Author's Note: Thank you to those who have followed or added The Reason to their favorite lists. I love getting the notification that someone has found the story, and has enjoyed enough to keep reading. An extra thanks to those who left a review on the last chapter: Kirabaros, Taikee, Vorcha Girl, Jules Hawk, ela11, Kateriel79, and Kirsah. Your reviews made me smile, thank you for sticking around! ... - Enjoy! - TLC
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Kaidan's face twitched as he slowly rose to consciousness. He heard Sloan's soft laugh, and felt her fingers trace over his face. He peeked at her, opening just one eye. She was blurry with sleep, but he could tell she was smiling. He reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him. He was glad she hadn't dressed, yet. The smooth skin of her legs slid against his as their limbs tangled. He shifted rolling her beneath him as his lips claimed hers.
She sighed into his kiss, a content, happy sound, as her arms wrapped around his neck. His heart pounded against his chest as her lips parted for him. A soft whimper vibrated against his lips as she shifted and he settled between her legs. The unsatisfied desire from the night before roared to life again as his kiss grew more demanding and his hands more insistent. One hand tangled in her hair and tugged lightly. Their kiss broke and she mewled as his lips moved to her neck. He could feel her pulse against his tongue, strong and fast.
She was gasping softly with each breath and he couldn't focus on anything but the sounds she was making as his body reacted to her. He kept one hand fisted in her hair, holding her still, as the other trailed down her curves, his thumb teasing her breast as he passed it. He was rewarded when she moaned his name. He grinned against her neck as his hand slid under her shirt and up the smooth planes of her abdomen before cupping her breast. She pressed her body into his touch. He groaned, deep and long, as her nails scraped down his back. Her hands slid into his boxers and gripped his behind, pressing him closer to her.
"Commander," Joker's voice broke into the room. Kaidan let out a string of curses as Shepard sighed and removed her hands from him. He dropped his head, his forehead resting on her collarbone as she pushed the hair back from her face. She stared at the ceiling; her chest heaving with each frustrated breath. "Sorry to, uh, wake you but we're docking with the Fifth Fleet in thirty minutes."
"Thanks, Joker," she replied to the pilot as the comm cut off and Kaidan pulled back and looked down at her flushed face. At least he wasn't the only one affected.
She moved to get up from beneath him, but he held firm, pressing his hips into hers. She gasped and chewed her lip. "We have half an hour," he reminded her as he kissed her lips soundly.
"Kaidan," she sighed his name, and he rolled his hips against hers. She gasped, "We have to shower and get going."
"Sloan," He pushed her shirt up as she tried to hold it down, "thirty minutes is plenty of time. I'll be quick."
She scoffed and pushed against his chest; he sighed and rolled off her. "That's exactly what every woman wants to hear." She climbed out of bed and padded to the locker to retrieve her dress blues. Kaidan watched her and knew by the tension in her shoulders and her quick movements that she was just as frustrated as he was. She turned to him. "Take a shower, Alenko." He watched her eyes dart down his body before moving back to his face. "A cold one." She smirked as she turned her back to him. He watched as she stripped off her night clothes and dressed. It was quick and efficient and did nothing to settle his arousal.
He grumbled as he dragged himself out of bed and went to their bathroom. He took her advice and turned on the cold water. When he was finished in the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped into their shared space just in time to watch her put her hair back into the regulation bun. He shook his head and took the stairs down towards the locker to pull out his own dress uniform.
He felt her eyes on him before he turned around. She was dressed, ready for the day, and leaning against the fish tank watching him with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyes moved over him as he pulled on his pants. When her gaze reached his face, her eyebrow cocked and her head tilted. Her eyes were bright and warm. He would never tire of the way she looked at him. He smirked and flexed unnecessarily as he closed the buttons on his shirt. She chuckled softly and pushed away from the fish tank. She crossed the space between them, and her hands rested on his hips as she stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips as he finished buttoning his collar.
"I'll see you downstairs, Major," she spoke softly, and he nodded. She turned to go and he watched until the door closed behind her. He checked the time quickly before sliding on his shoes. They had a few more minutes before they were scheduled to dock with Hackett's ship. He knew Shepard would be on the bridge with Joker and EDI, so when he left the cabin he stopped in the mess and grabbed two MREs, one for him and one for Shepard, before he went to meet them.
He stepped onto the bridge, and Shepard turned towards him. He handed her the meal, and she gave him a guilty smile as she took it. They broke them open and stood behind Joker as they approached the Fifth Fleet.
