Semper Fi
Chapter 13
Kaidan – 2
The SSV Tokyo had docked ten minutes ago but the airlock was still locked. Kaidan had served on a frigate for the last four years and tended to forget everything took more time on bigger ships. Plus, the biggest part of the fleet was not as recent as the Normandy, especially the second one. On a cruiser like the Tokyo, you had to manually change the atmosphere and gravity before docking on a station. Sure, you had the help of a VI but nothing sophisticated. Pilots on cruisers and dreadnoughts may not have been as good as maneuvering as Joker but they were extraordinary engineers nonetheless, knowing their ship to the last screw and capable to determine what was wrong just by listening to the engines. No wonder their pay grade was even higher than captains'.
An alarm rang through the docks and the latch started to open. Kaidan straightened his back. On his right, Anderson smiled a little, amused by the reflex. He had been Kaidan's captain for years, even helped him in his career, and the old man knew him perfectly. He could sense the tension in Kaidan, the anxiety. You didn't need to be a psychic to notice Kaidan's state of mind, to be honest.
He had barely slept since Anderson had given him a general description of Shepard's latest mission. Knowing that Vakarian was with her didn't help at all. Kaidan knew the Turian was a great asset on the field but he wasn't yet used to Shepard, nor Shepard to him. When everything went to Hell, teamwork really mattered. You had to know what your partners were going to do, where they were, how many clips they had left, and that knowledge couldn't be magically learned in three missions. Vakarian may have been a soldier good enough to be a Spectre but he didn't know the first thing about Shepard and that was a liability in this kind of mission.
It seemed it took forever for the doors to open but Shepard eventually appeared, her protegee on her left, slightly behind, automatically scanning the docks. He was wearing a black and green armor, very different from what he had left the station with. Come to think about it, Shepard was in uniform. She never took her uniform when she went alone on a mission. She preferred to travel light, only with her armor set and weapons – she was used to do so from her N7 training. Something had happened.
She walked straight for Anderson, determined as usual, ignoring the agitation on the docks, fists clenched. She was angry, no doubt about it. Kaidan also saw fresh bruises and cuts on her face and arms as she came closer. If he hadn't known her so well, he wouldn't have detected the slight limp on her left leg either. And Vakarian was definitively playing the bodyguard behind. That was the sign that really worried Kaidan.
"Commander," Anderson saluted as Shepard arrived in front of them, "it's good to see you." Her eyes were redder than usual and circled with black. Sleeping problems. Shepard wasn't a big sleeper, she needed four to five hours of rest on a normal day, maybe six after a mission. Kaidan had the same problem. It was caused by biotics – too much energy in an already hyperactive body. But Shepard had worked really hard to keep her powers in check and Javik had greatly helped her since he had joined the crew. Her condition actually improved over the past year and a half. She shouldn't be a mess like that after a few days without training.
"Glad to be alive," Shepard replied coldly. She folded her arms while Vakarian stood at parade rest behind her. "Where's Hackett?" Shepard asked. "I have a few words for him."
"On the Citadel, I'm afraid," Anderson said, keeping his calm. He knew Shepard all too well to answer to her anger. Though it was a rare thing for the Commander to be this emotional in front of her former superior.
"The Citadel?"
"Yes," Anderson confirmed. "The Council commanded his arrest. Spectre Kryik took care of it and thanks to him crucial documents have been recovered. Several generals and ministers, including the Prime Minister, have been arrested and charged with high treason and genocide attempt."
"Who arrested them?"
"The turian troops stationed here." Vakarian's attention jumped on Anderson. "I won't lie, it wasn't pretty," the Admiral admitted. "Ambassador Memniris has been hurt himself and Spectre Arterius took control of the troops shortly after. There were lots of casualties on both sides, even in civilians. The Turians eventually retreated to the embassy with their prisoners, they couldn't handle the riots, and they resisted until the Council fleet arrived three days later, with Councilor Tevos. I came along to pacify the situation."
Shepard stared at Anderson for long seconds, and even the Admiral felt uneasy at some point. Her grudge wasn't with Anderson though so she didn't speak up her mind. Instead, she turned to Kaidan.
"What's your version, Lieutenant Commander?" she asked. Kaidan squared his shoulders.
"The Normandy's crew did not interfere with the events occurring on the station, Commander," he replied, not daring to look Shepard in the eyes. "Javik considered it wasn't our problem."
"Any trouble?"
"None, Commander. The Alliance ceased fire quickly after Ambassador Udina's and Admiral Anderson's statement on all frequencies. The civilians kept rioting but they couldn't get into the docks."
"The repairs?" Shepard asked.
