ME: Lost

Blunt Force

"Seriously, commander, you don't have anything better to do? You're freaking me out."

"I'm just checking on my favorite pilot," Jae smiled as she leaned against the back of Joker's chair, "I wouldn't want you to get lonely."

"Yeah, in case you haven't noticed, I have a super hot co-pilot now. I'm not lonely." He craned his neck up to study her face, "besides, you're too calm right now, too...happy. It's creepy."

An even voice chimed in from behind them, "the commander's increased serotonin levels are mostly likely attributed to her ongoing correspondence with Major Alenko."

"EDI! Those messages are private!" Shepard dug her fingernails into the soft leather, resisting the urge to biotically slam the robot into the wall, "don't read them anymore."

Joker's snort of derision drowned out the AI's apology, "Kaidan? You're talking to Kaidan now? I thought we had a problem with that guy."

Shepard cocked her head to one side in confusion, "why would we have a problem? I thought you two were friends?"

"Hmmm, why wouldn't I like the guy? It might have something to do with calling us all Cerberus traitors, abandoning us on Horizon, dislocating my shoulder-"

"He didn't actually call us traitors - wait, when did Kaidan dislocate your shoulder?"

"Oh, uh...that was a super long time ago. It's no big deal." Joker shoved his hat up nervously and scratched his forehead, "you know, commander, I think I'm a little distracted. I should probably concentrate on flying right now."

"Joker-"

"Seriously, do you WANT me to crash this expensive ship that Cerberus was so nice to rebuild for us?"

<><><>

The glowing sphere bobbed to her side when she entered the room, "how may I help you today, commander?"

Shepard grinned, waving the VI away, "nothing right now, Glyph, thank you."

Liara stood next to her desk, datapad in one hand, a glass in the other. "A social call," she smiled, tossing the report onto the smooth surface, "I could do with a distraction."

"When did Kaidan dislocate Joker's shoulder?"

"Oh," Liara's face fell, "who told you about that?"

Shepard sighed, throwing herself into a chair.

"So it's true. Joker let it slip, but refused to tell me anything."

Her friend tilted the glass back and forth, watching the pink liquid swirl in circles.

"When you died, Kaidan went, well, a little crazy. We didn't see him for days while we waited on Uluru, or at all on the way back to the Citadel. When they held your funeral on earth, he looked-" Liara paused, shaking her head at her inability to adequately describe the memory, "-awful. His hands were shaking. I don't think he'd been eating much, so his biotics were making him sick. He refused to talk to anybody after the service, couldn't get out of there fast enough.
Garrus and I both saw Joker follow him. By the time we got there, well, I think Joker must have tried to apologize, I didn't hear what he said. I did see Kaidan slam him against the wall. Thankfully his biotics were shaky at best, but still, he could have killed him.
He seemed shocked at first, just stood there staring at us, but when I tried to approach him he ran out the door. That was the last time I saw him, actually, until you both found me on Mars. In person, of course, I kept tabs on everybody's whereabouts over the years. But I should have tried harder to talk to him. I regret that deeply."

Shepard focused on the floor, a dull ache thrumming deep in her chest. "I'm sorry," she offered lamely, "I didn't realize it was so...bad."

A mirthless chuckle escaped Liara's lips, and she shook her head, "you died, Shepard, of course it was bad. We all mourned you. Some simply grieved in more tangible ways. The lieutenant, because he loved you; and Joker, because he killed you."

"It wasn't Joker's fault that-"

A loud beep cut them off as her pilot's voice echoed over the intercom. "Commander, we're receiving an urgent message from Councilor Valern. You're going to want to hear this."

<><><>

"Shit, shit, shit!" Kaidan muttered under his breath as he shoved through the crowded walkways.

Panic hummed in the air as the presidium's peaceful atmosphere reverberated with the mournful wails of a klaxon. A volus merchant screamed in anger at the hastily packed case that slipped from his assistant's clumsy hands. A beautiful asari in expensive silk robes emerged from a doorway, a dozen more asari in matching garments huddled behind her. The crowd parted for this striking entourage, subconsciously showing deference for a commanding presence. Further on, a single hanar evangelist stood resolutely in the middle of the throng, melodious words rising and falling over the buzz of the rushing crowd. The council chambers loomed ahead, and Kaidan sprinted the last few feet to the door. The lobby was empty.

His omni-tool buzzed an alert and he tapped a command, pulling up his C-SEC access override. He studied the small blinking lights carefully before turning down a side passage. The room he hunted lay at the very end of the hall and Kaidan pressed his gloveless hand against the palm scanner before lifting the latch carefully.

"Councilor Sparatus? Councilor Tevos? It's Alenko, I'm coming in."

Three figures greeted his eyes as he stepped into the room, two crouching behind a desk and the third aiming a pistol directly at his heart. "Major! Thank heavens!" Udina pulled himself out of hiding and regally straightened his robes, "really, Sparatus, I think you can lower the gun now!"

The turian nodded and relaxed his stance, "what's going on, major? We haven't heard anything since we barricaded ourselves in here."

"C-SEC's been hit, looks like Cerberus." Kaidan ran his fingers along the belt strapped to his side, silently ticking off numbers in his head as he continued, "we need to find a shuttle. The Destiny Ascension is waiting for us if we can get to it." He grimaced as he realized how few thermal clips he had left.

Sparatus peered at him, grunting in disbelief, "that's all you brought? You're not inspiring much confidence, major."

Kaidan gritted his teeth, refusing to let the councilor's condescending tone anger him, "I wasn't near C-SEC when the attack started, I only have what I was carrying on me." He turned to study the room's other two occupants, "where's Councilor Valern?"

Udina shrugged, "we had a meeting scheduled this afternoon, but he never showed. He could be anywhere."

Councilor Tevos spoke up quietly, "he knows emergency procedures. He would come straight here if he could."

Kaidan nodded slowly, weighing his options. "We don't have a lot of time, but if we spare a few minutes we may be able to locate Valern. I need to get all four of you to safety."

"Of course the loss of Councilor Valern would be devastating; but if we wait for him, the galaxy will lose ALL its councilors!"

Kaidan blinked in disbelief at the vehemence behind Udina's outburst, letting his stunned silence relay his feelings on the idea.

The man glared at him for a second before glancing to his associates, "I don't like it, but it's the truth. I'm ordering Major Alenko to take us straight to the shuttle."

The turian glanced towards the door in discomfort; but Tevos nodded almost imperceptibly as she focused on the ground, unwilling to meet his gaze.

"Fine," Kaidan shook his head in disgust, "we'd better hurry."