#Ryder x Jaal

[drowneddaisy]

Viola Ryder’s life has been quite eventful lately 🪻

[jarino]

Awake at Last

After months of being in a coma, Emmett finally wakes up. Bridget rushes to see him, but Emmett isn't as eager.

AO3 Link

The Tempest is flying through the Faroang system when Bridget gets the news.

She and Jaal are in the middle of watching a movie; more engrossed in each other’s company than in the actual plot, when SAM decides to notify her.

“Pathfinder,” he tells her urgently. “There is an incoming message on the vid-comm channel.”

Sighing, she asks, “Is it Tann? Or Addison? Unless it’s life or death, I think they can afford to wait another hour…”

“It is from Dr. Carlyle.”

In an instant, Bridget is on her feet, sprinting for the meeting room. Jaal scrambles after her, wondering what has her in such a hurry.

He comes to a stop at the base of the ramp, worriedly glancing up as she answers the call.

“Harry?” she asks frantically, fear dripping from her voice. “What is it? Did something happen to Emmett?”

“Bridget! Thank goodness you picked up…Emmett is fine, but…I needed to tell you. He’s awake.”

In that moment, she swears she stops breathing. Scant moments pass before she’s speaking into her comms. “Kallo, change of plans. Take us to the Nexus. Now.”

There’s a brief pause of hesitation before she receives an answer. “Right away, Pathfinder. Setting course for the Zheng He system.”

Bridget turns off her comm and releases a heavy sigh as she leans against the meeting room table. She feels bad for being so short with her pilot, but right now, there’s only one thing on her mind. She has to see him. To know for sure that he’s okay.  

“I’ll be there as soon as I can, Harry…”

“Roger that…I’ll make sure he’s still in one piece by the time you get here.”

Harry hangs up after that and while his quip would ordinarily make Bridget chuckle, right now she’s too overcome with worry to see the humor in it.

Jaal cautiously approaches Bridget where she’s leaned over the console, tentatively placing a hand on her shoulder. “Darling One…Are you all right?”

She chuckles half-heartedly, stepping into his arms and hugging him tightly. “I wish I knew…” she mutters, letting out a heavy sigh.

Rumbling thoughtfully, Jaal lays his cheek on top of her head. “Would you like to talk about it?”

With a sigh, she leans into his embrace. “No…I think…Right now, I just need some company.”

Smiling, Jaal pulls her closer. “I think I can manage that.”

-----

When they arrive at the Nexus, Bridget speeds through the crowds as fast as she can. She silently curses the people who get in her way. Don’t they realize they’re keeping her from her brother?

Thankfully, she arrives at the Hyperion med bay soon enough. She enters the door and spots him almost instantly. There, sitting up on his bed and chatting with Harry is Emmett. She lets out a small gasp, her feet carrying her forward.

Tears begin to well in her eyes and she approaches him with arms spread wide. “Emmett!”

He looks at her in shock, his expression taken aback before his brows furrow in anger. “You lied about Dad.”

Her smile begins to fade and she takes a step forward. “Oh, Em…” she says sadly. She tries to go in for a hug, to comfort him, but he crosses his arms over his chest, glaring at her.

Bridget lamely drops her arms, hurt swelling in her throat. It’s been so long since she’s been able to speak with Emmett properly. She’s been so worried about him these last few months, and she can’t even give him a hug. She knew her lie would come back to bite her in the ass, but she hadn’t realized just how angry her twin would be about it.

“Why?” Emmett growls, venom in his voice.

She lets out a heavy sigh, tentatively sitting next to him on the bed. “I had no idea what that kind of news would do to you. You were in such a fragile state as it was…I didn’t want to hurt your recovery.”

“Yeah, well, it’s hurting pretty bad right now,” he says bitterly.

She balls her hands into fists, clenching them atop her lap. “I know…But…I hoped I could be here to help you through it.”

A few moments pass before Emmett reaches toward her with one arm, his voice cracking slightly as he utters, “Come here.”

Instantly, she falls into his embrace, a warbled sound escaping her throat.

She wants to keep holding tight and never let go.

“It’s just you and me now, Bridge,” he says quietly.

Bridget gives a solemn nod. “The terrible twins,” she murmurs.