"They started with twenty-nine hours of delay," Kaidan admitted. Shepard tensed slightly.
"I tripled the personnel working on the Normandy as soon as I could," Anderson continued. "They're on it day and night, Shepard, and you will be able to leave the station tomorrow morning."
Shepard didn't reply but it was evident she wasn't thinking about cute puppies and a nice Sunday afternoon. Fortunately, her attention snapped to a dozen Turians in full gear coming their way, protecting the asari Councilor, Tevos. She was in her red and blue dress, like usual, totally out of place in the middle of heavy armored Turians. She looked small and slender compared to them, but not fragile at all. Tevos' eyes screamed "murder" with a rare intensity.
Anderson saluted the Councilor. Kaidan imitated him but waited to take ease. Vakarian did the same, while Shepard just nodded, arms still folded. Tevos did not care for anybody but Shepard. She presented her hands to her, palms up, and waited for Shepard to reciprocate the gesture. The Commander eventually put her hands above Tevos', barely brushing them. Kaidan knew it was how Asaris saluted one another, by putting their own biotic fields in contact, but he had never seen it applied to a Human before. Asaris didn't exactly like other biotics. What was the norm for them was seen as an aberration in other species, especially in human men. Kaidan had lost track of how many times an Asari had look at him with profound disgust.
Shepard quickly withdrew her hands and put them behind her back, avoiding eye contact with the Councilor. Tevos frowned slightly and gave a cold look around. Her turian guards understood the message and took their distance in an orderly manner. Vakarian looked at them and shifted his weight from one foot to another.
"I'll leave you to it, Commander," he said but waited for Shepard's nod of the head to walk away.
"What are you waiting for, you two?" the Councilor asked coldly to Anderson and Kaidan.
"My apologies, Councilor," Anderson replied with a humble bowing. "Lieutenant Commander?" Kaidan nodded and followed the Admiral who joined Vakarian. The Turian had chosen to stand in front of a railing and look at the activities around the SSV Tokyo. He welcomed them with a flick of his mandibles. Kaidan never knew if it was a smile or a sign of anxiety on a Turian. "I've heard you did an exceptional work, Spectre Vakarian," Anderson complimented him.
"A desperate situation does not make a desperate man," Vakarian replied, straightening like always. It must have been a turian saying because it was the first time Kaidan had heard something like that.
"Still," Anderson agreed with a nod, "no one had ever dared make an asteroid transit through the relay network. You pushed theory's limits, saved a system and its inhabitant, prevented a war and took Shepard home. The Alliance owes you a lot, Spectre." Anderson had a disenchanted little smile. "I owe you a lot."
Vakarian looked at Anderson for long seconds before returning his attention to the ship. "I only did my job, Sir." Kaidan snorted – that was one of Shepard's top five sentences when she wanted to cut a discussion short, right after her infamous "I should go".
Kaidan took a look over his shoulder to check on Shepard but Vakarian cleared his throats. Kaidan blushed, like a kid surprised in the middle of his cookie raid. No picking. "So, huh, what with the new armor?" he asked, embarrassed.
"Courtesy of the Alliance," Vakarian shrugged.
"You forgot to pick up the other one at the pressing?" Kaidan tried to joke.
Vakarian's mandibles flicked again. "Something like that."
"I doubt Spectre Vakarian can disclose the details of his mission, Lieutenant Commander," Anderson intervened. Kaidan looked at the ground, even more embarrassed. "But I wouldn't mind a short resume mysefl," Anderson added on a friendly tone. Vakarian stared at him for several seconds.
"You Humans have a fitting saying for that, I think," he said, turning again to the SSV Tokyo. "Shit hit the fan."
"I see," Anderson replied and silence fell on them for a few minutes. Kaidan tried to eavesdrop on Shepard and Tevos' conversation but there was too much noise on the docks, between the cooling thrusters of the Tokyo, her refueling and refilling, soldiers coming and going and other ships both leaving and arriving. He couldn't really focus anyway. Vakarian kept an eye on him.
Eventually Tevos allowed them to come back.
"The Council cannot reward their Spectres, Anderson," Tevos said haughty, chin up, even if she barely could see above Shepard's shoulder. "They're only doing their job after all, no matter the mission. But the Alliance will reward Spectre Shepard and Spectre Vakarian and will be very generous with them. That'll start by replacing all their lost gear, weapons included, and you'll toss in whatever they ask for. Understood?"
"This is the minimum we can do, Councilor," Anderson agreed.
