Bioware owns all! Now remember, If you have played ME2 then you know a lot more than the crew do at this point. Sorry for the delay, They made me go on vacation and to a communications conference.
Like it. Hate it. Unfortunately this one is all Me!
Learning
Jenny whimpered and clung tighter to Liara.
"Now Jenny, you remember Lieutenant Alenko, he helped you feel better on your planet, Scolankton." Liara says to her rubbing the child on the arm.
"Okay Jenny, I want to show you something. It's broken, so it can't hurt you anymore. It's something you may have seen. If you have seen it before, I want you to tell me what it looked like before it was broken, okay." Kaidan waits for her to acknowledge.
Jenny looks at Liara "it's okay, I won't let anything hurt you. The Lieutenant won't let anything hurt you, and Dr. Chakwas won't either. You can trust us Jenny. We need your help, really. Can you help us Jenny?"
"Okay." Jenny says in a small frightened voice.
Kaidan opens the box and holds it down so she can look inside. She whimpers and tries to climb into Liaras arms.
"Wait, Jenny, look" Kaidan lifts the piece out of the box. "See it's been damaged, it's broken. It doesn't work anymore and it can't hurt you."
Jenny looks at the piece of technology. She loosens her grip on Liara.
"It's missing the leash." Jenny says surprised.
"The leash?" Kaidan asks her.
"Yes, that is only half as big as it should be and it doesn't have the leash connected to it. And it is only one. There should be more and they had leashes too." Jenny tells him.
Kaidan tries to picture what she is describing.
"So this thing has a leash attached so it can be recalled? You know like pulled back." He asks her.
"Yes, they come out of a tube and they fly at you. The leash trails behind. If they touch you, then you can't move. Then they get pulled back into the tube."
"What does the tube look like?" Kaidan asks her.
"Like a tube. It has a handle on the top of it to hold. They walk into the room and the things fly out and touch everyone and then no one can move. Then they pull them back in. Then they come in and..." Jenny stops talking and grabs Liara and starts to cry again.
"It's okay Jenny, they aren't going to hurt you again." Liara takes the girl in her arms and rocks her.
"That's all you're going to get out of her right now, Kaidan." Dr. Chakwas says.
"Yes, I guess so." He puts the item back into the box. "It's more than we had though."
"Yes it is" the doctor says.
"So they shoot them out of some kind of tube, means they don't have to get too close to the victims." Shepard says.
Kaidan, Garrus are standing and Adams is sitting at the workbench in front of her with the item in front of them. Shepard is sitting across from them watching their progress, which is still very minimal.
"Well she did say leash, so I assume there is a limit to how far they can go. I would hazard a guess that the next generation of this technology will be a version that doesn't need a leash. Let's hope they are not that close to that improvement." Kaidan says.
"Can you figure out why the stasis field disappeared off of Jenny?" Shepard asks.
"Well we have theories." Adams tells her "It could have a time limit, but that seems unlikely. More likely there is a power source on the ship that maintains the stasis field once it is created and when the ship is out of range it collapses the field."
"If that is the case, it has a pretty long reach, since the ship was probably reaching orbit when her field collapsed." Kaidan says.
"Okay so we need a way to prevent the stasis field and we need a way to block the power source." Shepard says.
"Well to block the delivery system definitely, we need to work something out. But the power source, that is just one theory. The right one could be one of a hundred different theories. We also need to work a way to break the stasis fields either as a whole or individually." Kaidan says.
"Yes because it isn't likely that they are going to stop what they are doing now is it?" Garrus asks.
"No, not likely. I wish I knew why they were doing this, and more importantly, who they are doing it for." Shepard tells them.
"Yes that does seem to be a conundrum." Adams says.
"Wait, if there is a power source needed than why did that field on Kaidan stay when he activated it?" Shepard asked.
"Well I can think of two possible reasons. The first would be that the greater power source doesn't take over until the field is complete. The field around Kaidan was never completed. The second theory is that this one is damaged and that may have effected the individual power source. It could have been a short of some kind. The power source is obviously very small and it must be something we can't recognize as such, or can't see because it's behind something and we can't get at it." Adams tells her.
"Have we been able to get anymore information from Jenny?" Shepard asks Kaidan.
"Well once I got the information about the item, she got upset again and I had to leave her alone. I will try it again in a little while, let her calm down for a bit." He answers.
