A/N: Thank you Jules Hawk, CopperMax, and SerenityFalconNormandy for your reviews! A large thank you to Vorcha Girl for beta-reading and also to Ms Sticha for helping me with a few spots. Now, enjoy!
55. The Coup
The shuttle ride back to the Normandy was silent. Nick stared at the floor, absently flexing her fingers. Mordin's death overshadowed the success of curing the Genophage. He might still be alive, if it hadn't been for the sabotage.
Fucking salarians and their bloody failsafe.
She hated losing people.
The last person she had lost on a mission had been Jenkins, but she couldn't compare the two instances. Mordin had agreed to this, fully aware that his chances of survival were minimal at best; non-existent, actually. Jenkins had been an inexperienced marine under her command on his first tour, itching to prove himself on a groundside mission. His death still irked her.
Damn the defense drones that had surprised them, and damn the Reapers and their indoctrination.
Irritated, she flexed again, her knuckles cracking loudly. Both cases were in the past, and there was no use dwelling on it. There was nothing she could have done, and she knew it.
"Mordin knew the score," Garrus' flanging voice broke the silence.
Nick looked at him wearily and rubbed her forehead. "Yeah, I know. But it wasn't exactly Mordin I was thinking of just now." She leaned her head against the bulkhead, not bothering to explain any closer. She missed Kaidan's reassuring presence. He wouldn't have had to say anything, just sit next to her, maybe give her a soft nudge with his knee, letting her know he was there. If she closed her eyes she could almost feel his presence.
Fuck, she missed him, even if she had seen him less than a day ago. Hopefully there was a possibility of him serving on the Normandy again.
The reverse thrusters fired up, slowing the shuttle down for its landing approach. Closing her eyes, she focused on the vibrations running through the shuttle until it touched down softly. She remained seated as the others disembarked, listening to the thud of their boots on metal grating. Liara stopped beside her.
"Shepard?"
Nick stood up, squaring her shoulders and pushing all thoughts about lost squadmates away. She could brood during weapons maintenance. "Yeah, I'm coming."
No sooner had she stepped into the shuttle bay when EDI informed her that Hackett was asking for an immediate mission update.
"Thanks EDI, I'll be right up," Nick replied, frowning slightly.
She put her weapons on the bench and told Vega she would take care of them after reporting to Hackett. The lieutenant nodded and moved them to the side.
Nick briefly considered showering and changing into her utility uniform, but decided against it. If Hackett wanted an update so badly he'd have to deal with her like this. Ignoring the sideway glances she marched to the comm room to report in; armored and grimy.
Muttering sullenly she pushed the conn button and watched Hackett's image appear in the QEC.
"Congratulations, Shepard," Hackett began. "Curing the -."
"You knew?" she snapped, leaning on the railing. Scoffing, she straightened her back and glared at Hackett. "All due respect, sir, but why did you want an immediate mission update if you already heard what happened? You could have just as well waited for my goddamn written report."
"Something came up, Shepard," Hackett replied calmly, ignoring her outburst. "We no longer have communications with the Citadel and the Normandy is the closest Alliance vessel, not to mention the fastest. I need you to investigate."
Cold fear clutched at her heart. Were the Reapers attacking the Citadel? Cerberus? Or was it simply a malfunction? She swallowed and nodded almost unperceptively. "We're on our way."
"Good. And Shepard? I expect your report on Tuchanka within the hour. Godspeed. Hackett out."
The image flickered and died away.
Nick groaned "You and your big fucking mouth," she reprimanded herself walking out of the conn room. "Why didn't you just give him the bloody update?" She raised her voice slightly. "EDI?"
"Yes, Commander?" the AI responded promptly.
"Set course for the Citadel. Something's amiss and we're checking it out."
The shooting range was empty, much to Kaidan's relief.
After listening to Udina for what felt like hours that morning, and the rather big to-do of his induction ceremony, he was grateful for the quiet. He wished Nick could have been there, or any of his other friends for that matter. There was tension in the air when he left the council chambers, but he couldn't put his finger on what bothered him. Maybe he could clear his head here.
He chose a lane and set up. An almost childish excitement rolled through him as he popped a clip into the Paladin. His Predator was reliable, but the stats on the M-77 Paladin were much more to his liking. Sure, its fire rate was lower and it weighed more, but it made significantly more damage and had a higher accuracy.
Spectre requisitions definitely offered the sweetest equipment, Kaidan thought, weighing the Paladin in his hand before aiming at the targets at the far end of the shooting range. He fired, and gazed at the grouping of his shots appraisingly. Yes, this pistol was worth all the credits he had paid for it.
Satisfied, he cleaned up and put the pistol in his locker.
Outside, the feeling of unease returned, creeping up his spine with cold fingers. The back of his head tingled as though he was being watched, and he threw a cautious look over his shoulder.
Kaidan hadn't gotten far when klaxons started blaring. For a moment he hesitated. Most of his gear was at his apartment, but not all. Cursing, he spun around and sprinted back toward Spectre HQ. His omnitool beeped, and he opened it with a flick of his wrist. Barely slowing down, he read the message.
