James Vega considered himself a good soldier. He considered himself a brave man. Since facing down a Praetorian on Fehl Prime and being on foot during the invasion of Earth he felt his bravado was earned. Being recommended for the N7 program had justified his feelings but nothing he had seen in this war had prepared him for this.
The fury of Shepard was not something you ever forgot; hell the woman put all his past drill instructors to shame. But worse than that he knew behind the bluster of her berating him was a deep disappointment that he had not seen before. She had taken an interest in his career, taken him under her wing and he had fucked up in a stupid stupid way.
He and Cortez had been grabbing a last lunch when the message from EDI had so abruptly cut off their shore leave. The AI had read the message but the wording was all Shepard and they both knew something had gone haywire. Vega had had no idea what this was about until Shepard pulled up the schematics of the Normandy she had taken from Shar's omni and Major Alenko had traced them as being lifted from Vega's own.
The two Asari had been more than interested in listening to Vega's stories and seeing where the Normandy was docked and now the man knew why. Shepard was yelling if the words classified, prototype or indoctrinated meant anything to them. She had threatened to bust them down a rank and when she threatened to ground Cortez Vega had to speak up.
"Commander with all due respect, Cortez was just an accessory. I met the girls and showed them the dock. He tried to warn me." He keeps his eyes straight ahead, not looking at her.
"Is this true Cortez?"
"I was there Commander. I am just as responsible as Vega."
"I see. Both of you hit the mess, the Major and I need to decide what your punishment will be."
They both salute and exit. In all the time Kaidan had observed Shepard he could not recall a time when she had yelled at her crew the way she just had. Sure she had snapped at Joker once or twice and the faceoff with Wrex on Virmire was the stuff of legends but never with her own men. She really had never had to; she had a way of expecting and getting the best from her people.
Even Ash when she had disapproved of aliens on the prototype ship and had gotten an earful from Shepard but the Commander had not gone so far as ordering Williams to keep her opinions to herself. They had differing views and Shepard respected that in the gunny.
Shepard makes her way over to Vega's punching bag shaking her head. Kaidan follows her leaning against the table. She takes a few practice swings getting it in motion before asking him.
"Think I laid it on a bit too thick?" He chuckles
"Hell I was terrified and I have seen you scream down a Reaper. But you did call it."
They had discussed the two officers before they had reported back to the ship. Shepard seemed pretty confident once they knew the facts the officers would practically trip over themselves to take responsibility and get the other off the hook. Grounding Cortez had been mostly a bluff but Vega had taken the fall and accepted his mistake which is what Shepard really had wanted.
"I don't expect perfection but I want soldiers who know how to accept their mistakes, makes them work harder."
"Says the woman who over analyzes every so called mistake she ever made." He crosses his arms giving her a knowing look as she sends the bag swinging.
"Has nothing to do with it." She kicks wide, her back still to him but Kaidan knows he can point out a flaw in her armor.
"So chewing out your people has nothing to do with you being pissed off at Aria before you go liberate Omega and leave me in charge of your people?"
"Our people. And no you need them and the Commandos, just having them know they fudged it will keep them alert. You're welcome." Typical smartass Shepard.
"Uh-huh. So when are we going to tell the crew you are bowing out for a week?"
"Give Garrus the good news when we leave port and the rest when we make it to Lessus I figure?"
"And our guests?"
"Restricted access to crew and lower deck. Nothing near engineering or the battery. Besides" she pauses after giving a wide hay maker and a grin. "I think having Javik as a guard is plenty punishment for them don't you?"
"Ohhhh harsh even for you Shepard"
It was decided that Cortez and Vega would get off on three days of double rotations, which oh so coincidentally worked out to their trip duration to Lessus. It also fell to Kaidan to give them the so called good news.
"Go good cop go." Shepard gave him that wicked smile again.
"You know, I feel you are shaping me too and not just your soldiers."
"You are learning young padawan."
"What did you just call me?" It sounded almost like an Asari term. She just laughs.
"Never mind, old vid and don't take it so personally I do it to everyone I see potential in."
"Now you are just being a flirt." Kaidan says with a laugh.