"I advise you to make your requests before the Council determines the proper sanctions, Spectres," Tevos continued, ignoring Anderson. "The Alliance may not have the necessary funds once we're done with them." Holy shit, Kaidan thought. He had known the situation for the Alliance was bad but if sanctions could bankrupt their economy, that was a whole new level of bad. Human expansion in the galaxy would probably slow down for the next decade or so. What exactly did Hackett have in mind when he alerted the Council? Had he even thought of the repercussions? He had doomed Humanity to stagnation in an ever evolving galaxy. Without innovation, a species could only go extinct.
Kaidan realized Tevos was staring at him and he took a deep breath to calm down. His energy field must have been disrupted by his emotions. Shepard hadn't notice but the Asari did. It was natural for her, while Shepard and Kaidan were part of the first generation of human biotics. They knew how to control their powers, more or less, but all the subtleties were still a mystery to them. They couldn't "read" another biotic like Asaris could.
"Now," Tevos said, keeping her eyes on Kaidan, "rest assured the Council won't call for you until you are ready to go back on the field. Just keep us posted on your location, as required by protocol." She turned to Shepard and her voice softened. "I wish no emergency will disturb your well earned rest but it's statistically near impossible considering the number of idiots in this galaxy." Shepard had a little smile she hid quickly. Tevos presented her hands to the Commander again. Shepard was still reluctant but she brushed Tevos' hands nonetheless. The Councilor saluted Vakarian and walked away, her turian guards in an orderly fashion around her.
Shepard waited for the Councilor to be far enough before taking a cigarette pack out of her pocket. She lit one in front of Anderson and drew on it. Kaidan frowned but the Admiral spoke before him.
"You're smoking again?" His tone was conversational but Kaidan knew Anderson was worried. He had followed Shepard since she had joined the army, and cared for her a lot. Seeing his protegee fall again in this bad habit was not a good sign.
"Been a couple of stressful days," Shepard replied, exhaling the smoke.
"You do know what effects those have on your biotics, don't you?" he continued.
"I know," Shepard grunted, "Tevos knows, everybody knows and I don't give a flying fu..." Anderson arched an eyebrow. "I don't care," she rectified, choosing diplomacy over bluntness. "That's my problem anyway, Admiral, and you have far more pressing matters to focus on. What time is it?" she asked, looking around to find a clock.
"A quarter past eleven," Kaidan answered.
"You'll have the list of our requests in two hours, Admiral," Shepard said. "But first, I need a shower and the biggest, greasiest cheeseburger I can find on this station."
"I can..."
"No you can't," Shepard interrupted Vakarian. "You have no idea what is a cheeseburger and I didn't survive this long to die today of food poisoning."
"I'll take care of it," Kaidan offered. "Do you want anything while I'm out shopping for Shepard, Vakarian?" His mandibles flicked a little.
"I'm fine," he replied, "thank you."
"See how terrifying it is to let your food in charge of someone who knows nothing about it?" Shepard snorted, starting to walk to the Normandy.
"Point taken," Vakarian nodded, following her.
"Thanks Kaidan," Shepard threw over her shoulder. "Admiral," she added coldly. Anderson saluted her and walked to the opposite direction without a word. Kaidan felt obligated to cross the docks to go on another direction.
Finding a cheeseburger on a human station wasn't difficult. Finding a good one was a task much more difficult. Kaidan succeeded nonetheless in less than an hour, transportation included. When he got back on the Normandy, he found Vakarian cooking something in the kitchen that apparently required a lot of dishes. He had changed to his sport wear. Kaidan noticed a few bruises and scratches here and there on the Turian. Marks should have faded faster than that. They had been absent for ten days. Considering the initial trip to the Bahak system was more or less three days long, they had had a week to recover, but their injuries looked like from yesterday's.
"Hello Sailor," Joker saluted, a cup of coffee in hand. He was leaning on the kitchen counter, looking at what Vakarian was cooking with interest.
"Where's Shepard?" Kaidan asked, putting his paper bag next to the pilot.
"In the lounge," Vakarian replied, stirring something that smelled awful in a pan. Shepard was probably smoking. The lounge was the only room where it was permitted to smoke on the Normandy. Kaidan heated up the oven and put two cheeseburgers and fries on a plate in it. Shepard would get out eventually, and he had the feeling she wanted to be left alone anyway. She always did after a rough mission. There was no point going to the lounge now.
"So," Joker continued, "where was I? Ah, yes: you're a crazy sonofabitch, Garrus."
"So much love," the Turian smirked. Kaidan leaned on the counter, intrigued by the sudden proximity between those two. "Admit it, Joker, you're just jealous."
"Jealous? Me? Are you high again?"
"Pain killers," Vakarian admitted with a shrug, mixing the content of a pan with another. "And yes, you're jealous because I joined the very close circle of asteroid pilots. Oh wait," he smiled, "I created that circle."
