A/N: Thank you for the favorites and follows...and thanks again to my reviewer who pointed out my problem with the first chapter! Yes, I actually do like constructive criticism :) Please enjoy!

"We're planning on taking her out for a test flight today, everyone." The deep voice of Capt. Anderson boomed through the interior of the Normandy. "Things need to be checked out and ready to go by 1400. Any problems, you come to myself or the XO, Lt. Shepard. Anderson, out."

Kaidan had to admit that he was kind of excited about the initial run of this great ship,and he was really glad to be a part of it...most of the time. Right now, he was frustrated. He had been working the same console every day for the last week. It was the computer than ran the engine cooling system, and every day he had adjusted it to proper parameters and every morning he'd come back to find it completely wrong. It was different every day and getting increasingly more difficult to pinpoint where the problem was.

Today it was very wrong. It was 1030 and he wasn't anywhere near finding the problem, let alone solving it. He looked up and saw Lauren walking by. "Lieutenant, we've got an issue over here," he called.

"What's wrong, Alenko?" Lauren smirked because it was sometimes hard not to just call him Kaidan, but there was proper protocol while on duty.

"There is something that's really wrong with this engine coolant system. I've fixed it every day this week, but every morning it is messed up again. Right now, if we fired up the engine, it would overheat in 15 minutes causing some real damage. It might even explode if left much longer than that. I'm not trying to be alarmist here, but something's up. I don't know if I can get it fixed in time for 1400. Can you let Capt. Anderson know? I'm doing my best."

Lauren's brow was furrowed as she nodded. "Sure, Ka-I mean, Alenko. Just keep me apprised of your progress, ok?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Kaidan as he turned back to face his work.

When Lauren reached Anderson, he was looking pleased. "Captain?" she asked.

"Shepard, I told you, you can call me Anderson. Even on duty," he smiled.

"Yes, sir...Anderson. There's a problem down in engineering. A console that is running the engine cooling system is having some sort of malfunction. Apparently, it's been a consistent problem this week. Lt. Alenko is working on it, but he said he may not be able to fix it in time for 1400 like you would like."

Anderson rubbed his chin in concern. "I'm not much of an engineer myself. I was always a down-and-dirty roughneck. I don't think my basic working knowledge would be much help either. What I do know is that the cooling system is vital for a proper takeoff..." He paused to think. "Go back down there and have Alenko walk you through this. One of us needs to know this stuff if it happens again. In the meantime, we'll postpone until tomorrow."

As Lauren walked back heading toward engineering, she heard Anderson make the postponement over the comm system. She knew she wasn't any good with tech stuff either. As a Vanguard, she had specialized in weapons and armor. She could hack a few locks. N-School had taught her that. She could mess things up, but actually fixing a whole system? Highly unlikely.

Upon entering engineering, she could see that Kaidan's lips were tight and thin and his brow was beaded with perspiration. "I'm sure you heard Anderson's announcement," Lauren said, really hating to bother him.

His face loosened as he turned to look at her. "Yeah, thanks. This looks like a long fix. Everywhere I go on this, things seem to be fine, until it isn't."

"Well, lucky you, you get to teach me about this. Anderson wants you to walk me through this, in case this happens again while we're out in space. Someone needs to know how to fix it and do it quickly."

Rubbing his arm across his brow, Kaidan let out a little huff. "Sure, take that datapad over there and take notes while I'll talk you through it."

The hours passed slowly with Lauren taking copious notes and Kaidan patiently showing her everything that needed to be set for the system to work properly. He took her through the console itself showing her the circuitry and how it was put together. By 1900 hours, both were tired and hungry.
"I think we've reached a point we can take a break," said Kaidan, closing up an access panel on the console. "That is, with your permission, ma'am."

"Definitely. Let's head to the mess and get something," agreed Lauren. "The overnight crew should be showing up soon. We should come back when we're done and let them know what's been going on."

The pair walked out of engineering, passing a couple turians along the way. Lauren thought one of the turians eyed them as they passed. Kaidan didn't notice. "I'm probably going to eat half of the food they have set out," he said. "I really shouldn't let myself get this hungry. My head is starting to pound."

"Maybe we should swing by the medbay before we get off the ship. I think the doctor was in, stocking up," Lauren suggested.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea. My migraines can come on really fast. Shit...like it is now." Kaidan used his hands to cover his eyes. "God, those lights are bright."

Lauren guided Kaidan to the medbay where an older woman was moving around, setting up and sorting various medical supplies. She turned and saw Kaidan slumping against Lauren. "Oh my...what do we have here?" Her gentle British accent was kind.

"Migraine," Kaidan creaked out. "I'm an L2 biotic. I need the strongest stuff you got."

