Chapter Text
“Here you go Lieutenant. Looking busy there. You definitely need to eat a lot.” Joe, the owner of the cafe, gave a toothy grin (or the lack of it) to Kaidan. Kaidan looks up from the datapad he was holding and gives the man a warm smile. He gathers the datapads scattered all over the table and sets them aside to make room for his order.
“Thank you Joe. Busy day for you too. The place is fully packed!” Kaidan looks around in surprise. When Kaidan entered the cafe 20 minutes ago, there were still some unoccupied tables left. Now, the place is already full — with more people pouring in by the minute.
“Yeah. That’s why I had to wait some of the tables. I am clearly understaff--” Joe is about to finish his sentence before a person from another table shouts angrily looking for their order. Joe sighs in exasperation. “Well, duty calls. If you need anything just let me know.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Hold your horses! I’m coming!” Joe shouts and speeds away while mumbling to himself. Kaidan heard something like too old for this and soldiers and their appetite. Kaidan smiles to himself while slightly shaking his head.
The poor man was looking very tired. His cafe is one of the popular ones in the Arcturus Station because they serve delicious food without putting a hole in someone’s pocket, which is considered a rarity these days.
He takes his fork and starts digging into his food. He isn’t even halfway done when he notices some kind of commotion at the table in front of him. Three young cadets, who couldn't have been over the age of 22, were pushing one of their comrades to speak up as a woman approaches their area.
Kaidan glances at the woman and his breath hitches. She’s wearing matching pink leggings and a sports bra that revealed her perfectly toned abs under a black N7 hoodie. Her black hair was pulled back in a messy bun, with strands of curly hair framing the side of her perfectly chiseled face. He couldn’t quite make up the color of her eyes from this distance but it was a dark shade almost passing for black.
But beyond the physical, she is carrying herself with such composed posture, eerily calm while being aware of her surroundings. The kind of aura that demands to be felt. The woman is stunning. No wonder these young guys are nervous.
But Kaidan couldn’t quite shake the feeling that he had already seen her before.
“C—Commander!” Stutters the poor guy as he directs the snappiest salute at the woman, his other comrades following suit, scrambling to their feet, nearly knocking their trays off the table.
“You..You can take our table if you’d like ma’am. We were just about to leave.” Kaidan glances at their table and sees the half-eaten sandwiches and untouched glasses of soda. No way they’re about to.
Of course, the “commander” notices it too. “At ease, soldier. We’re not on duty right now.”
The cadets seem to relax as she gestures to their table. “You sure? Doesn’t look like you’ve finished your food.”
“Well…uh… we just got a call from our commanding officer and they need us for an emergency so…”
The commander’s expression slightly shifts from utmost reluctance to quiet acceptance. As an Alliance soldier, she must’ve understood the necessity of being on alert in cases of emergency, even during shore leave.
“Well, if you insist. Thank you!” The commander flashes them a hesitant smile. The cadets disperse happily like they just completed a mission.
“Should have asked her for an autograph” Kaidan hears the other one say as they continue in hushed conversations as they are leaving the cafeteria.
Autograph? Is she some kind of celebrity? A model? Kaidan is lost in thought as he absentmindedly plays with his food. He notices Joe approaching the commander’s table.
“Maxine Shepard! I haven’t seen you here in a while. The usual order I presume?” Kaidan’s ears perk up at the mention of her name.
“Chicken and waffles with a dash of peace and quiet? Yes, please!”
“We both know peace and quiet doesn’t happen around you!” Joe lets out a booming chuckle, “It’s good to have you back, Max.”
“Yeah… yeah, it is.”
Joe scrambles out of her table and into the kitchen.
Kaidan leans back slightly, studying her more closely now. She’s already on business, skimming through her datapad with utmost concentration.
Commander Maxine Shepard. Suddenly, it clicked. She’s no celebrity, but close enough. Star of Terra recipient. Hero of the Blitz. He has seen her in some of the alliance vids especially after the events on Elysium. But the commander he remembered had a short bob then, the woman before him now definitely has longer hair than that.
Plus, there’s something magnetic about her. She was beautiful, Kaidan could agree to that but it’s not just her face, it’s her aura of confidence. The kind that demands attention without even trying.
Around her, the cafeteria starts to ripple. Whispers. Glances.
That’s Commander Shepard.
Everyone knows her, Carter.
Wow. She’s so pretty.
I bet she’s on a mission.
I bet she’s waiting for someone.
I bet 200 credits you couldn’t get her number.
Well, I bet 500 that I could. What can one woman sitting alone do?
She doesn’t look that tough.
Uh-oh. Kaidan winces internally as he overhears the conversation from a few tables ahead. There’s always that one stupid guy that couldn’t get over their big ego.
Kaidan crosses his arms over his chest as the guy saunters to the commander’s table like he owns the place.
This is gonna be good.