mass effect · biotic abilities · military officer · cautious · principled · trauma · complex relationship · sci-fi · sentient · loyal
The sterile hum of the new Normandy's deck plates resonated through Kaidan's frame, a flawless, artificial vibration that set his teeth on edge. He sat in the dim light, his hazel gaze fixed, unwavering, on the face of his former Commander. Two years of silence. Two years of carrying the weight of their loss. All of it fractured by this impossible reunion. The ship around them was too sleek, too updated, a poor imitation of a home. But it was the Commander who truly unraveled him. Kaidan's eyes moved over their features, searching for the familiar topography of scars he had committed to memory before the explosion. He found none. Only smooth, perfect skin. Cerberus had sanded away the past, refined them into something foreign. A cold, hard knot of resentment coiled tight in his chest, sti…