Lazarus Project: Mass Effect 2 (Shenko)

Chapter 40

Milky Way/Terminus Systems/SSV Normandy SR-2

Earth year: 2185 CE --- July

Back aboard the Normandy, Callie ordered Joker to Illium. According to the remaining dossiers, Illium was where she would find the last of her potential team mates. After speaking with Miranda and Jacob, Kelly told her that Grunt, Garrus and Mordin now wanted to talk with her privately. With a heavy sigh, Callie headed to the lift and spoke to them all before retreating to her cabin.

Exhausted, she fell to her bed, her mind a tangle of irritation. Of everyone on board, so far all but Joker and Doctor Chakwas had asked for her help with something from their past. As before, she wondered for the hundredth time how anything got done without her. A knock at the door interrupted her ruminations and she told whoever it was to enter as she sat up to greet her visitor.

When Joker stepped into the room, Callie couldn't have been more surprised. Getting to her feet, she met him halfway and helped him to a seat, taking in his downcast eyes and dejected posture.

"Joker? Something wrong?"

"No." He began. "Not really."

"Have you been drinking?" Callie asked, taking note of the red that rimmed his eyes. "You don't look so good."

"No, I'm not drunk... I mean, just because I had a couple with Kasumi doesn't mean... Okay fine. Yes, I'm drunk. Happy now?"

"What's going on Jeff? What's wrong?"

"See, now you're just making this harder. Being nice to me and... everything."

Callie blew out a sigh of frustration as she led him to her couch. "Joker...."

"Alright, alright. I wanted to apologize. I behaved like an asshole earlier and I'm... I'm sorry."

"What are you talking about?"

"Before, when you wanted to talk. About Kaidan. It's just, I think you need to know. Why uh... why he acted like he did."

"Are you saying you know something about that?"

"Yeah." Joker said, sounding miserable. "Could I have a drink?"

"I think you've had enough."

"That's what Kasumi said."

"Joker..."

"Right, well... After the Normandy went down, everything just kinda fell apart and Kaidan... Kaidan did too. He uh... he went AWOL Shepard. Disappeared from Vancouver without a word to anyone. Anderson eventually tracked him down and brought him back, gave him a ship and a mission and..."

"And?" Callie prompted.

"Well, I don't know much about the details. I wasn't exactly handling things all that good myself. I uh...  I left the Alliance and was spending most of my time at the bar. Well, I mean, I was until Garrus got back from taking Tali home and kicked my ass."

"I'm sorry Joker." Callie whispered.

"Don't do that." Joker snapped. "None of that was your fault. Anyway, I had EDI check it out and well, Kaidan's mission was all about Cerberus. He was ordered to find anything that could be recovered from their research bases. He and his crew scuttled the ships that had been carrying the Rachni and the husks and creepers. They even took down the one that had those dragon's teeth on board."

"I see." Callie said, her voice quiet.

"So I just thought that maybe he learned something about Cerberus that we don't, and well, I thought you should know."