Andromeda Tales: The First Blood.

Scott Ryder took a deep breath and looked up from the basin to face himself in the mirror. Were those lines forming on his brow? Around his eyes dark shadows had formed and his body was in a perpetual state of exhaustion. The last six weeks had more than taken their toll on him, and he was better off physically than mentally, which was really saying something. He exhaled hard and stood up straight, regarding his reflection with some measure of disdain.

"Well, you got any more bright ideas?" he asked himself before heading into the shower.

It wasn't like he hadn't done some solid work of late. Since the discovery of the murderous Kett and the Remnant Vault on Habitat Seven, and everything those discoveries had cost him, Scott had been thrust into the role of Pathfinder and tasked with locating suitable worlds for colonisation.

On Eos he had the pleasure of meeting Peebee amidst some Remnant ruins; he fondly recalled the moment she barrelled into him, pinning him to the ground. It wasn't every day a man had a young Asari scientist straddling his waist, Scott liked to remind himself. Together they had discovered the terraforming reactor buried deep under the desert and activated it. After running for their lives from the lethal machinations of the device they had emerged into something miraculous; where previously the air had been saturated with deadly radiation, it was now almost entirely safe. The radiation barriers surrounding the failed outposts sites were now redundant, and only the Kett presence and Remnant machines posed any threat. Scott had called in the Initiative construction teams and the new scientific outpost of The Initiative was born. They named it Prodromos.

Nakmor Drack, an old Krogan warrior, had joined the crew shortly after; Scott had found him battling Kett forces in the desert and although initially Drack had declined to help the young Pathfinder, he reconsidered when it was pointed out to him that the adventure ahead could help his people, estranged as they were from The Nexus. He joined gladly, and now resided aboard the Tempest, usually keeping to the kitchen. Peebee had asked to tag along and Scott had been more than happy to have her expertise on hand, and so she moved her meagre belongings into the escape pod.

Out in the depths of space, the Tempest had an encounter with a Kett warship. Through quick thinking and some superb piloting from Kello, they escaped into the Scourge, but at a cost; the Tempest was damaged, forcing them to land on a planet called Aya. Aya was the home world of the Angara, a native people of Andromeda who were at war with the Kett. The Angara on Aya had regarded the Pathfinder with distrust; the Kett had been outsiders when they presented themselves to the Angara, they had promised the peaceful, spiritual people the stars and more, but it came with a choice of joining the Kett or death. War had come to the Angara and Scott offered all he could to fight the Kett, but his offer fell on deaf ears. One Angaran, Jaal Ama Darav, saw the sincerity of Ryder and the potential for new allies, and a deal was struck; Jaal would evaluate the Pathfinder and act as a liaison. Jaal offered his rifle to Ryder's cause, and Ryder promised to help the Angara in return.

Ryder took Jaal and his crew to Elaaden, a desert planet of impossibly high sand dunes and insanely deep sink-holes. The sheer heat of the planet made it almost uninhabitable, but that didn't stop the Krogan founding New Tuchanka, their sovereign land in Andromeda, in the relative safety of a cave network following their split from The Initiative. Along with Peebee, they gained access to the Vault and activated the reactor buried there. Stepping back into the bright sun, Scott explained to Jaal how the Remnant vaults could make worlds habitable for both their people, allowing them to not simply coexist, but thrive together. Jaal had been astounded, and resolved to help Ryder with his mission, and in turn Ryder had promised his aid to the Angaran people. The two became fast friends after that.

Now he and his crew were heading back to Eos; word had come down that Prodromos was under near constant attack, and the Pathfinder was needed. Scott hoped there would be fighting, he was good at fighting. In truth, when it came to a firefight Scott knew what he was doing. These days, it was the only time he did. He'd found himself drowning in the role of Pathfinder, so abruptly thrust upon him. He'd not had time to really come to terms with the loss of his father, however estranged they had been, never mind the near-loss of his sister too. The best he could do was make it up as he went, and there were times, too many of late, when he felt utterly lost. All he had were his crew and his mission, and the weight of the entire Initiative on his shoulders.

Scott stepped out of the shower and towelled himself off. He had an hour until touchdown on Eos, and he fancied himself some alone time with his equipment. He pulled on his clothes and made for the armoury.

