Reyes was sitting in his private room on Tartarus's upper level, drink in hand, when he received a call over comms. It was from the angaran Resistance and being broadcast as part of a burst across Heleus. "This is Evfra. The human Pathfinder has put out a call for allies. She's fighting her way to Meridian which has been overrun by hostile forces. We've also been informed that she's been... injured, although we're not sure to what extent. We need to send ships as well as ground troops. Please contact Resistance headquarters if you're ready to join the fight."

The moment the call cut off, Reyes gained his feet, setting his drink down on one of the tables hard enough to send some of the amber liquid over the rim of the glass. He moved to the terminal in the room's corner, fingers flying furiously over the keyboard as he sent out orders to his own organization. He contacted Evfra on his omni-tool while he continued to put things in motion. "This is Shena. How can I help?"

"My people are organizing troops. We'll have a squad ready to scout out and reinforce whatever we find on Meridian. I will be joining Ryder directly on the ground."

"I'm coming with you. I've got fuel and a ship that can get us there."

"Kandros is in charge of the Nexus militia. He's coordinating the fighters and will let us know the moment he discovers where the landing zone is. We're to rendezvous here on Aya before making the jump to the Saajor system."

"I'm on my way."

He needed to be there already. His small ship was fueled and ready by the time Reyes reached it. Mouth firm, he ordered his best pilot along but took the controls himself for the time being. He was anxious and antsy, and needed the distraction that flying would provide.

The trip to the Onaon system and Aya was uneventful, and Reyes was sure he'd made it in record time. He passed along his clearance codes and docked alongside the Initiative ship that was already berthed by the sparse collection of angaran shuttles. A large squad of angaran soldiers awaited his arrival, as well as both Evfra and Kandros. Forgoing codenames, he introduced himself as Reyes Vidal, giving the turian a firm handshake. They got down to business quickly, splitting into teams. Evfra and one of his top ranking officers were to ride along with Reyes, and in a flurry of activity, they were refueled and ready for takeoff.

Reyes abdicated the pilot's chair, remaining at Evfra's side to take part in the planning. A stream of incoming updates and intelligence made the trip to Meridian an eventful one as they joined their allies behind the front lines. They faced the Archon's fleet with a squadron of Remnant fighters. The Tempest was a beautiful sight, and as the battle commenced, things became dire very quickly. The Pathfinder's ship pulled some fancy maneuvers, breaking through the kett line and ushering the way to Meridian's surface. Reyes's ship entered the fray shortly after Ryder made planetfall.

A kett dreadnought fought to keep pace with the crashing human Ark, and by all accounts the situation was deteriorating rapidly.

Kandros announced their arrival as they patched into the Pathfinder team's comms. The nomad was a shiny black and blue blur as they flew overhead, utilizing his ship's guns to take down kett fighters. As soon as they learned Sara was on foot, they landed, emerging out into a tropical paradise. Ryder, Drack, and Vetra were engaging ground forces, and gripping an Avenger assault riffle, Reyes hurried to her side.

Watching her in combat, it didn't look to Reyes like she was injured. "Are you alright?" He asked when there was a lull in the fighting.

She turned anxious eyes to him. "He took SAM."

The gravity of that simple statement hit him with the force of a blow. From what he'd been told, separating SAM from Sara should have killed her, to say nothing of her dependency on him in combat and for emotional and tactical support.

He found himself giving her a long, assessing look, trying to evaluate her condition, but they didn't have time to speak further. Kett troops swarmed the field, and fighters peppered the air overhead, and the battle resumed in earnest.

They cleared the area, reaching a large Remnant structure. Her team left them at the door, asking that he, Kandros, and Evfra hold their position to keep them from being overrun should reinforcements appear. Reyes didn't like it, but a strike team consisting of angara and krogan joined Sara inside, and keeping his comm channel open, he was able to listen in as she fought her way to Scott and the Archon.

"Are you alright?" He checked in with her repeatedly over comms. He needed to stop asking her that, but he was restless, feeling as if time had slowed to a crawl in her absence.

Listening to the fighting and her status updates didn't do much to speed the time along until Sara and her squad reemerged, but when they did, the air was alive with celebratory relief. Everyone waited expectantly for some kind of victory speech, so she gave one. Reyes stayed long enough to witness it, before meeting her eyes. Giving her a wink, he headed off in the direction of Kandros. He and Ryder both had plenty of loose ends to tie up with everyone present.

He kept himself busy, wishing to give Sara some time to recover, bedding down in one of the communal tents set up by Evfra's people to catch some shut-eye. He let a day go by before he sought her out. It seemed she'd spent the entirety of the past twenty-four hours in the medbay along with her brother.

Later that evening, they sat outside, watching the aurora that resulted from the static discharge coming off of the grounded Hyperion. Her head rested on his shoulder as they leaned against each other. "We should get out and explore this place," she said with a sigh.