"No. A flirt would tell you NOT to meet me in the loft after you finish your XO duties. I can think of a great way to spend the last few hours of our shore leave." She heads to the elevator with a knowing smile.
"Great and I am supposed to be the good cop with THAT on my mind?"
"You could be the bad cop as long as I get to punish you later." She nips his shoulder before activating the lift.
"Commander Mr. Massani is requesting permission to enter the ship. He claims he "damn well better get let in since he is running god'damn errands for the tart." I am unaware of the connection between you and a baked sweet." EDI's voice chimes into the loft.
Shepard rolls over and moans in complaint into Kaidain's chest. So much for enjoying their last few hours uninterrupted.
"What was that?" He tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked like they had been rolling around in the bed, because they had.
"Totally forgot. Looks like shower and round two will have to wait." She kisses his shoulder before retrieving their scattered clothing.
"Yeah send him up EDI."
A few moments later they are more or less presentable and the elevator dings before the string of curses inform them of their guest. The mercenary walks in and without greeting throws two large crates he had been carrying over each shoulder onto the bed.
"Nice of you to have the doors locked while you got me shopping for you. Don't question the other charges by the way." He grins and throws a credit chit back to Shepard who catches it deftly.
"Jessie, a crate of brandy and Asari gone wild. They already called to make sure the charges were authorized."
"Son of a bitch." He turns and takes notice of Kaidan for the first time. Alenko does not miss the quick glance to the crates that Shepard had apparently asked the man to get.
"No harm done Zaeed as long as you save me a bottle." She leans back challenging the much larger man.
"You are kidding right? You made me track this crap down and now you want my drink? You know how hard it was to find in your size?"
"Admit it you enjoyed it. Probably even had someone model it for you."
"You really are an unbelievable bitch Shepard." But in spite of it the man laughs. "Besides you don't have the tits to fill it out for my taste." He looks to Kaidan and then adds for good measure. "I drink sprits older than you."
"So show me what you got me big guy."
After a few more grumbled threats the man opens one of the crates and pulls out a blue armor set and lays it out on the bed with practiced care. Kaidan is quick to notice the large white circle pattern matches the large tattoo on the man's neck.
The blue suns.
"Very nice Zaeed." Shepard looked like a kid in a candy store
"Yeah took hell of a long time to track down your ahem specs. But I still know a few people here and there. The other one was much harder." He gestures a hand to the second crate.
"You got it?"
"For you princess? Might be a bit blood stained but I thought it would add to the authenticity."
Shepard abandons the Blue Sun set and pops open the crate to start taking out pieces of the pre-used armor. Black, white and gold. A helmet with four red eyeslits confirms the sinking feeling in the pit of Kaidan's stomach.
Phantom Armor. She was going to wear Cerberus armor into Omega. She was already pulling on the right gauntlet to test out the feel and nods approvingly.
"No sword but I figured that would be a dead give away anyway."
"I can always snag one once I get there."
"Shepard are you sure you don't want me to meet you there? I mean I can get a few favors and arrange a shuttle. No reason for you to go alone." The grizzled old merc rubs his neck looking at Shepard awkwardly.
"I appreciate the thought Zaeed but after you took out contracts specifically against Cerberus going to Omega is an unnecessary risk."
"Well than don't get your arse blown off before you get a chance to do the same for the Reapers." With that and the promise of the owed brandy the man takes his leave.
"Now are you going to tell me why you feel the need to wear this crap when you have your choice of better equipment? "Kaidan gestures to her locker besides the bed.
"Kaidan I know you are nervous about this but if I go there with a N7 or a blood stripe anywhere I might as well have a bull's-eye painted on my helmet. Aria has people there that I can blend in with but I can't do that in Alliance colors."
He takes a step around the bed and looks at the Ouroboros symbol on the armor. Again her reasons made sense but that didn't mean he had to like it, or the risks involved. Silently he picks up the chest piece and turns it over in his hands. Light, much like Shepard's own armor. He had seen phantoms move on the battle field and the image of Shepard taking out the cynoid on Mars sprang to his mind. Yes it made a twisted kind of sense why she had wanted to wear this armor to take out the ones holding the hollowed out asteroid.
"Just don't tell me you are going to start using the katana." Was all he said.