I He seated himself at the weapons workbench and began disassembling his M-99 Sabre marksman rifle. During his time with the Alliance, Scott had been trained as an Infiltrator, becoming an expert sniper and a cunning solo operator. His Biotic potential had been assessed but never developed during his training, with no explanation given, so Scott took it upon himself to train himself.

"Y'know, if you overclock the inertial displacement circuits that thing wouldn't kick so much." Vetra Nyx said as she walked into the armoury. Vetra was something of a requisitions officer aboard the Tempest. She had joined the Andromeda Initiative with her younger sister, Sid, and had been assigned to the Pathfinder. The young Turian female had more experience with clandestine acquisitions than she would ever tell, making her perfect for the role; if anyone needed anything, they went to Vetra. She managed the ship resources and manned the armoury, which was where she spent most of her time.

"I like the kick. Makes it feel more meaningful, and more of a challenge." Scott said, swapping tools and peering through his visor.

"Yeah and it slows your rate of fire, puts undue stress on you and the rifle." Vetra pointed out.

"Are you worried about the rifle, or the man behind it?" Scott asked with a teasing grin. He got on well with Vetra, he liked the Turian a lot and they had developed a quick, close companionship, bonding over their shared love of shooting things.

"Don't flatter yourself, stud. Do you know how many Sabres we brought from home? I'll give you a clue, it's on that bench." Vetra said, punching Scott in the shoulder.

"We have that in common." Scott said, taking off his visor and looking up at Vetra. "We're each one of a kind. Irreplaceable."

"Trust you to get poetic about your hardware." Vetra scoffed. "So what's up? I only ever find you in here when something's bugging you."

Scott sighed and set down his tools.

"It's nothing, really. It's just...everything, y'know? The whole mission got a lot more complicated real fast. Sometimes I wonder if I'm keeping up." he said, rubbing his temples.

"Aw shit Ryder. You're the Pathfinder! All of this happens at your pace, no faster." Vetra said reassuringly, slightly taken aback by his self-doubt. "And Ryder...Scott, look at me. I won't let you fall behind. Knocking down obstacles, remember? It's what I'm here for."

Scott laughed to himself and stood up, leaning slightly against the workbench.

"I'd like to think there are other reasons." He said with a coy smile. "Other than the mission, I mean."

Vetra gave him an amused smile.

"You're a smooth operator Scott Ryder. It's good to know you're putting up a decent front." Vetra said before turning and heading for the door. Scott watched her walk away before sitting down. She paused at the door and turned back to him.

"You are the mission, Scott." she said, before disappearing into the cargo hold. Scott pulled a pained face as he turned back to his rifle.

"Fuck me, that was corny."

oOo

Cora, Vetra and Ryder disembarked the Tempest and walked towards Prodromos. Since the activation of the Vault, the radiation that had plagued the planet had dropped from lethal to livable. The outpost had flourished from a handful of prefabs to a sprawling campus of laboratories, dormitories, workshops and utility plants. The hours were long and the work hard, but everyone on site went about their duties with enthusiasm.

August Bradley, Mayor of Prodromos, greeted the Pathfinder and team outside his office. He had the bearing of a military officer and ran his settlement like one, with the same discipline and efficiency that years in the Systems Alliance had taught him.

"Pathfinder. Glad you could make it. Lieutenant Harper. Nyx." Bradley said with a stern nod to them all. "Please, come into my office. We have a little situation here."

The team filed into Bradley's second-floor office, overlooking the main "street" of the outpost. Vetra posted herself by the door while Cora and Ryder took the seats. Bradley sat himself at his desk and let out a tired sigh.

"Here's the long and short of it. Kett forces are amassing out in the desert. They've been launching raiding parties at our off-site teams daily and more than a few here at home. Our defense forces are stretched thin and we've lost most of our scouts." Bradley explained as he opened up satellite images of the region on his holographic display.

"Our last reports show Kett forces are fortifying a facility five kilometers into the desert, a power plant from what we can tell. The whole compound is surrounded by kinetic barriers, but a number of generator facilities surrounding the base are unguarded. We believe a small team could knock out the barriers, infiltrate the base and sabotage the regulator systems, resulting in a cascade failure and, hopefully, the destruction of the base. We just don't have the right men for the job."

Ryder poured over the topographic maps and detailed schematics of the facilities in question.

"You've done your homework Bradley. It's a solid plan, we can definitely make it happen. You said you'd taken casualties?" Ryder asked as he transferred all the data to his Omni-tool.

