Alright your FemShep/Vakarian fans, this is where I'll start developing that particular romance. I hope you enjoy. Any suggestions, comments, and reviews are appreciated. Enjoy!
The cockpit was quiet. It was a peace that could really only be found in a ship sailing through space. Luke watched through the view ports as stars whipped buy. The colors of the surrounding nebulas dancing in the black.
"So what do you think?" Joker asked setting the Normandy on auto-pilot.
Luke smiled and closed his eyes. "I think she sails smoother than silk. One of these days you need to show me how you really fly." Joker smiled.
"Hell yeah. I haven't really gotten to put the Normandy through her paces yet and really see what she can do." Joker patted the armrest of his chair with a grin on his face.
"So, how long have you and Claire known each other?" Joker stopped grinning for a second before bursting into laughter. "What? What'd I say?"
"Nothing, you just sound like a stranger asking her best friend to help set you up with her." Joker chuckled a little bit more before taking a breath. "Oh, I almost broke a rib."
Luke smiled and shook his head letting a small laugh escape him. "I guess I just haven't seen her in so long I just wanted to know what she is like now. You know, when the news and the crew aren't around."
Joker nodded. "I only met her a little while ago, about six months before we were assigned to the Normandy. Captain Anderson took her, me, Kaiden, Pressley, and Mallory out for dinner so he could get to know the officers on the crew. Claire and I started hanging out talking about the ship and we just kind of clicked." Luke raised an eyebrow. "Nothing romantic…come on. She couldn't handle all this." Joker said flexing his arms. Luke immediately burst out laughing holding his stomach.
"What's so funny?" Claire asked stepping onto the bridge. Luke tried to quiet himself but failed horribly.
"Nothing, Luke's just having a spaz attack." This caused Luke to laugh even harder to the point where he could hardly breath.
"I can see that. How long until we reach the next Geth outpost?" Claire crossed her arms as Luke finally gained control of himself.
"I'd say about an hour more."
"Good. Let me know when we enter high orbit. I need to send a report in to Admiral Hackett." Claire patted her brother on the shoulder as she left.
Joker and Luke waited until Claire was out of each shot before smiling at each other. "You know she would probably kill us both for that." Luke said. Joker nodded.
"Yeah, but then who would fly the ship?"
Luke sat in the cargo bay fiddling with his omni-tool and adding any upgrades and hacking software he could find. Despite his years of experience with programming and encryption, Tali could still hack, sabotage, and program circles around him any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Of course, his experience was limited to civilian grade equipment and tech. Nevertheless, Luke spent a few hours every day with Tali so she could show him how to use his skills to give the team an edge in combat so that he was not just another gun.
He had still not quite figured out his place on the team. Claire was of course the fearless leader; the famous and skilled Commander Shepard. Mallory was the mission oriented soldier who made shure to get the job done no matter what. Kaiden was the morale officer and an excellent biotic. Ashley was in every aspect of the word the "gunny." As skilled a marine as anyone had ever seen. Garrus could make his sniper rifle dance from nearly any distance. Not even Claire could match him shot for shot even though she tried. Wrex was a powerful brute force fighter and had experience with the underworld of the galaxy. Tali was their tech wiz. Anything technology related she could do. Liara's biotics were impressive to say the least and her knowledge of the Protheans was serving the mission well. Everyone had their specialty, their task.
"Looks like you have something on your mind." Ashley said sitting down next to him.
"It's nothing. Just figuring some stuff out." Luke answered leaning back and resting his head against the wall.
"What kind of things?" Luke smirked. She was not going to let this go. Not without an answer.
"Trying to figure out where I fit with all this. I've been feeling a little…I don't know…useless, I guess." Luke said dismissing the view for his omni-tool. Ashley was back up on her feet in front of him before he knew what happened.
"You are the creativity behind the team. If something seems impossible you don't wait for an opportunity to present itself. You think on your feet and come up with a plan, even if it is flying by the seat of your pants. You're stunt with at the first Geth outpost was gutsy, reckless, and shouldn't have worked, but you did it without thinking because that is who you are. You're selfless and brilliant and the heart of the team."
As Luke was about to respond, the cargo bay door opened and the Mako came roaring inside. Luke could see scorch marks on the hull where plasma rounds had hit it and the smoke coming from the engine was not a good sign at all. The hatch opened and Mallory jumped out followed by Wrex who was limping slightly. The krogan's armor had several holes in the right side and blood had run all the way down his leg. Mallory turned back to the Mako and helped Claire out. She was covered in blood and could not stand under her own power. Luke rushed forward but Garrus beat him to her. He scooped Claire up in his arms and sprinted for the elevator with Luke and Mallory hot on his heels.