"That I can do. Lie down here. I'm Dr. Karin Chakwas. It is nice to meet you...?"

Kaidan's face had gone pale and he looked to be in no condition to talk, so Lauren answered in his stead. "This is Lt. Kaidan Alenko. I'm Lt. Lauren Shepard."

"I've done some study on L2s, Lieutenant. You are very lucky. I've only met maybe 2 or 3 other stable ones like yourself." She chatted as she filled a syringe and, taking Kaidan's arm, quickly found a vein and delivered the injection.

The medication seemed to have an immediate effect. "Thanks Doc," Kaidan said weakly. "This one came on really fast...mostly my fault. I hadn't eaten."

"There's a reason for those energy bars they give out...keep some on hand," Chakwas lightly chastised. She looked to Lauren. "I think he needs to stay here for a little while. Just to let everything settle down. You go on about your business. He is fine. Oh, and by the way, I'm pleased that you are going to be the Normandy's XO."

"Thanks, Dr. Chakwas." Lauren left Kaidan in the medbay and was about to go up the stairs when she decided against it, turning instead toward the elevator to head back to engineering. Probably should tell the night crew about what's going on, she thought. Then I'll head out for the night.

In engineering, the turian who Lauren thought looked at her was standing at the console she and Kaidan had been working at all day. He looked up and walked away, seeming to move on to other work. Lauren saw her datapad sitting there, so she picked it up and started looking through her notes.

Following the instructions Kaidan had given her earlier, she immediately saw that the cooling system was malfunctioning again. She started trying to do what Kaidan had done and get everything properly calibrated. She thought she may have found the problem when, after a long time of looking through the computer's readings finding nothing, she opened the access panel.

Before she started to look, Dr. Chakwas' voice could be heard. "Lt. Shepard...I'm glad you are still on board. Lt. Alenko is doing much better, but he'll need some help getting home. This medication has made him quite sleepy. He said you knew the way?"

"Sure, Doc..I'll be happy to help him home. I've just got a little more work to do, I hope."

The mess of wires and circuitry was quite confusing, but as she moved her head in toward the back she could see something. "These wires don't look right," she muttered. Then, despite reaching carefully, Lauren received a large shock that threw her on her backside. "Shit!" she cried out in pain. She was seeing stars and started to pull herself up to stand, but a taloned hand clamped down on her shoulder pushing her back down and she saw the flash of a knifeblade aimed at her neck. "Nice try," the dual-toned voice said. "But you aren't fixing this."

Lauren sat and waited for a chance to make a move while the turian talked. He looked like he was talking into a personal comm. "Yeah, it's me Jetrus. We've got a snooper...move everything to go...now."

Lauren saw the engine in front of her start to emit a faint glow as the eezo in it was activated. "I guess you picked the wrong time to be on board...but your dark-haired friend would have no matter what. Maybe you thought no one would know who your friend was, but I do. The house of Vyrnnus will have its revenge. I suppose it's kind of a pathetic way to die...lying in the medbay. Turians should have never worked with hum..." Lauren quickly blazed in her own biotic corona, putting him into stasis, which made him drop his knife. She called out over her the shipwide comm, "Anyone who can hear my voice, shut the engine down NOW! The turian in the cockpit is trying to blow the ship up!"

Lauren ran into the cargo bay and quickly found some rope with which she tied up Jetrus before the stasis wore off. "Nice try," she sneered. "I just didn't feel like dying today." As she dragged him into the elevator, the engine powered down and he cursed. Lauren looked down at the turian, tied up and lying on the ground. "I knew Vyrnnus too. I'm glad he's dead, and you're lucky you aren't."

As the elevator opened, Kaidan stood there with Dr. Chakwas, both of them with pistols aimed at the door. Kaidan looked weak from the drugs. "What happened?" he asked.

Lauren was about to answer when she was cut off by Jetrus. "You! It was you! I swear I'll kill you, Kaidan Alenko! Everyone on Palaven knows your name!" Lauren kicked him in the stomach. "Shut the fuck up, or I'll miss and hit your face instead."

A group of military police arrived and took Jetrus and his partner away. Anderson had returned, a look of consternation on his face as Lauren told him about the plot to blow the ship. "This was supposed to be a peaceful partnership," he said. "Let's hope this was just a pair acting alone."

"I don't think they were after the ship, so much," said Lauren. "They were after Lt. Alenko." Lauren went on to tell him about their past on BAaT with Commander Vyrnnus.

Anderson's eyebrows lifted in interest. "I see. Your quick actions and instinct saved this whole project, Shepard. I'm going to be recommending you for a promotion. Get used to the title 'commander,'" he said.