Author's Note: First, I have to start by apologizing for the extreme lateness of this chapter. For those who may not know, I injured my wrist at work and was unable to write for the last two and a half weeks. I am currently out of work while I recover, but I am able to type now, in small increments. Thank you for sticking with me, I cannot express how much it means to me that you're still following along.
A thank you to those who have added The Reason to their favorite or follow lists. Knowing your out there reading along is amazing.
An extra thank you to those who commented on the last chapter: bayanbasri, Impslave, Kirabaros, Vorcha Girl, Kallie6891, Jules Hawk, biotictrash, Zacharti, Kirsah, MizDirected, and ela11. Your kind words on the last chapter were the motivation I needed to get this completed so quickly once I was healed enough to do so. Thank you for your continued support. I cannot express how much it means t me.
A side note, I am on tumblr - tlcinbflo . tumblr . com; feel free to follow me for updates on my writing process. I know some of you already do, so you were already aware of what caused the extended time between updates.
Thank you all so much, and ... I uh ... I hope you like this chapter ... Enjoy! - TLC
Chapter Eighty-Two
Horizon.
Kaidan hadn't been back to the colony since the Collector attack. He hadn't been back since that awful confrontation with Sloan, not since the handful of friends he'd made there were taken while he'd been powerless to stop it. The remaining colonists still hated him as far as he knew. Though, he hadn't expected holiday cards from any of them, he couldn't imagine they would have been able to move on from the attack without residual animosity for him. According to Traynor's calculations, Kai Leng's trajectory, speed, and probability, that's where the Cerberus assassin went after Thessia. So, that's where they were going.
Kaidan sat at a table in the mess, trying to force down a breakfast while Shepard was once again in the comm room. She was back on the QEC with Tevos, no doubt arguing about Thessia. There was a tension in Kaidan's gut he couldn't escape. He simply wished he knew the root cause. He blamed it on the trip to Horizon, but feared it was something else.
That feeling was compounded when he glanced up and found Diana Allers headed his way. He had been fairly lucky in dodging the Alliance News reporter since his return to the Normandy. Apparently, today his luck ran out. "Good morning, Major." Her voice was gentle, disarming even, with no overtones. She sounded kind, but she was a reporter and Kaidan didn't trust reporters.
"Good morning, Ma'am," he greeted with a nod as she slid into the seat across from him without waiting for an invitation. His eyes darted over her shoulder towards the elevator, plotting a possible escape route, as she folded her hands under her chin.
"Please, there is no need for such formality," she insisted as she tried to catch his gaze. He sighed and made eye contact. She smiled, and while it was an easy going smile, there was something about the gleam in her eyes and her exposed canines that made her seem predatory. Kaidan's sat straighter and squared his shoulders.
"What can I do for you this morning, Ms. Allers?" Kaidan asked wiping his mouth with a napkin which was immediately balled in his fist as he waited for her response.
She let out a short breath through her nose. "I was hoping for a few moments of your time for my show."
Kaidan had a feeling that's what this was and he wished she would not have asked him to his face. She sent Shepard messages which she could simply reply to. "I don't see why it's necessary. Commander Shepard is the face of the war and she has given you plenty of soundbites."
"True, but I would argue you're as recognizable as the Commander. You're important to the movement, and to morale, and I think the public would like to hear from the highest ranking officer on the Normandy and the second human Spectre." Kaidan hated to admit it, but she was probably right. Maybe not about him being as recognizable as Shepard, but at least about the rest. He could accept that. "Not to mention, we still have strong signals in the areas outside Vancouver. I understand your Mother is in that area? It's possible she might see-"
"Ms. Allers," Kaidan interrupted, straightening to his full height and looking down at the woman. Her smile faltered at the disdain in his voice. "Manipulation may be a tactic that works for you, it is not something I will tolerate. Understand, I was going to agree to the interview before you made it personal. Another attempt like this, and you will be transferred off the Normandy. Am I clear?" His voice was light, patronizing even, as he waited for her response.
"Of course, Major. Please, accept my apology." He cut her off raising his hand and turning his attention back to his meal. He looked at his plate, but his appetite disappeared at the mention of his mother. He pushed his plate away, and reached for his coffee as he met the reporter's eyes. He gestured for her to begin, and she did. She jumped into a few questions verifying his history, and rank before asking about the most recent mission on Thessia. She spent about fifteen minutes running through the types of questions Kaidan expected before abruptly changing the subject. "So, how long have you and Commander Shepard been together?"
