Chapter 26

"Hey, L2. You ready?"

Kaidan trotted across the docking terminal to James.

"Got the cameras. Let's go," Kaidan said.

James inclined his head to the loading ramp. The Normandy - it segmented in the passing windows as they marched down the tunneled rampway to the airlock loading door. Kaidan had spent so much time looking out the Normandy, looking in on it felt novel. James halted on the loading platform outside the airlock. His eyes darted to the camera overhead.

"They're looped," Kaidan said.

"Hope you know your stuff there, L2."

"I do."

They stepped out of the airlock into the ship with a burst of filtered air. Kaidan's boots echoed on the gridded panels of the gangway. The CIC glowed at the far end. Something moved beside him, and Kaidan spun to face the cockpit.

"Joker?"

Jocker lounged in the cockpit chair facing them. A bag of chips crinkled on his lap as he popped one in his mouth with a crunch.

"Major."

James stood away from the closing airlock with a grin.

"Boom: our lookout," James lifted both hands to Joker. "Right, Joker?"

Joker shrugged. "I'm not tackling anyone, but yeah, I'll give you fair warning before they tackle you."

Kaidan smiled wanly despite their conversation in the hospital. Even with that and all the painful months standing almost in these exact spots even, it would always still be good to see him.

"Good to see you, Joker."

"Whoa, Kaidan. Almost believe you. You're getting good."

The corner of Kaidan's mouth curled crookedly, and he shook his head with an eyeroll. He turned and followed James down the gangway, boots heavy on the metal grates. The ceiling vents were torn apart in the CIC, still semi-fixed. A ladder stood near the entrance to the war room. Bullet holes pepper the walls. The galaxy map's bank of console shined through cracked glass.

"I'm not sure how long we've got," James said over his shoulder. "Next batch of engineers could be anytime. Just hoping they stick to the engine room. We slip in and out. Hola y adios. I'll find them a distraction if they're still working with the vent work up here."

They stepped up to the elevator. James pushed the down and up buttons for the elevator.

"Circuits all screwed up," James said. "It'll figure it out when we punch the right button inside though."

"No one will be going down to the cargo bay?" Kaidan asked.

"Don't think so. Pretty well restricted." He grinned. "Well, supposed to be."

The elevator doors churned open. Metal walls warped with burn marks and crumbling metal plating.

"Elevator looks damaged," Kaidan said stepping on.

"What? Oh." James nodded absently. "Yeah, grenades do that. If you ever wondered."

Kaidan touched pieces of shrapnel sticking out of elevator's wall. "Bet it damaged more than just the elevator."

"Yup. Got some damn good grenade-blasted bandito pulp in here. Be glad you missed that clean up."

"Needed more than a mop?"

The elevator came to a stop. The doors screeched opened, and it took Kaidan's breath away. What he'd expected after a blown apart elevator, he wasn't sure. White tape crisscrossed the elevator doorway. James pulled up the bottom piece and ducked under it. The bay gaped in front of them jumbled with charred pieces of crates, crumbling bulkhead, ceiling beams, metal, glass, bit of equipment and who-knew-what. Lights flickered overhead, many of them burst and some simply dark shells of jagged glass. It was enough light to see but dim. Kaidan stumbled out of the elevator craning his neck in all directions. So much of the ceiling had crumbled in, it looked skeletal. The warped bulkheads had sloughed away almost to the hull. It had been thinned down the middle of the bay and towered against the walls to either side of them like ambitiously stacked bonfire fodder.

"I didn't realize …"

"It was this bad?" James asked. "Yeah …"

Kaidan's eyes moved over the charred wreckage before falling on twisted mound of metal in the center of the bay.

"Here it is," Kaidan said.

Kaidan stepped over the burned remains of the terminals that horseshoed the elevator. He walked up to the wreckage, bent down, and rubbed a sooty plate of metal. Blue paint abraded and faint showed threw as Kaidan drew away his blackened fingers. Glass crunched under James's boots as he came up behind him.

"One flying boulder of caliente shuttle. Probably still got our names stamped on its burned-up ass."

Kaidan rose and strolled around it. Metal sheets twisted into each other, glass and scrap pieces scattered over it.

"Stuck together pretty well even with venting the bay," James said.

If it had exploded, all these interlocking pieces melded together from the heat, they would be sticking out of the cargo bay walls and floor, everything blown wide away. But it was here, almost compacted and melded into a solid mass. Kaidan touched the alligator-skinned edge of the warped metal plating. It crumbled in his hand.