This doesn’t feel real. After all this time, she never thought she’d be able to hold Emmett again. She soaks up the moment for all it’s worth.

They sit like that for a few minutes, each trying to cope with their emotions. Eventually, Emmett speaks again. “I’ve been hearing rumors that you’re the new pathfinder?”

Bridget lets out a cynical chuckle. “Yeah…Dad’s parting gift.”

“I’m sensing there’s a story there.”

Sighing, she answers, “Back on Habitat-7…we encountered both the kett and a bunch of Remnant tech. Long story short, things went to shit and my helmet got busted. So, Dad…gave me his.”

Emmett snorts sarcastically. “Huh, so he did know how to be a parent after all.”

“Don’t I know it?” Bridget mutters.

They sit in silence for a bit before she adds, “I’m sorry for lying to you.”

Sighing, Emmett says, “It’s okay. I get why you did it. Honestly, I’m not sure what I would have done if the situation was reversed.”

“Well, the good news is…now that you’re awake, it’s only a matter of time before you get to join our wacky adventures.”

“Why wait? I’m ready now.”

Emmett attempts to stand, but his legs begin to buckle beneath him. Bridget manages to catch him in time and utters a “Careful!” before helping him back onto the bed.

Harry rushes over, a stern look upon his face. “No way are you fit for duty, sir. You need to take it easy.”

“Yeah? Says who?” Emmett bites back with snark.

“The pathfinder,” Bridget says with a raised brow. “You’re to stay in bed and recover. That’s an order, Specialist Ryder.”

“Hmph,” he mutters in response. “Pulling rank already?”

She brushes her hand across his forehead, a sad look on her face. “Only because I care. I need you at your best. It’ll take time before you’re fully ready.”

He sighs heavily, leaning back in the medical bed. “Yeah, yeah…”

Smiling softly, Bridget stands up. “I’ll let you get some rest.”

“You’d better be back. This place is boring as hell.”

Laughing quietly, she grins. “Don’t worry, you won’t get rid of me that easily.”

——

Here's another wip that's been sitting around for years. I finally decided to finish it.

[dreaming-in-sunlight]

the pathfinder’s days off often look like this

[faerieboyfixations]

[weatheredlaw]

you...make my heart sing. i want us to be together. yeah. i’d like that.

[whatsgnat]

Kaelen Jaal ♡

Together at the end of the world

[sugarbooger513]

Beyond the Stars Chapter Two

Warnings: Sexual innuendos, language, Amaya is a heavy flirt, Jaal is confused about what boobs are, mentions of death, mentions of guns

WC: 3.3k

“..and this is the research table. Here we can research and develop new weapons from the materials that the pathfinder finds across the galaxy.” Amaya runs her hand gently over the cold metal of the table, now smiling up at the Angara.

Jaal nods along to what she’s saying, giving her his undivided attention. Still, he can’t help but notice the stares as the crewmates of the ship walk past him to what he can only assume is their meeting area.

Amaya notices his eyes widen slightly, so she places a gentle hand on his arm. The contact makes him look at her once again. “I think we have a place that’s kind of.. Away from everyone. Would you like that?”

He hums, seemingly thinking about her question. “Yes. That would be nice.”

She leads into a room just off to the right, throwing her arms out to show it. “I can work out some things and get this bench over here made more comfortable. This is our tech lab, so I just-”

“Tech.. lab?”

She chuckles as he sets a few things down. “Yeah. This is where a technician would go build and take apart things. Ya know,” she points at herself with a wide smile, “I like doing some work alone in rooms like this, especially when it comes to upgrading my sister’s weapons.”

“You also take apart guns?”

“Well, yeah. I was trained as an Infiltrator in a recon unit. Upgrading guns is my thing, right behind whooping ass.”

He grins a bit at that, but there’s still a slight tilt to his head. “In… Infilter?”

“Infiltrator. It means I was trained to fight and to use technology. I focused more on the combat aspect and learning how to upgrade weapons.”

“That’s.. Interesting how we have been trained in similar ways.”

Her eyes brighten as she practically jumps in excitement. He feels her own enthusiasm rub off onto him and laughs. “Seriously?! We totally have to show each other different upgrades and stuff.”

