Chapter Text
Jump Zero, 2167
Two weeks had passed since the night that Solomon Mitchell vanished and never came back. Despite being told otherwise-that Solomon had died during an emergency surgery on his implants- Kaidan was of the firm belief that something else had occurred, that Solomon was in fact alive somewhere. He knew what he'd seen, and those strangers definitely hadn't been Conatix in any way, shape, or form. No, there was something much more sinister going on, and Kaidan knew that whatever it was, it involved Solomon.
The rest of Brain Camp however didn't know what he knew, and the atmosphere afterwards had been dampened somewhat by the loss of one of their own. Death happened, as much as somebody going crazy and being sent home but it still didn't stop the shock of somebody from their midst actually dying. Still if their peers were solemn over the supposed death of Solomon, Helen was taking it the worst. She barely ate, hardly spoke, and if the circles under her eyes were any indication she wasn't sleeping well either. Without Solomon there to support her and lift her spirits, she was collapsing inwards on a dangerously fast pace. It was little wonder that with so much occupying her mind, she had trouble focusing. Even the simplest of fields were too difficult for her to maintain. The more Vrynnus pushed her though, the worse she got.
Today's exercises involved lifting a five-hundred-kilogram weight and throwing it across the room at targets. Considering the humans had leaped over the hurdle of lifting it last week, throwing the weight accurately and forcefully at targets was the next step-and one that even Vrynnus's students should be able to overcome. Helen however wasn't complying and if there was anything Vrynnus detested more than back talk, it was outright disobedience of his orders. Her pathetic moping had been grating on his nerves for two weeks and this latest infraction was enough.
Stalking over to where Helen just stood numbly in front of her weight, Vrynnus glowered down at her as he spoke. "I didn't give you permission to slack off human. Why aren't you completing the exercise?"
Helen visibly flinched at the venom in his words but she continued to stand there limply, refusing to even attempt her assignment. "I can't." She whispered. Somewhere she knew this wasn't the right thing to say, that it wouldn't end well for her but her rational side had been swallowed up by her grief for Solomon. The grief that even now plagued her and made it impossible for her to stabilize a mass effect field, much less complete this task.
"You can't or you won't?" Vrynnus snarled, his patience fraying fast. Damn these emotional humans and their weak wills! "I'm growing tired of your pathetic little depression over a worthless wreck like Solomon. If you think the enemy will feel sympathy for you because your boyfriend died, then you're a fool. In battle, they will gun you down without mercy or care, and thinking otherwise is a sure way to get you killed. A real soldier puts his personal feelings aside and focuses on the mission at hand, not on how sad they are and how they can't continue on!"
Helen took a step back as the turian loomed over her, a murderous look flashing in his dark eyes and she realized suddenly that Vrynnus was a few seconds away from beating her. Her eyes widened and her breathing quickened as she tried to think of the correct response, the one that would end with a minimum amount of pain on her end.
Vrynnus took her silence for mutiny and stepped closer, intending to teach her a lesson she wouldn't soon forget. "Did I strike a nerve Helen? Are you afraid of me or just resentful because you know I'm right? Why don't you tell me otherwise then? Why don't you do something instead of cowering like a Salarian? Why don't you stop me?"
Unnoticed by Vrynnus or Helen, the other students in the training room had stopped exercising to watch the drama unfold. Horror and sympathy for Helen raged across their faces but no brave soul stepped forward to save her or stop the Commander. Instead, their own fear of Vrynnus's response froze them in their places and kept them mute.
Helen maintained her silence, and her shoulders shook from the force of her tears and words that she wanted to say but couldn't. I can't do it, I'm broken, stop tormenting me and leave me alone! Words she didn't dare to say because of what he'd do-even though she knew he'd hurt her for not saying them too.
With a snarl Vrynnus lashed out, and the force of his biotics toppled her over effortlessly. Fuming with the utter lack of resistance he continued what he'd begun, using a mix of his fists and biotics in an effort to elicit a response from the brat. She just stayed as she was though, crying out with pain but otherwise doing nothing to stop him.
Helen had just hoped that if she did nothing he'd stop it, but by the time it seeped in that he wouldn't stop she was hurting far too much to do anything. Pain blurred her vision and she could taste blood in her mouth and everything hurt. Cowering on the ground, she couldn't will her limbs to do anything, much less put up a defense as he continued. There was nothing she could do to save herself, even if she wanted to. Even now, there was a part of her that didn't want to fight back. A part that preferred it if she just died here. It wasn't like anybody back home would mourn her-just a deadbeat mother so far gone on drugs Helen seriously doubted she even knew that her daughter was gone. Solomon had been the first person to love her and with him dead…what was the point in even trying? Why bother?
Rahna normally did her best to stay out of the Commander's way, but the travesty in front of her went against every moral fiber in her. Before she could think about her actions she stormed over to Vrynnus, grabbed his arm and screamed, "Stop hurting her!"