He nearly spat out his coffee, his eyes narrowed and he felt the heat rising from his collar. It wasn't embarrassment; it was rage. He said nothing, simply glared at her with a creased brow and thin lips. He wrapped his hands around his mug to stop himself from clenching them into fists. Seconds of silence stretched into minutes as Kaidan continued to watch the reporter. She spoke again, repeating her question. Kaidan cocked an eyebrow. He hoped she understood his silence. Asking him to confirm breaking fraternization regulations on the record is asinine.
She let out a breath through her nose. "I'm trying to help you," she pleaded and Kaidan stared down at her. How was confirming breaking regulations helping them? He didn't have to ask. She continued. "No one cares, right now, that you're sleeping together. There's too much going on, but if we win, if there is something left after this war, and it comes out then, it will be worse that it was hidden." He continued to watch her as she fidgeted under his stare. She cleared her throat before she continued. "Imagine if one of you survives the other," she suggested and knuckles turned white on his mug. Her eyes darted to his hands and her voice was much softer when she continued. "The survivor could be held responsible for a failed mission, or the death of a crew member. I don't have to tell you what this would do to the reputation of the deceased." She paused for a heartbeat, and Kaidan let it sink in.
Kaidan's voice was firm, and quiet when he spoke. "What are you suggesting, exactly?"
She cleared her throat, shifted in her seat, and pushed some hair behind her ear before she continued. "If I can present your relationship now, it would be seen as a bright spot in the middle of all this war. It will be uplifting, and motivating. It would take the sting out of the cover up and it would make it much harder for the Alliance Brass to come down on both of you when this is over. Well, that's the angle I'm going for, anyway." Kaidan didn't like the idea of talking about his relationship with Shepard to the press. He'd always wanted to tell everyone, to shout it to the world, but it would be wrong to do it without Shepard.
"I appreciate what you're trying to do, but this isn't a decision I can make without discussing it with Sloan." His use of her first name was intentional, and Diana flushed slightly at the intimacy of it. Her discomfort helped Kaidan see Diana was at least aware this could be seen as an intrusion, and it warmed him to the idea. "I can't see her agreeing to release something now. If it were, while it could be seen as motivating and uplifting, it - I - could be seen as a distraction. We just lost Thessia and I was with her when we did. What if the Asari came back and said it was because she was distracted by her lover on the field? No, I don't see us releasing anything during the war." He shook his head. The more he thought about it, he saw more negatives than positives.
Diana tapped her finger on the table, her chin resting in her palm as she stared at him. He kept his eyes on hers and could swear he could see the gears turning in her head. "What if I film it now? What if I prepare it? I'll get candid footage of you on the ship, and spend some time with you both individually and then together, and then when the war is over, it airs then. You and the Commander will obviously have the final say in what is shown but I'll make sure to show your relationship for what it is."
His curiosity got the best of him. "What is that?"
"Destiny."
Kaidan let out a snort, and Diana cocked her head at him. He shook his head. "I'll talk to her about it, but I'm not making any promises." She grinned, and leaned back in her seat, arms folded over her chest triumphantly. He stood and cleared the dishes from the table before heading to the elevator to the cargo bay. He was ready for this day to be over already and it had just begun.
They were scheduled to reach Horizon within the hour, Kaidan took this time to prep his gear. He had just finished pulling on his underarmor when he heard the elevator door open behind him. He turned and watched Shepard step off the elevator. Her eyes dark, and her lips thin as she rubbed the back of her neck. She stepped up next to him and started dressing for the mission.
Kaidan finished first and sat on the bench behind her as she secured the closures on her armor. When she stood, her back was to him in a silent request. He stood and his hands moved over the seams, ensuring everything was closed. When he double tapped her shoulder, he turned and allowed her to check his before they moved to the shuttle. She met his eyes briefly as they were joined by James and Liara.
Kaidan noticed the way James watched Liara and Shepard, as if he was waiting for an altercation. Kaidan knew there wouldn't be any issues. They were both more professional than that. He had to wonder just what James would do if there was an incident between Liara and Shepard. Would the young man step in and defend Liara to his CO, or would he risk Liara's trust and defend Shepard? Kaidan realized then, if forced to choose, he'd choose the mission. James had already proved that on Fehl Prime. It didn't matter, not really, nothing more would be said between Liara and Shepard regarding Thessia – not in front of anyone.
"Alright, what do we know about Horizon?" Shepard asked as she checked her sidearm, ensuring the weapon was ready for the mission.
