Author's note: No song today :) Events of the chapter - Kaidan receives news from Admiral Hackett; Kaidan & Miranda meet on the SSV Osaka; Wrex and his troops help on Earth; Tali & Garrus aboard the turian dreadnought
CHAPTER 7: The Radicle, Part I
3 months after the Reaper War
Kaidan didn't know what to make of receiving a message request directly from Admiral Hackett. While the Systems Alliance was never as rigid as other militaries—the Turian Hierarchy being notoriously draconian—it was still unusual for a message to break the chain of command. Kaidan concluded, logically, that the Admiral needed a favor.
Admiral Hackett's haggard face appeared on the screen.
"Admiral, I'm glad to see you're feeling a bit better," said Kaidan.
The admiral drew a breath and concentrated on each word carefully. "Th-thank you, Major," he sounded out.
The right side of his face sagged noticeably. In the week after the war, the Admiral's unwavering military career had come to an impasse when he suffered a major stroke. Years of intense stress and overwork had taken their toll; Dr. Paulsen ordered him on temporary leave.
"I received your message…what was it you wanted to share?" Kaidan waited patiently for his reply.
"I ha...have news. A-and a...fa-vor to..ask..."
Shepard's appearance was much healthier now, thanks to round-the-clock care from her medical team. The color had returned to her cheeks, her bruises had healed, and her amputated leg had been meticulously reconstructed. Even her lips had returned to their normal fullness. (Shepard's lips. Kaidan still chuckled at the image of Shepard asleep in the comm room of the SR-1, lips pouted like a moody toddler. She'd been so tired after their long mission on Noveria that she simply hung up on the Council. Splayed across one of the wide seats, she dozed off with her head draped over the side of the chair, drool dangling from the corner of her mouth. It was easy to forget that the woman could toss a 600 lb krogan across the room like a dirty towel.)
This would be Kaidan's last visit to the hospital ship for a while. Admiral Hackett's leave of absence had been extended indefinitely, and the dearth of Alliance staff was affecting what was left of the fleet. The tenure of the second human Spectre was woefully short-lived. The program had been effectively cancelled in the wake of the war; with every system of the galaxy cut off from the others, administering the program proved impossible. In truth, no one knew the fate of the Council. Survivors of the Citadel reported that the Council had fled prior to the Reaper siege, but there was no way of knowing which system they had traveled to or if they were even alive. Meanwhile, an increasing unrest loomed over the entirety of Sol. Everything was in short supply—food, clean water, medical supplies—and millions upon millions had been stranded in the human controlled system since the day the relays were damaged. The need for order was palpable.
"Can you believe it, Shepard? Me? A general?" Kaidan paced the room as he spoke to her. "I don't know if I'm ready for this. I don't know if I can lead the way Anderson did. They way you did..."
Kaidan watched the Commander for a response, but only silence followed.
"I know what you're thinking," Kaidan said, as he shook a finger at her. "You're thinking: 'Kaidan, suck it up! Suck it up buttercup! Those people need you!'" He'd grown accustomed to answering in her stead.
Miranda had already walked into the room when Kaidan was shaking his finger at her.
"If you're trying to get a rise out of her Major Alenko, it isn't going to work," Miranda joked.
"Ah! How long have you been here?" yelped Kaidan as he spun around.
"Don't worry, I only walked in a moment ago. I'm here to assess the Commander for her biotic work."
"How's it looking?" asked Kaidan.
"Sorry Commander, this will just take a moment." Miranda ran a scanning tool over the length of Shepard's body.
She addressed Kaidan. "Still the same. But we're going to attempt repair to her nodes first. It's never been done before, not an entire biotic system. This work will be groundbreaking if we're successful," said Miranda.
"I'm sure it will be. I doubt you've ever given a wrong answer in your life," Kaidan complimented.
"That's very flattering Major. But I assure you that genetic perfection doesn't protect one from making mistakes," replied Miranda.
"Oh, it's General now, by the way," Kaidan said bashfully.
"Is it? Well congratulations, General."
Kaidan wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "Thanks..." he said. "How are you doing Miranda? I usually see you when I'm here, but you're always just passing by."
Miranda crossed her arms. "Me? I'm keeping well enough I suppose. I don't know, no one really asks. There's so much going on right now, I've hardly had the chance to breathe."
"What about when your work with Shepard is done?"
"When Shepard is better? I suppose I want the same thing as before, to help the human cause. I have the skill, I have valuable knowledge. I just don't know where I fit into all of this now..."
Kaidan thought of the anguish and alienation he felt after his experience at Jump Zero. All he had wanted was to serve, on his own terms. "I understand what that's like," he sympathized. "I can keep my ear to the ground for you, if you're ok with that. I'm sure I'll have a lot of things coming across my desk now."
"I wouldn't mind at all. A very thoughtful gesture, General Alenko."
"Please, you can just call me Kaidan."
Wrex had caught Miranda on the vidcom just before she was off to the recovery ward.
"What's taking so damn long!" he demanded.