"Nothing like two Spectres standing over your shoulder watching you work. That's not intimidating or anything," Joker was speaking under his breath, and though his tone was serious, his hands flew confidently over the controls, not missing a beat.
"Can it, Joker," Shepard responded, a sharp tease in her clipped response. Joker sneered, and Kaidan grinned. It was delicate, what Joker had to do. Lining up the ships, making sure they'd dock successfully and not tear a hole in the side of the hull. Kaidan knew they'd be fine; Joker may be an arrogant ass but it wasn't without merit. His skill was unquestionable and he executed the docking perfectly. "Show time," Shepard said as she dropped the wrapper from her MRE into the trash and turned towards the airlock. Kaidan followed suit and stood next to her as the airlock door cycled open. She called for attention, and each soldier stood, and saluted.
Hackett stepped across the threshold, his eyes moving over the Bridge before landing on Shepard. He saluted, "At ease," he offered, his eyes sliding to Kaidan. They moved to a relaxed attention.
"Welcome aboard, Sir," Shepard offered and Hackett nodded. "This way," She gestured in front of her and Hackett nodded for her to lead. Kaidan followed behind the Admiral as they strode through the CIC. Each section they passed through paused, and gave the Admiral the respect he deserved. They met Garrus, Liara, and Kahlee in the conference room. Jack was down with the students, waiting for the transfer.
Once the door was closed, Hackett turned to them. "Cut the formalities," Hackett ordered, his crisp blue eyes moving over the assembled group. "Tell me what you've got for me," he ordered and Shepard gestured to Kahlee.
"We have a group of seventeen students from Grissom Academy. Six of them are tech specialists, and are near genius level engineers," Kahlee started, and Hackett seemed doubtful.
"They've already impressed the Normandy's engineers, Sir, that says something," Garrus added, and Hackett nodded, his eyes turning back to Kahlee as she continued.
"The other eleven are biotics, some of the most powerful human biotics we've seen. With more training, I wouldn't be surprised if they were at the same level as Major Alenko or even Commander Shepard," Kahlee offered, her eyes moving to Kaidan and Sloan before locking back on the Admiral. His surprise was clear as he raised an eyebrow at Sloan.
"They're good, but they're not ready for battle. We spoke with Jack, their teacher, yesterday. It's her opinion, and we agree," Shepard gestured quickly to Kaidan, "that the students should keep a more defensive, back line position."
Hackett nodded. "Seems logical. We'll send Jack and her biotic students to Anderson on Earth. Ms. Sanders, I'd like you to accompany the tech students and myself back to the Crucible. We need all the help we can get. I will say, Shepard, Ms. Goto has already proven herself invaluable. Thank you for convincing her to help us," Hackett offered, and Kaidan watched the smile tug at Shepard's lips.
"I'm glad to hear that, Sir. Kahlee," Shepard turned her eyes to her friend, "why don't you head down to Jack and get the rest of the kids ready for the transfer." Kahlee nodded, and then turned her eyes to Hackett before she stood and left the room. Hackett seemed to relax slightly once Kahlee had left the room. Kahlee had history with the Alliance, but she was technically a civilian now. Shepard looked to Hackett as the group seemed to close ranks, leaning in and speaking softer. "What's our state of readiness, Admiral?"
"I won't lie to you, Shepard. You deserve better than that. We're bogged down. Things aren't looking good in most sectors. We need to increase the tempo and chalk up some wins… otherwise… this won't end well for the human race, or any race, really." Kaidan glanced at Garrus and Liara as Shepard shifted in her seat.
"What about the help we've already picked up?" She asked, folding her hands in front of her. Kaidan knew Hackett's words made him feel like their efforts had been fruitless, he could only image how angry Shepard must feel.
"The Krogan and the Turians have been a huge help, obviously. We're lucky Wrex is leading the Krogan, and the female you rescued is rallying support from other clans. The work you did on Tuchanka secured massive Krogan support, and some Turian as well," Hackett's eyes darted to Garrus more than once as he spoke. Shepard mentioned the Rachni, and Kaidan shuddered. He hated the bug like aliens, and from the jerking of Garrus's mandibles, he assumed Garrus was not fond of them either. Hackett chuckled, and it sounded odd in his grizzled tone, like he wasn't accustomed to humor. "I wouldn't have believed it, but the Rachni are helping us build the Crucible."