Taking ahold of her hand, Reyes gave it a squeeze. She was an explorer, and there was a lot still out there waiting to be discovered.

"Are you feeling alright?" It was like a litany, something he was compelled to constantly know the answer to.

"Of course." She said, looping her fingers between his. "I'm just supposed to keep my combat profiles offline for a while."

"And SAM?"

The artificial intelligence answered for himself. "I am well, Mr. Vidal. The experienced separation was interesting for both of us."

"I'll bet. Now you truly know what fear is."

"And cohesiveness," the artificial intelligence countered.

Reyes gave Sara's hand another squeeze.

She'd gotten SAM and her brother back. Meridian was activated. It was starting to feel like 'mission accomplished' all the way around.

"What's he like?" Reyes asked.

"Who?"

"Your twin."

"Right now? Frustrated and restless."

"Is he anything like you?"

"Kind of."

A grin spread over his face. "He sounds wonderful."

She smiled at the compliment. "But not really. He's more... shall we say... casual. He's got an amazing sense of humor. He's stronger than me, of course. He's tall, like you, over six feet."

"You're the Queen of casual."

"Only with you," she argued.

"And you're unfeasibly short."

She shoved against his ribs, making him grunt before she continued, "He's kind of rash, and follows his heart." That sounded like Sara to Reyes, but he supposed it was all relative. "He knows me better than anyone."

"Maybe not anymore?" he asked lightly, brushing the hair back from her brow.

She smiled up at him, her eyes searching his face. "How about you? Did you have siblings?"

"No," he said simply. He didn't like talking about ancient history. He moved her hand up to his lips, placing a kiss inside her palm.

"You should meet him."

"I'm sure I will."

"No, I mean, you should meet him now. Tonight."

"Are you sure that's a good idea? The poor guy's got a hell of a lot to process already, and didn't he get the brunt of the trauma from the Archon's mind games?"

"Yes, but he's going to be mission-ready any day now. Scott's going to learn about you, eventually, and I'd rather get it done, now, while he'd dying for a distraction. He's edgy from being cooped up for so long, and, I don't know, I think it would be weird if he finds out that you're here and you didn't bother to go see him."

That sounded reasonable. Reyes was sure he could pull off a semblance of a good impression with the man, given all he'd been told about him. He smoothed back his hair with one hand, nodding his agreement.

"Give me an hour. Then come see us in the medbay." She pressed his hand in turn before freeing herself from his grip. She hopped down from their seat and headed in the direction of the Ark.

It obviously meant a lot to her. He was just starting to suspect that she and her twin had a closeness she'd been struggling to operate without since arriving in Heleus.

Reyes had spoken at length to Kandros following the battle, and apparently, after helping during the Pathfinder's call for allies, he no longer need fear being blacklisted by Nexus leadership. It was incredible, and it was going to take some time for him to fully process.

He waited the requested amount of time before making his way to the Hyperion's medbay. It was populated with medical staff and various patients who'd suffered mostly superficial injuries during the ship's touchdown and the fighting that took place both before and after that event. Reyes considered it a wonder there weren't more dead after hearing the details of when the kett had initially boarded.

Sara was talking to a handsome young man that was propped up against the pillows in one of the beds on the right side of the room. He shared Sara's easy smile, her hair color, and skin tone, leaving little doubt as to his identity.

Moving as unobtrusively as he could, Reyes stepped up to Sara's side, giving them both his most charming smile. "Hi. I don't want to intrude."

"You're not," Sara was quick to say. "Scott, this is Reyes."

While Sara's eyes were a deep, dark brown, like the holos he'd seen of her father, Scott's were a soft light blue. He met his gaze directly, giving him a strong, assessing handshake.

Stepping back, Reyes took Sara's hand and gave it a squeeze, seeing the other man watch the purposeful motion.

"My sister's told me about some of the trouble the two of you have been up to. Sounds like I've missed a lot."

"I'm sure SAM has recordings, if you want details," Reyes offered, hoping to inject humor into the exchange, since he knew the given topic was potentially a sore one for the other man.

Scott laughed. "Seeing how capricious your company makes her, I'm already a fan. You can count on me to have your back where she's concerned. She doesn't like being bested by anyone, so we should team up, and stick together."

"Scott!" Sara said with indignation.

Reyes felt the corner of his mouth kick up in a grin. "Oh, I think we're going to get along famously, you and I."

His initial impressions were good ones, Scott shared his twin's aura, the pull that made you want to spend as much time around them as possible. He was dreadfully good looking and intense, giving off an air of protective potency, and while he might ultimately lack the maturity the Pathfinder posessed, Reyes felt he was looking at the best person in two galaxies to have Sara's back.