"Fifteen so far. Nine men, six women...erm...females. Sorry." Bradley added with a glance to Vetra.

"That's awful. My team and I will deal with this base and I'll have the Nexus send a military contingent to secure Prodromos. This won't happen again, I promise. Anything else I can do while I'm here?" Ryder asked, standing up from his seat.

"Ask around, there's always the usual. I'm just happy to have boots on the ground. Go safe, Pathfinder." Bradley said, shaking Ryder's hand. With that the team left, and Bradley went back to his paperwork with a dejected sigh.

The team climbed into the Nomad and sat for a moment in silence while they each mulled over the situation. Eventually Cora broke the silence.

"We should radio the Nexus for reinforcements. They can be here in a day, we can take out the barriers and send in the troops." she opined, glancing between Ryder and Vetra. Ryder shook his head.

"The Nexus can't spare the men to secure Prodromos and assault a Kett stronghold. It'll be days before the reserves are thawed and ready for action, and we can't wait. We can do this ourselves, us three. We can plant charges at the generator stations then take positions outside the main complex." Ryder said, pulling up a holographic display of the main compound. "I'll take my rifle up high, on this cliff. Cora takes the front door, really draw them in. Vetra, you take my tactical cloak and infiltrate the compound. They'll be so busy with us they won't notice you slip in, sabotage the regulator and slip out again. Then we high tail it and wait for the fireworks."

"Just one issue there, Slick." Vetra said, waving away the hologram. "I've never done an infiltration job. I'd be better off going in the front with Cora, and you take the regulator. We can hold them just as well without sniper support."

"Point taken. Okay, we drop the barriers, you two make some noise at the front and I'll sneak in round the back. Let's go take a look at the generator sites.." Ryder said, turning to the Nomad controls.

The drive took them half an hour out into the mountainous terrain that bordered one edge of a massive desert expanse. Kett and Remnant facilities dotted the landscape, and there in the distance, covered with a shimmering blue bubble of kinetic barrier sat the main complex. Ryder parked the Nomad high on an outcropping and hopped out, retrieving his Widow from the load-out rack. He lay himself down in the dust at the edge of the cliff and brought his rifle to his eye.

Vetra retrieved a spotter's scope and took a position next to Ryder, and the Pathfinder was briefly nostalgic for his Alliance days. Snipers still worked in pairs, that fact had not changed even if the weapons and enemies had.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Ryder asked, peering down his scope at one small building at the base of a tall atmospheric generator.

"You mean the blood on the steps, that severed arm and some poor Kett's face nailed to the wall? No, I missed that." Vetra said sarcastically.

"Not that I'm complaining, but if there's another operator in the area, we should really find out. Let's head down there and take a look around."

They took the Nomad out into the desert and parked outside the bloodied building. Inside they found two Kett soldiers riddled with bullet holes, one of them missing a face entirely. At the second entrance, Cora discovered another Kett and a dead human clutching a bloodied knife. By the looks of it, they'd fought hand to hand, and neither lived to brag about it.

"There's our operator. Poor guy. I'll give his details to Bradley when we get back." Ryder said, taking a quick scan of the corpse. "Vetra, what's the story with these generators?"

"There are three in the area, including this one. Minimal security, they each feed directly into the barrier generator at the Kett outpost. A small demo-charge on the distribution panel should knock out the feed." Vetra said, turning from the terminal she'd been working at. "These stations have network access to the Kett base, you should take a look."

Ryder went over to the terminal and accessed it through his Omni-tool interface; he found the system to be unlike anything he'd ever encountered before and he'd need some time to work through it.

"Cora, you and Vetra take the Nomad to the remaining generators and rig them to blow. I'll see what I can get out of the system from here." Ryder said to his second-in-command. "Pick me up here when you're done. I'll keep in touch over the radio."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Cora asked bluntly. "This location isn't exactly secure."

"Find me one place on the whole damn planet that is." Ryder countered. "I'll be fine here. I need time to go through these systems, maybe find some way of making our job easier, but those other generators aren't going to rig themselves. Take the Nomad and get back here ASAP. Go now."

There was such determined finality to his tone that Cora didn't press the issue further. She and Vetra headed out to the Nomad together and climbed in. Ryder turned back to the console and dove back into the network.

oOo

Vetra could tell something was up with Cora. The woman had been silent from the moment she closed the door of the Nomad, and it was not an easy silence in the least. She practically radiated with anger and frustration.