"No shit," Shepard replied under her breath, and Kaidan couldn't help the laugh that slipped out as he glanced at Liara and Garrus. Her cheeks tinted red at the slip in professionalism, but she recovered quickly.
Hackett's eyes sparkled with mirth as he continued. "Turns out they have a knack for weapons of mass destruction. In hindsight, I guess they would know a thing or two about waging a galactic war."
"So, there were no problems with them, then?" Liara's soft voice lilted from her corner of the table.
It was Hackett's turn to chuckle, "They scared the hell out of our engineers." The group shared a lighthearted moment before discussing the rest of the help they had gathered. The Salarians weren't helping outright; the Dalatrass was still angry about curing the genophage. However, the strike teams within STG were contacting the Alliance and promising support. "I never expected we'd be in bed with Aria T'Loak; I'm not sure I want to know how you got Aria's cooperation, but whatever you did, it was worth it."
"Well, I haven't done it, yet, but I'm glad to know her mercenaries are working out," Shepard replied, glancing at Kaidan out of the corner of her eye. Kaidan knew very little about Aria; she was the unofficial ruler of Omega, and not exactly law-abiding. She created, and followed, her own laws. He wondered why Shepard had kept this from him, and had a sinking feeling it was because she felt he wouldn't approve. He said nothing; his concern was more personal than professional, and the last thing he wanted was to question her in front of the Admiral.
"Admiral," Garrus spoke up, and Hackett's bright blue eyes met the aliens. "Is there any update on the other races? Aside from humans, I mean."
Hackett nodded, "Believe it or not, the Turians and Krogan seem to be getting along. Wrex has deployed troops and they're giving the Reapers a moment of pause, and offering a brief reprieve for the Turians. The Salarians are still hanging on to Sur'Kesh, but the Reapers have taken notice of them, as well."
"And the Asari?" Liara spoke up. It was as if the words leapt from her lips, each soul in the room anxious for any news of their people.
He paused, and his voice took on a more somber tone when he answered, "They have to be feeling the heat. The Reapers are moving fast with the obvious intent of taking Thessia." They watched Liara take the news, her shoulders widened and her back straightened. Kaidan felt a rush of concern for her, and was distracted when Sloan asked about the Quarians or geth. "Something might be brewing near the geth border, bit our Intel is sketchy. News is getting harder to come by as things progress."
"I'll see if I can get in touch with Tali," Garrus offered quickly, his mandibles twitching as he sat taller. Kaidan noticed the smirk playing at the corners of Shepard's lips and wondered what he was missing.
"I bet you will," Shepard muttered as Hackett looked down to his 'tool.
"I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. It will do the troops good to know you're still out here, making progress." Hackett stood, and the others followed suit.
"It doesn't feel like it's enough," Shepard admitted quietly.
"You give them hope, Shepard, I shouldn't have to tell you how valuable hope is," Hackett reached out a hand, which Shepard shook as she nodded.
"No, Sir." They escorted him down to the shuttle bay, where they met Kahlee, Jack, and their students who were waiting outside Hackett's shuttle. Hackett went immediately to Jack who, for her part, seemed to maintain a level of decorum atypical of her. Kaidan watched as Shepard moved quickly to Kahlee who was ushering the students onto the shuttle.
He hated the tension in her fisted hands and the stiffness of her shoulders. He knew what she was feeling; it was the same thing he felt every time he thought of his mother: The helplessness, the loneliness, the fear. He watched as the two women embraced. Kahlee's hand ran over her head and down her back. Kahlee locked eyes with him from across the bay. Kaidan nodded once in her direction, and a satisfied smile tugged on her lips. She pulled back from Sloan, looked her in the face. Whispered something, to which Sloan nodded, before releasing her. Sloan turned and watched as she stepped onto the shuttle.
Hackett was the last to leave. The shuttle doors closed behind them, and Shepard turned and signaled for everyone to get behind the barrier as the alarms sounded in the bay. Once they were behind the barrier, the cargo bay door opened and the shuttle took off. Shepard's hand found Kaidan's, but only for a moment. She squeezed his fingers before she released him and turned towards the elevator. He wanted to say something to her, to offer her words of encouragement or comfort, but they weren't alone on the elevator and they were determined to remain professional in front of the crew.
