Finding a Way: Mass Effect 1

Chapter 1

Kaidan glanced up from the data pad in his hand as the elevator doors slid open to the Command Information Center of the SSV Normandy. He nodded at Navigator Pressly as he passed on his way to the bridge. He was still trying to get through the crew manifest Captain Anderson had given him yesterday before they departed on their shakedown cruise to Eden Prime. But familiarizing himself with almost fifty people in the span of thirty-six hours was giving him a run for his money.

As he came up the stairs approaching the bridge, he ran headlong into someone rushing around the corner from the airlock.

"Sorry!" he said at the same time a pleasant alto voice said, "My bad!"

Her hand had shot out and grabbed his falling data pad before it hit the deck.

"Nice catch," he said, meeting her gaze. Her blond hair was swept up in a bun at the top of her head, a few strands escaping and curling along the left side of her face. He had to fight an almost instant urge to reach out and tuck them back behind her ear. Dark blue eyes, the color of storm-tossed waves on English Bay back home, lit up from the easy smile on her full lips. She had high, prominent cheekbones, but a soft and decidedly feminine jawline. She was in standard Alliance issued BDUs, like all of them, but somehow managed to make them look sexy.

He accepted the proffered data pad from her hand and extended his other in greeting, "Staff Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko." He hadn't gotten to her file in the crew manifest as he would have remembered seeing a picture of someone as attractive as she was.

She gripped his hand firmly, saying, "Commander Aubrey Shepard. Nice to meet you, Alenko."

He dropped her hand and snapped a perfect salute with a perfunctory "ma'am." Everybody knew Commander Shepard. She had been specifically requested by Anderson to serve as his XO on this mission. Way to look like an ass in front of your CO, he chided himself.

"Relax, Lieutenant," she smiled warmly, "I'm not one to stand on ceremony."

He stood at ease and found himself returning her smile. "Welcome aboard the Normandy, ma'am."

"Thanks. Any idea where I might find Captain Anderson?"

"Last I knew he was pacing the Comm room with our Turian guest scowling at him," he replied, pointing out the location to her. Truth be told, Kaidan wasn't sure Turians had any other facial expression. The mandibles on either side of their mouth, their sharper teeth, and their keen almost bird-like eyes made them look constantly angry and dangerous. Of course, that could be left over propaganda from the First Contact War their species had waged against each other talking.

"Well, I should probably go rescue him then," she replied, winking at him as she picked up her duffle bag from where she had dropped it when they ran into each other. "See you around, Alenko."

"Commander," he nodded, albeit a bit belatedly as his mind tried to process the fact that she had winked at him.

Jeff Moreau, whom everyone called Joker, was looking at him slack-jawed as he approached and took his station next to the Normandy's pilot, setting the data pad on the console.

"Dude! That was Commander Shepard? Like, the Commander Shepard? Hero of Elysium, Star of Terra, youngest woman to make N7 Shepard?"

"Yeah, Joker, that was her."

"How come no one ever mentioned she's fucking hot?!"

"That's your CO you're talking about."

"Yeah, but I have eyes, Alenko. And are you honestly gonna tell me you disagree?"

"I don't...I mean," he tried to back pedal, but wound up sighing and finally just agreed, "Fine. Yes, she's... extremely attractive."

He started running through pre-flight checks to distract himself from getting lost in images of those deep blue eyes. The only other person he had found as attractive that instantaneously had been Rahna back at Jump Zero. While he had certainly dated several women in the fifteen years since then, none of them had taken his breath away the way she just had.

Shepard and the Turian Spectre, Nihlus, joined them back on the bridge as they approached the mass effect relay for the jump to Eden Prime.

Kaidan stayed focused on his terminal, monitoring the drive core readings, and coordinating with Adams, their Chief Engineer, as she stood behind him to watch the relay approach through the forward viewport.

"All stations, secure for transit. Hitting the relay in 3...2...1," Joker counted down, his hands flying over the controls to position the ship for the skim across the mass effect field that would launch them across the galaxy.

He couldn't help but cast a glance to his left and caught the small smile of wonder on the Commander's face as the viewport exploded in the light blue waves of a mass effect field. "Damn, that never gets old," he heard her say. Huh, she's a bit of a romantic... he tried to suppress his smile at the thought.

"Do it a few thousand times and it will," Nihlus said blandly, turning and exiting the bridge.

"I hate that guy," Joker said once he was out of ear shot.

"Somebody please swear to shoot me if I ever get that jaded," Shepard said to them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Can't say I'd shoot you, ma'am, but I can promise to knock some sense into you if you'd like," he said.

"Deal," she grinned.

"Joker, status report," Anderson's voice came over the comm.

"We've cleared the relay, sir, and stealth systems are engaged. Everything looks solid."

"Good. Send Shepard to the Comm room for debriefing. If she can tear herself away from staring at the mass effect waves, that is."

"On my way, sir," she replied.

"You've worked with Captain Anderson before, Commander?" he asked.

"Not exactly. The Tokyo was part of the fleet that responded to Elysium. Anderson was the first friendly face I saw from the other side of the barricade and said the best words I had heard in my life: 'Stand down, Lieutenant. You're relieved from duty.'" She smiled wistfully at the memory. "I considered making a snide comment about how I had been on leave and, therefore, never technically on duty...but decided a simple 'thank you, sir' was better."

"I would've gone with the snide comment, Commander," Joker said.

"Of course, you would've," he said, rolling his eyes.

She smiled and took one last look out the viewport before heading to the Comm room.

Kaidan felt he deserved a medal for not turning and watching the more than likely pleasant sight of her walking away.