We're going to need a bigger boot.

The further they made it into the Eden Prime settlement, fighting Cerberus all the way, the less empty it became. And not in the good way. Bodies were everywhere out here, colonists with their snacks still on the table, the screen turned to a sports channel-- all dead. They were picking up the data they needed along the way; Shepard's knowledge of the Protheans, the cipher he'd gotten burned into his brain years ago, was invaluable. He could parse Prothean language like no one else.

Still. Kaidan hoped this would be over soon. He'd rather be out in a real battlefield than fighting his way through someone's home.

Finding the room that held the actual stasis deactivation signal was a blessing. Even if it meant watching the cipher spook through Shepard's eyes again, an unnatural green supplanting his usual baby blues.

"You understood that one, too?" Liara asked as the green faded.

Shepard shook his head for a second. "...Yeah," he said. "Let's get back to the pod."

Kaidan pressed his shoulder against the edge of the doorway and peered out. "Cerberus backup forces are here." He drew his rifle. Yeah. Time to end this.

---

( Cerberus had cut off the bridge, so they'd had to take the long way around... )

[[ and this mission is over! nfi, taken from mass effect 3. ]]

Eden Prime.

It was the colony where all of this had started, years ago now: Kaidan, a young lieutenant, had gone down to shore for a routine mission with Shepard, and then it had all gotten outrageously out of hand. It was weird to be back there. So much history... Saren. The geth. The Prothean beacon that had lodged itself in Shepard's head-- damn.

And Ashley, of course. The memory was a jarring one. Kaidan found himself thinking of her as the shuttle descended.

( The significance wasn't lost on Shepard and Liara, either. )

[[ let's see if i can actually finish one of these in a few days' time this go around. nfi, taken from Mass Effect 3. ]]