"So, you don't think much to the plan then?" Vetra asked from the wheel of the Nomad, as she'd elected to drive.

"What gives you that impression?" Cora snapped.

"Your tone just now. And he dismissed your plan earlier, that's gotta sting for an Asari Commando." Vetra pointed out casually.

"His plan is solid, that's not the issue." Cora said, folding her arms across her chest.

"So what is then?" Vetra pressed. They had reached the second generator and, jumping from the Nomad with weapons drawn, found it unmanned.

"It's him." Cora said, entering the building ahead of Vetra with her shotgun at the ready.

"You got an issue with Ryder?"

"I have an issue with him being reckless and putting himself in danger." Cora clarified.

"He wouldn't be a Ryder if he wasn't. I heard Alec was the same way." Vetra pointed out.

"Alec was calculating, methodical and precise. Sure he could improvise if the situation called for it but he never played against the odds. Scott is just...we've already lost one Pathfinder, we can't loose another." Cora said, setting the demo-charge in the distribution panel.

"Let's move out."

Back in the Nomad Vetra continued to press the issue.

"So I guess you're not thrilled with him sneaking into the Kett base then?" she asked.

"I don't plan on giving the Kett time to notice him. If he wants a distraction, I'll give him one. Like I said, the plan is solid. He's making it up as he goes along, I can tell, but so far so good." Cora said with a sigh.

"So you're pissed that he's not as concerned for his safety as you are, that about it?"

"Yeah, that's basically it I guess."

"Then take my advice." Vetra said with a sideways glance at the Lieutenant. "Stow that baggage away and pull your head out of your ass. Ryder's the boss, and right now we have a job to do. If your head's not in the game you could end up getting him killed. You know this. Deal with it once we're back on the Tempest."

Cora was about to retaliate to Vetra's stern reprimand, when the radio bleeped and Ryder's voice filled the Nomad.

"Ryder to Nomad, how are my two best girls getting along?"

Cora rolled her eyes but couldn't help smirking.

"Famously." she said, glancing at her Turian companion. "We're en-route to the last generator, what have you got on your end?"

"A boat load of good news. I've planted a back-door in their system and have top level remote access. Pick me up when you're ready. Ryder out."

The radio fell silent once more, leaving only the whine of the Nomads electric motors.

"He's good, you gotta' give him that." Vetra said with a glance to Cora.

"The kid loves his tech, that's for sure. Takes after his dad like that." Cora admitted. The final generator was coming into view, and this one was under guard. Three Kett troopers stood with rifles at the ready outside the building and, judging by their positioning, they'd noticed the Nomad.

"Ryder to Nomad. I've just intercepted a general alert on the network, everything okay over there?"

"Harper here, we have Kett active at the last generator. Shouldn't be a problem." Cora said, raising the Nomad's own kinetic barriers. "Get me in close" she added to Vetra.

Vetra pushed the Nomad full tilt towards the generator station and at the last minute, as gunfire peppered the Nomad's shields, turned hard and drifted the Nomad to a stop. Cora sprung out the Nomad and in a second had all three Kett suspended in a biotic field, twenty feet above the ground. They hung there for a few moments with lost expressions on their faces before Cora snapped each of their necks in turn and slammed their bodies into the floor with brutal force. Vetra stepped out of the Nomad and inspected the bodies.

"Feeling better now?" she asked Cora with an amused chuckle.

"Much, thank you. Plant the charge, I'll let Ryder know we're heading back. Oh, and Vetra? Thanks...for the talk. You're right, I do have a job to do." Cora said. Vetra nodded and headed inside, while Cora got back into the Nomad. She couldn't change Ryder, and if he wasn't going to watch his own back, she could more than do it for him. That was her job, after all.

oOo

After his pick-up, Ryder drove the Nomad out of the desert and parked up in a small cave at the base of a cliff. He'd been fizzing with excitement since he hopped into the driver's seat but didn't say a word for the whole ride. Once the parking brake was on, however, his mouth kicked into overdrive.

"Okay, so here's the deal. The back-door I planted gives me total control over their base systems; lighting, power, security systems, you name it. The regulator is a stand-alone system so I still have to go in manually but, and here's a big but, I can cause all kinds of havoc to keep them occupied." Ryder gushed like a giddy child.

