Disciplinary Actions

"Alenko!" Shepard barked towards a broken down control panel in the corner of the mess hall.

He turned and quickly rushed in front of her with a salute to attention,

"Yes Ma'am?"

As Kaidan lowered his hand to cup his chin, Liara came from behind Shepard and stood beside her. Kaidan's focus remained on his commander, as she spoke to both of them.

"This whole rumour business needs to get sorted out now..." Her focus shifted to Kaidan as her tone got more serious "You need to explain to Liara why Garrus felt the need to feel her up?"

Startled at Shepard's words a very guilty Kaidan turned to Liara,

"I am sorry Liara; I never thought Garrus would do anything like that!"

"I am not sure I understand why you are the one apologising lieutenant, it was Garrus who was the one trying to umm... touch me." Liara added looking at Kaidan puzzlingly.

"Liara, it was Kaidan's fault Garrus had certain ideas in his head. Isn't that right Alenko?" Shepard intervened, giving Kaidan a sharp look of disapproval.

"Umm, yes commander, you see Liara I was just making a joke with Garrus about certain rumours going around about the commander, and I guess Garrus didn't quite understand." Kaidan explained.

"Rumours?" Liara warily enquired.

Shepard looked to Kaidan to explain, as he began scratching the back of his neck nervously, not wanting to say the wrong thing in front of Shepard.

"Well umm... there is a lower deck rumour going around... that Joker made an inappropriate comment about the commander" Kaidan continued focusing on a spot on the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with either of the people in front of him as his face was turning an extremely bright shade of red.

"Please forgive me, but I still don't think I quite understand." Liara exclaimed, causing Kaidan to squirm even more.

"Well Liara... Joker apparently asked the commander here whether her umm... well you know... was real...and got punched for it." Kaidan almost whispered the last part of the sentence, without looking up from his stare at the floor.

"Alright Alenko, let's just leave it at that, it's quite enough for one day, back to your station" Shepard interrupted before Kaidan could repeat anymore, and turned to face Liara to explain.

"Liara, it isn't really important, what is important is Kaidan was trying to joke with Garrus, and Garrus got the wrong end of the stick." Shepard explained.

"Oh by the Godess, I am even more confused, where do sticks with wrong ends come into this? Is that what Kaidan was referring too? You hit Joker with the wrong end of the stick?"

Shepard lowered her head to her palm shaking her head in the misunderstanding. Before Shepard could explain, Liara interrupts,

"Woah- I have come over all dizzy Shepard, I think I need to go lay down, I need time to process all this information."

"Okay Liara, I'll come and check on you later." Shepard assured the asari, before walking towards her quarters to rest after an eventful few hours.

Thrusters on, magnetic plates released, manual pilot mode on and green light for GO.

It was embedded in the pilot's mind, protocol for flying the Normandy was like second nature to him now, as he felt relaxed and at ease at the helm on the ship –Quite the opposite to how he felt around Shepard, nervous, uneasy, it was certainly all new to him.

"Joker, what's our ETA?" A firm voice hollered from the galaxy map at the other end of the ship.

"10 minutes until we hit the relay Ma'am" Joker shouted back.

As he heard footsteps behind him, a smile appeared across his face as he was sure it was Shepard coming to see him.

He was wrong.

"Less of the Ma'am flight lieutenant." Pressley barked as he entered the cockpit holding a holo, checking off various points onscreen as he looked over various consoles nearby.

In disbelief Joker spun in his chair to see Pressley busying himself with the final checks.

"Oh, sorry sir thought you were the commander."

"Commander Shepard is resting in her quarters." Pressley explained placing down the holo down, and turning to face Joker.

"There is something else I need to discuss with you flight lieutenant Moreau" He continued beginning to pace up and down the small area of the cockpit.

"Sup?" Joker casually relaxed back in his chair, placing both hands behind his head watching the XO pace in front of him seemingly nervous.

"As the executive officer and acting CO onboard I feel on behalf of Commander Shepard, I must take disciplinary action against inappropriate conduct towards a commanding officer." Pressley explained waving his hands around in an over exaggeration of gesturing.

"What the-" Joker mumered, removing his hands from behind his head and shifting forward in his seat uncomfortably.

Shit shit shit, he can't be on about what I was doing the other day in the comfort of my pilot chair whilst thinking about Shepard...could they?

No, none can access the surveillance footage of the Normandy unless authorized by the CO...SHIT...

"No, no Joker no point in denying it, Commander Shepard would not have hit you if you hadn't said something inappropriate to her." Pressley interrupted his thoughts, continuing his speech whilst still pacing in front of Joker.

"I took it on myself to read ' medical report, and it certainly seems whatever you said must have been something outrageous even for you lieutenant."

"I- I didn't-" Joker tried to interrupt.

"No Joker, once we've cleared the mass relay you are on washing up duty, until you learn how to speak to your commanding officer appropriately"

"That's so unfair!" Joker protested giving Pressley a glare in desperation.

"There are always consequences to your actions and I expect you to follow an order flight lieutenant."

With much hesitation Joker reluctantly agreed.

Power trip much or what, just wait until Shepard hears about this, now we got this special relationship going on...Oh God it was probably her idea!

Joker thought to himself as he turned back to the helm of the ship, and Pressley wondered back down towards the galaxy map, looking pleased with himself he was able to tell the pilot off.

Sorry for the really long delay in updating this story, have been super busy, but now I am able to update a lot more frequently so hopefully will be adding more chapters in due course.

Thanks so much for all the reviews and everything so far, and hope you're all still enjoying it.

:)