"Out of luck," Joker insisted. "You had no idea it'd work. Besides, without the knowledge I gave you, you wouldn't have been able to do it, so you owe me, like, a lot!"
"I'd have found out eventually."
"That's a lie!" Joker's voice went high, faking offense. "You're lying to my face! I swear I'll tell on you to the next Primarch I come across."
"Turians lie all the time, like anybody else," Vakarian chuckled. "If confronted, we have to tell the truth, but it's not even an obligation, more a question of pride."
"I command you to tell me the truth at once, thirteenth tier Garrus Vakarian!"
"Well, technically, I don't have to," the Turian smirked. "My tier is roughly equal to your Lieutenant Commander rank, so I'm your superior, Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau." That was new, Kaidan thought. So they had the same rank. Nihlus too. Maybe that explained Kryik's attitude towards him.
"You're making up your bullshit as you speak," Joker grunted, "admit that at least."
"Who knows?" Vakarian teased.
Joker snorted. "I'll ask Solus, he wrote a whole book on your culture."
"Several, actually," Shepard corrected. Kaidan turned to see her arrive, also in sport wear, hands in her pockets, hair still wet. She looked tired but a lot more relaxed. Maybe not a hundred percent but it was a great improvement nonetheless. "What do you want to know, Joker?" she asked. "I've read them all and I've experienced first hand his findings so I'm like the expert here." She hooped on the counter to sit on it and winced a little. Her hoodie was zipped to the top. Kaidan couldn't see any injuries other than on her face but he'd bet that wasn't pretty.
"That's cheating," Vakarian intervened before Joker could decide which question was the most important. "Besides, you can't reduce seven billions people to an average behavior."
"'course you can," Shepard assured. "'Humans are ruthless lunatics driven by passion and capable of anything with the proper motivation'," she recited.
"You have to admit it sounds better than 'giant chickens with metal skin and a stick up their ass'," Vakarian replied, his mandibles flickering. Joker snorted in his cup, spilling coffee on his chest.
"Oh shit," he mumbled, "that was my last clean shirt! You people don't realize how long it takes me to go down to the utility room."
The oven beeped and Kaidan got the plate out while Joker cleaned his shirt with water. Shepard opened wide eyes at the vision of so much food. Kaidan smiled. He set everything on the table, sauces, soda and sundae with caramel topping included, before inviting her to sit. Her moan when she took the first bite was almost indecent. Vakarian finished his cooking shortly after and took his five courses lunch to the table. There was enough food for two or three Turians. Joker came to sit next to Shepard and Kaidan joined them on the other side of the table. He didn't want to impose but he also wanted to be sure Shepard ate.
"So," Joker said, "is Baby-Spectre really my superior?"
"If I don't say so, no," Shepard answered.
"Ah ha!" Joker rejoiced. Vakarian winced.
"Alright, I lied," he admitted. "Without our conversation, I wouldn't have had a clue about how the relay system worked."
"And you'd be dead so I basically saved your lives," Joker smiled, easing himself on his chair. "You're welcome," he saluted with his cup.
"Maybe I'd've had his idea," Shepard shrugged. Joker laughed.
"Yeah right. I know you're crazy enough to come up with a plan like that, Commander, but there is no universe possible where you'd've been able to do the maths."
"The VI helped," Vakarian informed while Shepard stared at the pilot who seemed to regret his words. "I managed to do the maths while we were already transiting but it took me almost three days just to solve the Hauptmann-Puntambekar equations. The VI did it in an hour before we hit the relay."
"Three days isn't bad, to be honest," Joker shrugged. "Takes at least a week for rookies at the academy the first time they have to solve those equations."
"I'm glad we have computers," Shepard sighed, chewing on a fry soaked with vanilla ice cream – a bad habit of her if you were to ask Kaidan. "We lose enough time as it is with the relay network. I'd be crazy if we had to wait three more days at each nexus."
"Can I?" Vakarian asked, pointing to the fries with his fork. Shepard shrugged and let him pick one. He diped it in the sundae before tasting it. He nodded appreciatively and continued digging in his plates. Another converted. It was criminal.
"How long did it take you the first time, Joker?" Kaidan asked, out of curiosity.
"To solve the H-P equations? I'd love to brag but it took me three days too."
"Ha." Vakarian's mandibles flickered. He looked amused this time, Kaidan decided.
"Yeah, well," Joker scratched his forehead, "the instructor wrote the equations on the board and told us those who couldn't solve them within a week would've to leave the academy so, you know, no pressure. And we had no fucking idea what those equations were, couldn't find anything about it on the extranet because the extranet is for porn and kittens, obviously, not for knowledge. Besides, nobody cares how the relays work."