Surprised by the interference more than anything else, Vrynnus actually did and turned his head to stare down at-not Alenko- but the determined eyes of quiet Rahna. His mandibles twitched for a moment at the unexpected boldness of the girl before he twisted his arm violently to free himself from her grip-and a loud crack filled the room as her forearm snapped.
Clutching her arm in pain, Rahna knew fear as she looked up at the furious alien whose entire attention was now on her instead of Helen. Okay, she had wanted him to stop hurting poor Helen but she hadn't intended to be his next victim. She began to back up-only to find herself sprawled on her back from his biotic throw. Wheezing, she struggled to sit up half expecting to be hit again. But that was before somebody decided to come to her rescue.
Throwing himself in the way between Rahna and Vrynnus, Kaidan put his arms up in a defensive stance and glared defiantly at the Turian. He'd fully intended to jump in for Helen but Rahna had dashed over before he could move and because of his slowness she was hurt too. "Maybe you should get a hobby that doesn't involve hurting innocent people." He bit off sarcastically, but the dark gleam in his eyes made it clear he was fully prepared for whatever Vrynnus decided to do.
Growling, Vrynnus bared razor sharp teeth at the boy. "Alenko. You would jump in for your precious little girlfriend." The brat just never ceased to piss him off.
Kaidan reddened only slightly, lifting his chin a notch higher in response. "Somebody has to stop you. Throwing us around is bad enough but beating Helen to death and breaking Rahna's arm is going too far."
Vrynnus snarled, "If she's too weak to take the punishment she deserves what she gets. But humans like you are too soft to understand."
"Or maybe you just don't understand mercy." Kaidan retorted. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rahna dart off to the other students, still cradling her broken arm. The split second he took to watch her however was the moment Vrynnus took to attack him.
With a smack that rang in the sudden silence, Vrynnus backhanded the teenager to the ground viciously and followed up with a swift kick to his ribs. Even as he pulled his foot back for another brutal kick, his would be victim was rolling out of range.
Kaidan staggered to his feet, his ribs aching even from one kick. Still, he wasn't going to be anybody's punching bag, especially Vrynnus's. Curling his hands into fists, he charged toward the Turian and swung at him as he'd been taught. His eyes widened when Vrynnus caught the fist mid-air and started squeezing back, hard. White-hot pain radiated up his arm as sickening crunches reached his ears, and then suddenly his fist was released. He glanced over in time to see a three-fingered fist swirling with dark energy headed straight for his face and instinctively threw up his arms to protect it.
Enraged as the boy withstood the attack more or less intact, Vrynnus launched a flurry of punches and kicks that failed to satisfy the rage screaming in his veins. The human just kept trying to block, and stubbornly refused to go down after all the abuse. Ever since he arrived, Alenko had been a smart ass, and a thorn in his side; always harping on about fairness and mercy. He couldn't stand the sight of him anymore, and the blatant display of disobedience by fighting back was enough to justify taking him out permanently. Pausing for barely a second he reached for the long-bladed dagger any good Turian soldier carried on him and brought it down toward the human's heart.
Time seemed to slow down then for Kaidan, as the knife's blade flashed silver from the lights overhead and he heard a snarling growl from the Turian. Shifting his eyes to Vrynnus, he saw the feral gleam in his dark eyes and realized that he was about to be killed unless he did something then. As the knowledge hit home that it was kill or be killed, his patience for the brutality snapped and dark fury overtook him. With a yell he didn't remember making he unleashed a tremendous amount of biotic force that threw the alien back into the distant wall with a crack as loud as thunder to the shocked room. He might have done more, given fully into the screaming desire to make his opponent pay for all his wrongs were it not for a single girlish scream behind him. Just like that, his rage fell away and he dropped his extended arm to turn towards the screamer.
Rahna stared at him in horror, her mouth still rounded in the shape of a scream and she took a hasty step backwards as Kaidan faced her. "Stay away from me you…you murderer!"
Around her, the other students murmured similar things, all with blatant fear in their body language. None of them could wrap their mind around the event they witnessed, but the beaten visage of Kaidan took on the shape of killer, and they stepped away, lest he killed them too.
Kaidan opened his mouth to retort but stopped as he noticed the identical reactions from the others. None of them wanted anything to do with him, and the reason why sank slowly into his mind. He had crossed the line, and used his power to kill someone in cold blood. If he could attack his instructor like that, who knew who else he'd kill because they angered him? Horror crept up on him and he dropped his eyes to his hands as if they were foreign but it was the biotic power churning around inside that he thought of. He had never truly understood before what it could be used for, but now…he was little better than Vrynnus using it to hurt people. No, worse because Vrynnus had never outright killed any of them and he, Kaidan Alenko, had.
