He couldn't tear his eyes away from the city. Vancouver's burning. My home is burning. Dear God keep Mom and Dad safe.

He felt a hand rest softly on his shoulder."Come on Kaidan, we've got to go. We need to get to Mars." The gentleness in her voice was at odds with her normal clipped formality.

He closed his eyes and turned away from the view being eclipsed by the elevating ramp. "Yeah, you're right. We need to go." When he opened his eyes, Shepard was already striding for the elevator.

"So we're running away? Just like that?" Kaidan glanced over at the burly lieutenant, Vega, his voice choking with indignation.

Shepard stopped mid-stride and glanced over he shoulder. "You heard the Admiral, Vega. We can't win this on our own. We're collecting Liara from Mars and then we're getting out of here before the Reapers close off Charon completely."

Vega's face darkened. "Since when did you start blindly obeying orders Commander?" The sneer in his voice got Alenko's hackles up; Vega seemed a decent sort but his attitude was going to start causing trouble fast. He opened his to call the younger man up but Shepard got there first.

She turned back towards Kaidan and Vega, meeting the lieutenant's glare with her own cool, even stare. "The same day you replaced your brains with varren crap marine." Kaidan remembered that tone well; the calm, collected voice that only just masked the temper beneath it. "This is just one ship, and no matter good she is or how good her crew is that means damn-all against several hundred Reapers." She began walking slowly towards Vega under until she was having to stare up at him. "We need all the fleets in the galaxy combined to stand a chance." She curled her lip. "So swallow your damn pride, and keep that anger for the Reapers, not me. Get your gear ready for Mars." Without waiting for a response she turned back to the elevator.

Vega looked at Kaidan, seeking support but all he could do was shrug. "The Commander's right Lieutenant. You know it, I know it, and that doesn't make it easier. But you better learn to deal with it. Fast." And he followed Shepard towards the elevator. Before the doors closed, he looked back; Vega was rooted the spot but the anger had been replaced by bleakness.

"Thanks for the support Major." Kaidan glanced side-long at the woman standing beside him. Out of Vega's sight, in this isolated box, her shoulders slumped and an emotion flickered across her face he hadn't seen in years; sorrow. Not since Virmire. Mentally he forced down the image of a lean, tanned marine, dark hair framing a face alight with mischief. Not now, I really don't need this now. Focus on the task in hand.

"No problem Commander, just doing my job." Shepard flinched imperceptibly, and Kaidan felt a sinking feeling in his guts. A brilliant choice of words Major. He changed topic quickly. "So why is Liara on Mars?"

Shepard straightened herself noticeably, the cool composure of the Commander falling into place again. "She believes there's something buried deep in the Archives. Something that can help us against the Reapers."

Kaidan raised his eyebrows and was about to ask more when the doors slid open and they were in Normandy's CIC.

For a brief moment, Kaidan was thrown off by a feeling of familiarity, recalling the hours he'd spent here. Going over the campaign in the conference room. Liaising with Pressly about duty rosters. Blithely ignoring Joker's attempts to make digs about him and Ash. But then he came back to reality with a sickening drop. This isn't Normandy. This an enlarged reproduction. Ash is gone. Pressly's gone.

And somebody else was standing in Pressly's usual spot by the galaxy map. A tall woman with raven-black hair in an figure-hugging catsuit with an aura of professionalism that put Shepard's in the shade. Alenko frowned, recognition of the woman sinking in. Her again.

Shepard had already walked up to the podium over the galaxy map. "Miranda, what's our status?" She asked, leaning on the railing as the dark-haired moved up beside her, a datapad in hand.

"We're ten minutes out of Mars, Commander. Stealth systems are ready to come online as soon as we drop out of FTL. EDI hasn't detected any Reapers presence on the surface but we'd better be quick all the same." There was the hint of an Australian accent, just as he remembered. Minus the sneer it held on Horizon.

"And the shuttle?"

The woman nodded. "Already being prepped. We picked up a shuttle pilot during the quick evac from Vancouver so I got him to work on the shuttle straight away." She looked down briefly at pad in her hand as it pinged. "Lieutenant Vega has just reported in, he's giving the pilot a hand getting the shuttle ready and gear stowed."