CERBERUS ATTACK IN PROGRESS. ALL HANDS ON DECK.
"Shit!" he exclaimed, pulling open his locker and grabbing the pistol along with reserve ammunition, as well as a spare medigel pack. He needed another armor set, badly.
"If I survive this, I know what I'll be shopping for next," he muttered to himself, adjusting the halter.
Another message came through, this time addressed at him. He read it twice. Protect the Council and escort them to safety. That eliminated any hopes of getting his armor from his apartment; the councilors were in the opposite direction.
Shit.
The route was blocked. Kaidan swore under his breath, gathering his biotics and catching two Cerberus operatives rushing at them in a Singularity. Singularities weren't exactly his strong point, but he could manage one if necessary. He immediately detonated it with an Overload and looked at the three Councilors. "We have to try the next platform."
He lead them back to the elevator, gripping his pistol tightly as they filed in, annoyance at the asari councilor rushing past him. She was a biotic, why didn't she offer any kind of support? Yes, it was his job to keep them safe, but -. The sound of explosions came closer and he punched the elevator button, shutting down his current line of thought and silently imploring the doors to open.
"Are there any back passages we could use to get to the shuttle?" Kaidan asked, looking sharply at the councilors. He focused on Tevos and Sparatus, considering they had both been on the Citadel longer than any human.
They shared a look, and shook their heads.
"Nothing that would save us any time," Udina replied. "This way is the quickest to the waiting shuttle."
Kaidan narrowed his eyes at the human councilor. This was the second time now he insisted not taking any back ways. They had tried the direct route, and it had been blocked. Udina's unwillingness to consider using back alleys made him suspicious.
The elevator came to a halt. A sudden thud from above startled them. Kaidan lifted his pistol, and fired three shots following the sounds coming from atop. He didn't know if he had hit a mark.
The elevator doors finally slid open and he ushered the councilors out. "Out, out, out!"
Kaidan followed, casting a quick glance over his shoulder as he left the elevator. Turning around, he skidded to a halt. His heart sank. The shuttle in front of them was ablaze.
Crap.
"Major?" Councilor Tevos asked, her voice tinged with worry. He caught furtive glances between the asari and turian councilors.
Furrowing his brow he replied, "Back to the elevator. We're exposed he-."
The sound of a metal grating falling to the floor followed by the elevator door behind him sliding open made him spin around, weapon at the ready and acutely aware of his missing armor. He gestured at the councilors to stay behind him.
"Shepard?" he gasped in surprise at the sight of her familiar form, and dropped the nose of his pistol downward. Her eyes widened, but her expression immediately became focused. He glanced briefly at Garrus and Vega. They both kept their weapons ready, but not pointed at him.
Nick's gaze swept over the councilors behind him, her expression becoming stony.
"Kaidan, you've been fooled," she said between gritted teeth, meeting his eyes again and pinning him with an imploring stare. "Udina is behind these attacks. He sold himself out to Cerberus."
Taken aback he blinked in surprise, processing what he had just heard. Udina? Feet shuffled behind him and Kaidan shifted his stance slightly.
The human councilor stepped next to him, spluttering with indignation. "That is absolutely preposterous! You're working with Cerberus, Shepard!"
Shepard scoffed. "Really, Udina?"
"You have no proof for your accusations!" he said, glaring at her. Kaidan risked a glance at the other two councilors. They had stepped closer to Shepard, putting some distance between themselves and Udina. Was it possible?
"No?" Shepard asked in a low growl. A shiver ran down Kaidan's spine. He had heard her use that voice before. Soft, but menacing. It was a clear warning for the addressee. Udina turned away and walked stiffly to a console, ignoring her.
Lip curled in disdain, Nick opened her omnitool and beckoned Kaidan closer. He stepped next to her and watched the vid feed on her omnitool, his eyes widening in disbelief as he watched the salarian councilor being held at gunpoint by a Cerberus operative, Nick stepped into the picture, her weapon trained on the Cerberus mook, who kept the councilor between them, hindering her of getting a clean shot. He blinked in surprise as Thane showed up, drawing the assassin's attention and engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. The footage continued, ending with Nick talking briefly to the salarian Councilor.
"Play it again," he asked with a hoarse voice, his eyes glued to the screen as Nick replayed the evidence. When he looked back up his gaze was hard.
The lying, conniving bastard.
"Udina, step away from the console." He ground out, bringing his sidearm up, underlining the commanding tone in his voice.
"You shortsighted imbeciles! Cerberus is our only hope against the Reapers!" Udina snarled, venom in his voice. He glared at Shepard, eyes flashing. "You ruined everything!"
A pistol appeared in his hands.
"He's got a gun!" Kaidan called out at the same time, but too late. Muzzle fire flashed from Udina's weapon, followed by a sharp crack and a grunt of pain. Kaidan reacted instantly, firing two quick shots at the human councilor. Udina collapsed to the ground, two red stains rapidly spreading on his shirt, becoming one.