“Of course. Now.. should we be meeting with the crew?”

Her excitement fades instantly. “Shit. You’re right. Are you alright being in here or do I need to set you up in a room somewhere else?”

“This is fine as long as no one else minds.”

She scoffs, now leading him up the stairs across from his room. “They won’t say anything about it. If they do, let me handle it.”

While Jaal goes to take a seat, Amaya quickly moves to stand beside her sister. Enya smiles as Amaya walks over.

“Found a good place?”

“Tech lab. He doesn’t seem comfortable being put in the crew room, so somewhere with low traffic is probably for the best.”

Enya raises an eyebrow. “Oh? Don’t mind giving up your hiding place?”

“Not at all. Besides,” Amaya winks at her sister, “I learned that he and I have similar interests, so I’m sure I’ll be getting along well with our newbie. Shall we start the meeting?”

Enya decides that she’ll gossip later about Jaal. Instead, she turns to the crew and begins the meeting.

Jaal can’t help but watch curiously as the sisters stand there.

Enya is slightly shorter, and her build can only be described as.. Wispy. Her short hair, which is much like the color of his own skin, brings out how green her eyes are. Her professional demeanor from Aya is gone, in wake of a casual, friendly tone with her crew.

Amaya stands behind her sister, her arms crossed over her chest. Her hair is the color of a sunset on Aya, a beautiful reddish gold. Her eyes are the same green, but they seem to pierce through other people. Her casual, playful attitude has been replaced with a serious glare. Her body, which seemed so soft earlier, seems rigid.

Suddenly, the male human turns to him with a tilt of his head.

“Umm… do our translators not work?”

“..They work.”

Amaya clears her throat, catching everyone’s attention. Enya glances over her shoulder at her sister before continuing. “Jaal, if you would please take over from here.”

He stands. “Of course. Voeld and Harvarl-”

Amaya finds herself zoning off while Jaal speaks. She stares in his direction, her eyes following his hand movements closely, but none of his words seem to stick with her.

Enya speaking makes her snap back into reality. “We have to help the Angara to get inside of that vault. This is for the good of the Initiative.”

Vetra nods. “Of course. The only question is.. Where do we go first?”

Suddenly, all eyes turn to Amaya. She blinks in confusion, but Enya laughs softly. “Come on, soldier. What do you think the best course of action is?”

Amaya smiles to herself, taking a step forward and typing things into the keyboard on the table.

“Voeld looks cold.. Colder than humans should handle. Still, if we stay inside the Nomad we should keep relatively warm. SAM?”

“Yes Amaya. The Nomad has suitable heat inside for the terrain hazards.”

Amaya swipes to the picture of Harvarl. Lush plant life seems to cover the ground. “Jaal,” the Angara instantly looks at her, “do you think we can bring a vehicle through that?”

“Not safely. It would be better to walk, but it’s a moderate climate. Maybe a little wet in the air.”

She turns to her sister with a frown. “I would suggest getting an atmospheric reading of both planets to be safe. Besides that, it’s a gamble either way. One planet seems to have a hazardous climate, but the other could have many unknowns. Pick your poison, Pathfinder.”

Enya bites the inside of her cheek, now leaning beside Amaya. “Damn.. Voeld it is. Everyone, be sure to see Amaya for heat packs to be put in your armor.”

She dismisses the meeting with a wave of her hand. When she grabs Amaya’s arm, the girl stops walking. “What’s up?”

“We need to talk about what happened on Aya.”

Fuck. “Sure. What about it?”

Enya pinches the bridge of her nose. “I told you to leave your weapons if you were going to follow me.”

“Before you continue with that statement,” Amaya pulls the pistol from her waistband, “this is obviously not my pistol.”

“Regardless of who the gun belongs to, it was in your possession and they found it, Amaya. You could have been shot with no chance of defending yourself.”

She feels a pain in her chest when she sees the fear in her sister’s eyes.

You caused this. You don’t deserve to-

“But I didn’t, Enya. Look at the brightside. They would have never noticed if Jaal didn’t decide to have x ray vision, or however he noticed.”