Lost in his newfound disgust for himself, Kaidan didn't notice the arrival of BAaT officials who hustled away the body of Instructor Vrynnus and the forgotten one of Helen. It wasn't until restraints clapped onto his wrists and strong hands gripped him tightly lest he break free, that he noticed the activity around him. He looked up, straight into the disapproving face of a Conatix guard, and gave no resistance when he was escorted away from the others to an isolated cell.
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A few days later: Vancouver Spaceport, Vancouver, Canada, Earth
The Spaceport was chaotic as usual with arrivals, departures, and people looking for loved ones just stepping off shuttles. Cries of children and the conversational buzz of hundreds of people filled the air, interrupted by the periodic monotonous official announcements of a VI.
In a general waiting area, as close to the gates as they were allowed, an older couple waited anxiously for their son. Dressed in civilian clothes, they gripped each other's hands as they scanned the crowd of arriving passengers closely.
"Do you think he's alright?" Charlotte Alenko asked, her brown eyes shining with worry. After all, it'd been two years since she'd seen her son-and the rumors she'd heard about the BAaT program were anything but pleasant. She could still remember when the Conatix men had showed up on her doorstep-it'd been a few short months before Hideki retired, and her pleas not to take her son had been little defense against their arguments. Before she knew it, her boy was leaving with them, and she'd had a heartbreakingly brief farewell.
Hideki Alenko said nothing, his silence giving his doubt away. At her small sound of distress, he squeezed her hand and turned his dark gaze back on the gate. He loved his wife but he couldn't comfort her much when he was sure Kaidan wouldn't be the same. Experiences like that tended to change people-and BAaT by its reputation was brutal.
The VI caught both their attention with its next announcements: Now Arriving at Gate 4: Flight number 562-E
Charlotte let out an audible shriek of joy. "He's here! That's his flight number, they said that's his flight number!" The formal e-mail they'd received yesterday had included such details in its message.
Hideki pointed out, "He still has to go through security." But he couldn't deny a thrill of joy at seeing his son again.
Charlotte muttered next to him, "Kill-joy." Still, she kept her eyes firmly fixed on the gate, determined not to miss him.
After what seemed like an eternity, a young man in his late teens appeared in the crowd, carrying a small duffel bag over his shoulder. His head was ducked down but that wasn't enough to hide from his parents who recognized him immediately.
Charlotte shrieked, "KAIDAN! OVER HERE!" She began waving frantically, uncaring what passerby thought.
Slowly, he lifted his head and came to a stop. For a few moments, his brown eyes searched the crowd before finally finding them. They hadn't changed, right down to his mother excitedly yelling at him to come over. He could remember days when he was younger, going shopping in Vancouver and his mother would find something adorable she wanted to show him, so she'd start yelling at him to come over and see. Abruptly it occurred to him that this wasn't just some dream, his parents really were there, and he had to fight back a lump in his throat. He really was home.
Within seconds of his moving towards them, his mother was running for him, and he found himself hugged so tightly that he was slightly breathless. More than that, she was crying into his shoulder and when he remembered to put up his arms around her to hug back, she cried even harder as she clung onto him, like he wasn't real. Truthfully, he still wasn't quite sure she was real either. He had that chilling fear that none of this was happening, and any moment now he'd wake up in his bunk at Jump Zero.
Quite suddenly she was letting go of him to smooth his hair and anxiously study his face with the concerned eye of a doting mother. She saw the deep shadows under his eyes, the faint bruising that hadn't faded all the way yet and the shocked, slightly fearful look in his eyes. The same look that Hideki used to have coming back from a long, hard tour, the one that meant something so awful happened that he couldn't accept being home. Kaidan was hurting inside, she could see it, and she wanted nothing more than to make his soul stop aching. "Welcome home sweetheart," She said softly before stepping back to let Hideki greet him.
Kaidan turned to look his father in the eye-only to realize in surprise that he'd gotten taller than his dad. Sheepishly, he realized that was why his mother suddenly was looking him in the eye and not looking down at him like when he'd left. His dad was shorter now yes, but he also looked older. His dark hair, formerly sprinkled with gray seemed to have fully turned gray in the resulting years, and there were deep worry lines etched in his face. Even his brown eyes seemed more somber and old, like not having his son around had aged him years beyond what he actually was. In his head, Kaidan wanted to protest, because his dad was only middle aged-and then it occurred to him suddenly to ask why his father was even here. Shouldn't he be out on tour? "Dad…" He got out before his throat swallowed up the rest of his words in a lump of tears that were dangerously close to coming out.
Hideki reached out and pulled his son into a tight embrace, one that was exactly like the ones he'd given him when he came home from tours and wanted nothing more than to be with his family. The difference now was that Hideki wasn't the traveler coming home; Kaidan was. The years without any contact from his son coupled with the nasty rumors surrounding BAaT had been difficult, more so than Kaidan would ever know. "Welcome home son." He said at last, and stepped back from the hug.
