Shepard left the next morning with minimal fanfare. She commed in Hackett and after getting an update it was clear that they needed the Terminus or else communication for the Alliance would become a severe liability across all theaters. As much as both Kaidan and Hackett had been against the idea originally it had become a necessity.
Transferring over the command codes was eerily for him but she had insisted. Communication would be difficult and all would go through their personal accounts, after all this was not an Alliance operation. Kaidan wondered if this was how Shepard had felt before the Alpha relay but he did not think it wise to ask.
The shuttle that arrived in the early morning was a nondescript Kodiak with only the Batarian pilot who Shepard apparently knew by name. This Bray character personified every stereotype Kaidan had come to think of with the Omega Station. Shady, self-centered and hostile for no apparent reason.
Shepard stepping out of the Normandy bay in Cerberus armor and putting on the phantom helmet is a memory burned into his mind. Her demeanor was tight and professionally distant even as he wanted to pull her to him and beg her to be careful; he knew she would not allow it. She had given him a salute and boarded the shuttle taking up the navigator chair.
That had been three days ago and still no word. Hackett had warned them that delays or black outs were more and more frequent and Shepard planned a route with several jumps to prevent anyone for discovering Lessus as their source. Luckily for Kaidan he had more work than he knew what to do with, so he had less time to worry about her. Samara and Falere were excellent teachers to the first waves of survivors. But neither had any logistic skills to speak of, Samara made a good deal of the Asari on edge and Falere had lived in mostly seclusion for the past few centuries so had limited people skills across the board. So Garrus and he were in charge of everything else in addition to the students Kaidan had been teaching.
"Major a word with you? " A voice from the doorway indicated he was not alone. It had been late and most of the crew had gone to bed so Kaidan had kept the door to the CIC open . Having adopted Shepard's bad habit of using the table after the scanner as a personal workspace he tended to lose track of time. He had not heard steps approaching but looked up to see Samara standing at parade rest.
"Samara, come in. I meant to catch up with you and talk about the students but I got caught up." He gestures to the data pads and blinking light on the terminal. How many hours had it been? Three? Four? He glances at the omni display. It was past 0200. It had been almost six. How did Shepard manage all this while running missions for Cerberus?
"That is precisely why I sought you out Major Alenko." She steps in and gives a warm smile. "I am sure Mrs. Traynor told you we will be having two more arrivals today. Bringing our numbers up to well over two hundred students and refuges."
No, he hadn't gotten to that one yet. He hadn't even seen Sam since she, Tali and the younger Asari Shar had taken up residency in the CIC trying to get some of the comm buoys up and running. He would have to change rotations again or convince Tevos to send more aid. The Justicar continued having seen his answer in his expression.
"I have a suggestion if I may."
"Of course this is going to be your show in a few weeks." He was almost counting the days. He missed Alliance where he could focus on training his kids and leave the background stuff to the pencil pushers.
"The reason Shepard is so effective with limited resources is she uses her people to their abilities. You and Garrus are both fine commanders but you both have other concerns. On top of that you wish to teach students like you did back on Earth."
"I'm not hearing your suggestion Samara..." He lets out a yawn in spite of himself.
"Share the responsibilities. Now that you have seen what people are capable of put them to use. I suggest you start by having Plava help you with all this." She waves a gloved hand at the mess.
"The one who Shepard had you tail? Didn't you both tell me not to trust her?"
"Yes and I have continued to do so. She is more than capable and while I do not know her motives her desire to help in any way she can is earnest."
While Kaidan was not one to nay say a thousand year old walking book of ethics he was not quick to trust someone who worked for the Pirate Queen for decades and suddenly had a change of heart. No matter how impressive her biotics may be, that did not mean she was capable in other fields.
"You know I care for Shepard as a daughter. In fact she reminds me very much of my daughter Mirala as a young girl. Bold, strong, but at times blinded by her own bias. I know Shepard has a past that she does not take pride in but I think in these dark days we cannot turn aside any ally. You are in charge Kaidan, it is ultimately your decision." She pats his hand affectionately (at least as much as he had seen her anyway) and exits.
"Put your backs into it! You look like off balanced water fowl!" The wind carries Plava's voice into the tunnels as Kaidan heads up to one of the exits that the Asari had been using to teach her classes. As much as he had seen Liara's class as well as Farele and Javik he had mostly avoided the other Asari. He couldn't put his finger on it but something about her made him uneasy. The fact that Samara had suggested he get more help had voiced the former Commando as a potential did not make him feel better.