"Shepard really covered it in a barrier?" Kaidan said.

James gave a shrug. "I'm no biotic, but yeah, that's what it reminded me of. If it's possible and all."

Kaidan took a step back. "Maybe it is."

Kaidan turned in a circle. The ceiling stories above had missing panels with partially collapsing exposing ductwork. The windows facing out from engineering had blown out and were sealed off with a temporary partition of scrap metal plating. The whole bay was a mess, chaotic and burned wreckage. Shifting debris from the explosions and fire, the space venting. He wasn't sure what he had hoped to find here anyway.

James poked at some of the warped debris with the toe of his boot. "Don't even know which smoked-up piece of crap was my workbench."

"It's hard when they never recover the remains."

James chuckled. "Yeah. I guess."

From what Kaidan could see through the towering pile of metal debris, the armory looked empty, at least from this squinting angle. It was probably unloaded and processed before scraping all the wreckage to the side. No wonder Taccus wanted the bay purged soon. Hard to move around, let alone get to anything for repairs.

Kaidan turned back to James. "Where was Anchor when you saw him last?"

James scratched his neck. "Damn. I don't know. It was dark. He was by the armory then he wasn't. This group came out the elevator. We were too busy busting our butts for cover."

Kaidan moved around the burned bank of terminals and bent to rifle through the singed piles.

"Where did Shepard go? She was with you?"

"Not the whole time."

Kaidan's head snapped up. "No? Where was she?"

James pointed to the corner with his chin. "The beacon."

Kaidan turned on his haunches to stare up the bristling matrix of fallen-in beams, collapsed crates, and metal siding. The worst of the fire appeared to have come from there. Kaidan ducked his head looking through the lattice of beams and turned on his Omni-Tool light. A dark opening deep in the layer of twisted metal had to be the doorway to the escape pods and distress beacon. James hunched down next to him and stared in.

"That's going to be a tight fit, if that's what you're thinking," James said.

Kaidan stood back from the tower of stacked metal. There were definitely some key piece collapsing the whole pile in. Blue energy rippled over Kaidan's skin. James's eyebrows rose, and he stepped back.

"This could be a while, huh?" James mumbled.

"We'll see."

The top beams slid against each other falling to the sides as Kaidan moved them. Chunks of metal slid together bending and creaking beneath. Kaidan shifted a piece of bulkhead. It tore twisting and shuttering from where it had melded with a beam in the wall. The shutter sent a groaning shriek up a charred beam running up the wall. Glass shattered down on them, and a broad slat of charred siding swung loose from high above. Kaidan put out a hand pushing James back as the siding broke loose and crashed down. A blue shield scattered the spray of glass and metal. The whole bay seemed to settle and moan. Kaidan put his hand down and dropped the shield.

"Uh … hmm." Kaidan glanced over at James. "How much time do we have?"

James laughed. "Damn."

XXX

It took time and a lot more patience than Kaidan wanted to use. Every move had to be slow and calculating. There were a few setbacks as he shifted through the pile of metal. Sweat dripped down Kaidan's neck, his bone starting to feel jittery. He should have eaten or slept more, and the background migraine wasn't helping. James checked the time on his Omni-Tool.

"You know, waiting to get collared, drop kicked into the brig, it sure makes times crawl," James said. "But then, an Asari dancer takes you home, and time's all gone. Wake up the next morning wondering what even happened."

"Sounds like a good way to get robbed," Kaidan said.

He grimaced carefully rattling loose a wedged chuck of siding.

"Uh, worth it, L2. Trust me."

"I'll take your word for it."

The slat of siding broke apart with a pop. The metal above groaned. Kaidan hesitated then gingerly pulled it forward again.

"So … you and Shepard. You guys, uh, still … you know?"

Kaidan eyed him sideways. A warped beam shifted against the wall. Kaidan snapped his attention back.

"Uh, yeah. No."

James shrugged. "Too bad. Thought you two were good together."

"Regs."

"Didn't matter before."

"Nothing mattered before."

James grinned toothily. "Got me there."

The path was getting clearer. Just a few more pieces leaning against the wall. Kaidan only needed to clear a path to the doorway.

"Still," James said. "You could, uh, keep it on the DL, ya know?"

"Yeah? To what end?"

"Does it matter?"

"To me it does."