"And it's classified material anyway," Shepard interrupted before gulping the last bite of her first cheeseburger.
"Yeah, that too," Joker agreed. "Of course we couldn't find a thing at the library and other classes couldn't tell us anything either because they'd been told they'd get expelled if they did and all the shit. Not a stressful week at all."
"You said you solved the equations in three days," Vakarian commented before digging in a plate full of vegetables covered in brown sauce. It smelled like daisies.
"I spent the first day searching, got super anxious, drank a lot and spent all Tuesday wasted. I started to work on the equations on Wednesday and finished by Friday. Three days."
"But you spent a week on the equations nonetheless," Vakarian insisted, "whereas I solved them in 'almost' three days."
"Stop bragging, Vakarian," Joker grunted. "You're a super badass soldier and engineer, we get it, no need to rub it to the poor cripple's face."
"Your forgot 'handsome' in your description." Shepard almost spilled her mouthful of cheeseburger on the table. Joker patted her on the back to help her recover from her chocking. "You're alright, Commander?" Vakarian inquired.
"I'm fine," she assured before clearing her throat. She had tears in her eyes but the good kind. "Hurts like a bitch but I'm fine."
"Try not to kill our Commander, mister Vakarian," Chakwas said as she walked to them, three small paper goblets and an orange container in hands. Solus was following her with a datapad under his arm. Chakwas put two cups in front of Shepard, one in front of Vakarian. Shepard swallowed the pills without a question but Vakarian hesitated. "I can assure you, mister Vakarian, Professor Solus did not touch or alter your medication." Solus nodded thoroughly and Vakarian didn't insist. He gulped the pills with a sip of water.
"Simple complements, vitamins, stimulants," Solus listed, looking at his datapad. "Alarming diminution of thulium in your organism provoked by lack of electromagnetic shields on the asteroid."
"And that's why you'll take three of those twice a day for at least fifteen days," Chakwas added, shaking the container in front of a frowning Vakarian.
"Alright," he mumbled, taking the bottle. He didn't look happy about it and Kaidan wondered why.
"Alarming how?" Shepard asked.
"Wouldn't be able to go on Palaven without proper shielding," Solus answered. "Also, immune system greatly weakened. Recommend avoiding contact with pathogens."
Vakarian arched a brow in Shepard's direction, his mandibles opening a little. "Yeah, well, no worries about that," she rolled her eyes. "And what did our little trip do to me?" She kept on digging into her fries.
"Your immune system is also impaired," Chakwas said, "and you lack a lot of iron, calcium, zinc, vitamins B2, B5, B8, B12, D, E, K..."
"In English?" Shepard interrupted.
"Will be tired, have short breath, difficulties processing nutriments and regenerating muscles and hemoglobin," Solus simplified, hands behind his back, as if he was giving a report.
"That's what happens when you use the relay network without proper shielding," Joker commented.
"Correct, mister Moreau," Chakwas smiled. "It's a very well known phenomena and you'll both recover completely within two weeks."
"Yes," Solus confirmed. "Not enough time spent in the relay network to develop more regrettable effects like tumors, cancers or mutations."
"But what about their injuries?" Kaidan intervened.
"What about them?" Chakwas asked.
"They look like they've been beaten up yesterday. I doubt the rescue crew did that to them."
"Have to remind you lack of shielding on the asteroid," Solus chuckled.
"So?" Kaidan insisted, not liking the Salarian's tone. Joker rose his hand.
"Me, me, pick me, Professor!" he pleaded. Solus nodded humbly, smiling. "The asteroid was trapped in the relay network for six days from our point of view but, for them, the trip was instantaneous. Sort of."
"What?"
"They were out of time," Joker continued while Solus nodded his approval. "See, you need gravity and strong electromagnetic shielding on a ship if you want to diminish the effects of the relays on an organic life form. And I say diminish, not cancel, because there is no possible way to cancel the non-happening of time."
"Again: what?" Kaidan repeated.
"There is no time," Joker insisted, "and you can't cancel something that doesn't happen."
"Yes," Solus approved. "Biological processes slowed down by usage of relays." Kaidan saw Shepard raise an eyebrow. "Six days for you, me, everybody," he gestured. "Not Shepard and Vakarian. Pof! Instantaneous travel. Six days younger than us. No time for them to heal."
"Felt like six days though," Shepard grunted, now eating her sundae with her remaining fries.
"Gravity on the asteroid," Solus continued, "impression of time but not actual time."
"Our minds think we've spent six days in the relay network," Vakarian simplified, "but our bodies didn't get the message."
"Exactly!" Solus confirmed.
