[ FIGHT LIKE HELL. ]

     Clenching the papers tightly in her hand, her eyes strained as she tried to force herself to            read them. All things considered, Seoyun honestly did not understand why paperwork was so      important.Stopping the Reapers, spending time with those she may never see again, that          was what was important. Reviewing protocol and ship specs was not. 

     A familiar voice broke her concentration (or lack there of), her eyes looking up to meet his.          She was grateful for the distraction. With a sigh of relief, she spoke.

            “Paperwork, reading protocols. You know, fun stuff.” 

     Pausing for a moment, she clicked her tongue in thought. 

            “Why? Is something on your mind?”

    those whiskey eyes of his are warm as he gave her a genuine chuckle. keeping your      sense of humor was vital those days as patience ran thin all around, as work and      trivial tasks piled high -- if it were up to him, the documentation would be more      informal, cut down to bare bones. but he was a simple man, and this semblance of      structure kept a lot of people from losing it in the process.

                      the chain of command, the culture, the SOP -- abiding by these                       neatly worn-in tracks gave the simple illusion of normalcy as                       everything that held it in place was chipped away.

             plus following orders usually got him to where he needed to be faster than              drawing an argument out.

     it always felt so quiet in the shuttle on the way back from a mission. but who could      really blame the squad for not being talkative? every day, it felt like their galaxy      was unraveled a little further, like everything they knew was being pulled out from      underneath them. they hardly had any time to scramble after those scarce few       scraps of the preconceptions they had before some new great big unknown touched      down.

                  he willed those heavy thoughts away and cleared his throat. 

       there was a moment of quiet -- but it was alive with a familiar sense of dread.        the harsh orange glow of Kaidan’s omni-tool lit up his face, highlighted the        way his thick brows drew together as he watched the data accumulate: line        after line, character after character. his heart dropped.

     a playful smile teased at his lips while he approached the Commander, wanting to keep      the tone light -- they had plenty of opportunities to feel hurt while this war kept digging its      heels in and persisting. and besides, it was bad for morale to only focus on what went      wrong rather than what could be done next to ensure history doesn’t repeat.

                --plus, making sure the Commander was in good spirits was always a good idea.

          Ella was concentrated on her work in the war room which was buzzing with the chatter of everyone doing their work. It took her a moment to react to Kaidan’s ‘request’. She turned her head after closing the latest report on enemy movements and looked at him for a long moment. He seemed uneasy.

          Sure, Kaidan never was the most relaxed person, but this was even strange for him. But on the other hand, who was actually relaxed in these times. Certainly not Ella. But nevertheless she tried to smile, when she now turned around to face him completely.

                     ❝ Sure, anything I can help you with? ❞

     he eased up the slightest bit and stepped into her line of view proper. his lips twitched into an uneasy smile but sincerity laced its way through his expression -- hey, even if he wasn’t doing too hot himself, he could at least put on a strong face.

     talking to marines about their feelings often got a little difficult: the wrong word, the wrong enunciation even, and they close right up. so he steeled himself and kept his expression as neutral as he could get it -- pitying glances wouldn’t help. 

[ THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE. ]

// what happens when two sheppers have the same first initial oh god damn my inability to    think ahead

“Kaidan.”

Shepard glanced over at the other man as he stopped beside the enormous window, feeling somewhat out of his element. He was unusual for him to speak to someone whom he had been holding a grudge against, and he was still wondering why he had bothered to let the other man back onto the Normandy. Perhaps he just needed the firepower — a friendly gun was always welcome — but at the same time, perhaps it was for a different reason…

“Settling back in alright?”

                      he finally looks over at Shepard. it’s only for a brief instance, only for the                       sake of being polite, then he turns his gaze back to the vast void laid out                       before him. the bad blood between them would be apparent to any outsider                       with how terse they were with each other, and an apology itched at his                       throat, tried to worm its way out of his mouth only to come out as a sigh.

                                      what he said on Horizon was exactly how he felt. after                                       seeing what Cerberus had done to people, it was well                                       within his right to feel betrayed.

       “We know they tend to keep their biggest threats toward        the back.”

     [ She put an emphasis on the word ‘threats.’ ]

       “Since we know that, we sneak up from behind and take        them out before they can do us any significant damage.”

     [ There’s a short pause, after which a small smirk twists the        corners of the Commander’s mouth. ]

       “Besides, Major, what’s life without a little risk?”

        [ his mouth twists slightly -- not out of disdain, but out of concern.           the Commander’s proposal leaves him ill at ease but he knows           that in the end, it’s going to be her call. ]

          ❝ I was just putting my thoughts out there, Commander.               I’ll follow whatever orders you put out if you’re certain               they’re for the best. ❞

     “…I’m listening, Major.”

    ❝ The assault would be ... needlessly dangerous.                  We could definitely get out with significantly less risk, ma’am.             I would suggest a flanking maneuver, with all due respect.