Chapter 7: Vitriolic

When Garrus walked out of the elevator, he didn't have to try and figure out where Joker and Javik were. There was a small crowd gathered in the hallway. He cut through the crowd and passed by Kaidan who was watching the situation cautiously. "Glad you're here, Garrus." Kaidan said in passing. Garrus gave a small crowd and walked into the small clearing where Javik and Joker were standing.

"What the hell is going on here?" Garrus said. He sounded only mildly irritated but even that was a change from the composed turian the crew had grown to know and depend on. All eyes immediately turned to Garrus – except for Javik and Joker who were only focused on each other.

Joker had Javik by his collar, pulling him down toward him. His other hand was clenched into a fist while Javik merely looked down at him, seemingly amused. Liara was standing closest to them, looking unsure but clearly ready to jump in if need be.

"This – this asshole can't shut up for even one day about synthetics and how he's so superior or whatever," Joker seethed without taking his eyes off Javik.

It was strange to see him so angry. Garrus knew whatever Javik had said, it must have been pretty bad.

It had all begun when Joker came back inside the Normandy with Liara and Traynor's assistance. As they got off the elevator, they passed by Javik who was walking toward it.

"I was curious as to where the crew was. I see now that you were all wasting time burying that synthetic corpse as I had heard," he had said.

Joker stopped cold and let go of Liara and Traynor. He limped painfully over to Javik who turned and faced him. "Look, I've had enough of your crap. I don't know if synthetics killed your – "Joker broke off, realizing what he had just said.

Javik merely crossed his arms. "They did. Synthetics killed every last one of my people, then turned them against us. And they tried to wipe out your own species less than a week ago. You must understand by now that synthetics are not our allies and they never will be. Organics and synthetics will always be enemies."

"Javik…." Liara said quietly, seeing where this was going.

"See that's where you're wrong. EDI is…was our ally. No, you know what? She was more than that. She was our friend. She saved our asses countless times and she helped us fight the Reapers."

"The synthetic had its uses, I am not denying that. But it was threatened by the Reapers as much as we were – and might be still. In time, it would have turned against us, just like all synthetics in all cycles before. Or do you truly believe your machine would have been the only one who did not? Either way, if the Reapers have been defeated its usefulness is at an end. And it is pointless to mourn what was never alive."

Joker had moved as fast as he could and grabbed Javik by the collar at that, not really knowing what he was planning to do. That was when Garrus had arrived.

"Prothy the Prothean here decided he wanted to talk shit about EDI and I'm- I'm done with it." Joker said to Garrus.

"What exactly are you going to do, human? You are both frail and injured. If you want vengeance against me, you will have to take it another time." Javik responded.

Garrus cut in before Joker could respond. "Do either of you really think Shepard would let you pull this kind of crap? And don't think I'll let it happen either. Not right now. Things are bad enough without people at each other's throats. You both need to stay away from each other until our mission is done, and then you can work it out."

"And what mission is that? Going on a wild goose chase to find whatever's left of Shepard?" Joker quipped.

Garrus recoiled, surprised. Joker glanced at him and all of the anger drained from Joker's face. As he was met only with Garrus' silence, he let go of Javik and staggered back a little.

"I'm- I'm sorry, I just…."

Traynor stepped forward and put an arm around Joker to steady him. "You should probably go and lie down."

Joker rubbed his face with one hand. "Yeah. Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he said as he let himself be steered toward Crew Quarters.

"The sooner you stop lamenting over that machine, the sooner you can start getting better so we can get off this planet. And then you can try and take your revenge on me, human." Javik said.

Joker looked back at Javik and said simply, "It's Flight Lieutenant Moreau to you."

When Joker had gone, Garrus noticed all the people still standing there. "Don't you all have something better to do?" he asked. As the crew members started dispersing except for Liara and Kaidan, he turned back to Javik.

"Javik, I know how you feel about synthetics – in fact, I think the whole crew does by now - but was that really necessary?"

"Your 'Joker' pilot – the Flight Lieutenant is only slowing us down. Moaning about the synthetic isn't going to help us get off this planet."

"But it isn't your place to say that, Javik. If it's anyone's responsibility, it's mine." Garrus said.

Javik was quiet for a moment as he examined Garrus. "I…see. As you wish, Commander," he said, with something in his voice. Surprise? Amusement? Garrus couldn't tell. Javik turned around and walked toward the elevator.

"I'll go try to talk to him," Liara said quiely to Garrus, before yelling. "Javik, please wait," and following him. Garrus found himself sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

"That was pretty tense there for a minute," Kaidan said as he walked up next to Garrus.

Garrus turned to look at Kaidan. "Yeah. Well, we all know who would have lost that one."

"You can say that again. You handled it well, though." There was a brief silence between the two as Garrus thought about what Tali had said. He's the only person on this entire ship who's been where you are now. He'll know more than anyone else.

Kaidan interrupted his thoughts. "Listen, Garrus, everyone's just under a lot of stress right now. You know with coming down from the war, nothing working, not knowing what's going on. Joker didn't mean –"

"Yeah. I know," is all Garrus said.

More silence.

"And…for what it's worth, I think you're doing a great job at getting everyone moving and focused again." Kaidan said as he turned to go.

"Wait, Kaidan. I…." Garrus wasn't sure he was making the right decision, but he decided to go with it anyway.

Kaidan stopped, curious. "Yeah?"

"Could we…talk? Somewhere maybe more private? Or…later, if you have the time."

"Talk? Uh…yeah. Yeah." Kaidan said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Come by anytime. I'm uh, going to set up a workshop outside. This planet, it- it's not a bad place to be stranded on. It's pretty beautiful actually. I just need to get out of here for a while, you know? Oh, and don't worry. I'll have my gun with me, since my biotics aren't quite up to par yet."

Along with everyone else's Kaidan's bio-amp had been badly damaged by that mysterious wave of energy. He had been the one to volunteer to try and get everyone's working again, being the best candidate for the job.

"I'll do that. Thanks, Major." Garrus said.

Kaidan tried to give a reassuring smile. "Anytime."

Garrus watched as Kaidan left him alone in the hallway. He couldn't figure out how he really felt about all of this.

I wonder what he's thinking. He seems so calm, so well adjusted to all of this.

And yet I feel anything but.

Author's note: I intend to have the next chapter up sooner than usual if possible, perhaps by Monday or Tuesday 6/20 so with luck there –might- be two chapters next week. I feel I need to do a lot of character research on Kaidan before I can write the next part as true to his character as possible.