Author's Note: Thank you so much to Starvica for following the story and to carrotycake and hallucigennia for following and adding the story to your favorites. It puts a smile on my face every time someone lets me know that they are interested in my work. I put so much effort into making each chapter, and it's been paying off.
I know I haven't been focusing much on the missions themselves, so I will try to incorporate that aspect into this important chapter, as an experiment. I'm sure by the title you can guess why. Please, let me know what you think of the change, and if you want me to keep going with it every other chapter. As I've said before, I'm eager to hear your feedback, as well as any ideas for things you'd like to see in the future with this story. Enjoy!
He had a bad feeling about leaving the Normandy. Granted, he had a bad feeling nearly every time he left, but this time was different. It was a feeling that sat low in his chest - practically his gut. He'd felt this way before and he couldn't shake it off no matter what he tried.
"Something wrong?" Shepard asked before they got into the Mako. He looked up, deciding he'd better say something now before he regretted it.
"You ever get that feeling in your gut that something... bad is going to happen? I mean, no matter what you might try to do, you won't be able to stop something from happening?"
Maybe he'd said too much, or was stretching too far because she was silent for a moment, looking over him. When he was about to shove it off she nodded.
"I didn't want to say it, but I have that feeling too. I think everyone does - we've had it a little too good so far." She glanced at the helmet in her hands, almost as if she were expecting someone's head to be in it, if he saw her face correctly.
"I'm sure it's just a feeling. We'll get Saren, once we figure out what the STG needed." Kaidan nodded, bringing her back from wherever she might have started wandering off to. She looked up and sighed, nodding curtly.
"Right. Get in the Mako, we're just waiting on Tali." she turned to look towards the doors to the Engine Room, waiting patiently. Kaidan sighed quietly to himself and got in as he was told, taking a seat in the back so he could try to clear his mind before they left.
That night he'd been at her apartment had been the last time he'd seen her outside of the Normandy. He'd have liked to spend more time with her, but he also understood that if he pushed too hard to be with her he might end up ruining everything. It wasn't like anything special had happened, anyway. He was just another pillow for her to sleep on, really. Kaidan hated saying it like that, he knew that wasn't all that it had been for her. She'd said so, apologizing a few times to him, in fact.
Jokingly in response, he said he would only forgive her if the next time they saw each other he got to properly stay the night. She laughed and shook her head, not actually saying anything.
Kaidan opened his eyes and found he was smiling ever so slightly, and had a clear head now. Tali was just climbing in, followed by Shepard. He sat up straight again and got ready for the drop, listening to the Mako come to life around him. He'd never really been fond of these vehicles until he'd started serving on the Normandy, and now he could say that they weren't nearly as bad as everyone claimed they were. The driver had a few issues every now and then, but it wasn't like she was terrible. The worst had been on Therum to get Liara. Geth were dropping left and right, there was gunfire everywhere... Not to mention there was lava that could have easily killed everyone.
"Get ready to drop in fifteen seconds." Joker said over the radio. Everyone was strapped in and the cargo bay had been cleared. The blast doors started opening and Kaidan hadn't been expecting Virmire to look like this. It was so beautiful, and tropical. He wondered if this is why Saren put his base here - he seemed to have a niche for ruining perfectly good things. Off to the distance, in the deeper waters, it looked like there was a storm heading this way.
"Got a clean drop, Commander."
"Good, keep the Normandy out of range until we take out those AA towers."
"I know the drill. Meet you at the salarian camp."
Kaidan smirked. Only Joker could get away with back-talk to a superior. Regardless, the Mako started rolling towards the first AA tower.
"It's so beautiful here." Tali remarked quietly as she looked around. She was the expert technician out of all three of them, and Shepard valued her highly for that, and her genuine interest in helping however she could. It was refreshing to see that sort of enthusiasm.
They turned the corner to the first tower, and got under the cover of the walkway that led to the AA gun. They all got out and started to pick off geth, working silently out of familiarity with one another. It was nearly an effortless attack, with the only trouble coming from the destroyers. But they didn't last long with Tali around. Kaidan held point as the two went ahead to shut down the gun, then heading back to the Mako as the doors lifted, allowing for passage further to the second tower. The process was repeated whenever they ran across any pocket of geth, leaving nothing but soon-to-be rusting corpses behind.
"Uh, Commander?"
"What is it?"
"Normandy just touched down, but it looks like we're grounded. Salarian captain can explain when you get here."
"The hell?" Shepard growled quietly. Kaidan began to notice the feeling in his gut, again. The rest of the ride was smooth and uninterrupted, spare for Shepard mumbling to herself. She tended to do that, though he doubted she was aware she ever did.
They stopped far enough away that they walked, but the Normandy was indeed grounded. The salarian camp was bustling, and that made Kaidan nervous. Ashley was already talking with the captain, and Shepard was hurrying to meet up with them. He hung back a bit, confident in his commander's abilities to control the situation.
"We wait here until the council sends the reinforcement we requested."
"We are the reinforcement." Kaidan scowled when he was close enough.
"What? You're all they sent?"
"The council couldn't understand your message. They sent me to investigate."