The small chuckle makes her jump. She never noticed Jaal waiting behind her. “I simply noticed it when it shifted. I don’t take back what I said. You did what you felt was right, and I would have done the same to protect my family.”

Enya rolls her eyes slightly. “My point still stands. I said no, it means no. Are we clear?”

She bites her tongue, stopping the instant ‘no’ that wants to spill from her lips. “..Crystal, pathfinder.”

Enya sighs. “Now, Alec junior, can you please insert the upgrades into the armor?”

She nods without a verbal answer. However, she looks up at Jaal as she walks past him. “Gonna have to borrow the bench in your room. Is that okay?”

“Of course. Would you like some help?”

“No, this is a common upgrade. I could insert it in my sleep.”

His eyes widen slightly, but she can’t miss the tinge of sadness in them. It makes her smile a bit.

“Now, I could use some company..”

That seems to perk him up again. “I can do that.”

The pair walk away together, Jaal following close behind her as they descend the stairs. In front of his room are boxes with names on them, making Amaya facepalm.

No one seems to have wanted to bother her, so they packed their armor up for her to take care of. Lovely.

“I’ll teach you how to work with different armors in case I’m ever out of commission and they need help, okay?”

Jaal nods, watching closely as she picks up a box with Liam’s name on it.

“So, most armor upgrades are going to be put in the chest region unless they help warm or cool the armor. This one goes in the back.” She points to a small indent on the inside of the chest piece.

“We just take the little pack, pull the corner papers off.. And shove it in.” The little part makes a satisfying pop when it locks into place. Amaya grins, placing the chest piece back. “Wanna try with this one? It’s Peebee’s.”

Jaal follows exactly what she did, smiling widely when he hears the pop. “Like this, right?”

Amaya looks before clapping her hands. “Great work! Now, is there a place to put one of these in your armor?”

He quickly shakes his head. “I umm.. Angara don’t do well in heat. At least.. I don’t. I prefer being cold. Thank you, though.”

She laughs softly, shoving a heater into Vetra’s armor. “If we go to a hot planet, I’ll make sure you get the first cooling reagent. Okay?”

He smiles while watching her fumble with the last chest piece. Her green eyes are narrowed in concentration as she pushes the part in. Once it clicks, she visibly relaxes.

“I appreciate that, Amaya.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m gonna change into something a little more comfortable. Are you hungry? Oh.. uh.. Can you eat what we have?”

He laughs, now standing from his spot on the floor. “The Resistance sent me things. Do not concern yourself with my wellbeing.”

She leans against the wall and smiles at him. “You’re part of the crew, Jaal, of course I’m gonna worry. Now, are you hungry? I can grab you whatever they sent you.”

“No, Amaya. I’m alright. Thank you.”

With that, she turns to walk towards the crew quarters. As soon as she descends the stairs, she stumbles. A throbbing pain in her head makes her slap a hand over her right eye.

Not now.. No no no no.

Her shaking legs can hardly hold her weight up, but she manages to stumble into the med bay.

Dr. T’perro has her back turned, paying attention to whatever it is she’s writing down. Amaya opens her mouth to speak, but another wave of pain silences her.

“Whoever just walked in, please actually- Amaya?!” The doctor’s hands are on her in a second, trying desperately to pull her from the floor. “What happened?! You have to tell me what’s wrong. Come on now..”

Dr. T’perro manages to move her onto a table, allowing her to lay on her back. Cold sweat drips down the girl’s face as she struggles to speak. The Asari quickly grabs a stethoscope, placing it against Amaya’s chest.

“Amaya, I have to know if it’s your biotics. Are they causing this?”

The moment she sees a nod she starts rummaging through drawers.

“On three.. One, two-” She pushes the needle into Amaya’s arm, slowly injecting the thick liquid into her muscle. Amaya groans, but her face starts to relax slowly.

Her mouth is dry, but she manages to find some words. “L-Lexi..”

“Yes?”

“Thank.. You.. fuck, that hurt.”

Lexi smiles, turning to throw the used needle into her sharps container. “Of course. It’s my job to keep you healthy. However.. That also means you need to start listening to what I say.”

Amaya grimaces, placing her hand back over her still light sensitive eye. “I don’t want to use the biotics. I hate them.”