"Maybe I should go talk to her." Shepard says impatiently.
"I don't think that would be a good idea Shepard." Kaidan says.
"What, I can be gentle." Shepard tells him.
"Shepard, do you hear what you're saying. You can be gentle... with a child...when you want information that you think she has. You said you're not good with children. Besides, let's face it, patients is not one of your virtues." Kaidan says.
"Are you telling me that I can't be gentle? Are you telling me that I would do something to jeopardize this mission?" Shepard asks with an evil lilt.
"I am saying you would do anything to complete the mission. I am saying you would not be above throwing the child against a wall and holding her there until she gave you what you wanted." Kaidan said looking her straight in the eye.
"I wouldn't throw a child against the wall." Shepard tells him. He just stares at her. "Well I wouldn't. I am mean, but I am not heartless."
Now Garrus Stares at her also.
"Okay now you guys are just being silly, I mean really, scare a child, hurt a child? What do you take me for?"
"Sole Survivor of Akuze." Kaidan says.
"Savior of the Citadel." Garrus says.
"First Human Spectre." Adams says.
"Mean." Kaidan adds.
"Unreasonable." Garrus says.
"Angry." Adams adds.
"Okay, okay I get it! You think I am going to torment the child. Well I won't! You three on the other hand had better watch it. The child may be off limits, but you gentleman are certainly not!" Shepard storms off. They wait until she goes through the door and there is a sigh of relief all around.
"Do you think we did enough to keep her away from Jenny?" Garrus asks.
"Well she didn't head right for med bay; I'd say we have a fifty-fifty shot." Kaidan says.
"I don't want to think of what our odds might be if she figures out we played her." Adams tells them.
"Yeah, somehow I think mine would be a lot less than yours would," Kaidan observes.
"Yes, I think it would suck to be you at that point." Garrus tells him.
"Well now, just so you know, it's totally worth it." Kaidan tells him with a smile on his face.
Kaidan finds Shepard in the bedroom laying on her bunk staring at the ceiling.
"Shepard, it's time for dinner."
"Not hungry."
"Well you promised you would eat with me at every meal, remember."
"I remember. Not happening!" Shepard snaps.
"Now come on, you need to eat."
"I will eat when I am damn good and ready!"
"No, you will come and eat now." Kaidan informs her.
"Kaidan Alenko, you are right now pushing your luck, this is the only warning you are going to get. I am no longer sick so I do not need a baby sitter."
"Okay what is wrong, it's about the children thing right?"
"Do you have chocolate?" she asks with a sneer on her face.
"No Shepard I do not have chocolate."
"Then we are not talking about that. You want to talk about that, you need to bring chocolate. No exceptions, no substitutions!"
"Alright, you'll get your chocolate. Okay, so then what is bothering you?"
"I am not a monster." Shepard says.
"No one said you were a monster."
"You did, you said I would take that little girl and put her up against a wall. Only a monster would do that. I am not a monster."
"Oh Shepard, I was using that as an example, I didn't really think you would be doing something like that. I just meant you needed to leave her alone and give her some time to heal."
"If you really think I am like that, why do you want to be with me?"
"Hey," he pulls her off the bed and into his arms. "I want to be with you, because I love you. I do not think that you are a monster. I do not think that you eat little children. I do think that you have a mean streak and I do think that you have a bad temper. Yes you can be very unreasonable at times and a little strange also. But yes, I still want to be with you."
"You do realize that it makes you a little strange also." Shepard observes.
"Well, do you have a problem with that?"
"My problems with you usually focus around you sensibilities and the way they interfere with my sex life. We could have more fun if you weren't so damn cautious."
"The way you set up things, we would get caught, often."
"So? It's more exciting that way."
"Shepard, our sex life is exciting enough, don't you think? I mean you're not bored of me are you?" Kaidan asks.
"No, not at all, really. I just don't think we get enough, and this ship is so damn crowded."
"We will be on the Antietam soon enough and I will be able to sneak into your cabin at night like I used to. I will do that whenever you want me to. It will all be fine, you'll see."
"Alright, we'll see." Shepard says.
Kaidan looked in her eyes and she didn't look convinced. "Shepard, you still want to be with me don't you?"
"Oh my god, yes! Why would you even think that?"