Kaidan swallowed again, to clear his throat before he spoke. "Thanks. I…I'm glad to be back." And they were true, he mused, he was glad to be home. Even if he didn't deserve to be after what he did.
Noticing the flash of guilt that swept over his face, Charlotte asked, "What's the matter? Are you feeling alright?"
Kaidan said too quickly, "I'm fine. Can we go?"
Charlotte wasn't convinced but Hideki spoke before she could, with a meaningful look at her. "That sounds like a good idea. Do you want me to take your bag?" He asked Kaidan.
Kaidan shook his head. "It's not heavy-I can handle it."
Hideki nodded before turning to walk out of the spaceport. Charlotte and Kaidan followed him in silence all the way out to the car.
Outside, when they reached where their skycar was parked, Kaidan stopped abruptly and stared at it. The car was positively ancient-a 2151 Ford* model advertised as 'The First Affordable Skycar'- and originally painted a navy blue, though that had faded somewhat in the years of harsh weather since. His parents had bought it in 2150, as their wedding present to each other, in a time when Mass Effect Technology was all the rage on Earth. Thanks to Eezo, and its unique properties when applied to vehicles, flying cars were suddenly feasible-something humanity had hungered for since the 20th century- and practical for people living in areas that conventional ground cars struggled to get to. It hadn't stopped with the flying cars-quickly dubbed 'skycars'- as trains and buses were converted to Eezo powered vehicles that suddenly made them capable of going at greater speeds and covering more ground than ever before. This also changed how intercontinental flights occurred, as the Eezo powered shuttle craft-originally created for military use in transporting soldiers- replaced the ancient Jumbo Jets with its greater speeds and smaller mass that reduced flights from several hours to minutes. None of it would have been possible without the discovery of the Mars Ruins, or the subsequent Alliance's formation and rapid exploration of the galaxy beyond the Sol System. Massive amounts of eezo had been shipped into Earth not long after the first jumps through the Charon Relay, and it was precisely that both made skycars cheap enough for civilians to buy-although still expensive- and created the Singapore Incident in '51 that had resulted in the first ever biotics. After a long moment Kaidan said, "I didn't realize you still had the car."
Hideki said with a glance at the car that barely hid his suspicion of it, "As long as it works, then we'll keep it." Damn thing kept needing maintenance.
Charlotte whispered, "Meaning he won't trade it in provided he doesn't have to work on it more than twice a week."
Hideki muttered, "I heard that."
Kaidan snorted, trying not to laugh but barely succeeding. "Car troubles Dad?" He stuck his hands in his pockets, the picture of youthful innocence.
Hideki didn't buy it for a second and his eyes narrowed at the small grin on his son's face. "Just get in the car." He said sourly, and as he turned away, he heard laughter from his family. When he turned back, their faces were straight again. "Now, if you don't mind."
Still foolishly grinning over the exchange Kaidan climbed into the backseat, tossing his bag next to him as he buckled up.
As soon as everybody was in, the doors closed and the faint hum of the engine started seconds before the car lifted off out of its parking space. It wasn't long before the skycar had joined the stream of traffic overhead and Vancouver sped by outside the windows.
Vancouver hadn't changed much, from what Kaidan could see, other than taller skyscrapers and advertisements for products he hadn't heard of by celebrities he didn't recognize. The latter grabbed his attention because he didn't know what else he'd missed being away on Jump Zero. It was odd to think that the world had kept on moving, kept churning out music, movies, fame, careers and other things while he was gone. He knew realistically speaking the world wasn't going to stop just because he wasn't there, but the feeling of being out of touch with life remained. Like he was a beat off from being in tune with the world, and he couldn't find the rhythm.
Charlotte broke the silence that had been reigning since the spaceport with a loud clearing of her throat. She was pleased to notice both men jumped slightly in response to the sudden sound. "Kaidan dear, do you want to get something to eat somewhere? I bet you're starving after that shuttle flight and I know some good restaurants that opened while you…" She stopped abruptly, realizing what she'd said. "That is, your old favorites are still around and we can get something from one of them if you like."
Kaidan turned back to the window after he said, "I'll wait until I get home, thanks." His stomach said otherwise but right now he didn't particularly want to be reminded of what he'd missed. Even the thought of the 'old favorites' was depressing.
Charlotte tried again, with a gentle question, "Are you sure? I know how hungry you get and I bet a growing boy…"
Kaidan interrupted, in a voice edged with the irritation from the beginnings of a migraine, "I don't want to eat." He felt ashamed as soon as the words left his mouth but it was too late to take them back now. He turned back to the window and winced as a shaft of sunlight hit him full on in the face.
Hideki noticed Charlotte gearing up for another query and said quietly, "Let him be. You can make him something when we get home."
