A/N: How to get through lockdown? With Andromeda's second sexiest Angara, of course.

Akksul had no idea just how the skkut it happened, but it did.

He would rather die than admit it to anyone, but he had developed somewhat of an obsession with the Pathfinder. He had the look she gave him after he shot Jaal burned into his mind. She was disgusted with him and she made him very aware of it. Since then, all he could think about was her smooth golden skin, bright grey eyes and long chocolate coloured hair. He had been involved with many women but something about her was different. Alien.

But he kept his obsession to himself.

So, how did he end up shut in with said Pathfinder?

That was his own fault.

He had seen the Pathfinder on Elaaden when he had been running errands for the Moshae. He had been given permission to visit the Elaaden outpost on the proviso that he behaved himself. Her presence was immediately obvious when he got there because of her impressive ship towering over the small pre-fab buildings. It was not even 10 minutes later when he caught sight of her overlooking the outpost from the highest building, sipping some unknown beverage. The sun had started to lower in the sky, and it caught behind her, giving her an ethereal glow. Their eyes locked onto each other before Ryder turned away slowly and walked back into the building.

Later that day, he saw Ryder getting into the Nomad and setting off into the dunes that surrounded the outpost.

What happened next was purely accidental.

One of his former Roekaar soldiers had been monitoring splinter groups that had broken off from the Roekaar. The soldier was only acting under Akksul's orders to monitor anyone planning attacks on the Initiative and the Resistance. The Soldier had been trying to entertain his young child, who out of nowhere managed to break into Talon wing's comm channel, while he was working. Akksul seriously considered offering the child to Evfra as a peace offering. Talon wing had been planning to kidnap the Pathfinder and had been tracking her whereabouts.

Akksul jumped into his own vehicle and travelled to the coordinates that his soldier had given him, knowing that Talon wing where planning to make a move. He travelled for ages, until he happened upon a solitary building among the sand dunes. The sound of gunfire quickly reached his ears.

It seemed that Ryder was doing well on her own against half a dozen attackers. It was only when more arrived that Akksul decided to step in, hitting enemy targets with his sniper rifle. Once he was satisfied that all the targets were down, he had intended to leave without her knowing he was there.

Ryder wasn't going to let that happen.

"I know you're out there, Akksul." Her voice echoed from his communicator; the teasing tone unmissable. "Come get me."

Against his better judgement, he entered the building to find Ryder leaning over a Talon wing soldier, tapping away at the communicator on his wrist. "What are you doing, Pathfinder?"

"Hunting for information." She replied quickly before standing up to face him. "So, how did you know I was in danger?"

Ah, there it was. The suspicion. "I have my ways."

"So I've heard….." She smirked, as she directed her eyes to his crotch. "But I suppose, thank you."

Akksul's reply was cut short when a new voice echoed around the small room. "Alpha unit, report. Has the Pathfinder been secured?"

After a few minutes, the voice came through again, obviously irritated. "This is, Calot. Report!" He barked down the comm. "I demand a report!" Insubordination will not be tolerated."

"Who the fuck is this guy?" Ryder asked Akksul.

"Calot. He was one of mine, a long time ago." He admitted.

"Zelan, report!"

"So you know him?" Ryder was getting increasingly irritated by Calot's droning, whiny voice. "Is he dangerous?"

"If you idiot's have let her escape, you'll find yourself strung up by your ankles, dangling over my Eiroch."

"No. He's like a child having a permanent tantrum." Akksul hated Calot for many reasons. The biggest reason was Calot enormous sense of entitlement. If he didn't know how horrible Kett camps were, he'd have regretted helping the younger man go free. "Trying to have you kidnapped is a move I never would have thought he was brave enough to make."

"You call it brave; I call it stupid."

"Somebody report!"

"Gah!" Ryder had reached her limit. She couldn't stand to listen to Calot any longer. She activated the comm on the dead soldier. "This is Pathfinder Ryder. You'll have to train your people better than that, mi amigo."

"I'll get you yet, Pathfinder."

"I look forward to it." She snatched the comm of the soldiers wrist and smash it underneath her booted foot. "I'll enjoy punching him in the face."

"You seem resigned to being kidnapped." Akksul commented on her nonchalant mood.

"If I worried about every threat to my life, I'd never leave the safety of the Nexus." She shrugged. "So, are you going to tell me what you were doing on my outpost?"

"I was running errands for the Moshae." He replied, but the rest of what he wanted to say was cut off by SAM.

"Pathfinder."

"What is it, SAM?"

"A sandstorm is quickly approaching this area. It would be advisable not to leave the safety of the cabin."

"It's only a sandstorm, SAM." She huffed.

"Unfortunately, this area is unique to Elaaden only. The sand particles get super charged by the energy from the sun. The energy would deplete your shields before you could make it back to the Nomad."

"Can we assume that your vehicle wouldn't provide protection either?" Akksul asked.

"That is correct. You may also experience a delay when communicating with me."

Ryder groaned in annoyance, while rubbing her forehead. "How long will it last for?"

"Three days."

"What?!" Both Akksul and Ryder shouted in unison.

"It seems that this was a place to hide supplies. There is enough to sustain you both in for seven days. There are also beds in the adjoining room."

"Fan-fucking-tastic." Ryder groaned as she slumped down onto a storage crate. "Let the crew know and I want updates SAM."

"Pathfinder. I'm detecting a temperature spike. Taking off your armour would be advisable."

That was how Akksul found himself laying on the galaxies most uncomfortable bed, watching a little too intently while Ryder was bending down, searching the storage for supplies, as her shapely alien backside strained against her underwear.

It was going to be a trying three days…..