"There is a facility, Sanctuary, which has been devoted to aiding refugees from reaper controlled systems," Liara started pulling up her omni'tool and displaying holos of advertisements for the safe haven. It promised safety, and security from the Reaper War.
EDI spoke up next, her disembodied voice bouncing off the walls of the cargo bay. "However, the facility went offline recently. There has been no communication to or from Sanctuary since."
Shepard turned her eyes back to Liara, who added, "It is unclear why Kai Leng or Cerberus would be interested in Sanctuary."
"Well, Shadow Broker, I guess we'll have to find the connection, won't we?" Shepard snapped with a sigh, her hands on her hips and her head down. Kaidan was surprised, but knew it stemmed from frustration, and the reprimand Tevos would have been delivering before she came to the bay. Liara flushed purple and glanced at James before turning away.
"Godspeed, Commander," she answered, head held high, before walking away as Shepard ordered them onto the shuttle. James made quick eye contact with Kaidan who shook his head. The Lieutenant glanced back at Liara as she waited for the elevator. The shuttle doors closed.
Shepard ordered Cortez to take them out as the trio secured themselves into their seats. The gravity shifted as the shuttle took off, leaving the Normandy behind them. The planet came into view and Kaidan shifted as he saw what was once his home; well, for the better part of a year anyway. He glanced at Shepard. They didn't have a really great track record with Horizon. He hoped today was better.
"Ma'am," Cortez started. Shepard placed her hand on Kaidan's knee, giving it a squeeze as she undid her belt.
"It's Shepard, Cortez; what have you got?" she corrected him as she moved to stand behind him, her hand on the back of his seat.
"Shepard, I'm picking up a signal from the facility. Hold on, it's weak; I'll try to boost it." They listened together, but the message itself was too muffled to make out. They could only tell it was a message from Oriana Lawson.
"Lawson?" Kaidan asked. "Like Miranda Lawson?" He remembered the cool blue of the operative's eyes, and the teasing swing of her perfected hips. He'd still never told Shepard he'd received her medical records from Miranda, or that he'd read them.
Shepard turned and met his eyes across the shuttle. "Oriana, yeah, Miranda's sister. If she's here, Miranda can't be far away." She turned to look back out the front of the shuttle.
"Well, there's our link to Cerberus," Kaidan responded simply. Any further comment was interrupted by Cortez's announcement that they were approaching the LZ.
The facility was deserted, and destroyed. Ships had crashed in the courtyard, empty cruisers sat in a line waiting for entry. The trio made their way through, searching for some sign of the refugees, or Miranda. Just as the reached the entrance to the main building, a Cerberus shuttle landed, depositing soldiers. Kaidan felt it as Shepard started her Charge, for a second he felt the familiar tug as she took off across the area. He swore he could hear the crack of the unfortunate Cerberus agent's bones from across the courtyard. James chuckled lightly over the comm as they followed her, cleaning up what was left moving in her wake. It wasn't much.
They were making their way into the building proper, when Kaidan had the strange sensation he was being watched. He turned to look up just as a shadow fell over him. There was a sharp pain in his neck and shoulders as something landed on him. Suddenly, he was flat on his back, staring at the sky. His ears were ringing, and his eyesight blurred. He heard muted grunting as he pushed himself to a sitting position. He looked up just in time to watch James snap the Cerberus Phantom's neck. It's katana-like blade dropping to the floor before James released the slender body. Shepard reached him a second later.
"What-?" he mumbled as she unhooked his helmet. She cupped his face and looked in his eyes. James turned his back to them as he scanned the area for more hostile targets.
"It jumped from the upper level. It's like a fuckin ninja on speed. We didn't know it was there. It blocked our scanners." He looked to the body lying nearby. It could have killed him. She was wiping his forehead, clearing away the blood.
He could see the concern in her eyes. "Hey, I'm fine." She hummed a response but said nothing as she pulled the medi-gel out of the pocket on her armor. When she met his eyes again, he could see the darkness lingering. She was shaken, it was clear. "Seriously, Sloan," he whispered her name and he heard her swallow, her cheeks flushing. He never used her first name on duty, but he needed to break through whatever it was she was telling herself now. He took her free hand. "It's just a scratch."
She barely nodded at him, and he released her hand. "Well," her eyes darted to the wound on his forehead, "we can't let this gorgeous face get all scarred up now can we?" She smoothed the gel over the cut and he smiled at her. She stood then, tucking the open pack of medi-gel back in her pocket before offering Kaidan her hand. She pulled him to his feet, and he clipped his helmet to his hip as they continued into the complex.
