Video Game Spin-Offs--Mass Effect "Foundation" #4

The next issue focuses on another staple character in the Mass Effect series, Kaidan Alenko.  In the original Mass Effect you learn that Kaidan is a biotic and that he was part of an intensive Alliance training program located at Gagarin Station.  If you continue chatting him up he will expand on his experience and talk about a girl, Rahna, who he befriended on the station.  Issue #4 of the "Foundation" series expands on Kaidan's experiences as part of the BAAT program.

Vyrnnus is a brutal instructor.

The story starts with Kaidan arriving at Jump Zero and realizing how he is now completely isolated from the rest of the Sol system.  You also get the impression that the rules are extremely strict as students are trying to illicitly send messages back to their families on Earth.  Shortly thereafter it is revealed that much of the training in the program is being carried out by a Turian by the name of Vyrnnus.  I thought it was a little non-canon to have a Turian as a biotics instructor.  From what I remember of the lore, Turians aren't particularly biotically gifted or have a respect for those with biotic gifts.  A Turian as a drill sergeant type of character does make sense though.

It turns out that Vyrnnus isn't all that interested in being a nice, supportive teacher and instead opts for a more authoritarian type of method.  His lessons are brutal and very strongly resemble torture.  Part of one lesson involves forcing students to use their biotics to assemble an object out of smaller pieces but they are forced to do it in a hot room and are denied water.  Vyrnnus taunts the students with glasses of water and is basically being a huge jerk.  Things come to a head when he begins tormenting Rahna and Kaidan decides he's had enough.  He lashes out with his biotics and bad things happen (I won't spoil it).

I never got the impression of Kaidan as a person with a volatile temper.  He's not one of my favorite characters but I enjoyed seeing a little more of his background from this comic.