AN: New chapter, this one is mostly explaining the backstory of the ending in the reaper war. Oh and some intense angsty drama at the end.
Thirty minutes passed the time he was supposed to meet with Commander Shepard, Anderson shot another look toward the technician. "Are you sure the QEC is working?" he asked. The technician glanced at his controls before sending the admiral a nervous nod. David frowned then looked toward his daemon. "You think they have problems on their end?" he asked the otter.
Eva looked up from her dancing between the chair legs in the temporary command centre with a shrug. "Doubtful, the AI should have been able to fix it already."
Anderson was prevented from questioning it any further when the communicator opened and the image of the two Alliance officers appeared on the holographic projector.
"Sorry we're late, Anderson." Shepard greeted with a smile. "We were…delayed unexpectedly."
Anderson nodded accepting the excuse; it tended to happen on a battleship. The slight cough from the Major at Shepard's excuse caused him to raise an eyebrow, however he made no further comment on it and got down to business. "How is Vancouver faring Commander?" he asked.
"As good as to be expected." Shepard answered. "The Reapers hit it pretty hard."
Anderson noted the sad look that flickered across Alenko's face at the news and he remembered that the man was from the Canadian city. "We seem to be faring as well as could be here in London too." He stated. "Resources are running a little low with so many races stuck here until we get the Relays working again. The main problem is food and medicine for the dextro races; the Quarian fleet is doing what it can with the it's liveships but if we don't get those Relays running in the next two months then we have a big problem." David explained.
"I can imagine." Shepard returned. "Tali mentioned something along those lines last time we spoke. The Geth have sent several platforms your way to help jumpstart the Relay work, they should have arrived…yesterday?" he said hesitantly with a look to Kaidan for confirmation.
The major nodded in reply. "The Rachni Queen is also planning to send a few drones tomorrow. Hackett mentioned they worked well with some of our engineers." He added.
Anderson nodded at the report; he had expected the two estranged races to lend a hand. "The Geth arrived yesterday afternoon and we set them to work on the Charon Relay almost immediately." Eva jumped up onto the pedestal next to Anderson as he talked and eyed the two holographic men before her shrewdly.
"You're banging each other." She declared loudly when Anderson paused for breath. The silence after that statement was almost deafening.
"…"
Anderson closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a hand. There were times that he hated Daemons for having the ability to talk; they often spoke their minds in the most inopportune moments. He looked up to the hologram and prepared to apologise but he caught the wide eyed and panicked look Alenko was sending Shepard. Great, they were 'banging' each other; what a nightmare.
"Oh, don't try to deny it; the Major has a hickey the size of England on his neck." Eva continued, oblivious of the trouble she was getting the two men in.
"Eva…" Kaidan began slowly.
"Yes?"
"Kindly, shut up." The major demanded before turning to Shepard and sending him a death glare as he rubbed at his neck. "A hickey! Really, what are you? Fifteen?"
Shepard just grinned back in reply. "Can't help if I wanna mark my territory." He joked before sending Anderson a smug look. "Technically Kaidan and I are still Spectres, so the Alliance has no authority over our actions."
Anderson sighed and rubbed at his forehead again; he was going to get a headache from dealing with Shepard…again. "As Council Spectres, the Alliance cannot do anything against you for breaking fraternization regulations. But please keep it low, Shepard. Anderson out." David replied before cutting the link to the pair and sending a stern look toward his daemon. "Eva, you are a part of me and I love you dearly, but please refrain from speaking your mind when in company."
The otter rolled her dark eyes and scampered to the ground once more and followed the admiral as he left the communications room. "Oh please, like you don't know that there is a pool running on how long it would take for those two to hook up." Eva drawled before shooting the marine a smug look. "I have it on good authority that the odds are four to three that it will become public next week Wednesday, want me to place a bet?"
"Eva…"
"Fine…Ever since that failed mission with that idiot Turian, you've been such a downer."
"Eva!"
After Anderson cut the communication Kaidan spun around and hit Shepard on the shoulder; hard. "Are you crazy?" The biotic yelled angrily.