"That is a mere repetition of our task. I've lost nearly half my men investigating this place."
"So what have you found?"
"Saren's base of operations. He has set up a breeding facility."
"How is that possible?" Wrex grumbled, close enough to have heard most of the conversation.
"He has found a cure for the genophage." Kirrahe said, already nervous enough with Wrex a few feet away. Kaidan was too busy watching the body language to hear what was going on.
"We are not a mistake!" Wrex began marching off to the other side of the camp. That didn't bode well.
"I'll deal with Wrex while you come up with a new plan." Shepard held her hand up before the captain could speak, turning to face Ashley and himself.
"Looks like Wrex is going to blow a gasket." Ash said, looking over nervously. He knew she wasn't fond of the aliens, but she did seem to have grown a soft spot for the ones on the Normandy.
"Think I should go talk to him?"
"It couldn't hurt. Well, it might."
"Wait here." She turned, walking calmly towards Wrex as he began firing his gun into the water. All eyes were on them, and Kaidan wanted to get closer to hear the exchange, but didn't want to risk anything. He opted to stand near the edge of the water, just watching. Wrex's voice could be heard, but the words were harder to make out from this distance. He was suddenly nose to nose with Shepard, still looking very angry. And seconds later they were both pulling a gun on each other, at a stale mate.
His blood was chilling, and he was frozen in place. She'd have to do some serious smooth talking to get him to back down, or she'd have to take out one of her crew members. No one wanted to see Wrex go. He didn't just have good stories, but he had good ideas about what the krogan should do with their future. He could see that they weren't meant to be killers, but that there was still hope, somewhere. He could be valuable if he ever gained influence with his people.
Wrex lowered his gun the same time that Shepard did. And then he reached out to shake her hand. If Kaidan was seeing things right, Wrex was still angry, but it looked like it was rightly placed anger, now. Shepard turned back to meet with the captain again. Everyone could relax again.
"Kaidan, you'll go with the captain."
"Yes ma'am."
He didn't want to be separated but he wasn't about to disobey his orders. There was a solid plan in place and there wasn't much room for error. She turned to face him, and Ashley.
"Just keep your head low and time your shots. You'll do fine."
"Yeah." he hesitated, wanting to say something, but now was definitely not the time to speak.
"Something you want to say?"
Damn her for being able to pick up on those little things.
"It's just weird, thinking about being under someone else's command. I've gotten used to you, I guess."
"You get a break from her barking at you for a few hours and you're upset over that?" Ash teased, well aware of what was going on between them but willing to play blind to it all when she had to. Kaidan smiled and turned to go join with the rest of the salarians while Shepard went to gather her team.
He'd never been a fan of frontal assaults like this, but he was the only one with any real experience against the geth - he knew the tactics. So when they began their approach, he began looking for weaknesses. Calling them out when he saw them, it was almost as if Shepard was actively looking for ways to fix the problems. It was getting easier to march forward and take up a defensive position. It wasn't long before there was a break in the fight, which told him that they had to be close to the spot where the bomb was going to go.
"Shepard, how close are you?" he had to ask her - make sure she was alright.
"We're just on the other side of the doors. Get ready to meet at the rendezvous."
"Yes ma'am."
Not two seconds later, Kaidan saw Kirrahe get shot, and slump to the ground. He was in command, now. Doing the only thing he knew how to, he began barking out orders to regroup, hoping to hold out as another solid wave of geth came pouring out. He had never seen some of these geth units before, but he didn't dare let his fear show in front of the salarians. They were soon pinned down. When he saw the dropship heading not too far off, he felt he had to warn the others, but the warning was apparently too late.
"Alenko, get to the rendezvous!"
His blood ran cold at his own words.
"We're pinned down, I don't know if we can make it."
"I'm activating the bomb." Ashley said quickly. It became very clear in that moment that yes, they were going to loose either Ashley or himself. Both would be good soldiers and try to sacrifice themselves to save everyone else, but Kaidan knew that he was secretly hoping he would get to see another day at the expense of Ashley's life. Only Shepard could make the call now.
The silence was deafening.
"Alenko," he sighed, "I'm coming for you. Hold your position a little longer."
"Yes ma'am, I-I..."
"You know it's the right choice, LT." Ashley drove the hammer down with a determined yet wavering voice. It crushed him, and in his carelssness, he got himself shot in the stomach. Just enough to render him ineffective in the fight.
He continued to give orders the best he could in his state. He was beyond grateful and happy to see Shepard barrel out from the doors, quickly taking out geth, leaving few for Garrus and Wrex to take out. It was in that moment he saw her in a true rage, no doubt upset that she knew she was going to lose a friend in the next hour. It wasn't fair to anyone, and especially not her. Kaidan could only imagine what Akuze must have been like for her, and to have to relive this same pain... He would have to prove that Ashley's sacrifice would not be in vain - that she would mean something and that her name would be equal to Shepard's at the end of this fight.
When the fight seemed to be at its end, the turian bastard made his enterance. Kaidan was then relieved that he was already behind cover, listening carefully to the conversation that ensued.