Message Intercept: 11:47 / Channel: secure, Cerberus encryption zulu zulu 949 alpha

Sender: [ redacted ], Normandy [ trace initiated ]

To: Major Kaidan ALENKO

Yo, Kaidan. I hear you made major. Did I ever tell you what I thought about people who earned more than I do? Anway. I still got ears, and rumor is you're the one who's being sent to pick up the Commander. Just a heads up, we're en route to the Local Cluster as I speak, ETA at Gagarin Station in [ redacted ] hours.

I'm... not entirely sure how this whole thing is gonna work, but just so you know, the Commander's still a bit... fragile. [ laughter ] Though she'd have my balls if I said so out loud. She's just... hell, Kaidan, she's practically falling apart. You have no idea what she's been through. She's got her uniform and she's put on her Commander's face and we're all just waiting for her to blow. And she will. I'm just...

[ female voice: unidentified, commence vocal recognition scan ] Edie. What's our status? I need to speak to Anderson, patch me into a secure comm buoy.

[ second female voice: unidentified, commence vocal recognition scan / ALERT / synthetic tonalities detected ] Of course, Shepard. [ system search: name. match found / ALERT / FLAG: wanted. FLAG: dangerous. FLAG: approach with caution ] Securing a line for you now.

Shit. I gotta go. Kaidan, just [ heavy sigh ] just be careful, okay? And be careful with her. Don't be too hard on her. You'll understand it all, in time. I promise. And hey. You owe me a drink. Catch ya.

[ end transmission ]

[ trace terminated ]

[ protocol: secure. on-forward message? y/n _ ]