"So here's what I'm thinking. We approach after sun-down in the Nomad. I'll disable their perimeter sensors and we'll park the Nomad just off the entrance. I can disable the base power for thirty seconds before the backup comes online, so in that window we blow the generators, disabling the barriers. The generators in the desert are dedicated to the barrier, but they still run through a consolidation array. That array is managed on site and powered from the local generator. Once the power comes back on, the barrier will be down and the Kett will assume a malfunction in the array. I'll take advantage of the blackout to get inside and you two give them something to think about. I'll get in, sabotage the regulator and regroup with you. Then we get the fuck out of there and wait for the big boom. Easy work. What do you think? Vetra?"

Vetra looked from Cora to Ryder, wondering if the quiet Commando was going to question the plan at all. For her own part, Vetra shrugged.

"Should work. I'm game. How about you, Cora" Vetra asked, turning to the presently silent soldier. Cora looked up from her clasped hands and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"I think...we can simplify the whole thing." She said slowly, choosing her words. "If we're going to assault the base, lets make it an all-out assault."

"I'm listening." Ryder said, sitting back in his chair with a faint smile.

"Okay. We go now, not tonight, while the sun is high. We approach as you said, take out the sensors, kill the alarms and communications. They have turrets, we can use them against the Kett, give them something else to think about. In the confusion Vetra and I storm the compound and secure the open air platforms." Cora explained. Ryder held up his hand suddenly.

"Where am I in all this?" he asked.

"As per your original plan, you're in an over-watch position with your rifle providing cover as we secure the platforms. When we're ready to head inside, you jump-jet down and bring up the rear. We clear the compound and deal with the regulator and then leave. We make it a clean sweep of it and ex-filtrate in the Nomad. No need for diversions or sneaking around."

Ryder sat for a minute and mulled it all over in his mind. A great part of him liked the idea, he really wanted to put his rifle to use, but he wondered why Cora felt a different plan was necessary.

"Pro-con me on the plan." he said eventually.

"It'll be a quicker, more efficient offensive. Easier lines of communication for us, more concentrated firepower; you and I have enough biotic potential to level the whole platform if needed, we both know it, and we don't leave the Kett time to discover the charges on the barrier generators. Downside? I honestly don't see one. I planned dozens of raids like this in the Commandos, the best bet is to keep it simple." Cora explained, leaving out the point that her plan meant she could keep an eye on the Pathfinder.

"Vetra?" Ryder asked the Turian.

"Well you know I hate firefights in the dark. It's a good plan, shock and awe y'know?" Vetra said with a confident grin.

"In that case…" Ryder said with a smile. "...I'll defer to your expertise, Lieutenant. Guns blazing it is. We take an hour here. Cora, I'll transfer the base schematics and systems layout to your Omni-tool. Draw up a detailed plan with contingencies and inform the Tempest. Vetra and I are on weapons detail. Let's make it happen."

While Cora drew up the plan, Ryder hopped out of the Nomad and opened the small weapons and gear store at the rear of the vehicle. Vetra joined him as he began sorting through the gear.

"That was a good thing you just did." Vetra said, picking up a Predator handgun and inspecting it. "Going with her plan and all."

"It's a lot better than what I came up with. It was good of you to get her to speak up, I'm glad you did." Ryder admitted. "Honestly, I was running out of ideas."

"Well I told her to follow your lead, I guess she thinks this way is safer. So, what toys do we have to play with?" Vetra asked with a laugh, turning to the rack of firearms.

"I have my Widow, my Carnifex and I was thinking about taking an Avenger along, just in case. I have Cora's Disciple in here too, she'll want that." Ryder said, pulling the Asari made shotgun from the rack.

"Won't you want something a bit...lighter? I know you love that Widow but it will weigh you down. Don't we have a Raptor or something?" Vetra said, taking out the enormous rifle and weighing it in her hands.

"I've trained with rifles like this since I was a kid, and the Kett armour is tough. I want them down in one shot. Oh, you're taking a side-arm too. No arguments." Ryder said, pushing a handgun towards her.

"You know I won't use it." she said pointed out at she holstered the weapon.

"At least if your Cyclone malfunctions again you won't have to run and hide like last week." Ryder said with a smirk. Vetra shook her head in disbelief.

"Fine, I'll take a damned side-arm, but you leave the grenades in the Nomad. Last time you got all bomb-happy and nearly blew us all up!"