Charlotte cast a worried glance at her son in the rearview mirror before nodding. Sighing she slumped against her seat, and the silence in the car was broken only by the traffic outside and the humming of the engine.
"Don't worry Mom. I'm just happy to be home." Kaidan spoke softly.
"I suppose the rest will sort itself out with time." Charlotte suggested.
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April 2168 Vancouver, Earth
The cold air tugged at his clothes relentlessly even as it prodded the smooth water of the bay into choppy waves that refused to settle. Overhead the sun was hidden behind a thick gray bank of clouds that threatened to unload its fury of rain down any moment now. Even the air itself was moist tasting with the faintest smell of ozone accompanying it.
This however was hardly unusual weather on English Bay so like most occupants of the land, Kaidan didn't pay much heed to it beyond his initial observance of the weather. In his present state of mind however, the weather was of little importance in comparison to the swirl of anger and apathy inside him. The sky itself could have been on fire and still the brooding teenager would have hunkered down on his own thoughts instead.
He wasn't even sure why he was out here on the deck in the back of his parent's house except it was quiet and they didn't bother him out here. Hiking was another option of getting away except even that seemed like too much energy to expend right now. It was far simpler to lean on the high wooden railing and gaze out at the bay as if it had all the answers he required.
In the year, he'd been back though, Kaidan had learned that was far from the case. The bay didn't have them anymore than his parents did or the endless stream of counselors that were more or less shoved at him in the hopes they could do something to help him. He'd met all of those sessions in sullen silence, effectively shutting them all down after hours of saying and doing nothing. The local high school he'd been enrolled in a few months after his homecoming had been even less help-filled with fellow students who understood nothing of him and teachers who tried overly hard to engage him in classroom activities before giving up on him as a lost cause. Just another angry depressed boy slouching in the back without even the energy to say something sarcastic.
He'd considered dropping out but it meant later taking equivalency exams to mark his completion of the required education and that seemed like unnecessary work he wasn't inclined to do. He'd refused to finish at home in online courses for the simple fact it meant constantly being at home with his well-meaning parents who whispered about him when they thought he couldn't hear. Dropping out altogether and never finishing was one of the few lines his parents had set since his return from BAaT. Education was something everyone needed and if he was going to refuse therapy or help, then he needed to finish out his high school diploma.
Which brought him here, just weeks away from his graduation and diploma. He was set to take his finals in a few weeks and then show up long enough to finish the school year and pick his diploma up. There was no way in hell he was going to march across the stage in a ridiculous gown and cap when it wasn't strictly required of him.
Besides he was the wolf among the sheep and people like him didn't deserve the happy normalcy of graduation ceremonies. Bad enough he attended classes and ate lunch in the general area of the other kids. Bad enough they knew he was a biotic that had vanished a few years back only to come back the way he was. Bad enough he was even allowed to walk around free when he knew in his heart he should be rotting in a prison cell for what he'd done.
Kaidan's fist curled around the railing harder as his biotics responded to his unspoken tension by flaring dramatically around him. The halo of purple energy lit the area for a few seconds before he pulled his thoughts back to the present in response to the silent humming of power in his blood. It was impossible to ignore the signs of electricity racing below his skin or the faint humming in his ears from the power he generated. The worst thing though wasn't just that it kept happening when he got too far down in the darkness-it was that some part of him felt alive when they activated. Alive and powerful in a way that terrified him. It didn't matter that it was his anger and small physical motions that triggered the flaring. What mattered was he hadn't really used his biotics since the incident and every time he felt this way, it reminded him of that time. It reminded him that he had been trained to kill and that he later had done exactly that. Biotics had become his source of blame for everything that was wrong with him.
Caught in his self-loathing, Kaidan almost didn't hear the silent whisper of the glass patio doors opening or his mother's soft footsteps until it was too late. He willed himself to release the tension and energy and as he uncurled his fist he felt the energy dissipate around him until it was no more.
"Sweetheart?" Charlotte's gentle voice broke the silence that had reigned for hours. "I don't mean to disturb you out here but…." She trailed off for a moment hoping for a response in vain from her boy. When none came, she spoke again. "Well, there are people here to see you."
Kaidan's mind instantly jumped to three years before when the goons from Conatix had knocked on their doorstep and demanded to see him. His mother had said the same thing then too.
His heart picked up remembering that awful day when his father was three months out on tour and it had only been his mother and him. He'd been so excited to start high school and so utterly innocent that he could scarcely conceive of people who wished to sweep him off elsewhere simply for being born the way he was. It took him several long seconds to gather enough moisture back in his dry mouth and to focus his breathing long enough to not instantly bring his biotics back to the table. The fear in him wanted to tap into the hidden wellspring of power that was at his command and fight whoever it was that thought they could take him away again (kidnap you mean, his mind whispered) and get away with it. It took all of his rationale to convince himself that was unlikely seeing the collapse of BAaT and Conatix with it had happened a year ago.
