We're going to need a bigger boot.

The tunnels were damp and dark-- too dark to see sometimes. Kaidan didn't like it.

"What's that?" Liara called, shining her flashlight ahead.

"I see it," Shepard said, turning that way. He frowned, hitting his comm. ( Got a body of a scout here. Been dead a few days. )

[[ nfb, nfi, taken from Mass Effect 3, Attican Traverse: The Rachni. To be continued as I saunter through this bit of canon. ]]

Looking at the Council chamber, it was hard to imagine that it hadn't been more than a couple of years since Shepard and Saren fought in this very room. Hadn't... been more than a couple of years since Shepard had stood here, going through the exact same thing Kaidan was right now.

Well, more or less. A lot of circumstances had changed. Nobody could deny the Reapers were real now, for one thing, and there were four councilors, not three, and his new position wasn't up for much debate. He sucked in a breath and cast a quick look towards the balcony where Allie was. Stupid nerves.

Councilor Udina practically glowed with pride as he spoke, drawing Kaidan's attention back to him. "Major Alenko, step forward," he said.

Kaidan stepped forward. No more time to be nervous. Now it was time to face the music.

"It is the decision of the Council that you be granted all the powers and privileges of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel," said the asari councilor. She looked worried, not proud; the rest of them all did. Understandable, considering the circumstances. Kaidan wasn't exactly jubilant either.

( Of course nothing goes as planned. )

[[ FINALLY, DONE. with much thanks to allie_vamp for having the patience to deal with me as i went through this at a snail's pace. taken from mass effect 3, priority: citadel. let the actual canon catchup begin. ]]

Kaidan shook his head, echoing wry smile still on his face. "Allie? Watch those big doors down there. Dean? You think you can convince the guys on the other side of the com-- walkie talkie that we're some of theirs, the evil Alliance types are dead and we want across?"

( Playing with walkie-talkies... )

[[ nfb, nfi, ooc-okay, continued from here; violence to a PC under the cut. taken from the mass effect 3 mission 'Priority: Mars'. ]]

The weather wasn't too bad in Vancouver this time of year. A lot of rain, sure, but also decent temperatures. Kaidan had been staying places too classified to mention for too long; the breeze alone had put him in a good mood. Though... that might've also been the part where resurfacing like this meant he had a one-shot chance to talk to some old friends.

... No, not that friend. The friend - if Kaidan could call him that - currently incarcerated nearby... yeah, he wasn't sure he knew how to handle that. Especially not after that stunt with that Batarian colony recently-- damn, that one.

But he wasn't here for that, anyway. He was here to brief the Admiralty about the Reapers - which he'd just done. They'd been getting strange readings not too far from Earth itself. Well out in the outer rim, but enough to make everyone a little nervous. Even Kaidan, if he was going to be entirely honest. Just... not nervous enough that he didn't want the slight indulgence of seeing his friends.

He pushed through the door leading out of the Admiralty offices, his eyes immediately searching for three distinct faces among the crowd.

( Will something go wrong? Of course. )

[[ nfb, nfi, ooc-okay! preplayed with the magnificent 6buckstohisname, bitten_notshy and allie_vamp; taken and adapted from mass effect 3. helloooo, canon train. or rather, canon trauma conga line. ]]