Ryder's smirk quickly disappeared and he withdrew his hand from the grenade rack.

"Y'know what? Fine. If it gets you to go in properly armed I'll leave my babies at home." he said with a pout. "But when something needs blowing up you better not come crying to me."

"Your babies? You got issues Ryder."

"Yeah I know. Get your gear sorted and run a diagnostic on your Cyclone, just in case. I'll check the rest than we can get to work on our armour."

Cora had laid out the plan for them in intricate details, and Ryder had to admit, he was impressed at the sheer brutal simplicity of it.

"So let me get this straight. You two charge in, I take over-watch. We clear the platforms outside, I join you and we sweep the interior, rig the regulators and then backtrack to ex-filtrate. How, exactly, is that a more detailed plan than forty minutes ago?" Ryder asked Cora with an amused smile.

"The contingencies. Primary exfil' is the front door. Failing that we have two more exits, one to the far right of the compound, and one at the far rear. The only issue with them is they entail a two-hundred foot drop off the cliff. We can fire jump-jets but the landing will still be rough as hell." Cora explained, indicating on the holographic schematics.

"I fell further on Habitat Seven, we can make that if we have to. So this is how the Asari Commandos did it then? Kick the front door in and all?" Ryder asked, closing the hologram.

"Not always no. When the job was simple we went with simple plans; this is a sweep and clear, nothing more." Cora replied. Ryder was satisfied, and anticipation of the fight ahead was making him fidgety.

"Well then, let's go knock some doors down. Cora, you're driving."

oOo

"Okay…" Ryder said as the Nomad crept up the track and he worked at his Omni-tool. "I'm back in the system now. Perimeter sensors are now offline. Cora I'm transferring defence turret control to your Omni-tool. I've set up a loop-back on their communications,they're not calling for help any time soon. Drop me off here, I'll get into position and wait for you."

Out of the Nomad, Ryder scaled the rocky cliff to it's summit in short order, keeping the rock between himself and the Kett base not a hundred yards away. He crept around to the overhand and lay himself down on the rock and brought his Widow up to his eye. The main gate was unguarded, not counting the kinetic barrier which shimmered and hummed like a blue heat-haze in the air. Through the scope of his rifle he watched the Nomad creep towards the gate and park up behind a rocky outcropping, hiding it from view. Cora and Vetra disembarked and moved swiftly into the main trail and towards the main gate.

"Final Comm's check. Sound off." Ryder said over their encrypted channel.

"Harper, standing by."

"Nyx, standing by."

"Comm's confirmed. Detonating remote charges in five, four, three, two, one, detonating."

A second passed and the blue field that surrounded the base simply vanished. Another second and the low, far off rumble of the exploding demolition charges washed over the area. Through his scope, Ryder watched the patrolling Kett look up in confusion at the sudden loss of shielding, but did not react at all to the echo of the explosion. They continued patrolling as if nothing had happened.

"Shields down, no alarms sounded. Ground Team, move up." Ryder muttered, concentrating half on his own breathing, and half on the Kett forces. Cora and Vetra moved swiftly from their positions, keeping low to the ground and taking cover behind storage crates.

"Cue the turrets, Harper. Hold fast."

The large Kett cannons that perched atop the compounds roof, which had previously been pointing skyward now pivoted their barrels down and each targeted the nearest Kett. Then they fired, and all hell broke loose. The alerted Kett watched as four of their comrades simply fell to the deck, missing a section of their torso. When the turrets turned to locate their next targets, the Kett dived for cover. Their positioning left them exposed to Ryder, and he was ready to get involved.

"Ground Team, move up and engage the Kett. Beginning covering fire."

Cora and Vetra broke cover and launched themselves up the ramp, darting behind machinery and crates as they went, until they go into firing positions and readied their weapons. Their gunshots rang out loud and clear, and more Kett fell, and then came the return fire.

Ryder drew a bead on the furthest Kett he could locate and swiftly deprived him of his cranium. Then his buddy, not two feet away and covered in Kett brain matter, lost his head as well. Ryder swung his rifle to the right and went to work on the Kett peppering Vetra with shots, the boom of his rifle making the confused Kett flinch behind their cover. All the while the cannons blasted the Kett from their holes. Ryder was beginning to think it was all too easy, and his instinct was proven right.