"Maybe because you're acting very strange right now. Maybe because you never tell me how you feel about me."
"I am with you Kaidan. I love you. There is no one else I would rather be with."
Kaidan captures her lips in his and shows her how much she means to him. Breaking the kiss, but still holding her in his arms he asks "so, can we go to dinner now?"
"Boy, you do have a one track mind."
"Okay now Jenny, we need to ask you some more questions, okay?" Liara asks her.
"Why?" Jenny asks
"Well, because we want to know what happened so that we can stop it from happening again." Liara explains.
"Well, I'll try, but I am scared." Jenny says.
"Jenny, you know Lieutenant Alenko and I are both biotics too, don't you." Liara asks.
"Really?" Jenny asks looking at Kaidan.
"Really, since I was your age too." Kaidan tells her.
"Did anyone try to take you?" Jenny asks.
"Not in the same way they tried to take you, no. But they sent me to a place where there were some mean people. But I came out okay. You can go to school with other kids like you if you want to." Kaidan tells her.
"No! I want to go live with my Aunt Betsy on Earth." Jenny says.
"Well then I guess we will have to get you to Earth then. Do you know your Aunt Betsy's last name ? Do you know where she lives on Earth? Kaidan asks her.
"I don't know her last name but she is my mom's sister. She lives in the mountains, really high and it snows a lot in the winter. Does that help you find her." Jenny asks.
"Well it might. What is your Mom's first name?" he asks.
"Margaret, her first name is Margaret, but everyone calls her Peg." Tears spring to her eyes and Liara gives her a hug.
"You're doing just fine Jenny." Liara tells her.
Kaidan makes a note on his omni tool. "Okay now I am going to ask you some questions about what happened on Scolankton, Jenny. I am going to make them as general as possible and I don't need too many details okay. I want you to answer as honestly as you can. It's okay to say you don't know an answer if you don't. We can stop whenever you want. Okay?" he asks looking at Dr. Chakwas to see if she is okay with this, she nods at him.
"Okay." Jenny says.
"Okay now you told us about the leashes. Did you hear them say anything about you or the other biotics." Kaidan asks.
"Well the two that carried out Codin said they were collecting him and then they laughed." Jenny shivers.
"Anything else you can remember, I don't mean the bad things okay I mean did you hear anything else?" Kaidan asks.
"Well they talked funny. It was like they didn't know how to make a sentence. Like the collecting thing, that's how he said it. 'Collecting him' for some reason, they found that funny, because the other ones coming into the room laughed too." Jenny told him.
"And you didn't hear anyone else say anything else?" Kaidan asks.
"No, that's when they started shooting and …" Jenny started crying and Liara held her close.
"Okay, Kaidan, that's enough. I don't think you're going to get anything else out of her. She doesn't know anymore." Dr. Chakwas says shooing him out.
"Thank you Jenny. I am sorry I upset you. If you remember anything else, you tell Liara or Dr. Chakwas okay and I will try and find your Aunt Betsy for you." Kaidan tells her.
"Okay" Jenny sniffs at him as he walks out the door.
"Did you find her Aunt Betsy, Shepard?" Kaidan asks putting her lunch in front of her and sitting down.
"Yes, Elizabeth Summerson. She lives in Boulder, Colorado. If we get Jenny to Earth, Alliance Command will have her Aunt Betsy there waiting for her." Shepard tells him picking up her utensils and taking a bite.
"Well I am going to bring Jenny and Liara lunch; she won't let Liara out of her sight. Liara has had to sleep in med bay and Jenny goes into a panic if she takes too long in the bathroom. She is gong to need some major crisis counseling." Dr. Chakwas says getting up from the table.
"Well I hope she will feel better once she is with her family again. At some point she is going to have to go for training for her biotics." Kaidan says.
"Well I am sure they will take her state of mind into consideration Kaidan." Dr. Chakwas advises as she leaves the room with the trays.
"Well I guess Liara will have to accompany me down to Houston Control." Shepard frowns.
"I can take her down there, Shepard." Kaidan says. "There is no reason for you to go with Liara.
"No, I have to go. Admiral Fossie wants to see me, Photo op probably." Shepard says.
"Admiral Fossie? Shepard you mean Admiral Foster?" Kaidan asks.
"Fossie, Foster, what's the difference?" Shepard grumbles.