The Commander stepped back and rubbed his shoulder gingerly, Kaidan could pack a mean punch when he wanted. John was pretty sure that was going to leave a bruise; even with the heavy skin weave lattice he got while working with Cerberus. "You're only just realising that now?" he joked.
Evidently it had been the wrong thing to say as Kaidan scoffed and looked away with a shake of his head. "You're unbelievable." He growled.
Shepard paused and eyed the angry man before him; clearly he was missing something here. "Kaidan-" he began only to be cut off.
"Don't you Kaidan me, Shepard." The biotic snapped with a slight flare of biotics. "God, do you even think about the consequences of your actions? You just told Anderson, an Admiral of the Alliance that we were breaking the fraternization regulations! We could be dismissed for that!"
"How can you say that?" John demanded angrily. Of course he thought about the consequences of his actions, what he had been forced to do on Torfan, in the Bahak system, even Virmire still haunted him to this day.
The beginnings of the argument had brought Ira scampering through into the communications room where she brushed up against her master's foot in agitation. Medera prowled into the room shortly afterward and sent a snarl in the biotic's direction as he moved to Shepard's side.
Kaidan paid no attention to the cougar's warning and jabbed a finger toward Commander. "This isn't only my career you're playing with, Shepard. Has it even occurred to you that Joker doesn't have the same Spectre shield to hide behind as we do?" Seeing the realisation crossing the marine's face, Kaidan shook his head and laughed bitterly. "Of course it didn't."
"They won't throw Joker out of the Alliance." John declared certainly.
"Are you sure about that?" Kaidan asked forcefully. "They've already grounded him twice, what's to stop them from grounding him now? A crippled pilot who has a history with a terrorist organization, there's no war now so there's no need for him any longer."
"Kaidan…" Ira began softly from her position by the biotic's feet.
Kaidan felt a small surge of guilt run through him at Ira's reprimand; Joker was important to him and he'd just spoke ill of the man.
"Wow…Kaidan, I…I never expected that from you, of all people."
Kaidan paled as Joker's hurt voice came over the loudspeaker. Shit, he had heard that too. "Joker, I didn't mean…" he trailed off unsure of how to continue.
"Of course you didn't." Medera sneered.
Kaidan glanced helplessly at the daemon then at the Commander. John was looking at him with a mixed expression of guilt and anger and the biotic turned away and ran a hand through his dark hair roughly. This had been blown completely out of proportion and in his anger at John he had managed to hurt the pilot too.
"An apology wouldn't go amiss." Shepard suggested crossing his arms and looking toward the other man.
Kaidan felt a surge of anger at the words. Of course he was going to apologise! "I'll go see him now." He muttered softly.
John shifted and sent an annoyed look toward him, twined with a growl form Medera. "He's not the only one who deserves an apology." He said.
Kaidan stiffened and glared at the Commander. "Seriously?" he demanded. "You want an apology from me? God, nothing I've said has sunk into you're thick skull has it?" he snapped before spinning away and storming out of the room.
Shepard blinked in surprise before anger crossed his face and he moved to go after the upset biotic. However Ira darting forward to block his path stopped him and he sent an annoyed look toward the tiny fox. He stepped back in surprise when the little daemon pulled back her lips and snarled viciously at him; her large ears flattened against her skull. "Back off!" she growled.
The action caused Medera to act and she stepped forward and towered over the tiny creature with a snarl. "Watch yourself, puppy!"
Amazingly Ira didn't back down but jumped forward and nipped the cat on the nose. "I'm not the one who should watch herself!" she snapped before spinning and hightailing it out of the room and after Kaidan before the astonished cougar could react.
AN: Dun dun dun! The drama! Anyway on the daemon update: Anderson = River Otter for a reason I cannot remember right now…my bad. Also I probably didn't even write his character right so I figure it doesn't mean much as this is probably the only time you'll see him and Eva.
Also on a side note, I'm up for reviewers requesting daemon names. There's still 9 boy names and 7 girl names to be picked. Keep in mind though that I'm writing this fairly quickly so if you want a name put in you'll have to be quick.