How it All Began
There was something very wrong about this mission. It was supposed to just be a shakedown run and a test of the Normandy's stealth systems, but there was something strange about having Captain Anderson AND a Council Spectre aboard.
Joker didn't like it.
He shot a wavering glance at Kaiden as Shepard turned on her heel to head for the comm room and growled in frustration as Kaiden could do nothing more than roll his eyes.
"I swear there's something weird going on!"
"You just don't like other people on the Normandy, Joker,"
"Hey, I'll be the first to admit that's true. I hate the idea of foreign feet walking all over my baby but that is NOT why I don't like this,"
"Uh huh. The Commander sure look like she believed you," Kaiden grinned to himself, shaking his head.
"If I hear the word 'Commander' come outta your mouth one more time, Alenko, I'm gonna jam all the lights onto full blast the next time you get one of your headahces,"
"What's that supposed to mean? And they're migraines, not 'headaches',"
"Ever since you first laid eyes on her you've been 'Commander' this and 'Commander' that. I know she's got a nice body and all but you CANNOT be that sexually frustrated,"
"For your information, I admire the Commander. Not all of us immediately reduce a woman down to their assets,"
"Sure, paint me out as a sexist, Alenko. Whatever helps you sleep at night. Although, thanks to the Commander you're probably getting a lot more sleepless ones,"
"Can it, Joker,"
Kaiden rolled his eyes as Joker quite happily chortled away to himself. He most certainly had NOT been checking out the Commander. Ever since Rahna, Kaiden was unsure if he could ever look at a woman in that way again. Perhaps the Commander WAS attractive, he'd never really thought about it, but he'd prefer to not go down that road. She was his Commanding Officer and he was her Lieutenant. That was the way it would stay. Anyway, Kaiden was more concerned about this upcoming mission. Eden Prime sounded TOO peaceful, particularly too peaceful to send a Spectre AND Commander Shepard there. There was something the crew wasn't being told and that was what made him nervous. It wasn't long before his suspicions were proven right.
"Hold on. Incoming transmission from Eden Prime," Joker murmured, his fingers working deftly over the panel as he patched it through to the comm room.
"Bring it up here, too," Kaiden was quick to add, leaning forward in his seat.
"Don't need to tell me twice. Gimme a sec,"
The panel flashed and crackled with static before the transmission finally came through. There was a lot of gunfire and a female soldier fighting an enemy they couldn't see. It all seemed pretty unclear until a soldiers face appeared in the middle of the screen.
'We are under attack! Taking heavy casualties. I repeat: Heavy casualties! We can't—' The soldier was momentarily cut off by a heavy blast, possibly a grenade or a shotgun blast. '—eed evac! They came out of nowhere! We need—'
The soldier suddenly arched bolt upright and fell out of view as he was shot in the back. Kaiden grimaced at the ragdoll-like fall before the transmission panned over to a couple of other soldiers who appeared to be staring up at the sky in horror; fear. Kaiden and Joker weren't left curious for long as the camera angle moved again to look skyward. There, hovering in the air was something that vaguely resembled a ship. Geth maybe? It crackled and let out a noise neither of the men had ever heard before, nor did they ever want to have to hear it again. A low, wailing, moaning kind of sound before there was more gunfire and it cut out, fading to static.
"It just cuts out after that, no comm traffic at all," Joker explained to Anderson, his face slightly more pallid than usual. "Just goes dead…There's nothing,"
"Reverse and hold at 38.5," Came the Captains reply.
Kaiden and Joker visibly shuddered as Joker reversed back to the unusual ship. They both just looked at each other for a moment and shared a moment of equal uneasiness.
"Status report!" Barked Anderson, his voice tight and anxious.
"Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area," Joker reported grimly, realising that that also meant that there was little chance for the evac that these soldiers needed so badly.
"Take us in Joker, fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated,"
"Yes, sir,"
It wasn't long before Shepard came striding up to the cockpit and placed a firm hand on Kaidens shoulder. He looked up at her and it seemed everything he had been anxious about was confirmed. She looked straight ahead at the planet that hovered ever closer, her eyebrows knit together in worry as she pursed her lips. Her hand instinctively flexed around Kaidens shoulder before she removed it, sparing him a glance.
"Grab your gear, Alenko. I need you and Jenkins for this,"
"Yes, ma'am," He replied dutifully.
Shepard smiled down at him but even he could tell that it was forced; a courtesy. With a flick of her head, she gestured for him to follow as she walked away again. Joker couldn't help but snicker as Kaiden rose to follow.
"Here boy," Joker whistled and clicked his fingers. "Here boy, c'mon. Oh whooo's a good boyyyy!"
"You're such an ass, Joker,"
"Careful. With language like that, the Commander might not rub your belly afterwards,"
"I'll only do that if he's been an EXTRA good boy!" The Commander laughed, the men now realising she had stopped to WAIT for Kaiden and was only a few metres away.
Kaiden flushed and hung his head as he shuffled to her side, letting Joker laugh and salute Shepard jovially. She just rolled her eyes and grinned, clapping Kaiden reassuringly on the back as they made their way to the cargo hold.
It was a shame that what followed would wipe that rare smile straight off her face.