"Remember, it took us two years to bring her back after the Collector attack. She's in a delicate state right now, with all her cybernetics and node work—it's a lot for her body to endure. Waking her up will require finesse and patience."
"Well I don't have either of those, so it's a good thing you're the one working on her," he admitted brusquely. "It's a shame that pyjack clone of hers had to throw herself off the ship. You know, spare parts and all."
Miranda smirked.
"Anyway, I've gotta go. These husks aren't gonna bury themselves. Give the Commander a headbutt for me," said Wrex.
"Can't say that I will, but I'll keep you up-to-date regardless. Goodbye, Wrex." Miranda's image blinked away.
Wrex grunted, then turned to the youngest soldier in his complement, who had been mocking the human unit across the field. "You! Get digging!"
"We've already cleared three transports and these puny humans haven't cleared one! Look at them, useless!" the solider sassed.
"I said, GET DIGGING!" Wrex charged the young krogan, knocking him onto an open pile of husks below.
The young krogan scoffed. He scrambled out of the pit, dislodging cybernetic components from errant limbs and torsos as he crushed them beneath his boots. Husks had been collected from all over the region by the thousands, and were now being disposed of in deep pits far outside the city. Exposed to the elements for weeks on end, the bodies had begun to disintegrate, forming amorphous mats of sickly green fluid beneath the them. The grass that had once grown tall and wild here was now smothered.
A gruff faced Alliance officer, who had been observing the fracas from the other side of the pit, cracked a wry smile. "I see you and I are having the same problem," he shouted.
"These welps can fight, but they don't appreciate what us old guys went through for them to be here. Wasted on squabbling!" Wrex opined. He raised his voice for everyone to hear. "It's a privilege to be digging a hole in the ground!"
The officer came round the pit to greet Wrex. "Lieutenant Schafer," the officer offered.
"Urdnot Wrex."
The lieutenant cocked his head. "Urdnot Wrex, huh? The great krogan who united the clans? Have I got that right?"
"Yup. The very same."
"Heh, wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now."
"Tell me about it." Wrex looked on at his men, who had resumed taunting the Alliance unit. "HEY! KNOCK IT OFF!" A low growl rumbled from his throat, his teeth bared in a crooked sneer. The krogans turned their heads toward him, then looked down in deference.
Lieutenant Schafer stared hard at the group as they went back to work. "Say...you haven't happened to hear anything about some missing turians, have you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Word is the turians are pissed about two of their men going missing while on patrol. No one knows if they went AWOL or if they got themselves into some trouble, but they're blaming the Alliance. Saying they haven't done enough to prevent confrontations between civilians and alien military. There have been some...incidents. Still some humans with grudges, if you know what I'm saying."
"Yeah, well we krogan have a few grudges of our own," Wrex remarked plainly.
"Understandable," replied Captain Schafer.
"I haven't heard anything," said Wrex. "But if I do, I'll let my turian pal know."
"Your turian pal?"
"Mmhmm...tough son-of-a-bitch, sassy mouth. Could scope and drop any target, any distance, you name it. A vigilante kind of guy. Too bad he fell in love and got all soft. But at least his girlfriend kicks ass. Hell, she could kick my ass..."
Captain Schafer wrinkled his face in confusion.
"Nevermind."
Tali glowered at the control panel. She was feeling stuffy and a little cranky, and meeting Garrus' engineering standards was trying her patience.
"I don't think the enviro controls in my suit can keep this up much longer, Garrus. Why in the world is your ship so HOT? I'm sweating more than a salarian at a krogan dinner party... double check those calibrations for me?"
"Salarians don't sweat," quipped Garrus. He skimmed over the display. "Besides, isn't Rannoch insanely hot? It's hotter than Palaven."
"We haven't lived on Rannoch for over 300 years," Tali reminded him.
"True," Garrus replied. "To answer your question, all turian ships are like this. Turians like it hot."
"Pff...I'm sure Shepard would agree with you," she teased.
Someone at the door cleared their throat. "Pardon for the intrusion," announced Primarch Victus. "But a moment of your time, Garrus?"
"Yes, of course" replied Garrus, slightly embarrassed. "The calibrations look good...but not perfect. Try again? I'll be right back," he said to Tali.
"Sure, sure," huffed Tali, and waved him off.
Garrus and the Primarch exited the battery and spoke in the corridor.
"Garrus, I'll get straight to the point. I don't know how long we'll be stuck in the Sol system—it could be months, it could be years. While we're here, I'm going to need someone I can trust by my side, someone who knows humans well. You've worked on an Alliance ship and successfully served with Alliance officers. You have the experience. And you've certainly earned my trust. Can I count on you to be that someone?" proposed Primarch Victus.
Garrus didn't hesitate. "Yes, I can, Primarch."
Primarch Victus had proven himself to be different than other turian brass Garrus had known—bold, flexible, and open-minded. And with the future in question it wasn't a bad idea to stick together, especially when faced with being temporary residents in another system.
"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Primarch Victus nodded. "Let's speak about details when I return from Earth. And please thank Tali for me. Her help has been instrumental in getting our ship back in top condition."