An alarm rang out above the gunfire, and the cannons stopped firing. Cora and Vetra continued firing on the remaining Kett until only stragglers remained. Ryder had an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, like he was looking at something that simply shouldn't have existed. This was a Kett staging area, it should be manned by hundreds of Kett, not this paltry few.

"Harper, why do I feel this is all too easy?" Ryder asked over the radio.

"Not a damn clue Ryder. I don't...hold on. Turrets are offline. Ryder what's going on?"

"Let me check." Ryder said, bringing up his Omni-tool and logging into the Kett network. The data that he found made his heart race.

"Ground Team, we have Kett drop-ships inbound, fifteen seconds out. It's an ambush!"

The howl of the drop-ships engines pervaded the air, growing louder and louder over the persistent alarm. They swooped low overhead, with their side doors open and heavily armed Kett waiting to jump. Ryder readied his rifle again as the ground team fired on the exposed Kett from their cover. Ryder only managed two shots off before the Kett jumped from the drop-ships onto the platforms below, and as he watched them go, he caught sight of Kett forces pouring out of the indoor facilities.

"More Kett from inside! Things just got interesting people, keep your heads down!"

Ryder reloaded his rifle and went back to his work. He prioritised Kett moving into flanking positions and began favouring body-shots. The Kett he fired upon crumpled like paper, or exploded like balloons. It was by no means a clean job, but Ryder was quite content to carry it out.

"Harper here, moving left. Nyx, take the right platform!"

"Roger that. Kett Heavy inbound, Ryder…"

"I have him, I...got him. You're clear, Nyx. Harper, I don't have a line on you…

"I'm good! Nyx?"

"Engaging! These fuckers just keep coming!"

The battlefield was chaos. Vetra had Kett pinned down under the unending barrage from her assault rifle, while across the way Cora put her biotics to use, lifting Kett into the air for Ryder to dispatch while she ploughed through the ranks with her shotgun. It was going well, and the drop-ships had departed, but the Kett were still coming.

"I'm pushing up!" Vetra informed the team. Ryder helped to clear her path, sending Kett toppling from the platform edge with the impact of his shots.

"I'm at entry point Alpha! Nyx?!" Cora yelled over the gunfire. She had made it along the platform and now hunkered behind cover not ten feet from the facility entrance. Kett no longer poured from it, and only the Kett on the roof above and a handful on Vetra's side remained.

"Pinned down!"

"Got you covered Nyx, reload and stand by." Ryder said, loosing off shots at the three ground level Kett, forcing them into cover. "Harper, I'm going to need a starburst on the roof."

"Barriers up, executing now!"

From behind her cover, Cora channelled her biotics into a protective secondary shield, bolstering her suits own, slowly fading, barriers. With her defences up, she activated her jump-jet and soared above the battlefield. From above, with the rooftop Kett forces training their rifles on their new target, she launched a biotic shock-wave. The fluctuating mass effect field slammed into the Kett, blasting them from the rooftop.

"Resume fire Nyx, I'm coming down." Ryder said, hauling himself up and holstering his sniper rifle and drawing his Avenger assault rifle in it's place. His landing site was clear, and so he leapt from the overhang and fired his jump-jets. His heart raced as he soared through the air, not from the thrill of the jump but from the anticipation of close quarters combat that lay before him. He hit the deck hard, grateful for the systems of his suit that negated the force on his body, and threw himself into cover beside Vetra as the Kett opened up on him.

"It'd be real great if we had some grenades right about now!" Ryder yelled sarcastically over the gunfire.

"Harper here, I'm heading in."

"Hold up, Harper! Oh shit on this. Vetra, covering fire!"

Ryder flung himself out of cover and into the central platform, flanking around the Kett as Vetra fired blind from her position,suppressing the Kett just enough. His assault rifle made short work of their shields and soon their bodies lay in a heap, their blood seeping out across the metal floor. Vetra vaulted over her cover and they both headed after Cora. The door she had entered through had shut itself, and the access panel showed it was locked. When Ryder brought up his Omni-tool to bypass the lock, his blood ran cold.

"Harper, it's a trap! Hidden network resources are coming online...interior defences...oh shit! Cora you have…"

Ryder was cut short by the unmistakable chatter of plasma auto-guns firing. The Kett had hidden turrets inside and now Ryder could only listen as they opened fire on the only person they'd see as a target.

