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Survey
Shepard was studying something on her omni-tool. "Okay Garrus, go 47 degrees to the north now."
"Shepard what are you looking for?" Garrus asked.
"Minerals, I pulled the old geo maps for this planet. This was one of the planets that only had two or three lodes of mineral that weren't big enough to set up mining facility for and I am going to find them… turn two more degrees north." she said after looking at the omni-tool again.
Kaidan was sitting next to Shepard in the back. This was their first trip in the Mako, which Garrus seems to have adopted as his personal pet. The reinforced webbing kept them in their seats.
He asked Shepard "why do you want to find minerals? I thought we were here to disable that beacon and leave. Then you find a Thresher Maw, and a mercenary camp. They're all dead now, I remind you. We could be back on board the Normandy but now you're looking for mineral deposits."
"The Thresher Maw was obvious. Smooth surface area with tunnels underneath, see? And she held her omni-tool out to him so he could see the map she was looking at. "As for the minerals, we need to survey the mineral to make money. I notice my promotion didn't come with a raise,"
"We could spend hours looking for a mineral deposit, Shepard. Is it really worth it?" Kaidan asked her.
"Well we won't need hours because of the map, and at first it will net us a small amount of credits, but as I survey more the value will go up once they realize my tags are valid. There Garrus two hundred feet further" Shepard said.
"Shepard there is a mountain range here." Garrus told her.
"Well go up it. You'll see we will make enough money to get upgrades, new guns and armor. A few side trips – two or three on planets that no one felt it worth wasting the resources to develop, and once they can count on my tags the price they pay for the rights will increase. It's a good deal... There it is "she said as Garrus pulled up to huge rock sticking out of the mountain. She got up to climb out of the mako.
"Shepard, don't forget your helmet." Kaidan said grabbing it and handing it up to her, but she didn't take it from him.
"I'm only going to run a survey. It should only take me five minutes. You can stay here" and she climbed out of the mako.
"Shit!" Kaidan said as he climbed up after her with her helmet "Garrus come on."
Kaidan climbed off the mako followed by Garrus who moved to the west to cover a flank position.
Shepard was standing in front of the rock running a survey on the minerals with her omni-tool. He turned towards her to give her helmet to her and he heard a beep from her omni-tool he looked at her and she said "done." As he was watching her something slammed into the back of her shield forcing her forward into the rock. He turned toward Garrus who was already attempting to find where the shot came from.
"Cover me I have to get her behind the mako." Kaidan told him. He dropped her helmet and ran to her.
"Got it" Garrus answered.
Kaidan got to Shepard. She was out cold, so he checked quickly to assess that she could be moved he gently grabbed her and trying not to jar her, he slid her under the cover of the mako. Checking to make sure nothing was broken first he then checked her neck, there were no fractures that his omni-tool could find, so he could move her. He turned her over into his arms. She had a gash across her head that was bleeding heavily. He used med gel on the cut to close it and scanned her skull. It looked like she has minor fracture, then she started to move.
"Shepard" he said to her "Shepard open your eyes." She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. He let out a sigh of relief.
"Hi" she said and smiled at him. He felt the knot in his stomach relax a little. She hadn't been out to long, so it probably wasn't too serious. She relaxed into his arms.
"Do you remember what happened to you?" Kaidan asked.
"Yeah, I got shot in the back. Why does my head hurt?
"You hit your head on the mineral outcropping you were surveying, it was harder then your head was. He said to her. "Next time Shepard, humor me and wear your helmet, please."
"You look worried am I alright? Did you get the bastard." She asked.
"Yes you're alright and No, I was too busy helping you." Kaidan answered.
"Garrus" she bellowed "did you get him?"
"No, Shepard I haven't found him yet." Garrus anserwd.
"Shit!" she said echoing Kaidan's sentiment from earlier. "Help me up Lieutenant" she told him.
"Ma'am you might have a concussion, we should get you back to the ship" he said.
She pulled on his shoulder trying to get out of his arms but he wasn't letting her go and she was having some difficulty.
"Lieutenant let me up now, don't make me have to make that an order" she told him.
"Ma'am, if you're not fit for duty, I will assume command"
She looked him in the eyes and said very slowly and very deliberately "are – you – very – sure – you – want – to – do – that?"
Kaidan looked into her eyes, she was getting angry he could tell "no Ma'am" and he stopped holding her down and helped her get up.
She then took out her sniper rifle but didn't ready it right away instead she went over to the rock and she looked at the spot of blood where her head hit. She bent down to mimic where she was before the incident, then while crouching she turned and readied her sniper rifle focused her sight on the area that where bullet trajectory indicated where her assailant was or had been. Kaidan watched as she looked through the scope and scanned the area. He saw a small smile develop on her lips as she found her target. She took a deep breath and held it. She took the shot.
"I got him." She said triumphantly.
"Can we go back to the ship now please Commander" Kaidan asked, as he watched her, he saw Garrus pick up her helmet.
"I have two more mineral sights to be checked" She told him.
"They can wait. It all can wait until tomorrow. I need to get you to med bay." He told her
"You still look worried I thought you said I was okay?"
"Shepard, please let me get you back to the ship." He pleaded, because he noticed her pupils were becoming dialated and it was almost certain she had a concussion.
"Okay, I am feeling a bit light headed anyway."
She started to climb back up into the mako and when she was halfway up lost her footing and fell. Kaidan was ready for it and caught her in his arms.
She smiled and looked into his eyes "this is the third time you had me in your arms Alenko, this is getting to be a habit." Then she passed out.
My head hurts she thought. She tried to remember what had happened, but she could only think of brown eyes. That didn't help. She opened her eyes.
"Well hello Shepard, how are you feeling?" Dr. Chakwas asked her.
"Headache, and I can't seem to remember what happened. That means I have a concussion right?"
"Yes a minor one. Basically you hit your head on a rock. You should start to feel better soon, you're going to have to rest for a few days."
Shepard rubbed her head "yeah Doc, I know the drill." She tried to sit up but the nausea hit her so she laid back down.
Kaidan came walking into the med bay and walked over to her bed. He bent over slightly to look in her eyes and said, "you don't have to worry, Garrus and I went back to the planet with Tali and surveyed the other two mineral deposits. How are you feeling?"
"Brown eyes" she said and closed her eyes, "I keep seeing brown eyes." She fell asleep.
Kaidan looked at Dr. Chakwas with concern on his face.
The doctor smiled at him "she will be fine she just needs to rest, as you know time is the best friend of a concussion." Kaidan nodded his head.
"Could you let me know if she wakes up doc, I'd like to be here?"
"Certainly Kaidan, I can do that, now let her rest. You get cleaned up." And she shooed him out of the med bay.
