The term bone weary barely described Kaidan's feeling right now. The teams had mostly reported back in and the results showed over 150km of tunnels into the mountains mostly intact, not even including the remains of the temple which Samara had not returned with yet. He and Garrus had spent hours going over the holos and arranging supplies with Cortez before Tevo's ships would being to arrive in the next few days. He felt like they were ants in an ant hill hunkering down into the old tunnels. Shepard had been right there was no reason anyone let alone a synthetic race would come checking this planet without being alerted.

Shepard and Vega's teams had both reported back and were unloading supplies when Kaidan had told them he needed a break. He had grabbed a helmet just in case and headed into the tunnels leading up with no real direction in mind. Everything that needed to be arranged had his head spinning and he also knew what was next. Shepard would be off on her own leaving it all in his supposedly capable hands.

No pressure there.

But he knew that many of the details had been worked out before they even had entered the system. Shepard had seen to Tevos and Aria even convinced Javik to help instruct some of the "primitives" in his unique abilities if he could (yes she had openly challenged him to get him on board) he thought with a laugh. The survivors would start arriving as soon as the supplies did and he had a week before the Normandy would be on their way leaving Samara and the Commando's to mind their pet project.

The cold air broke Kaidan's internal self-doubts and brought him back to the present. The tunnels were dark enough under the mountains that he had needed the headlamps on but while he had been walking he had not noticed it becoming gradually lighter and the air cooler. He took his helmet off and smelled the clear, crisp air.

A feeling of homesickness stuck him as he surveys the expanse. The tunnel he had emerged from opened up overlooking the whole valley. Far below him he could barely see black figures moving against the Normandy which was smaller than his palm from this distance. The smell of trees and snow made him think of home as his eyes drifted over the figures discernible from this high up.

Ants indeed.

"It really is a beautiful view." A voice from behind him snaps his attention back. One of Aria's Asari steps out into the light and admires the snow pack across the valley. She sees his annoyance at her intrusion and spreads her palms out in a peace gesture before leaning over the edge of the dead fall and whistling at the incline.

"Quite a drop off however." She takes two steps away from the edge before turning back to the Major. "I was exploring the tunnels myself when I heard you. I didn't even know who it was until you steeped out into the light. " She extends her hand to him.

"Excuse me Major. We were never formally introduced. I am Plava. It will be an honor to work with you." For a Commando that snuck aboard a high security ship she seemed straight forward enough. He shook her hand reluctantly to which she laughed, a musical noise the echoed down the valley.

"Were you expecting a demon tail perhaps? Cloven hooves or glowing red eyes? No perhaps you are just basing everything you know about Commandos off of your unfortunate encounters with Benezia and the disciple Shila. I can assure you that I nor Shar are anything like that. Those that will come later I doubt will be either. We are, like you doing our part in a war where everything is at stake." She frowns and seeing he is not convinced goes on.

"One thing you must learn about Asari culture Major is that it is expected that a young Maidan study at the feet of a Matron after she has spent some time away from the home worlds. A thousand years of learning and experience takes decades if not centuries to understand. So when someone catches the eye of your Matron and sets things in motion that will change the entire galaxy you yourself need to know more. "She gives him an appraising smile before chuckling again at his discomfort.

"Aria did not assign me to come here Major. I volunteered. I saw dozens of my sisters and friends die when we lost Omega, I knew of the Reapers and Collectors but we never saw the true threat Cerberus possessed until it was too late. Aria can pull the strings to make Tevos dance, they have worked together for centuries but Shepard is another case all together. She is enough to make both Matron's pause as well as the Illusive Man. "

"But you are staying here not going back to Omega." Shepard had told the crew she would be leaving and he assumed the woman's employer had told them the specifics of the agreement.

"As I told you I volunteered to come here, where I feel I am most needed. The strategic planning that it will require to take back the Terrminus, the ground war in highly populated zones that is the domain of Aria and Shepard. You and I however should be here."

"Well I know Aria only takes the best "he said recalling her cutting remark to Shepard. "So I am curious what you can do aside from sneak in an airlock."

"Tell me Major are you a fan of skiing by chance?" She looks to Kaidan and then back again to the Normandy in the valley below.

"I used to be as a kid. It's been a while though…Why?"

He follows her gaze into the valley below and as he turns back he sees the Commando extending her arms out to either side, blue biotics flowing around her in a sphere as she winks at him with a grin and takes a charge off the edge.

Mindful of the edge Kaidan watches the woman slide down the edge of the slope, a blue light against the stark white. She does tumble once to twice but to her credit she manages to get down to the valley floor without any broken limbs. Putting his helmet back on Kaidan shakes his head. Just when he thought he had everything almost in place the galaxy sees fit to give him another wrench to play with.

"More crazy? I thought we were all filled up." Shaking his head and putting his helmet back on he heads back into the tunnels.

A/N I will be out of town the next week so I wanted to get a little chapter up in case I can't post more before I go. I will probably be unable to upload while away but I will most likely be writing so hopefully you will get several consecutive chapters upon my return. Huzzah! Also I admit I have a bunch of ideas for the next few chapters but they are being a bear so as always reviews and comments are much, MUCH loved even critical ones.