Recalcitrant Charm
Pressure levels normal. Oxygen levels normal. Temperature: 19°C, stable.
Location: Arcturus Station.
Standard Time: 2183.11.04
"And that was when I knew I had to get the hell out of there. Like, seriously, I can deal with some kinky stuff, hehehe... but me, in that kind of swing, yeah that's just not gonna happen!" Joker declared as the two of them walked onto the bridge. Kaidan Alenko laughed aloud while he dropped his bag next to the navigator's seat and took out his data pad and diagnostic tools. Their pilot put aside his crutches and carefully dropped into his chair. "So there we are, both naked, with that thing between us. Told her that maybe she should find someone with the bones for it, because that one bone apparently wasn't enough for her," Joker finished his tale of awkward hook-ups during shore leave.
"What did she say?"
"My bone wasn't that impressive anyways."
"Oh, ouch."
"Yeah, can you believe it? People are cruel. Spaceships are the better people. Right, baby?" Joker asked as he leaned over to caress the console of his perfect, brand new spaceship. Alenko laughed and nodded. "How was your shore leave? Any ladies or gentlemen I should know of, buddy?"
"Nope, no one, I'm afraid. Boring two weeks, just helping my mom and dad with the house."
"Well, I'd much rather have that than ending up with some strange lady with a medical kink…" Joker admitted, before they prepared for take-off. The Normandy on her shakedown run, letting the beast out of the cage for the first time, allowing her to spread her wings properly, let that drive core roar. One after the other, the crew dripped in. Pressly was instructing a team of young little navigators, just waved at Alenko and Joker on his way to the CIC. Jenkins dropped in for a chat, he was beyond excited.
"Her first flight, I am stoked! Is it true we're going to Eden Prime? I'm from there, it's the most boring colony in the Galaxy!"
"That's what the log says, yes," Alenko confirmed.
"Have you seen the changes in the crew roster, though? They made them just this morning," Joker added and pulled out the datapad with the crew assignments. "Bet Pressly is super-pissed that he won't be XO after all."
"If there's anyone who should be pissed it's the Commander. If they took command from me on my first mission in charge, I'd be furious," Alenko commented.
"Did you see her? I just ran into her on the way here. She's really pretty, not what I expected at all," Jenkins declared.
"What did you expect? Some old Alliance hag? She's like, what... 30?"
"29," Alenko corrected their pilot. "Youngest Star of Terra recipient to date, for her contribution during the Skyllian Blitz."
"Look who did his homework!"
"I just like to – oh, hey Doc! – I just like to know who's in charge on the ship," Alenko clarified, only briefly interrupted by medical officer Dr. Karin Chakwas, who had just entered the ship.
Right behind her, the Captain entered. Suddenly there was order on the bridge, Kaidan Alenko was on his feet and saluted and while Joker did not jump up, he turned his chair and saluted there. Jenkins was massively nervous at the sight of the uniformed man. Captain David Anderson was an awe inspiring man in his forties, dressed in formal, dark blue uniform, his slightly greying hair cut short. His dark skin was marked with old scars on his cheeks. He held his shoulders squared, his back straight when he nodded to greet the crew.
"Sir!" they declared.
"At ease, gentlemen," Anderson said, his voice calm and orderly. He then turned towards the airlock again. He was followed by another man, who was no man at all. Behind Anderson was a turian.
There was something monstrous about him. He was clad in dark, heavy armour, his reptilian like face marked with white lines of war paint, reminiscent of wings. He clutched his hands behind his back and walked with his chin high, petrol green eyes scanning his surroundings. Anderson addressed him directly. "As you can see, we did a few minor alterations to the cockpit. But down here, the CIC, we incorporated turian design, as was suggested."
"I see. She has a certain... recalcitrant charm to her," the turian responded in a smooth tone that suggested indifference. The ship did not impress him in the least.
The three men on the bridge watched as the Captain took the turian visitor with him to CIC, then Jenkins jumped around.
"Holy shit, did you see that guy?!" he asked.
"Um, we do have eyes, you know?" Joker said sceptically while he put on his cap and turned back front
"No, I mean, that was Nihlus Kryik! He's a Spectre of the Council! What's he doing here?!" Jenkins asked, now even more excited than before, if that was at all possible.