A medical tech began to discuss Scott's health with Sara, so Reyes took that as his cue and seized the opportunity to slip away, giving the twins more time to reconnect. He left the sterile environment of the Ark's medical center, taking note of the teams prepping for blocks of stasis revivals on his way out. His thoughts were weighty and numerous as he left the Hyperion to walk the grounds outside. The vegetation was lush and green, unlike anything he'd seen in Andromeda so far.

His mind was still busy racing when Sara contacted him over comms later on. "Hey. You're not going to leave tonight, are you?"

"I wasn't planning on it."

"You should bunk with me. I'm headed for my dad's old room if you want to meet me there."

He realized that he'd had a glimpse of it once, briefly, when she gave him directions to it. It was on the habitation deck, tucked away down a hall off the main atrium.

When he arrived, Sara met him at the door, pulling him inside. The door sealed behind them, locking the outside world away for the night. The room was comfortable and intimate, and they sat next to each other on a large, soft bed.

"Scott finds you charming," she informed him as he moved to pull off his boots.

"Is that right?" he asked, hearing the smile in his voice. He set his boots aside and turned to her, softly tracing his fingers down the line of her neck.

She moved into his hand, eyes sliding closed before opening again to meet his. She dropped her gloves and scarf on the floor, but when she reached for the zipper on her jacket, his hands intercepted hers, taking over the task.

He slid the zip slowly down, pushing the leather back and off her narrow shoulders. He made for the hem of her shirt, next.

"SAM, can you dim the lights?" she asked breathlessly.

"But I want to look at you." The room was very bright, but he wanted to see everything.

SAM left the room's lighting as it was.

"Suvi's organizing a party, a way to get the Initiative leadership mingling with the people who helped make this a victory. And my crew, of course."

He grunted. It sounded dreadfully boring, and not at all like something Sara would enjoy, either. "Sounds like work, to me."

She laughed, "Yeah. Wish there was some way for me to get out of going."

He cupped the side of her face, smoothing his thumb over her soft lips. They were pink and welcoming, parting under his gentle caress. He'd never get enough of her, she was in his blood, essential to him in every way. He leaned in to taste her, brushing her mouth with his, needing her like oxygen, requiring contact to reaffirm the reality of their situation; she was safe, and his, and they'd won. He coaxed her open, his tongue softly licking her lips, moving to taste her mouth and claim its sweetness, encouraging her tongue to dance with his in an easy glide.

She returned his kiss with tender urgency, moving into him as if his kisses were all she ever needed.

He pulled the soft cotton of her shirt up and over her head, exposing one of her no-nonsense bras. He brushed his thumbs over her nipples, watching them tighten through the thin fabric. Following her ribcage around to her back, he unhooked the garment, pulling it from between them.

He curved his hands around her breasts reverently, touching the softest part of her. He kissed his way down her neck, rubbing his lips against the delicate skin as he made his way over her collarbone, nibbling her flesh as he moved on to her nipples. He licked all around the pink tips, scraping his teeth over her as she arched her back, her fingers sliding into his hair. He dragged his tongue over the sensitive nubs, sucking her in to draw on her with strong pulls.

He wanted her naked, needed to see every part of her, but he wanted to keep pace with her state of undress, to feel her skin against his, so he shrugged off his own gloves and jacket, making his way slowly through the layers covering his own chest. When he pulled his arms free of the last of his upper garments, he moved into her, feeling her heartbeat through his pectoral muscles, his own heart hammering back an answer.

She continued to grip his hair as he ran his hands over her, feeling the lean strength in her shoulders and back. His teeth sank into the soft skin where her neck curved into one narrow shoulder, holding fast as he pressed her against him.

She moved one small hand down to work the fastening on her pants, and again, his hand overtook hers, working the button and zipper at a leisurely pace, drawing her clothing open.

He traced the shape of her through her panties with his fingertips, moving inside her trousers to brush down between her legs, his touch gentle and exploratory.

The hand in his hair tightened as her other moved to grip his lower arm, encouraging his caresses.

Hooking this thumbs inside her waistband, he pulled both of her remaining articles of clothing down, sliding them over her hips and off her silken thighs.

She maneuvered her pelvis to aid his efforts, coming off the bed as he pushed everything down and over her small feet. She stepped free, and naked, returned to her seat on the bed at his side.

Gripping her behind her knees, he pulled her legs open, sliding her across the bed until she fell onto her back. Moving to his knees, he rubbed his face against her flat belly, kissing his way down her body as he positioned her thighs with sure hands.

In the bright light of the room he could see every detail of her, and his eyes locked onto the pink flesh between her legs. He slid his thumbs against her, parting her folds and petting her labia, nudging her open. Moving close, he licked his way up her slit, brushing his tongue over her with gentle swipes.

She gasped into the quiet of the room, her thighs trembling under his hands as she canted her hips toward him.