“They’re a part of you. They have been since you were a child. You need to utilize them even just a little or else this is just going to get worse.”

Amaya groans softly, more from the lecture than any remaining pain. “I’ve heard it before, doc. I know it, but I don’t want to-”

She yelps when suddenly she receives a smack on the top of the head. “Want to and have to are two different things. You could die ignoring this, Amaya. It’s not a joke.”

“I never said it was. Damn, do you slap all of your patients around?”

Lexi smiles as her patient sits back up, grumbling under her breath. “I reserved them specifically for you.”

She realizes her mistake when Amaya grins. “Wanna at least take me out to dinner before playing into my kinks?”

Now it’s the doctor’s turn to groan. “You are as insufferable as your father was. He would come in and sometimes flirt with your mother just like that. It always ended in him getting slapped or called a pig.”

Amaya smiles softly as she recalls those moments pretty vividly. It always happened at home, too. That was when they were at their happiest.

“Ah, come on, I’m a little cuter than he was.”

Lexi looks over her shoulder just as Amaya pulls her strawberry blonde hair from her ponytail. When she shakes it around, the curls make her think of some dog breeds back on Earth.

“Hmmm.. a little. Certainly more tolerable at times.”

“Admitting that you find me cute? Doctor that is so.. Scandalous. I like it.”

Lexi picks up a random ball of paper, tossing it at Amaya’s head. “Get out of here. Obviously you feel better.”

Amaya catches the paper, tossing it in the trash can as she hops up. “Alright, but I know how to treat a woman, love.”

“I’m not your love, dear. Don’t forget what I told you!”

Amaya waves as she walks out, sighing softly as her eyes finally seem to be working normally again.

Can’t even use your biotics correctly. You don’t even deserve to be a-

“Sis? Why were you in Lexi’s office?” Enya walks over with a concerned look in her eyes. Amaya notices that she changed into a sleeveless shirt and leggings, no doubt getting ready to sleep.

“Oh, uh.. Don’t worry about that. Doctor confidentiality and whatnot..”

“Amaya, that’s for the doctor to keep their mouth shut.”

Fuck. “Yeah, haha, I know. I was just shooting my shot again. You’d think since I convinced one Asari to marry me I could convince another to flirt a little.”

Enya giggles, covering her mouth to try and stifle them. “Lexi is nothing like Lynis.”

“You’re right,” Amaya shoves her sister lightly, “Lynis was usually around to watch me spar with Turians.”

“That isn’t wrong. Before she would ever talk to you, she always seemed to get distracted watching you toss a grown turian to the ground. Wasn’t it usually Kandros?”

“He was the only one willing to actually fucking hit me, so yeah it was usually him.” Amaya slips into the crew room, followed closely by Enya. “I’m changing, so don’t stare too hard or it’s weird.” Enya rolls her eyes, turning her back to her sister. “So, you and Jaal share common interests?”

The wet shirt comes off easily and is replaced with a black sports bra. “Yeah, actually. He enjoys messing with guns and stuff like I do. Can you pass me those sweatpants next to you?”

“Technician?” She passes the baggy pants over to her sister.

“More like an Infiltrator. I noticed that his sniper rifle seemed familiar, so I’ll have to ask about that.”

“Well, you should sleep first. Voeld is going to be rough and you’ll need the rest. The resistance is counting on us.”

“And we have to impress that Evfra guy, right?”

Enya nods. “Get in good with Jaal. He’s either going to be our greatest ally in this or our worst enemy.”

“Why aren’t you the one getting friendly with him? Isn’t that kind of.. Your job?”

Enya rubs the back of her neck while Amays finishes changing. She turns around to face her sister as she’s running a brush through her hair. “Well, yes, but the two of you already seem to get along pretty well. I was just thinking you were going to be friends anyways.”

“Well,” she winces as a knot tugs, “that’s kind of the plan. He did me a huge favor by not spraying my brains all over the pavement.”

That image doesn’t sit well with Enya in the slightest.

“Anyways,” Amaya continues on, “any idea where he is? I promised to set him up a bed in there, which means blankets.”

“Should still be in the tech lab. Have fun with that. I need to go run logistics with SAM.”

