.

" Yes, Tann?" She smiled at him, miffed as he brushed her hand away.

" We should reconsider what I talked about earlier. Andromeda is in chaos and I'm Salarian. You need someone that can give you what you need and I need to care for the Initiative,"

Sara dropped the datapad in shock.

" Sara, I-"

" I understand," She answered quickly. " How long have you made up your mind?"

He glanced over at her. " When I spoke to Dr. Carlisle. He said that you needed an anchor who met every need. You're a hot blooded woman with so much to offer, and who you choose is lucky to spend their time with you,"

She breathed deeply. " I'm going to start taking it as an insult if people keep telling me that. First Kandros. Now you. Maybe Prad too. Goddess, I hope not,"

" The volunteer?" A surprised Tann asked.

She looked Tann in the eye. " Evfra is paranoid. He wants well trained people in case we turn on the Angara," Sara flipped through the data files with a flick of her fingers. " I don't blame him.

The Tempest set down. Both of them looked onward in relief, letting the awkwardness and tension drift elsewhere for the moment.