James barked a laugh and shook his head. "L2, L2, hombre, listen to me. Live in the moment. Didn't us almost being Reaper-fodder teach ya anything?"

"I already lived in the moment. Beating the Reapers just means there should be something more."

Kaidan flicked a slab of metal aside. His pile of metal sheeting crumpled, sliding, and clattering across the floor. Kaidan frowned. He was becoming too impatient.

"Uh, okay," James said watching the shifting metal. "Let's talk about the last biotic ball championship or something."

"Good idea."

"Who'd you root for?"

Kaidan tugged the jagged ribcage of a crate to the side and exposed the door. The blue evaporated off his skin. He took a long breath and dragged the back of his hand across a sweaty forehead.

"Let's go," Kaidan said.

James eyed the stacked piles lining the jumbled pathway.

"If I get flattened by some of this, I'm gonna be pissed."

"Eh." Kaidan started forward. "I'll dust you off."

James took a tentative step. "Just don't want to come-to with you resuscitating me or nothing."

"That makes two of us. Come on."

They stepped over the remaining debris scattered at their feet and navigated around the bulging scrap piles. Kaidan turned on his Omni-Tool light as he reached the doorway and stepped into the narrow corridor that housed the distress beacon. The beacon's terminal stood in the shadows ahead of him. Kaidan moved forward, the closed escape pods to his right. A shiver ran down his back. For a moment he saw flames bursting around him, and Shepard standing at a different distress beacon terminal, whipping around in her armor to face him. He blinked and the image was gone.

James turned his Omni-Tool light on as he stepped in. "Hope this was worth it, L2."

"Me too."

Kaidan's fingers slipped over the terminal keys, and he gazed around the room with his light.

"Look here." James picked a helmet off the floor. "Anchor's. I recognize it."

Kaidan stood against the wall opposite the terminal and stared up at the ceiling. He took a step back staring up the beam of light.

"Whatcha got?" James's light bounced across the ceiling. "Damn. That what I think it is?"

Kaidan looked over at him. "What do you think it is?"

James shrugged. "Same as you, right? Anchor's head."

Brown blood stained the ceiling, walls, floor. Bits of cauliflower-like material and bit of bone dried across the ceiling and upper part of the wall. Kaidan's light shifted down to where he stood, and he backed up again.

"Shepard stood here and shot him," Kaidan said.

Kaidan's jaw clenched imaging Anchor there. He would have attacked her.

"Can we prove it was Shepard?" James asked.

Kaidan blinked the image away. He needed to stay focused on why he was here. He looked over at James.

"Anchor was shot through the head. Upwards, through the jaw, out the top of the skull," Kaidan said.

Kaidan imagined the pistol in his hand. Anchor would have been standing close judging by the blood across the floor. It seemed awkward to shoot at such a steep angle though. Maybe Anchor had been further away. If he had stood here though … Kaidan followed the angle up with his light into the low corner of the ceiling. Kaidan smiled and walked below the fingertip sized hole above.

"How you gonna get that?" James asked.

Blue glowed across Kaidan's skin, and he reached upward toward the hole in the ceiling. He pulled down with a fist and a glowing piece of metal dropped into this other palm. He looked at it in his palm then held it out to James.

"Look what you found."

James put out his hand. Kaidan upended his palm letting the bullet roll off.

"I think Joker may have seen you find it," Kaidan said.

James held the bullet up with a grin then slipped it into his pocket.

"Sure did. Right after I biotically stacked myself a pathway and pulled it from the ceiling."

Kaidan gave a shrug. "You're pretty brawny. But, let's mess up our trail bit for good measure, huh? On the way out."

"Sure … uh, Joker."

"Exactly."

Kaidan glanced over at the terminal and around the room again. He imagined Shepard standing there, Anchor reaching for her.

"Autopsy must have been a good read, huh?" James said breaking Kaidan's attention.

James wandered over to the doorway and peeked out into the cargo bay.

"I didn't get that info from a book," Kaidan said. "More hands-on in lab."

James scrunched his face. "Kind of gruesome, right? Don't know if I want to see more of that crap than I have to."

"I don't know." Kaidan frowned darkly at the wall. "No regrets on seeing this one."

"I regret every one that I've seen. I don't care who. Ain't pretty to see, and I don't like remembering it."

"My only regret," Kaidan muttered, "is that Cerberus isn't still around to bring him back. Then, I could shoot him dead all over again."