"Harper! Come in Harper, I can't deactivate the turrets from here. Harper, respond!" Ryder yelled into his radio, but no response came.

"Shit! Vetra, we're breaching. Overcharge shields and load EM rounds."

"Done and done." Vetra said, loading the modifier module into her rifle.

"Straight into cover. I'll overload their sensors, you take them out. Forcing the lock now."

Ryder ran the brute-force override application on his Omni-tool and the door sprang open. With another wave of his hand over the glowing Omni-tool interface the device fabricated a tech-mine in his hand, one primed to overload electrical and optical sensors in a ten foot radius. As he slipped through the door he took note of the turrets, two small caliber mounted machine-guns, and launched his mine. The discharge was bright to his eyes, but blinding to the turrets. As per their programming, they shut down to run diagnostics. Vetra entered behind him and opened up with her rifle and perforated them beyond recognition.

Ryder found Cora huddled behind a storage crate, and for the first time since becoming Pathfinder, Scott was afraid for his team-mate. She was in a bad way; she was slumped against the wall, unconscious and badly wounded. The turrets had torn through her barriers, her shields and her armour. The protection had saved most of her from the assault, but there was very little of her right arm left that was recognisable, and her hip and leg had taken a number of hits too. Her suit had gone some way to staunching the bleeding, but she'd still lost a lot.

"Shit. Vetra, do what you can, we're pulling out." Ryder said. Vetra went to Cora's side and administered MediGel to her wounds, but it wouldn't be enough and time was against them. The Kett were sure to be upon them again in mere moments.

"Vetra, call the Nomad. We're leaving."

Vetra went to work on her Omni-tool and Ryder knelt beside his fallen comrade to haul her body over his shoulders. She was by no means a light woman, even without the armour and gear, but Ryder put the strain out of his mind as he made for the door, drawing his pistol with his only free hand. The Nomad had entered the compound but it's way was blocked by cargo crates, forcing Ryder to haul ass down the ramp, hurdling over the bodies that littered the platform.

"Ryder, we have drop-ships inbound!" Vetra yelled, following close behind him.

"Oh fucking great!" Ryder exclaimed. The doors of the Nomad sprung open as he approached, and he slung Cora into the passenger seat and hauled himself in beside her. Vetra leapt into the driver seat and gunned the engines in reverse.

"Well this all went to shit! Fucking hell!" Ryder yelled, punching the Nomad console in anger. He glimpsed the Kett drop-ships deploying Kett forces and felt nothing but hatred for them in that moment. They'd walked right into the ambush, like a bunch of amateurs. It didn't sit well with Ryder, not one bit.

"SAM, are you online yet?" Ryder asked his AI assistant. SAM was invaluable to Ryder but had, for the past eighteen hours, been in diagnostic mode, rendering him mute and functionally useless. It was a stretch, but Ryder was almost desperate. He sighed when no response came, he really needed his invisible friend right now. His blood boiled with rage and he wanted nothing more than to bomb the Kett to hell and piss on their ashes. He'd have to settle for second best, he decided.

"Pull over here. I'm setting the autopilot to get Cora as far from the compound as possible." Ryder said as he worked at the console. "Tempest, this is Pathfinder. We need emergency Med-evac at the Nomad's location, track and retrieve. Nyx and I are returning to the A-O, stand by for further instructions."

"Tempest here. Understood Pathfinder, we are Oscar Mike. Good hunting."

"Ryder, what are you thinking?" Vetra asked, pulling the Nomad off the road and reached for her rifle.

"That regulator is still operational, and I want a word with those ass-hats. You up for it?" Ryder asked her with a hard expression. He had Cora's blood on his hands, in more ways than he liked.

"Fuck yes." Vetra said, climbing from the Nomad. Ryder followed suit and triggered the autopilot. As the Nomad rumbled off up the track, Ryder turned to face the Kett compound.

"No matter what, we destroy that regulator. The Kett will pay; today, tomorrow, every day after, they will pay. Are you ready?"

"I'm with you." Vetra said, shouldering her rifle.

"Then let's go make a mess. Move!"

oOo

AN: Okay, confession time. I'm not happy with this chapter, I had to drag it kicking and screaming from my ass.
This was written mostly as a prologue, and it's a two-parter.

Thank you all for the kind reviews, I hope I've answered some questions. Your input is always appreciated.

Toodles x