"He probably was sent to make sure the Normandy was in order. The Council funded the project after all..." Kaidan said while he took his seat next to Joker and began running final diagnostics.
"I don't like him. My baby isn't 'recalcitrant' – what even is that word?! She's a real lady, with feeling! I will not have her insulted. He got something against her, he'll have to take it up with me..." Joker mumbled while he was adjusting all his little quirky setting. Eventually, the Captains voice resounded throughout the ship.
"All hands on deck, we're taking our young lady for a ride."
Few minutes later, Joker was navigating them out of the station and into the darkness. Space, that infamous 'final frontier' humanity had dreamed of for so long. Then they had gone out to conquer it and now the disillusionment was catching up with them. There was no romantic dream out there. Just more bureaucracy and paperwork.
The Normandy cut through vacuum, smooth and soundless, soaring like a leaf on the wind, elegant, fast. A beautiful ship. The most beautiful Kaidan had ever been on.
She was a fresh start for a lot of them. Leaving behind their past, forgetting wrong choices that had been made. This was good, for all of them. And for those with no past burdens, like Jenkins, it was a new adventure altogether. After all, you never really forget your first ship.
They were halfway past the Jupiter orbit on their approach of the Charon Relay by the time he heard unfamiliar steps approach the bridge. It was a walk Kaidan did not know, so it had to be someone from the new crew.
As it so happens, the first Kaidan Alenko ever saw of the love of his life were her boots when she entered the bridge. She walked over to his seat and more of her came to his attention – long legs and a firm body in Alliance uniform. Lean muscles in a solid frame, shoulders proportionally broad, a long neck, sharp jaw line, full lips, green almond-shaped eyes framed by dark, thick lashes, chocolate brown hair in a tight bun. Everything about her was perfect. The kind of woman that should not exist.
"Lieutenant Alenko?" she asked, her voice sharp, firm, the tone that could yell orders across a battlefield or give roaring speeches. But at the same time, there was nothing hard or mean to her question, making it unmistakably clear that she was not here bearing ill will. It was not until she had addressed him with his title that he noticed the insignia on her uniform, that added up to identify her as his superior officer. He jumped out of his chair and saluted.
"Commander!" he greeted. So this was the XO he had read about in the crew dossiers. The hero of the Skyllian Blitz, an Alliance legend: Commander Shepard, N7 special ops, biotic Vanguard who had single handedly defended an entire colony overrun by batarian mercenaries. She was a bloody hero! All the more surprising was her smile.
"At ease. I am running into resistance logging in at my terminal. Pressly tells me you're the one to talk to?"
Damn, dodgy new systems. He let go of a sigh. The systems had been 'resisting' in every single test run so far and he thought he had by now evened out all the little bugs. Clearly, that had been optimistic.
"Uh, yes, I'll… just finish this up and then I'll have a look at you," he said while checking how far his diagnostics had rolled. Suddenly he realised how very shifty that sounded. He had to clear his throat, shook his head violently. "Your log-in problem… Ma'am," he quickly added, avoiding the woman's intense gaze that made him feel like he was stripped of his uniform and had every little detail of his person to answer for. She had that ability, it would seem. Reducing you to the very essence of your self under her firm gaze, forcing you to evaluate if you could do better than what you did right now. It was her burning way of driving people to be the best versions of themselves.
But when he looked up at her again, she was smiling and nodded before her gaze wandered into orbit like she was home out there. Years later, he would still vividly remember the first thing he thought about Shepard: 'What a fascinating creature she is.'
Author's Note:
I should be righting a million other things. Instead, I am following these dorks around space...
I have a lot of random scenes from the Normandy in my mind that I might as well put to paper, since I have zero inspiration for anything that does not involve Kaidan and Shepard being ridiculously obviously in love. So here they are, my Normandy Memoires - tales from the SR-1. Every one of these little pieces will be set on board the ship, I will not get off the ship, any and all things off-ship will only be mentioned. I'll incorporate various POVs, but mostly Shep and Kaidan. And there will be smut later, you're welcome ^^
I know things like this probably have been done to death, I'm really just posting it for fun because if I can't get anything else to paper at the moment, I might as well share what I have. So enjoy and comment if you feel like it.
Also, this is a direct companion to my one-shot 'Objects in Space' - or rather, Objects in Space is a part of this larger collection. So if you want, check that out under my stories as well.
Now, have fun!