"I see," Kaidan said, even if he wasn't sure to understand everything.
"So," Vakarian continued on a clearly teasing tone, "I may have the impression I solved the Hauptmann-Puntambekar equations in three days but it actually was instantaneous." Joker opened his mouth in a perfect o under the chock. "Well, half of that." Shepar laughed before the outraged face of her pilot.
"Shit, Vakarian, I said it hurts!" she complained, rubbing her side. Vakarian eased himself on his chair, his mandibles flickering. He wasn't sorry at all. To the contrary, he seemed pretty pleased with himself. Kaidan understood that feeling all too well. Making Shepard laugh after a rough mission was a pretty big accomplishment. "There," Shepard said, searching for something in her pocket, "your punishment." She slammed a folded post-it on the table. Vakarian had to bend to take it, which made him wince a little.
"You know how to read English, Vakarian?" Joker mocked.
"I'm fluent in eight languages, Moreau," Vakarian replied but he still presented the paper to Alenko. Joker laughed. Alenko felt a sudden weight on his stomach as he read.
"A Mako?" His voice may have trembled a little.
"Yes, a Mako," Shepard confirmed. Joker laughed even more, quickly followed by a more discreet Chakwas. "I've wanted one since we lost ours with the SR1 but we didn't have the funds for a new one." She took her soda. "Now's the occasion," she shrugged, straw on her lips.
"What's a Mako?" Vakarian asked. Joker couldn't stop laughing, which made Shepard smile. Kaidan couldn't find the proper words to describe the vehicle. Death on six wheels, maybe.
"The only machine capable of making a Krogan throw up, I'm afraid," Chakwas answered. Vakarian arched a brow.
"And that's my punishment?" Joker kept on laughing. He was all red and had tears in his eyes.
"More like..." he tried saying between two breaths, "more like everybody's... oh God, everybody's punishment!"
"Your punishment is to make the list of our requests, Vakarian," Shepard corrected, fighting her smile hard. Joker was barely recovering, face on the table. "You'll also send it to Anderson."
"Alright," he agreed.
"Be generous with yourself. If you want all the N7 catalog, go for it. And when it comes to me, I want to replace my Black Widow and my armor but I can find a good Carniflex and an assault rifle anywhere. Ask Steve for my armor, he'll know what's missing." Vakarian nodded. Shepard stood, fumbling in her pocket again. "Thanks for the meal, Alenko. Let me know how much I owe you."
"Sure," Kaidan shrugged, "no problem." He had no intention whatsoever to make her pay though.
"Strongly suggest against smoking," Solus commented as Shepard took her packet out of her pocket. "Disastrous consequences observed on human biotics. Humans in general but biotics in particular."
"My boot up someone's butt also has consequences, regardless of species, Professor," Shepard replied coldly. Solus just smiled and nodded. "I'll head to bed right after," Shepard added, "I'm dead tired. Send the list to Anderson and take some rest too, Vakarian, you earned it. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Aye, aye, Commander."
"Night night," Joker added as Shepard walked away. She waved goodbye over her shoulder and disappeared at the corner. Solus waited for the lounge door to close before talking.
"Have something for that."
"I'm sure you have, Professor," Chakwas smiled softly, "but experience told me it's better to wait for her to ask for help instead of doing something behind her back, even if it's for her own good." Kaidan nodded. Shepard described herself as a strong independent woman who didn't need help unless she asked for it. She was proud but not stupid. She would ask for help if she couldn't handle the situation herself.
"What does smoking do to biotics?" Vakarian asked, turning to the two doctors.
"Smoking, nothing but lung cancer over a long period of time," Solus answered. "Nicotine the problem. Simply put, biotics no more than capacity to control flaw of energy created within a body containing eezo nodules. Flaw blocked by nicotine. Energy bottled up. Can eventually explode. Boom!"
"What?" Joker, Vakarian and Kaidan said at the same time.
"It happened once," Chakwas reassured them, "with a subject who was smoking near rusty oxygen tanks."
"Explosion provoked by need of nicotine nonetheless," Solus insisted. "Chain of events. Causality. Destiny maybe." Chakwas shook gently her head, amused.
"Shepard won't be able to use her powers and will probably be more jumpy than usual," she explained simply.
"Hide yo ribs, yo!" Joker mocked, hands in the air. Vakarian frowned, with a little flickering of his mandibles.
"Anyway, I better get going," he said, piling up his empty plates and Shepard's.
"I'll do the dishes," Kaidan offered.
"Thanks but I'll take care of my own mess," Vakarian replied. Kaidan didn't insist. Politeness made him say a lot of things he didn't mean to, to be honest.