Charlotte's voice sounded through the fog of fear and anger, as if she had read her son's body language perfectly. "They're not from the government or a company, Kaidan. It's just a woman and her niece and they've come a very long way to see you."
Kaidan turned then in confusion, wondering what the strangers could possibly want so as to seek him out specifically. "Why me?" As the words left his mouth he realized they were the first ones he spoken all day.
Charlotte met his eyes steadfastly, hiding her trembling hands in her apron. Her son was gazing at her directly, revealing just the faintest spark of the boy who'd left here three years ago. It gave her hope and more importantly reminded her of why she'd even agreed to let these strangers speak to her boy. Because maybe this might be the first step on Kaidan's path back out of his self imposed darkness. As his mother, it was all she could do. "They think you knew someone in BAaT who is the person they're looking for. A fellow….student." She finished, aware that student was hardly close to whatever the biotics there really were.
Kaidan flinched visibly at the mention of his former residence and he considered refusing to see these strangers altogether. Why couldn't they bother another attendee of BAaT?
Charlotte's brows drew down over warm brown eyes in concern-a look she seemed to wear constantly these days and she spoke hurriedly before her son refused outright. She could read in the frown lingering on his face what he was intending to say and while normally she tried not to push him out of his comfort zone, she couldn't just do that this time. Kaidan had to speak to the woman, and in doing so confront whatever it was that had gone down at Jump Zero. He wouldn't speak to anyone else about it. "Please speak to them Kaidan. Just until they either find who they're looking for or don't."
Kaidan wanted to refuse, and it was on the tip of his tongue to do so but something about the quiet desperation in his mother's eyes stayed his words. There was more at stake here than the subjects of their conversation. And maybe he should have refused anyway and ignored Charlotte's unspoken plea the way he'd been doing but his traitorous mouth ignored him and said, "Fine."
He watched his mother's eyes blink in surprise, her mouth opening just the slightest in reaction to his sudden yielding before she recovered. "Right this way. I left them in the living room." She took a few steps towards the door before turning halfway back to him when he didn't initially move. "Kaidan?"
Taking a deep breath, Kaidan forced himself to move and keep going across the deck towards the patio doors. They slid silently open at his approach and he could hear his mother following close behind as if she feared he might bolt and run in the opposite direction if she did not block his path behind him. And she was right to do so because even with his acquiesce he was sorely tempted to run away and stay until the unknown people had left his house. It was far easier than revisiting his past.
The warm air inside the house contrasted sharply with outside and he realized how cold he'd been without anything more than boots, jeans and a thin long sleeved shirt to cover him. Passing through the den here in the back of the house and down the short hallway gave him enough time to soak in the warmth before he entered the living room where his father and the two guests waited.
Standing almost uncomfortably in the total silence that his father had kept since Charlotte's departure stood the two women but as Kaidan and his mother entered, they turned to face the doorway.
The first one he noticed was a petite Asian woman whose sleek dark hair was cut in a practical bob and whose brown eyes shone with desperate hope. She was dressed simply in navy slacks and a white blouse that was faintly wrinkled either from travel or work. He thought she might be middle aged but it was hard to tell precisely where she fell in that department.
Her companion however was radically different and as Kaidan turned his attention to her, he could have sworn the world dropped away leaving only her in the room. The girl was tall and slender, easily around 5'7 with long reddish gold hair that fell in an uncoordinated waterfall down her back. Her skin was spacer pale without a freckle or mole to tarnish the surface but it was her vivid green eyes that held his gaze. He'd never seen eyes like that with long curling lashes that swept low over the green before flicking back up again. Those eyes were commanding and defiant he realized with a jolt, like the girl was silently daring him to comment. Comment on what he couldn't say, but it was difficult to deny this…spark that flashed between them. She looked young though, like she was around fourteen or so. Still though he couldn't seem to break the silence and he watched as her chin jerked just the tiniest bit higher in response to their staring contest. It was a moment that seemed to last forever but in reality, it was a mere handful of seconds before the world crashed back down around them.
"This is my son, Kaidan Alenko. Kaidan, this is Dr. Naomi Yakashima and her niece Rebecca Shepard." Charlotte gestured to the Asian woman on the left and the redheaded girl on the right in turn as she introduced her son to them.
"It's nice to meet you, Kaidan." Dr. Yakashima smiled politely at the boy and extended her hand.
Kaidan jolted and broke his gaze from the girl as he reached out his own hand for the expected handshake. "Nice to meet you too….Dr.?" His voice rose at the end.
"Theoretical Physics." Naomi responded to his question.
"What?" Kaidan's mouth somehow managed to come up with the kind of response that would have had his friends at Brain Camp rolling their eyes. He immediately wanted to kick himself for such a remark.
