Hello, Time Bomb

Chapter 1

A Tale of Two Alliance Issue Temptations


One


The SSV Normandy was an impressive vessel. All smooth lines of gleaming metal, the Alliance colours proudly emblazoned on the hull, if there was a poster-child for the navy, she would be it. She was a special ship, he could tell.

0754. The production docks were quiet, the Normandy the only frigate scheduled for commission that day. The walkways held a few workers, mostly for the soon-to-be-commissioned carrier at the far end of the docks, a dozen cavernous bays empty between the ships. It was all dwarfed by the star-spangled sky visible through the top of the station. He liked Arcturus. It was clean, efficient and quiet.

Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko stood at the docks examining his new posting, leaning against the sterile white rails that separated him from the ship. At 0800 Zulu the officers' inspection would begin, but he wanted a first look. Co-developed with the turians, cutting edge stealth technology, one of the fastest vessels he'd ever served aboard, and fresh off the production line.

A good captain could accomplish a lot of things in a ship like this. A captain like Anderson, heading a crew of war heroes and specialists. Kaidan wasn't exactly surprised to be included under that heading, most people saw a functioning L2 biotic as nothing short of a miracle. Still, he wasn't sure that not having brain cancer should count as a qualification. Not compared to some of the other dossiers he'd read. Flight Lieutenant Moreau was ranked as the top Alliance pilot, outclassing even his own instructor . Doctor Chakwas had served at Shanxi, the Skyllian Blitz, Torfan, and a half dozen other high profile hot zones. Commander Shepard was the Hero of Elysium seven years ago and everything in her profile after that was classified.

But he, Kaidan Alenko, L2 biotic, didn't have brain cancer.

He was confident that he could fill his assigned role – his name hadn't been picked out of a hat – but he wasn't looking forward to meeting another crew who considered his abilities a curiosity or a danger without having any real interest in learning the facts. Most under- or overestimated biotics, considering them either cripples or supermen, and finding out which way his new CO was disposed was never fun. It would settle after a few weeks or months, but until then he'd have to take extra care not to make people think he could read minds.

It seemed appropriate, somehow, for this ship. Untested technology, pushing new boundaries. This ship and everyone aboard were expected to perform above and beyond the conventional standard.

A few more people had arrived on the dock, other officers he presumed, and they stared up at the new ship as well, talking amongst themselves. Most of the officers were techs, and this was the shiniest toy they'd ever been given.

He heard Captain Anderson's resonating voice before he came into sight, his deep baritone echoing around the walkways of the dock. Kaidan pushed back from the railing, preparing to meet his captain and XO, but when he saw in profile the woman walking along the far mezzanine, his mind froze.

Kaidan wasn't the kind of man to be struck dumb by a woman. He didn't consider himself shallow or superficial, looks weren't that important to him. He could appreciate a pretty face, but he was also a marine, a man of action. Maybe it was because he was expecting a grizzled soldier, all scars and callouses, someone who wouldn't look out of place holding a knife between her teeth. Commander Shepard struck him dumb.

She was walking a pace behind Captain Anderson, her dress blues pressed to perfection, not a single auburn hair out of place. Huge doe eyes fixed on her omni-tool, her perfect, perfect lips parted slightly. She just looked so... soft. Soft eyes, soft face, soft skin, soft lips moistened by a soft pink tongue that darted over them. The fabric of her uniform clung to her first-class body, hips swaying gently as she walked. Through the misfire in his brain Kaidan felt that this sort of thing should be included in an officer's file, some warning for junior officers. Cmd. Shepard is sex on legs, please find enclosed a copy of the fraternisation regs.

He noticed a tiny, rebellious curl that had sprung loose from her neatly tied hair, falling over her forehead.

The two officers rounded the corner onto the Normandy's docking, and Kaidan's rapidly rising body temperature gave a squawk of protest and receded. He kept from wincing, barely, but seeing his new XO full frontal was almost as confronting as his first view of her.

Burns covered the upper left side of her face, her eyebrow gone, her eye puckered half closed, and although her hair artfully concealed the area, it was obvious that the scarring extended far behind her normal hairline above her ear.

That... was more how he imagined an N7.

The swift rise and fall of his hormones left Kaidan unsteady, and when the officers approached he saluted a little too sharply, pulse hammering in his ears. He tried to make polite eye contact with the commander without staring at her scars and failed miserably, barely hearing what Captain Anderson was saying. He didn't know where to look, thrown off balance. She returned the salute and he saw matching burns on the back of her hands, disappearing under the cuffs of her jacket.

"At ease," Captain Anderson commanded them, and Kaidan fell back on protocol.

Just like the Normandy, Commander Shepard was new, and left him feeling out of place. Like the ship she was half beautiful, half deadly. And like the ship, he knew his duties, no matter how uncomfortable he felt.

"This is Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, our field medic."

Kaidan saluted again, keeping still under the commander's gaze. "Ma'am."

She met his gaze, eyes impossibly dark. Paused. Licked her lips. No matter how scarred her eyes were, those lips should have been illegal. "Lieutenant."

He didn't let his surprise show when she moved on. Usually on first meeting officers wanted to get to know their crew, asked questions, cited past postings. That was how it was done. He watched her move up the line, and she offered no more than a word or two to anyone, her bare speech only punctuated by long, grave pauses.

The other officers watched her with the same wariness that Kaidan felt. Their eyes darting away from her face, then from her hands, settling somewhere over her shoulder when she approached them directly, each radiating relief when she moved on. The strange thing was that he knew those looks, those not-quite-looks, that awkward caution and the relief. It was usually reserved for L2s.

The inspection finished, the captain opened the hatch on the Normandy.

Kaidan lingered a moment, casting one last look at the hull. This was home for the foreseeable future, her problems were his problems, her high points were his advantage and her shortcomings were his to pick up.

Beside him Commander Shepard stared up at the ship. He looked over and met her eyes, this time not flinching away. The initial shock had worn off, and he decided that his first assessment had been right. Those eyes were the softest he'd ever seen. He gave her a respectful nod. "Ma'am."

A half smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she kept eye contact. "Lieutenant."

By some silent mutual agreement neither looked away, held eye contact for a long second until Captain Anderson's voice broke through.

"All aboard. Let's see our new ship."

He cast one last glance at the woman to his right, and as soon as she turned away, he smiled to himself.

Commander Shepard was an impressive officer. She was a special woman, he could tell.