Author's Note: Well, that took longer than I hoped it would. To those who left comments, or sent messages, especially to those who offered your condolences, thank you. To Vorcha Girl, Jules Hawk, Kateriel79, riehull, spacecats, Elissa Theirin, and the guests, each of your comments made my days.
Another thank you to Vorcha Girl, for your patience and assistance, you're amazing.
Well, without further ado... I give you Mass Effect 3. Enjoy... - TLC
Chapter Forty-Four
Alex Alenko watched as Kaidan made his way back across the café with their coffees in hand. He had to admit, he loved having these mornings with his son over the last six months. It gave him a reason to come into the city, and he enjoyed knowing Kaidan was so close. As Kaidan moved through the crowd at the counter, Alex was amazed at how Kaidan had changed over the last three years. Somehow, Kaidan just seemed larger. Maybe he had broadened, added muscle mass, or maybe his presence simply took up more space. Life experience tended to do that, and you didn't reach Major without experience. Alex knew that first hand.
His eyes moved over Kaidan's face as his son sat across from him handing him his coffee. He still had the same firm jaw, but the angles of his face seemed harsher, his eyes darker. He was startled when he noticed the dusting of gray hairs at Kaidan's temples. He hadn't noticed them before, and it caused an uncomfortable weight in his gut. It's an odd sensation when you see your child aging, really makes you recognize your own mortality. Though, he had to admit. Kaidan is what he is leaving behind. He couldn't be more proud of his legacy.
"What?" Kaidan asked, shifting in his seat at his father's scrutiny. Alex just shook his head and asked what was on his agenda that day. Kaidan sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face as his father took the first sip of his coffee. "Classes. Anderson has me working with a newer group of Biotic recruits. Basic stuff," Kaidan answered around a sigh and Alex nodded.
"Will you see Sloan today?" Alex asked, and Kaidan sighed. Her trial had officially ended a week ago, and they were waiting on a verdict and then a punishment. He was not able to get any information on the direction the trial had taken. He had been asking to see her every day. He had been denied every day. He was getting angry. He was at the point where he was considering breaking in to see her. He was fairly certain he could hack his way passed her security. He just wasn't sure what she would say if he did.
He also wasn't sure just how closely Vega and his team were guarding her. He was fairly certain, in a biotic free fight, the young lieutenant could probably take him. He had done his research on Vega, and was surprised to hear he'd been recommended for N School, and when Kaidan learned the failed mission was his team guarding a colony that had been lost to the Collectors, it made even more sense that Anderson had him with Shepard. "Probably not," Kaidan answered simply.
"Do you have any word on how she's doing?" Alex asked, and Kaidan was moved by the concern in his father's voice. He knew Shepard would be, too.
"They're keeping it all pretty close to the chest but Anderson says she's doing the best she can. She's been petitioning the Committee for a meeting to allow her to go over the proof she has, but they keep denying her. They tell her they saw it all at the trial, and while we wait for the verdict, they don't want their consideration to alter the outcome. Anderson's got a security detail on her, and from what I've heard around HQ, they've been training together. This way she'll be ready to hit the ground running when they finally release her," Kaidan explained before drinking more of his beverage. He wished he'd been training with her. Apparently, her biotics are different now – new implant – and he would have loved the opportunity to work with her. If the kids he's teaching are going to end up with an implant even newer than the L3, he had to be sure his L2 would keep up or he would be ineffective. It would have been good to know how they work, and how the tech will effect their abilities.
Not to mention, she looked amazing when she flared. Her eyes flashing that electric blue, her body sheathed in the glow of the energy, and her mouth split in a triumphant smile. She looked unstoppable, and irresistible. That image led to another, from a much different place than the battlefield. Her body trembling beneath his. Her fingers digging into his back, nails breaking the skin. Her legs wrapped around him as he moved inside her. Her head pushed back into the pillows as she let go, her biotic energy filling the room and tingling against his skin.
He sighed deeply and shifted in his seat.
Alex frowned. He hadn't been asking about how she was doing professionally. It wasn't that he didn't care, he just knew Commander Shepard would be fine. He wanted to know how that sweet girl who had held his son's hand in that bar was doing. It was clear they weren't allowing Kaidan any more than that and he could only imagine how frustrated Kaidan must be. He didn't push, instead he simply nodded, and their conversation switched to Kaidan's mom and his parent's plans for dinner that evening.