"Okay if you're not going to even try, I am going to have to come with you." Kaidan tells her.
"I don't know Kaidan, I would love to see how Admiral Foster acts when the Savior of the Citadel calls him Fossie." Joker says. "I bet that would be great for an extranet site."
"No, Joker no extranet, that would not be good for Shepard or for us!" Kiadan says.
"I don't know, maybe they won't want to meet me so much if I don't call them by their right name." Shepard tells him.
"No! You are not going to embarrass us and yourself by calling Admiral Foster; Fossie!" Kiadan is getting more excited by the moment.
"I don't see why not. It's not my fault he doesn't know his own name." Shepard is teasing him now.
"Shepard, I know you will treat the Admiral with the utmost respect that his title deserves, but I am coming with you!" Kaidan snaps at her.
"No, you just want to come because you don't want me alone with Liara for the return trip." Shepard tells him.
"Oh, I have buddies in the Houston communication tower that can get me vids from the return shuttle trip." Joker tells Kaidan.
"Hey I wouldn't mind seeing those." Garrus says joining in on the teasing.
"There are not going to be any vids because she is not going without me." Kaidan says.
"I don't remember agreeing to that." Shepard says.
"You don't have to agree, because I am going." Kaidan tells her calmly.
"Yeah, I am pretty sure, as Commanding Officer, I have the last say. Don't I Joker?" Shepard says.
"Right Commander, last I heard, you were the only one on this ship that didn't have to take orders from anyone else on the ship." Joker answers.
"Hey if anyone is interested I can go, I have never been to earth." Garrus says.
"There, Garrus can come with me, how about that?" Shepard asks Kaidan.
"Yes, I don't mind meeting your Admiral Fossie." Garrus tells him.
"Foster! Shepard I don't think this is a good idea, maybe you should let Dr. Chakwas take Jenny. She can say that your sick or something." Kaidan says his face turning red.
"But Kaidan, I am not sick. And besides, we wouldn't want to disappoint Admiral Fossie at all. I mean really, if I bring Garrus and Liara with me he meets two other heroes, we can make his day. Ooh, maybe bring Wrex too! What do you think Garrus?" Shepard asks.
"I don't know Shepard, don't you think Wrex might scare any children that are around." Garrus said.
"No, on Prenadee the children actually liked Wrex. That would work I can take Garrus and Wrex, this way I won't be alone with Liara and Admiral Fossie gets four heroes for the price of one." Shepard says as if she has just discovered an elusive cure all.
Kaidan says through gritted teeth "it's Admiral Foster! I don't care how many heroes you bring, if you call him Admiral Fossie it will hurt your career. He does not have a sense of humor!"
"Neither do you, silly." Shepard says softly.
"Boy Kaidan, you should see your face!" Joker laughs.
"Yeah, Kaidan, you think I would be able to let Shepard embarrass herself?" Garrus says.
"Do you actually think that I would walk into Houston Command and not know the name of the Admiral I was going to meet with? What do you think I have done all these years before I met you? Remember Kaidan, Savior of the Citadel is new and is a big deal to the Council races. Akuze, well that was a big deal to the Alliance. I had to do a lot of meet and greets. I am actually quite good at it, if I do say so myself." Shepard tells him getting up and putting her dishes in the chute. "Don't worry I won't embarrass you Kaidan." She leans down to his ear and whispers "and you can come with me, to make sure." She kisses him on the cheek and walks out of the room.
"I can't believe you guys let her do that to me." Kaidan says.
"Hey, I can't help it if you're gullible, man." Joker tells him.
"How could you not know she was joking with you Kaidan, I thought you knew her." Garrus asks.
"Because, I can see her calling an Admiral by the wrong name, for just the reason that it would piss him off, that's why." Kaidan says.
"Yeah but if she hasn't met Admiral Foster, she has no reason to piss him off." Joker says.
"Yeah, except Admiral Foster is one of the Admirals that thinks her saving the Council was a mistake." Kaidan tells them. "In fact he has been very vocal about it."
"Does she know that?" Joker asks him.
"Oh, yes, I am very sure, now more then ever, that she knows." Kaidan advises them.
"So this would be one of those sucks to be you moments?" Garrus asks.
"Yes" Kaidan tells him. "Depending on her mood when we get to earth, this could very well be the mother of all 'sucks to be you' moments."