"At least he's got his act together." Shepard muttered. She paused, noticing Kaidan still in the doorway of the elevator, frowning at Miranda. "Kaidan Alenko, Miranda Lawson, Normandy's XO." Nodding her head towards Kaidan, "Miranda Lawson, Major Kaidan Alenko of Biotics Division."

Miranda gave a tight-lipped smile to Kaidan. "Major, I'm sorry we have to meet in these circumstances."

Alenko kept frowning. "You think they'd be more cordial in different circumstances?" His voice sounding overly harsh to his own ears. What is she doing as Normandy's XO? Kaidan looked towards Shepard, who was now frowning at him. What the hell are you doing Shepard? Why is Cerberus still on this ship?

The woman, Miranda, arched an eyebrow. "Is there a problem Major?" Kaidan suppressed to urge to laugh, knowing how bitter it would sound. Commander Shepard is supposed to have left Cerberus behind? The Normandy is "an independent Spectre vessel" and I find one of Cerberus' top officers serving onboard? Why should there be a problem?

"That depends Executive Lawson." He was trying to keep his tone even, and failing. "The last time I checked you were working for Cerberus." He stared at her, long and hard.

Executive Lawson stared right back, her expression cool."You should conduct your checks more frequently Major."

Then Shepard between them. "Enough, both of you, we've got more important things at hand right now. Like a Reaper invasion" She looked at her XO. "Do we have any spare armour for the Major?"

Lawson flicked her gaze away from Kaidan to Shepard. "Of course Commander, I'll inform Lieutenant Vega to have a set ready and weapons for Major Alenko's selection.." A chilly note entering the Australian lilt.

Shepard nodded. "Very well, I'll collect my gear. You have the deck Miranda." She stepped down from the podium, looking towards Kaidan, her eyes alight with annoyance. "Kaidan, with me." And they stepped back into the elevator. Once the doors closed she pivoted on her heel, her deep blue eyes narrowed. "I can guess what you're thinking but please leave it alone until we've got Liara out of the Archives. Vega's already on a short fuse and I can't afford to be keeping a watch over both of you."

Kaidan gave her a long, searching look. As though "Cerberus" is going to be written in capital letters on her forehead. "Sorry ma'am, but what I supposed to think? You claim you've quit Cerberus, that you've returned to the Alliance but you have the Illusive Man's protégé as your second-in-command?" He swallowed hard. "After all Cerberus did for you, after all they did to you I'm supposed to take your word you've broken all ties just like that? With Miranda Lawson directing your CIC?"

But Shepard didn't look away. She always stands by her choices, even the bad ones, with no regrets. She told me that herself. "Miranda left Cerberus with me Kaidan. She left because she trusted me more than the Illusive Man. I'd be an idiot if I cut someone with her talents adrift." Then her shoulders slumped ever so slightly, rubbing her forehead with the palm of her hand. "Please, just trust me on this. I've cut all ties to Cerberus and so has Miranda. All of us need to work together on this, otherwise we're all sunk and the Reapers will turn Earth, Palaven, Thessia and dozens of other worlds into slag."

The elevator pinged as the doors opened again. "This my stop Major, I'll see you in the cargo bay, geared up and ready, in five. We've got a Prothean expert with a secret weapon to evacuate."

He sighed. "Yes Commander." And then she was gone, and the elevator doors closed again.

On the way down, Kaidan's head was whirling with thoughts. Shepard may have left Cerberus. She's done some dark things but she's no human supremacist. But Lawson? The woman who's been with Cerberus for fifteen years, and is so high up the chain not even the Broker could get to her, suddenly has a change of heart?

Kaidan took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Trust Shepard? After all we've been through together she deserves that much,especially after that fiasco back on Horizon. But trust Lawson? The one who disdained him as a blind Alliance fool when she worked for a twisted group like Cerberus? Not even if St Peter came down and told me to give her chance.

He shook his head ruefully. Ash has a lot to answer for. I wish you were here to haul my ass out of the fire like old times Chief.

The doors opened on the cargo bay. If nothing else you were easier on the eyes than Lieutenant Vega. He could almost hear that irreverent cackle coming from the armoury station.


A/N This is something that's been knocking about in my head for a while so I thought I'd try and put some of it into words. As always, constructive criticism gratefully received!