Kaidan tried to focus, but he had this nagging feeling, like the prickling of hairs standing on end at the back of his neck. Like something was lurking right around the corner. His father interrupted himself and asked Kaidan what was wrong. Kaidan's eyes met his father's and he was unable to hide the anxiety that was building quickly in his chest. "I think you should skip dinner tonight," He answered, and he could see the question in his father's eyes. "I think you should get to the Orchard," he answered, shifting in his seat again. "Call Aunt Sarah and Uncle Jamie, too. Just… get everyone out of the city," Kaidan's voice sounded distracted even to himself, and his father's features darkened and he leaned forward in his seat.
"You sure?" Alex asked, his voice low.
"No, it's just… a feeling, I guess. Won't hurt and it would be nice if I knew all of you were safe," Kaidan answered, and suddenly it didn't sound like a suggestion. It sounded like an order. Kaidan's omni-tool alerted him to a message and he turned his eyes to the screen.
"Alright, we'll leave first thing in the morning," Alex answered sitting back in his seat and Kaidan nodded absently.
"I've got to get going," Kaidan said looking up and meeting his father's gaze. Kaidan was startled by the fear he saw there. It wasn't fear of the Reapers. It wasn't fear of war. It wasn't fear of death. He had seen that fear in many eyes before. This fear… this was a father's fear. Alex was afraid this would be the last time he saw his son. He'd been to enough military funerals. He didn't know how he would handle it if anything happened to Kaidan. A father was not supposed to bury his son, but he couldn't shake the feeling. It gripped his chest like ice.
Kaidan stood, and Alex followed. Kaidan stepped forward, and his father embraced him tightly. They didn't say anything, Alex just held him for a long moment before slapping him on his back. "Send me a message when you're at the Orchard," Kaidan ordered. "Kiss mom for me," He added and Alex nodded. Alex hated the rushed feeling of the moment as Kaidan grabbed his coffee and turned towards the door. It felt like the world was spinning around him and he couldn't make it stop. He couldn't find purchase; it made him dizzy and he fell back into his seat. Alex opened his 'tool and sent a message to his wife, brother, and sister. He looked out the window, and watched Kaidan rush across the street to HQ. He sent up a prayer. He just wasn't sure if anyone was listening.
Kaidan received the message from his father early the next morning. His father, mother, aunts, uncles, and the cousins that could be convinced were on their way to the family orchard. He breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been able to shake that feeling all night and into today. He'd been even more surprised when he received notification from the Defense Committee. They wanted to speak to him. He had to assume one thing. Something was happening, and if they were calling him in, it was related to the Reapers. He wondered, as he dressed, if Shepard would be called in as well.
He made his way quickly to HQ, and the hustle of the building cemented his fears. His steps quickened without him thinking about it as he made his way to the Committee's Chambers. "Major," A young Corporal saluted before leading him to the large room. There was an elevated desk that ran the length of the room with the spots for the Committee members along it. Behind it, a window served as the wall and the view of Vancouver was stunning. It was a bright, sunny summer morning.
They confirmed his suspicions. There was something approaching on the long range scanners. The cold fear hit his stomach hard. Admiral Hackett was mobilizing the fleet. There was only one thing it could be. The Reapers were here.
Where was Shepard?
They spent the next forty-five minutes grilling him on the Reapers – again. It was like the last six months condensed into three quarters of an hour. He was angry. They had spent the last half a year pussyfooting around when they could have been doing something, anything, to prepare. Instead, they stuck their heads in the sand and ignored those who had seen, ignored Shepard and her warnings. They dismissed him, telling him to wait for his orders. The one comfort he found was that he knew his family was on its way out of the city, and that Shepard was nearby, not off on a ship somewhere heading straight into the storm.
He wondered if he would have time to grab a bite to eat, and decided against it. He started towards his temporary office to check the messages from his students. Make sure they were where they needed to be and had valid orders. He also wanted to make sure they knew how to get in touch with him. He looked up and spotted Anderson heading his way, "Anderson," he greeted as he reached him. Anderson accepted Kaidan's hand which was outstretched in greeting. Kaidan spotted Vega over Anderson's shoulder and in the next instant he saw her. Her back may have been facing him, and she was wearing a set of basic BDUs with no sign of rank, or status, but he would know her anywhere.
"Shepard," He said her name, his eyes locked on her back. He watched as she stiffened, and turned slowly. He clenched his jaw as she stared at him. She looked tired, and her brow was creased and eyes narrow. Then, when her cool blue eyes met his, they softened and he thought he heard her whisper his name before she walked over.
"How'd it go in there, Major?" Anderson asked, and Kaidan tore his eyes away from Shepard and looked to him.