Amaya walks towards the tech lab, grinning when Gil whistles as she walks by.

“Going to impress someone with those things just out there like that?”

“Obviously not you. No, I’m just comfortable. Does the fellow gay not approve of the cleavage?”

“I don’t give a shit. If Liam says anything, video you slapping him.”

“Landscape or portrait?”

“Landscape. Thanks.”

Amaya blinks in confusion when she sees that the door is shut. From behind it, she can hear Jaal talking quietly.

She taps a knuckle against the door a few times. “Jaal? It’s Amaya. Can I come in?”

She hears him shuffle around, obviously putting something away. “Sure.”

She presses the sensor, opening the door, and smiles at him. “I just wanted to talk to you about- where did you get the blankets?” She tilts her head staring at them. They certainly don’t look like their blankets.

“Oh, I was sent with these. I’m trying to be as little of a bother as possible.” Jaal turns to fix his makeshift bed.

“Well, I’ll get you some pillows then. You need to be comfortable. One or two?”

He hums in thought before chuckling. “Two, if that’s alright.”

She makes quick work rushing back to the crew bunks and snatching two pillows off of the unoccupied beds. If new people decide to come onto the Tempest she’ll just give them hers.

“Two pillows, prefluffed for your comfort. Did I interrupt you working on something earlier?”

He tosses the pillows to the side casually. “Oh, that? No, I was simply on a call with my family. It has been.. Quite a while since I have seen them.”

Amaya leans against the wall with a smile. “Where are they?”

“Havarl, actually.”

The sound of that planet makes Amaya grin. “So let's go see them. I can ask Enya to-”

Jaal holds his hand up with a chuckle. “Don’t concern yourself with it. Besides, they are still unsure whether or not to trust you. I will see them when the time comes.”

She nods understandingly. “Ignoring the fact you found me sneaking a gun around.. Do you trust us, Jaal?”

He seems stunned by the question, opting to stay silent. She laughs softly at the wide eyed look he’s giving her.

“I understand. What about me?”

“What.. about you?”

“Do you trust me?”

The area on him that would be a brow bone seems to raise slightly. “Do you trust me?”

He watches as her head tilts, making that long hair fall over one shoulder. He can’t help but follow its trail to her chest, where there is now only a rather revealing black shirt covering her. What is on her chest anyways? They’re too soft to protect her from any bullets? Hers are also bigger than her sister’s. That doesn’t make sense..

“I do, actually. You had every right to be angry with me, but you were understanding of the situation.” Her answer visibly shocks him.

He gulps slightly, looking over to the pillows she brought him. “I am umm.. Unsure at the moment.”

“I figured as much. Well, I’ll leave you to rest. Get some sleep. We’re gonna need it.”

She turns to leave, but stops as her hand reaches to open the door. “Hey, Jaal?”

“Yes?”

“.. I hope we can be friends despite how we started off.”

He can’t help but smile. Thankfully she’s still turned away from him. “I would enjoy that. Join me in taking apart a gun tomorrow?”

She finally looks over her shoulder at him. “I’d like that. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Amaya.”

Taglist: @katgalle, @kentosovertime, @roughwithfluff, @freeparadiseshit (Blogs in bold are unable to be tagged)

[captain-huggy-bear-interacts]

I know its probably kind of cliche but I really like the idea that humans and angara are genetically compatible/able to cross breed especially because we have 0 hybrid species in the ME franchise and with the Angara being so newly introduced it opens up more of a possibility especially as all the milky way aliens have been on blockers to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

It fits the humorous vibe of Andromeda for Sara Ryder to come off her blockers, only to find out she's having an alien baby with Jaal.

[dr-ladybird]

Hey, I saw your post on Angara/Humans being reproductively compatible. Do you have any more ideas on how the process works?

So first, I should specify that it’s not my favourite thing. I’m a bit down on noncanonical interspecies reproduction, because it has so much crossover with tropes like “it’s not a real relationship if you can’t breed!” and “it’s not a real relationship unless you have children!” and “assisted reproduction is creepy and wrong, only the natural stuff for my OTP!” and “children exist to prove their parents’ love!” and “accidental pregnancy is the best thing ever and has no downsides! Sara clearly has no other demands on her time!”

