Chapter II
The Normandy had crashed on an uncharted planet, and the navigation system was broken. Moral was low: EDI had inexplicably shut down, food rations were limited, and the ship was badly damaged. Within a few days, however, the crew was able to get the main systems running again. It was a testament to the talent and professionalism of everybody on board.
Lieutenants James Vega and Steve Cortez led the repairs to the structure of the ship. Some of the replacement parts for the critical sections were stored in the cargo hold. Those they didn't have had to be built from scratch with scrap parts.
Tali'Zorah vas Normandy and Lieutenant Gregory Adams were on engine duty. They were both expertly familiar with the ship's drive core and engine specs, having discussed them in great detail over the years.
The communication systems were delegated to Dr. Liara T'Soni and Specialist Samantha Traynor. As the Shadow Broker, Liara had learned a thing or two about interstellar networks. Traynor was the ship's Comm Specialist and a very good one. They were both keen on making contact with Alliance command in order to figure out where they were and plan accordingly.
Dr. Karin Chakwas, accompanied by junior officers, regularly went out to the lavish tropical forest they had landed on in search of food. Unfortunately, she didn't collect as many ingredients as she wanted, but the crew made due with what little was gathered.
The ship's calibrations were, of course, left in the very capable hands of Flight Lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau and Garrus Vakarian. Although they bickered frequently about the optimum settings of just about everything, they made a good team, because they always pushed each other for better results.
As the top-ranking officer on the Normandy, Major Kaidan Alenko took on the task of coordinating all the crew's activities. Anything to take his mind off the fact that he had left Shepard behind for the second time. Even though he knew full well that there was nothing else he could have done, he was ashamed that he had failed to get to the conduit with her. He tried to remind himself that he had been in no condition to follow Shepard anywhere, no matter how much he would have wanted. The injuries he sustained required medical attention. He was lucky that Dr. Chakwas was on the Normandy, since she knew his medical history well. Consequently, the doctor was able to heal him quickly while minding the fragility of his biotic implant.
Nights were particularly difficult as he laid uneasy in Shepard's bed-the bed where they had made love, where everything had felt natural and liberating, as if they had known each other for a very long time. Having her waking up in his arms was the happiest he had ever been. He had, in an effort to immortalize the intimate moments he shared with Shepard, memorized every curve of her body, every scar, even every freckle. If he concentrated enough, he could almost feel her warm body next to his, hear her whisper in his ear, see her sleeping beside him.
The beeping of the alarm clock went off and forced Kaidan to roll out of bed.
Every morning since their crash landing, he woke up with a nasty migraine which tended to dissipate as he heeded to his strict routine of prescription medications, exercise, a protein bar, and an energy drink. He stopped shaving, even stopped looking in the mirror, but a quick daily shower kept him seemingly well-groomed.
Once his morning rituals were done, he dove into every single report the crew had submitted the previous evening. Going over them closely, he laid down the duties for the crew, double-checked that he hadn't missed any crucial information, and sent out his orders for the day.
Shepard had made it look so easy. She was a natural leader, always keen on lending an ear and saying it as it was without pretense or offense. Her interactions with her crew were always genuine, which had earned her the crew's absolute loyalty. Kaidan had never presumed to have what it took to command a ship, but out of respect, the crew had followed his carefully waged instructions. He was very grateful for this. In return, he tried to follow Shepard's lead by getting to know all crew members a bit better and letting them confide in him. For the most part, they put on a brave face and focused on their assignments, including Kaidan. He wouldn't allow himself to react until he knew exactly what had happened to Shepard. However, those who knew Kaidan best had noticed an anguish growing in his eyes since they left the Sol system.
On the eighth morning, Liara and Traynor had finally been able to reestablish a link between them and the Alliance. They were scanning through the data received when Liara stumbled on Shepard's name.
"Traynor, please request the presence of the Major immediately. I've got news that Kaidan must see right away."
An instant later Kaidan had arrived. "Yes Liara, what is it? Any ne-" his words were cut short by Liara's sullen look. A lump in his throat started to form as he read attentively the report Liara had swiftly handed him. Although any information was welcome, deep down, he had hoped for better news than what he was currently reading.
"Kaidan," said Liara, softly placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, "She's a fighter. She'll pull through."
Quickly regaining his composure and wiping a tear that had betrayed him, he smiled at her and murmured, "I know she will".