"More of the same. They asked me the same questions they've been asking for the last half a year, and were pissed off when I didn't have any new answers," Kaidan responded, his anger at the Committee surfacing.
"Major?" She asked, her eyes skimming over his face as his had hers. He nearly blushed and whether it was from the tangible way she was looking at him, or the fact that she hadn't known about his promotion he wasn't sure. Technically, he outranked her now. Well, at the moment she had no rank, but the fact remained.
"You hadn't heard?" Anderson asked, his voice betraying his surprise as his eyes moved between the two. She shook her head, and shifted from one foot to the other, putting a defensive distance between herself and Kaidan. Her arms crossed over her chest.
"Yeah, sorry, I-" He started, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck nervously, and his eyes dropped away for a second. "Well…" He looked up at her as he started to continue, then paused when she shook her head.
"Don't worry about it," She interrupted, waving it off. Her eyes remained on his and there was so much he wanted to say. He wanted to beg her for forgiveness. He wanted to tell her he never stopped believing in her, in the Reapers, and that he had tried to make them see. He wanted to tell her he still wanted her. There was no time. "Just uh… glad I ran into you, I guess," She answered, her eyes moved down to his boots and he sighed.
"Yeah, me too," He answered quietly, and she looked up and met his eyes. He was stunned at the iciness of her stare. He hated it, he missed the warmth of her eyes and her smile. She was standing right in front of him, but he still missed her and he wondered if that feeling would ever go away. Anderson asked what he was doing now, bringing Kaidan's attention back to the Admiral. "Just waiting for orders," He answered and the trio was interrupted by an Ensign who had been sent by the Committee to collect Anderson and Shepard. "Good luck in there," He said, and Shepard kept her eyes on his as she walked passed him. He watched her go with regret burning low in his gut.
Momentarily, he wished he had broken the rules and gone to see her without waiting for authorization. There was still so much he needed her to know, and he had no idea if he would ever be able to tell her. He felt a hulking presence behind him, and a deep, thick voice asked, "You knew the Commander?" He watched her walk away as he thought of the day he met her, in the amp shop on Arcturus. He thought of his first day on the Normandy, the way her biotics had reacted against his wrist. He thought of her waking up in the med bay after the beacon on Eden Prime and the way her eyes had landed on his. He thought of the nights they spent in the mess, just talking. He thought of the way she had gripped his hand in the elevator after meeting the Mindoir survivor. He remembered asking her to dinner, and the relief she displayed in the comm room after Virmire. He remembered kissing her in the elevator, he remembered their night together before Ilos. He remembered promising her he would always be there. He remembered Vancouver. He remembered Alchera. He remembered her funeral.
"I used to," he answered, his voice was rough with the time he had traveled in the seconds between Vega's question and his response. Kaidan turned and met the Lieutenant's eyes. "I'm headed down to my office. Walk with me?" He asked and Vega nodded and fell into step next to him. Kaidan knew not to ask him the questions he really wanted the answers to. How was she? Had she been sleeping alright or was she having nightmares? Had anyone been allowed to visit her? "You know she's not a Commander, anymore," Kaidan stated simply.
"A technicality, Sir," Vega answered, simply. "They may have stripped her of her title, but she still deserves the respect it gave. Besides, once the Reapers get here, they'll regret sidelining her," Vega answered, and then looked to Kaidan who nodded.
"So you believe her about the Reapers?" Kaidan asked as they reached his office door.
"Of course," Vega answered, his face twisted in confused shock. "Don't you?" Before Kaidan could answer, the walls started to shake. It almost felt like an earthquake. Almost, but not quite. It was coming from outside, not beneath his feet. He looked up, and was surprised by the lack of fear on the Lieutenant's face. An otherworldly siren rang out and through the window, Kaidan saw an all too familiar red beam swipe through the building. Kaidan threw up a barrier and knocked Vega out of the way of a falling wall and they tumbled to the floor.
The Reapers were here.
Kaidan stood quickly, and offered Vega a hand. "We have to get back to Shepard," He ordered as he pulled Vega up. The Lieutenant nodded pulling out his sidearm and falling into line behind Kaidan who led him back the way they had come. He heard the groaning, and felt the shudder trace his spine, before he saw the first husk. Then it was almost as if something washed over him. He had steel in his spine and his gaze was laser focused. His biotics were humming beneath his skin for the first time in almost a year. It was exhilarating. Vega and he made quick work of the Reaper's ground forces as they made their way back to the Chambers.