But it can certainly be done well, if you stay away from all that! Imagine the political implications of some random Kadaran accidentally knocking up his human girlfriend :-)

I’d handwave a lot and I’d blame the Jardaan. Imply that the Jardaan engineered the angara to be compatible with anything that has vaguely similar reproduction and biochemistry. Could go for human babies with a few weird features, obvious hybrid babies (character design time! They might get bullied at school, it might be best to educate them with all the other hybrid babies,) straight-up angaran babies...

If it’s a human getting pregnant, you’ll need to make sure it’s compatible with the notoriously badly designed human reproductive system (or mention medical assistance and “OK, this is possible but it’s high risk”)

But really the main things I’m interested in are people thinking about the political implications, being careful about the “love=babies, babies are essential” vibes, and acknowledging that Jaal and Sara won’t be the only ones and they probably won’t be the first.

[midnightswaltz]

Chapter 4 is up

Recombined

by MidnightsWaltz

Fandom: Mass Effect: Andromeda

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Jaal Ama Darav/Female Ryder | Sara

Characters: Evelyn Ryder, Jaal Ama Darav, LJ Ryder, Female Ryder | Sara, Tempest Crew (Mass Effect), Male Ryder | Scott, Jonathan Ryder

Additional Tags: Established Relationship, There's a baby, a human baby, there's a brief mention of a past discussion of abortion, and a brief discussion of dead beat parents, but not Alex for a change, does this count as fluff,it probably needs more fluff

Evelyn Ryder has one last secret to reveal

Chapter 4

[violasarecool]

ok but this especially funny to me bc im romancing both peebee and jaal. so all i can imagine is minh & peebs getting together, and then jaal starts saying shit like this, and it’s just

minh: .......i saw him first peebee: oh yeah? well, did he say you were thrilling? minh: well, did he say bet you i’ll get to his cabin first *runs* peebee: did he say wh--? hey wait no fair!

[jarino]

First Contact

Bridget Ryder comes in contact with a brand new species and meets her angaran crew member for the first time.

AO3 Link

Exiting the Tempest, Bridget holds her arms above her head in what she hopes is the universal gesture of peace. Numerous guards crowd around her, weapons drawn. They appear tense and mutter in a language that her translators can’t yet pick up on. She’s tempted to ask SAM how the translation process is going, but worries the natives might consider it a threat and instead holds her tongue.

As she nears the end of the ramp, one of them approaches her, seemingly asking a question from the tone of their voice. Unsure how to respond, she stands still as they scan her. She’s tempted to make a joke about taking her shoes off, but thinks better of it and remains silent.

“Eham daar goss,” the alien behind her says.

“Nasen roa.”

She still can’t understand a word they’re saying, but when the barrel of a rifle nudges her from behind, she gets the hint to move forward.

As they guide her away from her ship, she tries to look around without being too conspicuous.

The architecture is like nothing she’s ever seen before. She would love to get a better look if she weren’t currently held at gunpoint. Curious citizens crowd around them, with children peeking behind their parents’ knees to get a glimpse at the strange new alien that’s appeared.

By the time Bridget approaches a stairway where a regal blue figure addresses her, SAM’s translation seems to have taken effect.

“I’m Paaran Shie, governor of Aya. We are the angara.” She holds herself tall, looking down upon Bridget with judgmental eyes. “And who are you?”

Bridget bows her head slightly, hoping to show respect. “My name is Bridget Ryder. I’m a pathfinder with the Initiative.”

“Yes, you crossed darkspace. I’ve heard of your journey.”

A new angara arrives then; a large purple man with a flowing blue shawl.

Turning to him, Paaran says, “Jaal…I have this in hand.”

The newcomer waves her away dismissively before interrupting, “Evfra saw the ship come in and sent me to find out what’s going on.”

Paaran explains Bridget’s purpose to him as he approaches her; taking slow, measured steps down the stairs. Clear blue eyes bore into her, his gaze utterly chilling. His large frame towers over her and as he approaches, Bridget finds herself taking a half step back.

Before she knows it, he is right there; his face scant inches from hers. He envelopes her entire space and looms in a rather threatening manner.

“Aya is hidden…protected,” he growls with a hint of menace. “What do you want?”