"What the hell happened?" Luke asked as he examined a wound on Claire's back. It was hard to get a good look thanks to Garrus' arms.
"After we thought we cleared the outpost, we got out to check. Apparently I missed a rocket trooper. The damn thing got a shot off before we could take it down. Claire tried to knock Wrex out of the way but they both got hit. It would have been a lot worse if Claire hadn't knocked him out of the way." Mallory was close to tears. She had been the one on the machine gun in the Mako. She had missed the trooper that caused her sister's wounds.
"It happens Mal." Luke said placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off and turned away from him.
"Not to me."
Luke shook his head and sighed. I give up. She wants to be like that, fine. I don't give a damn.
As the elevator door opened, Garrus sprinted for the med bay where doctor Chawkwas and Liara were waiting. Luke was less than a second behind him. He looked back to see if Mallory was behind them but she was gone. As much as he wanted to go find her, he wanted to be by Claire's side more. Not to mention she need him now.
"Garrus, just set me down. You didn't have to carry me." Claire's voice was weak but still held her authoritative demeanor. Luke smiled slightly although the worry held firm in his chest and eyes.
Garrus set Claire down gently and stepped back allowing Liara and Dr. Chawkwas to examine the shrapnel wounds. Luke stood on the opposite side of the room chewing on the knuckle of his forefinger. Garrus turned to look at his friend before stepping to his side.
"She's going to be fine. She's already giving orders again." Garrus said patting his friend on the back. The statement was true enough but Luke could tell that Garrus was worried about her too.
"Come on, let's give the doc room to work." Luke turned and stepped out of the med bay only to be met by Mallory with Alenko behind her.
"Grab your gear and tell Williams to gear up too. We four are going to take out the last outpost while Claire is on the mend so they don't have time to reinforce it." Luke lowered his head and looked back at Garrus. The turian shrugged and made his way over to the mess hall.
"So our sister gets hurt and your first reaction is to take command and gear up for a mission? You really have changed." Luke said shoving past Mallory.
"I'm just trying to complete the mission. I'm not vanishing without a trace for thirteen years." Luke didn't even stop. He kept his pace until he got to the elevator. The doors closed slowly and Luke roared at the top of his lungs. He slammed his fists against the door and walls hollering the entire time. They needed to get to that outpost fast because he wanted to kill something.
Mallory, Luke, Kaiden, and Ashley had landed in the Mako headed for the next outpost. The rest of the crew was simply going about their business; Tali tinkering on the drive core and propulsion systems, Liara studying some of her Prothean research, and Wrex was relaxing in the cargo bay using a few crates as a bench.
Garrus was in the med bay trying to read on his omni-tool while keeping an eye on Claire. She had been asleep for hours. Garrus finally shook his head and minimized the screen on his omni-tool before placing a hand on Claire's.
"I really hope you can't hear this Shepard…or maybe I hope you can. I guess what I'm saying is that I'm a little embarrassed. I just never thought about having feelings for anyone, especially a human. I don't know how to explain it… I guess there really isn't a way to explain it is there?" Garrus ran one of his fingers along Claire's cheek. "I'm not really sure how to compliment humans or tell one that she means a lot to me. I guess I should just say it as plainly as possible. I'd follow you anywhere Claire. I've heard Luke say that we've been to Hell and back. I think I understand what that means, but I'll follow you to Hell and watch your back whenever you need me." Garrus didn't know how else to say how much he admired her as a commander and soldier, but he could not find any words to tell her just how much he cared for her personally.
This is ridiculous. I barely know her and she is my best friend's sister. How would I feel if Luke started dating my sister? Besides, Claire is my commanding officer and a Spectre. She couldn't care about me that way even if she wanted to. It's best to bury all this… But even as the words pounded in his head, he could not take his eyes off his sleeping commander. He had seen what human standards of beauty were and he knew what turians called beautiful, but Claire left them all behind. She had the strength and skill that turians found attractive and the looks that humans described as gorgeous. Plus she was smart, resourceful, and kind. Garrus had never met a woman who could just as easily make peace as she could shoot.
Claire stirred from her slumber causing Garrus to take a step back and sit down on the next exam table over. He thought about what he was going to say to her when she was awake and alert, but nothing really came to mind. He sighed and shook his head at his own fear and nervousness as he left the med bay.