There were people screaming. Smoke billowed, filling the hallway where they walked. Sirens blared and lights flashed. In some hallways, the emergency fire system had gone off and water was falling from the ceiling. It was already a nightmare, and it would only get worse. Their way was blocked. There was no way they would make it back, and there was no way Anderson and Shepard would make it this way. Kaidan lifted his 'tool to try to reach Anderson – not sure if Shepard would have her 'tool with her.
It was a few tortuous moments before Anderson responded, "Major Alenko? Is that you? I'm patching in Shepard. What's your status?" Vega kept guard while Kaidan conversed with the Admiral.
"Uh, yes, Sir, I have Vega with me. We're uninjured and trying to make our way back towards the Chambers, but the way is blocked," Kaidan answered as he checked a few bodies. There was nothing to save. He swallowed the anger bubbling in his chest. Why hadn't they just listened?
"I can't raise the Normandy, you'll have to contact them. We'll meet you at the landing zone. Anderson out," Kaidan felt a comfort in his core at the confirmation that Shepard was okay. A warmth spread through him as he was ordered to report to the Normandy. There was no place else Shepard would be with this starting now, and there was no place else he wanted to be. He signaled for Vega to follow up as they continued towards the dock.
He tried to reach the Normandy as they cautiously made their way through the hallways. "Alenko?!" He heard the familiar laugh in his ear, and couldn't help the grin that spread over his face. He had never been so happy to hear the pilot; he was glad Joker was okay. "Get your ass over here! We've got husks swarming the ship. I need to get away from this dock ten minutes ago!"
"You heard him, Vega, double time," He ordered as they picked up their pace. They focused more on forward movement, blocking out the sounds of the struggling or dying. Vega's pistol clicked as he discharged the spent thermal click before taking precise shots at husks heading towards them, and it was sweet music to Kaidan's ears as his skin tingled with biotic energy. He focused on clearing their path. Throwing or Lifting the husks out of their way. A few Engineers he recognized from the Normandy were trailing behind him, and he was grateful for their presence. He wasn't sure who would be working on the ship, and familiar faces would be welcome.
They rounded a corner and the Normandy came into view. Her kinetic barriers were up, so the husks weren't doing much damage but if they continued to climb on her it would make lift off difficult. Kaidan signaled for Vega to take out the husks near the bottom while he Lifted the others. Their moaning cries filled the air. The airlock door opened as they approached. Kaidan and James ran in before turning and taking out a few of the husks nearby before the doors closed. Kaidan turned, adrenaline pumping and banged on the door. He felt the gravity shift as the ship pulled away from the dock. The decontamination cycle was running, and Kaidan looked to James. His chest was heaving and he was gripping his weapon hard.
"Get down to the cargo bay," Kaidan ordered, he had to admit he was impressed by the Lieutenant's agility. He was bigger than Kaidan, but had kept up with him and still seemed ready to go as indicated by the white knuckled grip he had on his gun. It looked comically small in his large hands, and Kaidan had the suspicion he would be nearly unstoppable with an assault rifle. "We're going to have to open the door to get Anderson and Shepard and I need someone there who can cover them. The only crew I saw so far were Engineers," Kaidan ordered and Vega grunted an affirmative as the doors opened. Kaidan had yet to tour the new Normandy but, out of habit, he turned to the left and went to the cockpit as Vega stormed to the right.
He slid easily into the co-pilot chair to Joker's left. It was like sliding on a pair of favorite jeans. He fired up the terminal and looked briefly at the pilot as his hands whirled over the controls. The sense of surrealism was not lost on him, but he didn't have time to consider it. Kaidan barely had time to notice the ease with which Joker handled the larger Normandy. Joker was as at home as ever in the cockpit, and the ship flew through the Reaper attacks like Joker was taking it through a low level practice run. Kaidan monitored the systems to make sure their defenses were up, and their weapons hot.
Suddenly, Anderson's voice rang out in the cockpit, "Major Alenko! We're in sight of the spaceport! ETA 3 minutes!"
Joker kept his focus on flying as Kaidan responded, "We made it to the Normandy. We're taking heavy fire!" Kaidan noticed an Alliance Dreadnought nearby. The kilometer long warship was using its main and most powerful gun on the Reapers and it seemed to be quite effective. Until the Reapers turned their main laser weapon on it. The red beam shot out, the frequency audible and struck the ship. It began to smoke. A few more direct hits and it would be gone. "Oh god… they're going to take down the dreadnought! Evasive maneuvers!" The words had barely left Kaidan's mouth when he felt the ship lurch to the left then the right as Joker piloted her through the air battlefield with a practiced hand.
