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Moon Presrop

Hawking Eta cluster

Normandy shore party: Commander R. Shepard, Lieutenant K. Alenko, Dr. L. T'soni

"Oh. Oh my Goddess."

Bracing himself against the jolting ride of the Mako as the commander eased the vehicle over some truly hideous terrain, Kaidan Alenko risked a glance to his left. Dr. Liara T'soni's face was an odd shade of pale blue, and she was visibly trembling. "Doctor? You all right?"

"Um. Oh. I don't think so. I truly do not think so." The asari had braced herself with her feet against the floor and her hands gripping her safety harness as tightly as possible. "Is... is it always like this?"

Kaidan opened his mouth to murmur something, some peaceable platitude, or anything else that would calm her down, when his attention was diverted by his instrument panel. "Excuse me," he muttered, then turned back to his station. "Commander, there's an anomaly fifty clicks up."

"I see it. Think I can get us up there." The Mako lurched sickeningly. Kaidan swore quietly, and he was pretty sure he heard Liara whimper. "Commander, that's a cliff face."

"Only for a klick or two. Then I'm pretty sure it levels out."

"Only if you really generously define the term "level out", ma'am."

"Shut up, Alenko. It's almost a switchback trail."

Kaidan bit back any unprofessional retort as the Mako made a seventy-degree vertical climb. He knew the vehicle could handle it, and at this point in his career with this particular commanding officer, even realized that she was driving carefully. For her. But that didn't make him feel all that much better. Absently, he checked the fastenings on his safety harness.

Next to him, Liara had descended into prayer.

"Just breathe, Dr. T'soni. We'll be fine."

Her voice trembled noticably. "Are you certain, lieutenant?"

Kaidan hesitated. "Reasonably."

The Mako shuddered as it crested the mountain. "We're up, troops. And the anomaly is only fifteen clicks away. It's all downhill from here."

Liara opened her eyes, checked the screens. Kaidan knew the exact second she realized that the trip down was along the spine of a very tall, very steep mountainside. Huh. Didn't think asari could even get that color. Surreptitiously, he checked his HUD. Liara's vitals were spiking disturbingly, her heartrate running too high and her blood pressure to match. Instinctively, Kaidan swiveled his chair and put his hands on either side of Liara's helmet, leaning as close as he could in his safety restraints. "Liara. Liara, look at me." He kept his voice low, soothing, modulating it at a pitch that resonated with calm reassurance. "We're going to be fine. The commander knows what she's doing. The terrain is a little rough, but we're trained to handle it. We're going to be all right." He put one hand on her shoulder, squeezing a little to make sure she felt the contact through her hardsuit. "We're going to be fine."

"Are you certain?" She was still trembling, but it seemed to be easing off.

"Very. Hey, maybe some meditation will center you." He gave her another reassuring squeeze.

"Meditation. Yes. I think that would be good." Liara swallowed hard as the Mako shuddered and jerked, but her vitals stayed in the realm of reasonably alarmed but not dead from terror. "Is that what you do, Lieutenant? You're so calm. And you've been on every one of the commander's shore parties."

"Maybe I've gotten used to it." Kaidan allowed himself a rough chuckle and leaned back, making himself as comfortable as he could given his hardsuit and the chair restraints.

Liara blew out a shaky breath. "I appreciate you taking the time to help me, Lieutenant. You are... very calming. No wonder the commander thinks that you're special."

Shock rippled through him. Kaidan sat bolt upright before he thought to stop himself. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, was I not supposed to say that?" Liara wrung her hands. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant Alenko. I am always saying the wrong thing around other people. Especially humans."

Kaidan fought the urge to rub the back of his neck. "Liara. You didn't say anything wrong. It's just that... well, it's not something that we're supposed to encourage. Or even mention out loud. It's against regs."

"I see. I do not wish to cause trouble. I will endeavor to be more discrete with my observations." Liara closed her eyes and almost visibly dropped into a meditative state.

Kaidan leaned his head against his chairback and wished he could do the same.

Biotic Compound

Moon Presrop

Forty-five minutes later, Kaidan could not believe what he was seeing. The commander had talked them into a compound full of armed, potentially unstable biotics, had gotten to their leader, and talked him down. She'd even managed to confiscate a few highpowered weapons from their cache. And then she'd talked their way out.

He saved his commentary for when they were out of the compound and back on the lunar surface, mostly because it was safer, since they wouldn't be surrounded by a suspicious and potentially homicidal civillian population, partially because any expression he made would be hidden by his helmet. "Commander?"

"Yes, lieutenant?"

"I want to make it clear that I'm not questioning any decision you've made. But..." Frustrated with his own inability to articulate his unease, Kaidan just blurted out what he was thinking. "Are you sure that Major Kyle will really surrender, ma'am?"

Shepard looked over her shoulder at him. "Yes. I think he will. He'll do it for his children."

Kaidan looked at her sharply. There had been an odd undertone in Shepard's rich alto voice that he hadn't heard before.

Liara saved him from whatever he might have said next. "Commander Shepard? I would like to thank you for bringing me with you."

Shepard shook herself slightly. "Are you sure about that, Liara? I didn't think you liked the trip here much."

The asari's cultured voice was softer than normal. "Hmm. I am starting to think that your driving is the price I had to pay to be part of this. This was... not what I had expected. I was prepared for combat, but this was not what I had envisioned."

"It was still combat, Doctor. It just wasn't the kind where you fired a gun."

"That... is an accurate assessment. Still, I appreciate you including me. I feel as if I am learning a great deal about you, Commander."

The remark bordered on hero worship - again - and Kaidan suppressed a wince. If it bothered the commander, it wasn't showing in her body language. "I wanted people I trust, who also happen to be very talented biotics, to come with me. I appreciate you agreeing to this. Otherwise, I'd have had to drag Wrex along."

"He would have been a better combat choice, perhaps."

"True. But can you see Wrex talking his way into a peaceful diplomatic solution?" Shepard's low, husky chuckle held affectionate amusement. "Or even wanting to?"

Liara scuffed her booted toe against Presrop's dusty, unremarkable surface. "Ah. I suppose not."

"Me either." Shepard raised a hand to her comm. "Joker?"

"Aye, commander?"

"Comm Fifth Fleet and have Admiral Hackett send someone to pick up Major Kyle at these coordinates. Stress that the Major is coming in of his own recognizance and will not resist."

"Aye-aye, ma'am. Normandy will be coming about to pick you up. ETA, eight minutes."

Shepard smiled wryly. "Thanks, Joker. Dr. T'soni will appreciate not having to put up with my driving again this trip."

Abandoning all pretense of calm, Liara sagged against Kaidan, her helmet making a hollow thunking noise against the lieutenant's armored shoulder. "Oh, Goddess, yes. Thank you. Thank you so much, Joker."