"Yep, back to work," Joker yawned, stretching his back. "I have to make sure the guys don't fuck up again the balance of my baby, then reconfigure everything because of course they'll fuck up the balance of my baby."
"Will hold the elevator!" Solus claimed before turning heels, fist in the air, as if it was a battle cry.
Chakwas smiled. "You know where to find me, boys," she said, going back to the medbay.
Kaidan found his way to the shuttle bay later that afternoon, once certain Shepard and Vakarian were both resting. Shore leave officially ended at seven but almost everybody was on board already.
"I'm glad we got to move tomorrow," Wrex said, stretching. Kaidan was waiting for the delivery of the new Mako. Some crew members had stayed with him when they had arrived. "Arcturus Station is no place for a Krogan."
"Or a Quarian," Tali added, sitting on a pile of crate like a queen on a throne. "I didn't like the looks those Humans gave me."
"It's the hips," Vega chuckled. Cortez elbowed him in the ribs. "Seriously, any guy would cry before such a fine ass." Tali giggled.
"Careful boy," Wrex growled, showing his teeth. Vega took cover behind Cortez who held his hands up in the air.
"Don't involve me, please," he asked. "I don't even care about her ass." Cortez gave a quick look to Kaidan. He felt his cheeks warm up and looked away.
"You're disgusting, Cortez," Wrex grunted.
"Imagining you having sex with Tali makes me want to hurl, so we're even," Cortez replied, not afraid to talk back to the big Krogan. He knew Wrex wouldn't actually hurt him. They were good friends regardless of their sexual preferences. They just avoided the subject in general.
Wrex brushed it off with another grumble. "So," he turned to Kaidan, "how was Shepard?"
"Tired," Kaidan admitted. "She should be fine in two weeks, from what Chakwas and Solus said." Ashley snorted. She hadn't been participating much in the discussion since she came back. Kaidan could tell something bothered her. She was anxious.
"If the Salarian touched her..." Wrex grumbled, leaving his threat unspoken.
"It has nothing to do with the Salarian, idiot," Ashley snapped back. Wrex looked at her with big wide eyes. He wasn't used to get attitude from Ashley.
"Wow, easy Williams," Vega chuckled, still taking cover behind Cortez. "Ate a tiger this morning or what?"
"Fuck off, Vega," she replied and she stared angrily at the docks. Silence fell upon them, only interrupted by the workers still busy with the hull of the ship. Kaidan stared at Ashley's profile, her nose broken at least half a dozen times, her long eyelashes and her black hair cascading on her shoulders. He liked when she let her hair loose but it was a rare sight reserved for shore leaves or special occasions.
"Liara sure is late," Tali wondered after a few minutes.
"She still has an hour of free time," Cortez smiled. "She's the smart one who's enjoying her shore leave fully if you ask me."
"I thought she'd run to the ship as soon as she heard Shepard was back," Tali shrugged.
"Maybe the Doc doesn't know yet," Vega tried.
"Javik informed all the crew," Kaidan told him.
"We should organize a rescue party," Wrex proposed with a big smile full of sharp teeth. "Just in case."
"You just want to punch people and break bones," Cortez smirked.
"Krogans call that helping a friend out," Wrex defended himself. "It's cultural." Kaidan smiled as the others laughed more or less.
"If Liara is late for more than thirty minutes," Kaidan said. "we'll see, but it's not Omega, you know? Arcturus is a pretty safe station."
"Do you remember the three days of riots last week?" Tali mocked.
"Civilians felt attacked," Kaidan shrugged. "They saw a lot of Turians invading the center of their government and reacted to what they thought was a coup. You can't blame them for that."
"But your army barely did a thing to stop them," Tali insisted.
"The Alliance is not supposed to deal with internal problems," Kaidan explained. "It's a force to help our expansion and protect our interests. We cannot fight against the civilians. That's the police's job."
"What's the police?" Tali asked, her accent nicely altering the foreign word.
"It's like C-Sec on the Citadel," Cortez answered. Tali made a little disgusted sound, which made Kaidan smile. He knew Tali didn't think much of C-Sec, mostly because she had had troubles with them at the beginning of her pilgrimage. To her defense, C-Sec officers could be a little rough and racist towards some species, and Quarians weren't welcome in general due to their reputation of thieves and beggars. Plus, C-Sec recruited a lot in the turian army. Turians thought little of Quarians.
"How are things going between you and Vakarian, Tali?" Kaidan inquired. She snorted.
"Very well considering I'm avoiding him."
"Why that?" Vega asked. "He's a pretty cool guy."
"Very polite," Cortez approved.
"He's turian," Tali replied, as if it explained everything.