It didn't take long for them to discover what was really going on at Sanctuary. It surprised Kaidan that there was another level of depravity. He thought he'd seen the worst of it. He was wrong. Sanctuary was a slaughterhouse. They lured desperate refugees, and then harvested them. Humans made husks, turians made marauders, asari made banshees. The facility was completely infested, but at some point the reapers attacked the Cerberus forces running Sanctuary.
It was video from Miranda that explained why. Cerberus believed they could learn to control the reapers. The Illusive Man believed the Crucible would not destroy the Reapers, but that it would allow him to control them if he just made small changes to the plans. "He's completely lost his mind…," Shepard muttered as they continued through the building, looking for any sign of survivors and clearing the reaper troops as they went.
It sickened Kaidan; though, he kept a straight face as they killed the refugee turned reaper troops. It was an effective strategy the Reapers used. He remembered Garrus saying something to that effect. As he killed the husks, he saw how easy it would be for someone with less military experience to be overwhelmed by the fact that they were killing humans – or, what was once human. He wanted nothing more than to return to the Normandy, clean himself of the matter splattered over him as they fought their way through the facility.
His amp hummed at the base of his skull; it was warm, comfortably so. They seemed to move quickly, dispatching the remaining reaper forces almost easily. Kaidan couldn't stem the near elation as they cleared another room. James was a force to be reckoned with, and he could see why Anderson had chosen him to guard Shepard.
His thoughts were interrupted by a scream and the sound of shattering glass from inside the room. When Kaidan completed the hack, and the door opened, they entered with weapons ready. The window on the opposite wall had been blown out. They were met with the perfect form of Miranda, sheathed in blue, fists clenched at her sides. She turned wild eyes to the trio as they entered. Her stare darted to a figure on the floor. Kaidan went to the huddled mass as soon as he noticed the blood beneath it. James moved to the broken window, 'tool open and scanning. Kaidan was distracted by the wounded woman in front of him and ran a scan as Shepard asked, "Miranda, what happened?" She pulled off her helmet and clipped it to her hip.
"Kai Leng happened," Miranda muttered as she went to Kaidan's side. "Is she…?"
"She'll be alright; nothing vital was hit," Kaidan answered as he wrapped pressure bandages around the young girl's abdomen. Miranda moved her sister's head to her lap and pushed the hair from her face. Kaidan turned his gaze back to the wound. It was serious, not critical, but she would need blood transfusions, and he said as much to Miranda.
"I'll donate," Miranda offered quickly.
"We have to test your blood fir-"
"I'm a match. I'll donate," she snapped, interrupting him. He let the subject drop, not sure he wanted to know how she knew with such certainty. Maybe she had tested them before. Shepard heard his prognosis, he knew because she was already on the comm with Chakwas, letting her know they were bringing in Miranda's sister.
Shepard's words were lost on a soft, pained gasp. It was the only indication that anything was wrong. He turned to look at Shepard. Her back was rigid but bowed. Her hands splayed open and at her sides. Her eyes wide, tears rolling freely down her cheeks, and her jaw dropped in a silent scream. Kaidan wasn't sure right away what he was looking at. Then he noticed what was wrong. Something long and thin protruded from her chest. The metal reflected the light making the red streaks stand out as they dripped from the edge of the blade. Then it was gone, and she sank to her knees.
Kai Leng stood, triumphant, in the doorway. His face twisted into a vicious sneer.
Kaidan's control faltered and he flared without thought. The power running over him momentarily without direction. He watched as Shepard fell to her side. The red pooling too quickly around her form. "Sloan…" he whispered her name and scrambled to her side. Leng took off; Kaidan didn't care. He felt something bulky brush by him as he reached her. His hands shook as he pulled off his gloves. He rolled her to her back. Miranda joined him at her side, opening her tool and taking over her care. Kaidan met Sloan's eyes and watched through his persistent tears as she struggled to breathe.
"Kaidan," her voice was a terrified, hoarse whisper as the first tears rolled down his cheeks. He gripped her hand and cradled her head in his lap. Her blood seeped through the breaks in his armor and soaked into his underarmor. He wiped at his eyes violently and looked down to her. She was pale, too pale. She was shaking; the medic in him told him it was shock, he was convinced it was fear and pain. Tears spilled down her temples, disappearing into her hair. She whispered something on her exhale and Kaidan almost didn't hear it. He was too distracted by how still she'd gone, by the blood coating her teeth and the sick metallic scent of her breath. The last thing she said, before her eyes went blank and her body limp, "It's just a scratch."
A/N: I'm sorry. - TLC