James stared at Kaidan. "Sure. Seems like a questionable use of resources, but you know."

"I don't think so."

James gave a tooth grimace. "Don't let me get on your bad side, Major."

"Scared you into the title, James?"

"Yes, sir." James grinned. He eyed Kaidan for a moment and then leaned a hand on the wall. "Why you hate him so much?"

Kaidan crossed his arms and studied his boots. "He strangled her."

"What? Who?"

"Anchor strangled Shepard. It had to be him."

James shifted. "How do you know she was strangled?"

"What soldier even does that?" Kaidan snapped. "You go to war. You kill people, sure. You don't strangle another soldier around the throat."

James rubbed the side of his face. "Why would he do that?"

"Exactly," Kaidan said. "Why would you ever do that? That sort of thing, it's personal, sadistic. That's why it was him. Those other soldiers didn't know her, why would they do that?"

James glanced out the doorway again. "You know, even so. It's not what took her down."

"I know. But the idea of someone strangling her, soldier to soldier and in combat. It … it makes me sick." Kaidan set his jaw and turned to the door. "But let's go."

"Hey, guys." Joker's voice came over James's Omni-Tool.

James slapped the comm on his wrist. "Joker, tell me this ain't more than a service check."

Joker's voice went low. "Company."

"Let's move." Kaidan dove through the door.

"You know, I didn't really think this through." James came out on his heels.

"Too much living in the moment."

They plunged down the pathway between towering stacks of debris.

"Watch that!" Kaidan pointed at a shifty corner of siding.

Kaidan's boots crackled across the glass. His nerves tingled, felt something pulling him inside. He stopped. James stumbled up against him.

"Kaidan, the hell? Let's go!"

Joker's voice whispered through the comm. "Uh, guy. Those Spectres are here."

"Damnit," James growled. "L2!"

Kaidan bent down, glowing blue, and tore at a stack of metal sheets. James's breath panted above as Kaidan stretched an arm through a lattice of beams, going all the way to his shoulder, and straining with gritted teeth. That tingling, buzzing feeling brushed his fingertips. Kaidan's fingertips rocked it closer. He got it. He clamored to his feet holding a black, palm-sized stone of some sort. James's eyes widened.

"That's – we really need to go!" James pushed him forward.

Kaidan sprang forward curling his tingling fingers around the stone. They scrambled to the elevator and mashed the button.

"Hey, Joker. Any of 'um on the elevator?" James whispered into the comm on his Omni-Tool.

They strained to hear Joker. Muffled voices filled the background. Joker's voice talked louder, but they could only catch a word here or there. He wasn't speaking to them.

The elevator beeped, and the doors starting to open. James and Kaidan slipped to the side and pressed against the wall but no one came out. James peeked around the corner and slid away from the wall. They tumbled into the elevator. Kaidan's hand hovered over the floor buttons.

"Where?"

James darted forward and jammed one.

"Hoping we don't pick up ridders," James said.

Kaidan's shoulder muscle tightened. The smooth stone buzzed and tingled in his fist. Kaidan opened his palm and stared at it.

"Joker, hey," James whispered. "You able to distract them?"

An alarm screamed overhead with flashing sirens. Kaidan flinched. James pressed a hand to his chest and cursed. The siren sounded like it was going off all over the ship. Kaidan shoved the stone in a pocket and watched the screen list each passing floor. The elevator slowed, the CIC floor number light up overhead. James cursed again, and Kaidan shoved him to the side. He dove for cover on the other side of the doorway as the doors whined open.

Red lights flashed and sirens pulsing through the widening doors. Boots slapped across the floor outside as voices panicked. A nearby voice boomed yelling at someone. It sounded like Ursul. Kaidan pressed tight against the wall. James stared across the open doorway at him with large white eyes. He jammed the close door button. Ursul's voice bellowed again and a shadow moved across the light projecting onto the elevator's far wall. Kaidan edged to get a glimpse at the CIC. James's eyes widened larger and larger. Ursul's fringe moved on the edge of Kaidan's vision as she strode to the side yelling at someone in the CIC. Kaidan snapped his head back and edged away from the door.

The doors started to close. Ursul cursed, and a shadow eclipsed the strobing lights. A talon caught the door. James's eyes widened looking across the doorway at Kaidan. Over the alarms, Taccus yelled something. Ursul's voice turned away, and her hand pulled back. James jammed the close door button. As her footsteps receded, the doors slid shut.