"Yeah, so?" Vega insisted.
"He's full of himself and tall and he thinks he's so smart with all his fancy accreditation," Tali listed with a pissed off voice. "I've also spent all my life in a military society but I don't feel the need to remind people I'm smarter than them every occasion I get."
"Yes," Wrex snorted, "yes, you do, Baby-girl." Tali gently shook her head, as if Wrex had said something really stupid but sweet nonetheless.
"You know what?" Vega replied, "I don't agree with that." Tali invited him to carry on with a sign of the hand. "I arrived on this ship at the same time and I can guarantee you people I've seen a difference between how you treat me and how you treat him. I know I'm easy going, I'm not afraid to make new friends and stuff, but, frankly, being Human helped me a lot." Wrex grumbled and Tali made an offended little noise. "Seriously!" Vega insisted. "I know Turians did stuff to Krogans, Quarians and even Humans but the guy has nothing to do with that. He wasn't even born when the First Contact War happened! Well, I don't know exactly but I'm pretty sure of it anyway. But he's a Turian so he must be evil, right? That's as stupid as saying all Krogans are brainless cannon fodder or all Quarians are... are... actually I don't know any stereotypes about Quarians but I'd bet those are nasty too, like, really nasty." Touché, Kaidan thought. "What do you know about Garrus anyway?" Vega continued. "Nothing, because you barely talked to him."
"He didn't exactly talk to us either," Tali snorted.
"And you didn't think 'hey, maybe the guy is shy and needs a little help getting out of his shell'?" Vega returned viciously. "That's literally the first thing that came up to my mind when I met him, and we'll all agree, I'm no genius." Tali wiggled uncomfortably on her throne.
"You didn't see him on the field," Tali insisted. "He was not shy at all when he killed that Turian on Omega." Kaidan had heard of that kill after dinner. Tali had told them Vakarian had shot without hesitation a Turian begging for his life. It had upset her for days.
"We've never been on a mission together," Vega said, "but I can guarantee you I'm way different on the field too, Baby-girl. Everybody is."
"Hey!" Wrex objected. It made sense, Kaidan thought. Vakarian was a lot more open in a mission. Not chatty and friendly per se but more at ease. It made a big difference with his usual self on board, always keeping a low profile and avoiding confrontations.
"And it's the same for Garrus," Vega continued. "He spent most of his life with a gun in his hands. That's his true nature, that's who he really is, and that's certainly the guy who'll save your ass at some point because, damn! He's good!"
Good enough to save Shepard from a certain death, on an asteroid aimed to a mass relay. Good enough to make her smile and laugh despite the shit hitting the fan. Something bothered Kaidan though. Vakarian had been more relaxed and chatty than usual earlier at lunch. Kaidan had thought it was because of exhaustion or pain killers but Vega's speech enlightened the events differently. Vakarian was still in battle mode. He was still on high alert. Something really bad had happened on that asteroid.
Tension broke as the sound of someone running up the ramp echoed in the shuttle bay. Kaidan turned to see Liara arriving, out of breath and black on her cheeks. She had a big paper bag in her hands. Wrex complained about his missed opportunity to have fun.
"I'm here!" Liara yelled as she stopped near them. She took in a big gulp of air. "EDI," she breathed out, "please inform Javik I'm here." She sat down on a crate, trying to catch her breath.
"Message transmitted," EDI replied through the speakers. Vega patted Liara on the shoulder.
"You okay, Doc? Need some water?"
"I'll be fine," Liara said between two heavy breaths, grabbing Vega's arm. "Please don't tell Shepard I can't run half a kilometer without dying."
"No worries," Vega chuckled, "your secret is safe with me. But we might want to work on that at some point." Liara turned desperate eyes to him, with a little squeak. Making Liara exercise was a task for men stronger than Wrex – truth be told, the old Krogan had a soft spot for desperate young girls like Tali and Liara and he couldn't yell at them nor make them cry. "What's with the bag, Doc?"
"A spaceship," Liara breathed heavily. "For Shepard. Thought she could... use the distraction. Had to go to five different stores to find... a model she didn't have." Kaidan smiled a little. He knew how difficult it was to complete Shepard's collection.
"The Commander is resting now," he said. "You can give her your gift tomorrow."
"Tomorrow, yes... Tomorrow is better," Liara approved. "I'll have time to catch my breath before tomorrow." Even Ashley was amused by the good word. "Why are you all here?" Liara asked. "Are you waiting for something?"
"You might want to run away," Wrex grumbled.
"What? Why?"
"A brand new Mako will arrive any moment now," Kaidan said. Liara lost several shades of blue in the blink of an eye.
"Oh fuck."
TBC