Exiting the tunnels, he is briefly blinded by the reflection of the sun on the expanse of white. A group of ten Asari are assembled each with a small ball of anti-matter in front of them. They are shaping it as if it were some arcane spell he thinks. The wind up here is strong and cold and more than one of the girls look a bit bluer than when they arrived.
The young one Shar sees him and grins. Instantly her singularity becomes unstable and flings her off her feet. He had heard already from Tali as well as Javik that she was going to be a hard study. There was a reason many of these Asari had decided not to become Commandos and instead have left their home world to search the colonies. In all honestly many of them would not be here had they not.
Two of the others drop their own and help the girl to her feet which draws Plava's attention.
"If there was a Brute charging, all three of you would be dead. Do you ever see a Reaper stop to check on the person next to them? Do you think Cerberus has moral checks when they lose too many minons." Turning and seeing Kaidan she gives a nod. "Alright you've wasted enough time. Pair off and practice your dodges. If I think you are going easy on each other I'll jump in and see how well you do." She gives a grin and Kaidan can tell she is serious because the girls immediately jump to action.
They step inside the tunnel to cut the windy but Plava keeps her eye on the groups.
"Coming to check on the recruits or the teacher Major?" She smiles at him and suddenly he feels self-conscious. It was clear she was good with the girls and he had heard good things from the other teachers so why did he feel odd giving her more responsibilities?
"Uhh.. a little of both I guess. You know if you wanted to have them outside to train there is plently of room in the valley."
"Air is thinner up here. Your Letintunant Vega told me he had combat on Menae, much thinner atmos. If we are going to go against Reapers wherever they are we should be ready for anything."
"Ah. And here I was thinking you would have said something about the final test being straight down the mountain." She chuckles.
"We need them in fighting shape Major, not in traction. Beside I haven't seen you or the other teachers try it so I can't expect my girls to do it…yet."
"Well the reason I came up here was mostly to see how you are settling in. I know many of your classes are twice as big and we still have more on the way. They seem to be doing very well however." He motions outside to the small groups still engaged in hand to hand.
"After everything it took to get them here Major it is good to see they still have fight left in them. As for me it has been a while since I have had students of my own but old habits die hard or so they say." She crosses her arms and looks at him.
"Why didn't you tell me you had experience teaching?"
"If I had told you I taught biotics longer than your species has had biotics you would have assumed I was 1) bragging or 2) lying possibly both. And it would lead you to ask questions that you do not want to ask."
"Oh and aside from sneaking on a ship and skiing down mountains what kind of questions do I need to ask to know about you?" Something about her cool demeanor was putting him on edge. It gave the feeling that she was leading him around by the nose. Samara had watched the woman threaten the girl who she had taken charge of but still they really knew nothing about the motives of either one of the two minions of the Pirate Queen.
"That is up to you. It is clear that once you and the Normandy leave you are going to need people who can handle the military aspect of this school. It is clear that neither the Justicar nor her daughter fill that role. So unless you have more people in route and soon you need help."
"Are you volunteering?"
"Are you trying to tell me that is not what you came up here to talk about? Unless you wanted to ask one of the girls out while Shepard is away, you have made it perfectly clear that I make you…uncomfortable." She looks him up and down just to prove her point.
"Yes I want there to be more people involved in the set up so when we leave as you said the school can fend for itself." He admitted choosing to ignore her bait." Reconstruction is slow with such a small crew and will pick up when we get more people to switch out."
She nods thoughtfully . " And the Commandos that are arriving are more like battered refugees. Your doctor Chakwas as had me looking at some of the ones that saw combat."
Kaidan was unaware of that. He knew many of the Asari coming in were not ready for combat but Tevos seemed more the bleeding heart for her people than was porbally good for the early stages of this place.
"I don't want to have to turn away people." He admitted, surprising himself. Plava nods looking out over the recruits. Her eyes falling on the girl Shar.
"I know but this is not a colony, if to many people arrive we are bound to attract attention if not the Reapers, than Cerberus. It is not a risk we can take right now. I will help in any way you allow under two conditions."
"And those are?" Something about her serious demeanor and the quirk of her lip sparked his intrest.
"One Shar remains in my class. Anyone else might let her go easy and I won't. And two you tell the Justicar to stop tailing me at night. It is getting kind of creepy."
Kaidan laughs in spite of himself and agrees.