Kaidan slowly lowered his pistol and took a few steps toward the human councillor. Swallowing, he looked down at Udina. His head was spinning. One moment he had been protecting the man and then … this. Why in the world had Udina done this, working together with Cerberus?
It made no sense.
A hand gently touched his shoulder.
"You okay?" Nick asked, her voice soft but oddly pressed. He hadn't noticed her step closer. He nodded, not taking his eyes off Udina's corpse. Then he cleared his throat.
"Yeah, I'm good." His voice sounded distant to his ears.
Nick squeezed his shoulder and then gave him a swift, encouraging pat on his back.
Kaidan turned around to find Councilors Tevos and Sparatus talking to Nick, along with Bailey and two other C-Sec officers. He wandered over, listening to the conversation, but his gaze was drawn to the woman of his dreams. He looked her over.
"Shepard, you're injured!" he exclaimed, noticing the bloody gash in her armor. His hand automatically moved to where he generally kept his medigel packs, only to remember he wasn't in his armor. That had been the soft grunt he had heard. "That bloody bastard!"
"It's nothing," Nick said, rubbing her shoulder. "Dr. Chakwas will take care of it. The shot barely grazed me. 'Tis but a scratch." Kaidan snorted. She looked at him earnestly. "For now we have to get out of here before more Cerberus troops show up."
The others murmured in agreement.
"All right, but first hold still," Kaidan told her, examining the wound quickly and applying medigel with skilled hands, well aware of Garrus' knowing smirk.
Nick walked slowly back to the Normandy, feeling numb after witnessing Thane's passing at Huerta's trauma center. She hadn't been particularly close with Thane, but he had sacrificed himself today so she had a chance at rescuing the Council. And now he was dead. He hadn't deserved this.
No, a little voice in her head said, Thane should have known better than getting too close to that assassin. He should have used his pistol. Her mind darted back and forth between those two thoughts.
First Mordin, now Thane.
She rolled her shoulder. It ached, but the medigel had helped. Or maybe it was more who applied it. She smiled briefly. That had been so typical Kaidan, ever the field medic. After making sure the councilors were safe he had gone back to Spectre HQ. She wondered if he was finished there.
The door to the docking tube slid open, and a figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Kaidan!" she exclaimed. "I was wondering, if you would be here." She glanced at the duffel standing next to him on the floor. "Something you wanted to tell me, Alenko?"
He shifted, his gaze following hers, and let out a huff. "Yeah. Hackett offered me the choice between serving on the Normandy or on his team, and I told him I'd like to be on the Normandy. If you'll have me, that is."
She crossed her arms, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You pointed a gun at me."
"For about 0.3 seconds," he returned, raising an eyebrow.
Nick grinned, but it faltered at Kaidan's somber expression. "What's up? You're thinking about Udina, aren't you?"
He nodded.
"Don't," she told him. "You did what you had to do, and it was the right thing. He forced your hand. Don't dwell on it."
"In my head I know that," he replied. "But I was protecting a traitor, and the bloody bastard shot you and sold out everybody else. What would have happened, if you hadn't shown up? Or if I had reacted faster when he pulled the gun?"
"Is that what's eating at you?" she inquired softly. "You were doing your job, Kaidan. You didn't know about Udina, and neither did Tevos or Sparatus. He did a good job of covering his tracks and it was pure luck he was found out. And think about this, what would have happened if you had reacted slower?"
Kaidan returned her gaze looking unconvinced. She gestured at the airlock, and winced.
"Come, we can talk more after you've squared your stuff away." Nick paused, absently rubbing her injured shoulder.
He stepped closer and gently probed her shoulder. "Have you let a doctor check this?"
"Not yet," she denied, sounding sheepish. "You've had a look, that's good enough for me."
Kaidan turned his eyes away from her shoulder to meet her gaze. She was smiling, and the corners of his mouth twitched in response. "I'm a trained field medic, Nick, not a doctor."
She huffed, "I'll let Chakwas look at it. Satisfied, Alenko? Or are you going to walk me to the med bay?"
"I probably should," Kaidan retorted drily.
Nick laughed softly. "Oh, before I forget, EDI, that's our AI, uploaded itself into the gynoid from Mars," she explained. "Just so you know. And don't worry, it's safe. I trust her. It. Whatever. It's confusing."
He raised an eyebrow. "An AI? That uploaded itself into the gynoid platform that attacked me on Mars?"
Nick nodded. "Still sure you want to join?"
"Yes." He paused. "You say you trust your AI, then so will I. It'll take some getting used to, that's for sure. I really appreciate the heads up."
"Good! Welcome aboard, Major."
Kaidan snapped to a crisp salute. "Aye aye, Commander."
Shooting her a quick smile, he executed a perfect about-face and picked up his duffel bag. Biting her lip, she watched him walk towards Normandy's airlock, her gaze lingering on the broad expanse of his shoulders and back, then dropping lower.
"Like what you see, Shepard?" he asked, turning around.
"You bet," she answered unashamed, closing the distance between them as the airlock swung open. "Best sight in a long time."
A/N: And Kaidan is back! Yay! I hope you liked it! Reviews are most welcome :)