They stepped off in the CIC and Kaidan and Shepard were headed towards the galaxy map to plot their next stop when Liara called out from the direction of the War Room. They both stopped and turned as the asari rushed towards them. "Shepard," Liara's usually soft voice was harsh and clipped as she approached them, and immediately, Kaidan felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. She was upset about something. Liara's biotics were natural, and had an easy flowing warmth to them. Not now, now they hit him like an ice storm, prickling against his skin and setting him on edge. Shepard's eyes caught his eyes briefly as they met her in front if the map. "Asari High Command has sent us a distress signal, and while they haven't directly requested we look into it, I really think we should."
"Liara, I understand they're your people, but at the moment I'm not inclined to help the Asari," Shepard replied, her tone firm but not angry. Kaidan had the strangest sense he'd missed something, but remained silent as Liara's eyes narrowed.
"I know they refused to meet with us before Tuchanka, but Shepard," Liara's voice trembled slightly, and Shepard let a breath out through her nose as she cocked her hip and crossed her arms over her chest. "The distress signal is coming from an Ardat Yakshi monastery."
Shepard seemed to freeze momentarily before she audibly swallowed, "Ardat Yakshi? You mean, like Morinth?" Kaidan felt like he was on the outside looking in. He remembered reading about the Ardat Yakshi in Shepard's reports, but he didn't remember reading anything that would cause the fear he could sense as her biotics flared. It wasn't visible, but she was unsteady.
"Yes, and no," Liara answered. She went on to explain that the Asari living at the monastery did so intentionally. It was their way of making sure they didn't turn in to the murderers, like Morinth did. "The fear is that the Reapers are harvesting them and using them. Ardat Yakshi troops would be devastating. Shepard, I know you are upset with High Command, but these Asari did this because they wanted to protect the universe from themselves, we can not allow…."
"Okay, Liara, we'll go to the monastery," Shepard finally agreed, and Liara's face softened and her shoulders dropped with her exhale. She thanked Shepard and made brief eye contact with Shepard before she rushed off. Kaidan sighed and turned towards Shepard who was already at the galaxy map. "Joker," she reached out to the pilot over the comm.
"Yeah, Shepard?"
"Set a course for," she paused as she checked the information from Liara, "Lesuss."
"You got it," Joker replied easily, "ETA 5 hours." She thanked the pilot and turned to meet Kaidan's eyes.
"It's going to be you, Garrus, and myself. Be prepared for biotics and, I don't know how to … mind fuckery." She must have seen the confusion on his face. "They can get inside your head, take away your control. Be ready." Her tone was all business; she had fallen into the role of Commander, hiding behind her rank, reputation, and job. Kaidan nearly saluted her. Instead, he nodded and she brushed past him making her way towards the elevator. He felt the sharp pang of worry in his core as he watched her go.
He turned and made his way to the Bridge where Joker sat, alone for once. Joker didn't look up at him, but the pilot greeted him with a soft, "Hey, Kaidan."
"Where's EDI?"
"She went down to the AI core," Joker replied, "Feel free to sit if you'd like; she said she'd be down there for a while." Joker's hands moved over the controls with an ease Kaidan was envious of. He'd wanted to be a pilot when he was younger, but his skill set was elsewhere. He tried to ignore the gnawing concern, but it continued to chew on him as he logged into the console. "What's on Lesuss?"
"An Ardat Yakshi monastery that Asari High Command thinks may be under attack by the Reapers," Kaidan replied, almost absently. His attention was split between the code before him and Shepard, where ever she had disappeared to.
"Ah, shit," Joker sighed, and Kaidan was instantly on alert. He waited, though, so he wouldn't be pressuring Joker for information. "Look, Alenko, I don't know everything there is to know about the Ardat Yakshi, but I know when we dealt with one before. It was tough on her. She was quiet for days after."
"You don't know what happened?" He had known there was something wrong, but he had hoped it had more to do with Kahlee leaving than where they were headed.
"No, she would only talk to Thane or Samara about the mission afterwards," Joker was distracted as they approached the relay. The pilot went through the typical checks as they entered and exited the space jump. Kaidan knew he could blame the twisting unease in his gut on the jump, but it wasn't that. Once the ship leveled off, Joker finally looked at Kaidan from beneath the brim of his hat. "Look, just, keep an eye on our girl today, alright?"
"Always," Kaidan answered, wishing once again he had made a different decision when she found him on Horizon. Kaidan turned to his console and searched through the Alliance and Spectre records of Ardat Yakshi. There wasn't much, but the little information he found was enough to cause concern. He thought of the look on her face as she spoke with Liara. He closed his eyes and remembered the way her shoulders had straightened and the emotion had slipped from her face. His stomach churned at his realization.
Shepard was scared.