Naomi kept her face smooth and still unlike Rebecca who immediately snorted in laughter besides her. "My doctorate is in theoretical physics. I'm one of those crazies who insist on studying alternative methods of faster than light travel instead of the more accepted mass effect methods."
"In other words she's not here to study you so you can relax about her being that kind of scientist." Rebecca's dry tone sounded and she ignored the furious look her aunt shot her.
"Rebecca!" Naomi hissed in half horror and half anger. She prayed to anyone that would listen that this wouldn't be what caused the Alenko's to kick them out.
"What? It was all over his face when he heard the doctor part. I was just reassuring him, that's all."
"There's also something called tact especially when you are a guest in someone else's home which you are."
Rebecca's face was darkening and as she opened her mouth to respond, Kaidan's voice sounded.
"It's ok Dr. Yakashima."
Both of them turned at that, as did the Alenko's.
Kaidan shifted on his feet, trying desperately not to look any more awkward than he felt. "Rebecca was right and she meant the right thing even if she said it differently. You wanted to speak to me right?"
Naomi recovered, immediately smoothing down her shirt in a nervous gesture. "Oh yes, of course. If you and your parents are comfortable with that, still. I don't want to be an imposition anymore than I already have."
Charlotte leapt into the fray, smiling reassuringly at everyone in the room. "Hideki and I don't mind, do you dear?"
Hideki frowned slightly but he nodded. "If that's what Kaidan wants to do then I'll support it. But if it gets too much for him, it ends there."
Naomi nodded her assent. "I understand and thank you for allowing me to speak in the first place."
Rebecca shrugged. "Yeah sure. No dragging up bad memories."
Naomi stifled a groan, wondering desperately when this streak of teenage rebellion would end already. "She means she agrees."
"Why don't we all sit down and get comfortable first? Would anyone like anything to drink?" Charlotte suggested, ever ready to play the gracious host.
Hideki shook his head. "I don't need anything right now." He then settled back into his favorite well worn leather arm chair where he spent many a night watching the news and sports channels.
Naomi sat down gracefully on the cream colored loveseat with the colorful afghan thrown over the back. "Water is fine."
Rebecca reluctantly sat down next to her aunt seeing the shortage of seats in the living room. Still it didn't stop her from considering a moment before saying, "Do you have anything to eat?"
Naomi frowned at her in rebuke. "Rebecca, she asked what you wanted to drink."
"But I'm hungry. And you know its important for me to eat."
"You ate on the way here."
"And that was thirty minutes ago, I'm hungry again."
Charlotte interceded, seeing the tension that had arisen again. "Actually, I was just making some food for Kaidan before you arrived. It'd be no problem to give her a sandwich."
Rebecca brightened at the word sandwich and beamed at Charlotte cheerfully. "Did I mention you are awesome? Like the best in the world?"
Charlotte smiled back and then turned to Kaidan who was still standing near another armchair. "I'll bring yours out too of course dear."
"I don't want anything." Kaidan muttered.
"But I'm sure you must be even hungrier than Rebecca is and with your metabolism its important..."
"And I said I don't want anything right now, okay? I can't talk if my mouth is full. I'll eat later."
"Well maybe I'll just bring out the food in case you change your mind."
"I won't."
Charlotte had a helpless look on her face that didn't improve when she caught her husband's eye. After his silent shake of his head, she sighed in resignation. "I'll be back in a few minutes everyone."
It was only after she had departed for the kitchen across the hall that Kaidan settled into the armchair next to him with a scowl. His reserve against this whole idea had come back full force and the next amount of time that he spent discussing BAaT was going to be pure hell.
"So, is it always cloudy up here?" Rebecca's voice seemed loud in the angry silence that had settled across the living room.
Kaidan started and stared at her for a few long moments before answering. "It's Vancouver. What do you expect?"
Rebecca shrugged. "I dunno. I've never been to Earth before so I wasn't sure what to expect."
"You've never been to Earth before? Where are you from?"
"Nowhere. I was born in outer space and spent my whole life up there. Honestly I think I've only been on a planet a handful of times and the last time I really got to go was when I was little before...well when I lived with my parents."
Kaidan had heard of spacers before sure but he hadn't actually encountered any so far. All the BAaT attendees had been from planets, mostly Earth but with a good handful coming from colonies of Earth. The idea of someone spending their entire life in the vacuum of space with little experience of groundside life was odd to him. And then there was that hesitation in her voice when she spoke of her parents that made him wonder just how it was she'd come to live with her aunt. It's none of your business. Even if it was, why does it matter what you know about her? After today you two will part ways and you will never see her again.
"So, what you just wander around outer space with your aunt?"
"We live on Arcturus Station." Naomi interrupted with a look at her niece. "Rebecca came to live with my husband and I three years ago."
"I used to wander though. Both my parents are Alliance military and I went with them to whatever ship or station they got assigned to. Now I don't." Rebecca finished, her lips tightening briefly before she flopped back into the seat.