"Yeah, I am defiantly contacting Houston Tower and getting vid!" Joker says.
As they walk back to the Salice Kaidan feels he can finally relax. Jenny is back in the hands of her family. Shepard has been a model of a Alliance Lieutenant Commander and has made them all proud. There were several Admirals there from the surrounding states and from several of the space stations so there was no chance for Admiral Foster to have it out with her. Just twenty five more meters and they will be on the shuttle.
"Commander Shepard?" A male voice behind them calls.
Kaidan glances around and sees Admiral Foster bearing down on them. He groans and turns back to Shepard who is now turning and he just glimpses the look of wicked playfulness on her face before she schools her expression. "No!" Kaidan whispers to her, but she just gives him a small smile.
"Admiral." Shepard says as Kaidan and Shepard both Salute, Liara just bows her head a bit.
"At ease. Shepard, I wanted to talk to you about the Council." Admiral Foster says.
"Yes Admiral, what can I help you with?" Shepard asks.
"Well you saved the Citadel Council at the Battle of the Citadel."
"Actually Admiral, the Fifth Fleet saved the Council."
"I mean that you told Admiral Hackett to save the Council."
"No sir, I told my pilot to save the Destiny Ascension." Shepard tells him.
"Yes, to save the Council."
"No sir, to save a ship with ten thousand lives on board."
"But the Council was on board that ship Commander." The Admiral advises her.
"Yes sir, it was on board that ship."
"So you saved the Council and sacrificed human lives."
"Again sir, I didn't save anyone, I was in the Citadel Tower at the time." Shepard tells him.
"But you opened the relay and let the fleet through."
"Yes sir, that I did sir."
"Why did you do that?" Admiral Foster asks.
"They were trapped in space sir, I had to let them through or they wouldn't have been able to join the battle."
"So you stand by your decision?"
"Always Admiral, even if a decision is a wrong one, it is my decision and I will always own up to it." Shepard tells him.
"So you admit that the decision could have been wrong."
"I admit the decision could have been wrong, but I know that by saving ten thousand lives it was the right decision to make. You may not like that the Council was saved, but we now have a seat on that very Council and a place in history. I stand by my decision Admiral." Shepard tells him standing up tall.
"Well I may not agree that saving the Council was the right thing to do, I do agree that saving lives is. Thank you for speaking with me Commander. I hope you have a safe journey."
"Yes I am sure we shall." Shepard Salutes. "Until we meet again Admiral…" and as she turns around she says "Fossie,"
Kaidan freezes.
"Excuse me, Commander."
"The Commander said 'until we meet again Admiral Foster', Admiral." Kaidan cut in before Shepard could say anything.
"Yes, of course. Until we meet again Commander... Lieutenant." Kaidan salutes and the Admiral turns and leaves.
Kaidan waits until the Admiral is out of hearing range, listening to Shepard soft giggling. He turns on her "How could you do that!"
"It was quite easy really, the pompous ass is hard of hearing." She couldn't hold in her giggles anymore.
"Shepard, this is not funny. You don't know how hard of hearing he is, he could have heard you and we could both be up for insubordination." Kaidan says.
"Kaidan, I don't think they are going to court marshal the Savior of the Citadel for making a mistake on a name." She giggles.
"That is not the point, what you did was disrespectful."
"Questioning my loyalty to the human race, that was respectful?" Shepard was no longer laughing.
"No, it wasn't. He was wrong, but that doesn't make what you did right."
"No it doesn't, and you are right, it was disrespectful. But I am not sorry I did it. I am sick and tired of being questioned for a decision that I made in the middle of a battle that I almost died in. I am sick and tired that no one believes the Reapers are coming. They weren't with me on Ilos. They didn't hear Vigil tell us that the Reapers went after the leaders first. You were right there, you know it was the right decision, hell, you even told me to do it. I know what I choose was the right decision to make and I don't care who disagrees with me, even if they are an Admiral." They were in the shuttle now.
"I'm sorry that you're upset about this Shepard. But you can't just go pissing off Admrials. I still think what you did is wrong, but, well I understand why you did it." He gives her a hug over her shoulder he sees Liara turn away.
"I can't promise I won't do it again, Kaidan." Shepard tells him.
"I'll just have to hope that you're an Admiral yourself by then." He tells her.