The dreadnought exploded forcing the Normandy forward at an awkward angle and alarms rang out. Kaidan started to run a few checks on the systems and found the results before he even had a chance to initiate them. "EDI…" Joker muttered. The pilot's tone was scolding as he mumbled something and looked at Kaidan out of the corner of his eye. Kaidan dropped it, and took solace in the fact that the ship was solid and would remain in one piece.
His heart jumped when he heard Anderson again, "Normandy, this is Anderson. Do you read?"
He couldn't keep the relief out of his voice, "Admiral, what is your location?" As he went to pull up the navigation system, it was already up and triangulating a position from the signal Anderson was on. Joker muttered something again, but was distracted by the Admiral's response.
"By a downed gunship at the harbor. I'm activating its distress beacon. Send support. We've got wounded down here," Anderson answered sounding a bit distracted. He thought he heard Shepard cursing in the background about running out of ammo. The signal dropped before he could reply. He attempted to send the message out for assistance, and found it was already sent. He looked to Joker and his jaw was clenched shut, and his eyes were narrowed. Kaidan thought he had an idea what was happening, but he let it drop. Now was not the time.
"Go get them, Joker," Kaidan ordered, and the pilot grinned.
"Yes, Sir," He answered without removing his eyes from the console and Kaidan left the cockpit to head down to the cargo bay. He noticed there were no stairs; he was being forced into an elevator. He hoped this elevator moved faster than the cars on the SR-1. He stepped inside and pushed the button for the cargo bay.
Eventually, the car let him out in the bay and he went to stand near Vega just as the door opened. Vega had switched the standard issue pistol for a more effective rifle. The husks chasing Shepard and Anderson exploded in blue and gray gore as the rounds hit them. As Shepard neared the ship, Kaidan was momentarily distracted by her. She was running, fast, some of her hair had fallen from the bun and was waving wildly around her face. Her cheeks were flushed from exertion, and her eyes were frozen with determination. She leaped to the open bay doors, and landed on her feet. She stumbled and the awkward angle of the open door caused her to flail backwards until Kaidan reached out and grabbed her arm.
Her eyes locked on his and his breath caught in his throat. He still had his hand around her forearm, and her grip mirrored his. Her touch sparked against his skin and he clenched his jaw. She released him quickly and turned to Anderson who was still standing at the edge of the dock. "Come on, Anderson!" She shouted back to him, a childlike fear in her voice only Kaidan would have recognized. Anderson turned and watched an Alliance shuttle arrive and land near the wounded soldiers he had mentioned to Kaidan.
"I'm not going," Anderson answered, and raised his hand when Shepard started to argue. The motion silenced her. "You saw those men back there. There's a million more like them and they need a leader."
She sounded almost desperate, "We're supposed to be in this fight together."
Anderson shook his head, "It's a fight we can't win, not without help. We need every species, and all their ships, to even have a chance at defeating the Reapers. Talk to the Council. Convince them to help us."
"David, what if they won't listen to me?" She asked, her voice quiet and unsure. Kaidan glanced at Vega who had turned away from them to offer them a moment of privacy. Clearly, the personal relationship between Shepard and Anderson wasn't a secret from the Lieutenant. That made him think maybe Anderson had been allowed to see her while she was under house arrest. He scolded himself and swallowed hard, choking back the stubborn jealousy.
"Then you make them listen, Sloan! Now go! That's an order!" Anderson dictated, pointing his finger to he sky.
She was stubborn, and Kaidan couldn't help but snort at the familiar tone in her voice, "I don't take orders from you anymore, remember?" Kaidan watched as the Admiral pulled something from his pocket. It reflected the still bright summer sun before he threw it at Shepard. She caught it easily.
"Consider yourself reinstated, Commander," Anderson explained. Her dog tags; he'd thrown her dog tags to her. "You know what you have to do."
Her voice was thick with emotion. She didn't really believe the words she was speaking. Kaidan wanted to reach out and take her hand, or rest his on her shoulder, just to show her he supported her. He knew better. "I'll be back for you, and I'll bring every fleet I can," She promised.
"I know you will. Godspeed, Commander," Anderson said and stepped backwards as the door closed. Shepard stood and watched until she couldn't see anymore.
Kaidan remained at her side as the doors closed, then she turned and met his eyes. He recognized the look he saw there. This was not what she wanted, this was what she had been afraid of. She wanted to stay and fight. She wanted to be at Anderson's side protecting Earth, leading the men. Instead, she was being sent off planet to pander to politicians. Her name was a bigger weapon than her rifle. He didn't know what to say to her, so he said the only thing he could think of, "Welcome home, Commander."