Kaidan's eyebrows dipped low over his eyes as he considered the information. Now he was even more convinced there were pieces missing from the story. The voice in his head nagged again though, reminding him that it didn't matter. He should just get this over with and say goodbye.
Hideki had watched with silence, noticing the way his son had slowly done more engaging in conversation with the girl than he'd done with anybody in a year. Perhaps it was simply the prospect of someone he'd likely never see again that did it.
Charlotte returned then with a tray of sandwiches she set down on the low standing coffee table in the center of the seating arrangement. She returned a moment later with a pitcher of water and several glasses that she poured it in. "Rebecca if you'd like a sandwich still..."
Rebecca leaned forward from the couch and swiped a sandwich stuffed with ham and cheese off the top of the pile. "Thank you Mrs. Alenko!" She said around a mouthful of food.
The Alenkos watched with somewhat stunned surprise as she proceeded to down the sandwich rapidly, with it disappearing as soon as she had grabbed it.
"You must have been hungry." Kaidan said after a moment.
Rebecca grinned. "Comes with the territory."
"Of being a teenager?"
"Of being a biotic, duh."
Kaidan found himself at a loss for words again. Judging by his parents' expression, they were too. "You're a biotic? But...you weren't at BaaT."
Rebecca shrugged, "I told you my parents were always on the move. It's kind of hard to pick someone up when they're wandering around the edges of the frontier."
"Your aunt said you've been on Arcturus for three years though. It's not exactly that far from Earth." Kaidan persisted, trying to figure out how she could have avoided his fate when he knew so many that hadn't.
Rebecca shrugged. "Well then I don't know."
"You don't..." Kaidan trailed off, gaping at the girl. His disbelief warred with the fact she seemed to be telling the truth. She didn't seem to know how she had escaped but somebody had to know. Didn't they? Afterall, it couldn't just be pure luck that Conatix had missed a biotic living a mere relay jump away, could it?
Naomi coughed delicately. "Actually..."
Immediately Kaidan turned his attention to her and away from his circling thoughts. "Actually, what Dr. Yakashima?"
Naomi sighed, her shoulders dipping down. "Rebecca wasn't taken by Conatix because she has a benefactor in a high place...high enough that they couldn't take her as a subject. She was fortunate enough to gain this benefactor just prior to settling with me on Arcturus and...well, she's been there ever since." She lifted her eyes to land squarely on Kaidan's astonished brown ones. "Understand however, that the person I am looking for had no such benefactor to protect him. That is why I need your help, Kaidan."
Rebecca turned her head sharply at her aunt's words, her mind quickly narrowing down to the only possible person. She had gained that kind of protection just from one choice she had made on the Geneva?
Kaidan could tell from out of the corner of his eyes, that his parents were just as astonished and confused as he was. He wondered, not without some jealously, just how this smart mouthed girl had gained some sort of benefactor when he obviously hadn't. Clearly, whoever's favor she had gained, must either have money or power and lots of it in order to pull that kind of string. He forced himself to tuck away the puzzle piece with the other pieces that made up Rebecca Shepard however, as he sensed he wasn't going to get a clearer answer than that out of the visitors. This was a mystery he couldn't solve...yet. Ever.That negative voice whispered to him.
Charlotte interjected, her mother's intuition nudging her to speak. "Who is it exactly, that you are looking for Dr.?"
Naomi inhaled deeply and couldn't hide the way her voice broke on the next sentence. "My son and only child, Benjamin Shepard."
Charlotte's eyes immediately softened with shared sympathy at the aching desperation in Naomi's entire body. She could immediately relate to this woman, knowing what it was to have her child ripped away from her. She could see Hideki twitch slightly, and she knew that he felt that parental pain as well, though he hid it almost immediately behind his impassive mask again.
"Your son?" Kaidan asked, finding it difficult to hide behind his distrust when he saw the same pain in this woman's eyes that he saw in his mother's eyes.
Naomi nodded sadly and then drew a small physical photo from the practical black purse she carried. "This is a photo of him when he was six years old. It's...it's the last photo of him that I have. He disappeared not long after this was taken and I...well, I have reason to believe he eventually ended up at BAaT."
Kaidan took it and glanced at the photo of the smiling blond boy with blue eyes. "But there wasn't anybody younger than thirteen..."
Naomi interrupted, as she drew another photo from her purse and handed it to him. "The photo you are holding was taken eleven years ago, This is a current one achieved through age progression technology and is a predictive possibility of what he might look like now, at age seventeen. Your age, I believe."
Kaidan listened, still unsure that it would be anyone he knew, particularly since he didn't remember any Benjamin's at Brain Camp. Still, he couldn't help looking down at the latest item he had been handed and in that, he felt everything stop at the sight of the blond boy with golden brown skin and almond shaped, ice blue eyes.
"Solomon?"