Bridget stammers as she attempts to think of a proper response. Damn, he is big. And there are still the guns pointed at her back. This has so much potential to go poorly.

“I-I’m sorry,” she stutters quickly. “Landing here, without warning…on fire, was…not the plan…”

A long, painful silence follows her pitiful attempt at diplomacy and she cringes internally, anticipating the gunfire that will put her down.

Surprisingly, it never comes.

Jaal looks her over carefully, his gaze even and calculating, as he answers, “Good to know…Because if it was, that would be a very bad plan…”

He stares at her for a while longer before the corners of his mouth tilt up into a fraction of a smile. It happens so quickly, Bridget is almost convinced it didn’t happen at all.

“I’ll inform Evfra. He’ll be waiting for you in his office at the resistance headquarters,” he says, not looking at her. “I’ll meet you there.”

Paaran accompanies Bridget through the city, though it’s by no means a friendly tour. The armed guards still stand behind her, a constant reminder that any small slip up will result in her being taken down.

Now that she can understand their language, the harsh words they whisper amongst themselves become clear as day.

They call her a thing, a monster…and they worry of the danger she represents. She supposes she can’t blame them for their fear...Colonizers have never been harbingers of good luck. If she had known the cluster was already populated, she never would have agreed to this role in the first place.

They arrive at the headquarters shortly and Bridget spots Jaal speaking with a younger angara. She only catches bits of their conversation, but it looks as though Jaal is giving him advice. The young man clearly admires him.

When they part, the adolescent stares her down, making no attempt to hide his curiosity and distrust as he glares daggers at her.

Bridget sweats under the pressure, shrinking back slightly. She’s taken aback by how open his appraisal of her his.

“Our experiences with the kett make us naturally distrustful of all aliens,” Jaal says by way of explanation.

She nods solemnly. “We’ve had our own run-ins with the kett.”

He looks at her, his eyes calculating, but his expression does soften a tad. “Then…you really do understand.”

Jaal explains how his people have been taken by the invaders; how they often never see their families again. Bridget tries to get him to elaborate but he merely tells her to save her questions for Evfra.

The man in question is extremely gruff and ill-tempered. Bridget attempts to plead her case for entering the vault, but the man doesn’t budge.

Meanwhile, Jaal seems captivated by what she tells them. There’s a certain curiosity he seems to carry in regards to her knowledge of the Remnant. He asks Evfra if he can follow Bridget on her journey, to act as his eyes. Begrudgingly, Evfra agrees. He leaves them alone then, telling Jaal to be prepared to strike should Bridget attempt to kill him.

Bridget can’t help but frown. She knows it must be difficult for them to trust her given everything that’s happened, but she’s still hurt by the accusation.

Jaal turns to Bridget and softly says, “I’m Jaal Ama Darav. I’ll be your envoy through Angaran space.”

Giving him a friendly smile, she extends her hand for a handshake. “Nice to formally meet you. It’s gonna be cozy so I hope you like people.”

He stares at her outstretched hand before he places the back of his hand against the back of hers. Confused, she tries to correct him by placing her palm in his. He lets out a grunt of frustration, holding her wrist firmly in place as he plants the back of his hand against hers once more.

Gruffly, he mutters, “I hope I don’t regret this.”

Bridget lets out a shaky sigh as he turns and walks away. His cold reaction stings just a bit. That definitely could have gone better…

She follows behind him in silence, her gaze glued to his large back.

All things considered, it was a better first contact than their experience with the kett, but it was still an incredibly rocky start. She can only hope that things will go smoother from here on out. So many people are counting on her…She needs this to work if they are to have any hope of survival.

Perhaps, in time, Jaal will come to trust her more. Maybe, if things go well, they can become friends.

——

I started this years ago and it's been sitting in my wip document ever since. I finally decided to finish it. It's not perfect, but at least it's done.

[sky-scribbles]

‘I always hoped to bring you here.’

I like to think they found the time to go to the Forge again, once all the craziness was over. 

[faerieboyfixations]

First kiss

[weatheredlaw]

what do you need? how can i help you right now?

[itsyasyall]

Ryder have soft hair (the things i wouldnt do to have long hair options)