He lanced her with his tongue in answer, pressing deep. He wanted to devour her, to turn her into a boneless puddle of raw nerves. He fucked her with his tongue, circling inside to taste and feel as much of her as he could. Encouraged by the sound of her heavy breathing, he dragged his tongue roughly upward, lashing at her clit. Pressing his tongue flat against her, he nudged the small bundle of nerves back and forth in a quick motion, pushing her quickly toward her peak.

He worked her with patient fascination, noticing everything, the sounds she made, the way she fought to both stave off and reach what she was moving toward. His tongue tapped against her, in a sure, steady pace until her fingers scrambled in his hair, and she cried out as her flesh convulsed against his mouth, swelling in strong pulses.

He hummed into her flesh, pleased with her responsiveness and his ability to play her.

He kissed the soft skin on the inside of one thigh, his hand smoothing over her trembling labia as she came back to him.

The hands in his hair moved to cradle his face, and sitting up, she encouraged him to take her lips.

He crawled up her body, kissing her with all the hunger he felt within him, his tongue sliding against hers. He breathed into her mouth, sharing soul-sucking kisses with her, bringing her blood back up to a slow boil with the heat of his excitement.

Her fingers slid down over his chest, brushing his nipples on a path over his abdominals, tracking down until they met the barrier of his pants. He helped her pull open his belt, working his fastenings open and pushing his trousers and boxer briefs down and over his ass and off, leaving them naked on the bed together. He covered her body with his larger frame, mouth fusing with hers, his hands touching everything he could reach.

His knees found a home between her legs, but when he moved a hand between them to guide his cock to her, her hand was there, squeezing his fist.

"Wait," she said on a whisper. Moving up onto her elbows, she pushed him back and off of her, urging him to sit on his haunches with a hand set in the middle of his chest. "Let me taste you."

His belly clenched as she moved, and taking him in her fist, she licked her way over the tip of his shaft. Curling her tongue around the head, she pulled him inside her mouth, her cheeks going hollow as she sucked him deep. He felt himself bump up against the back of her throat as she relaxed her jaw, the soft wet cavern of her mouth caressing the length of him.

The suction she applied was driving him crazy, and he fought against the impulse to fuck her mouth, letting her keep control, and watching as she endeavored to both explore him and bring him pleasure. He held on for as long as he could, but at the telltale tingle at the base of his spine, he pulled free of her mouth, rolling her beneath him.

He was hard enough to smash rocks, so he didn't need a hand to steady him as he pushed forward, slipping against her wet flesh to notch himself at her gate. Tilting her head back with both hands, he waited until her eyes met his, then pushed. Their mouths fell open as he penetrated her, his hips rocking to advance his way into her tight body. He bore down, pulling back before progressing in shallow thrusts as her thighs gripped his hips.

He groaned low and deep as he reached full depth, feeling it deep in his bones, to the very tip of his toes as he hilted inside her. He wanted to give her time to adjust to his invasion, desperately wishing to make love to her and not have it be a quick, frantic fuck, but his body and his mind had different agendas, and without more than a very brief pause, his grip on her tightened and he began to move, pulling almost completely free of her body before thrusting deep, over and over. Breathless and eager, his hips began to piston into hers, his body shoving hers higher up on the bed.

His knees slid up under her hips, helping him gain leverage as he rocked into her body, hearing her soft cries as he pushed and pulled against her body's constrictive grip, feeling the slide of her body milking his in a wet, hot ride. He set a frenzied pace, and gripping her thighs, he moved back, up on his knees, so he could see between them. He watched as his hard flesh moved in and out of her body, sliding wetly from her only to disappear back inside, faster and faster, the sight like a narcotic, simultaneously hypnotizing him and making him even more frantic.

The angle hit her just right, and her beautiful eyes fell shut as she fought to keep up with him, her body wracked with tremors. He watched her as she broke apart beneath him, the sensation like nothing he'd ever experienced, a feeling of triumph and satisfaction, fueling his hunger for her and everything she was, a desire to draw out the encounter while experiencing it to its fullest. His hips fell completely out of rhythm, his movements becoming choppy and erratic. He fought to reach deeper as he felt the damn burst, and he grunted as he flooded her insides with warmth, his seed pulsing into her in waves to drain him completely. Gasping for breath, he stretched out beside her, slipping gently from her body and gathering her close.

He held her tight as he waited for them both to calm, his hand softly smoothing the hair back from her face.

His eyes slid open and he found her looking back at him. He felt like he could lose himself in her gaze.

"How long can you stay?" she asked him faintly, as if she were afraid of his answer.

"I need to get back to Kadara, you know that."

"Yes, but at least stick around until the party."

His hold on her tightened. "All right. I'll be here long enough to attend the party. I promise."

She leaned in to press her lips against his. For her, he felt like agreeing to anything.