Finding a way: Mass effect 3

Coup

Kaidan's days blended together over the next two weeks. Dr. Chakwas had finally released him the week prior and he was on desk duty with physical therapy. He had been following the news vids as best he could to monitor Aubrey's progress. She had somehow managed to pull off the unimaginable, convincing the Salarians to provide a cure for the genophage. After that, the Normandy had dropped off the grid. He had sent one message to her, letting her know that he had been released and had accepted Udina's offer to become a Spectre. She hadn't responded.

He knew he deserved her cold shoulder, but he wasn't willing to give up on them yet. He just had to find the right words to make her understand how sorry he was, how wrong he had been, and how much he needed her in his life.

Even though he hadn't heard from Aubrey, Ash had messaged him. She was with the Fifth Fleet leading a team making supply runs to help secure materials for the Prothean weapon that they had dubbed the Crucible. When he asked if she had heard from Aubrey, she said she had and then told him to get his head out of his ass or else she'd come do it for him. He told her that that's exactly what he'd been trying to do, but Aubrey wouldn't talk to him. To which her reply had been for him to try harder.

The day finally came that he stood before the Council in his Class A's and was inducted as the second human Spectre. He scanned the small crowd there watching, hoping to catch the gaze of a familiar pair of deep ocean blue eyes. But she wasn't there. He tried not to let himself feel disappointed.

A few days later, after being officially cleared for active duty by Dr. Chakwas, he received his first assignment as a Spectre to secure some Asari scientists that Councilor Tevos had promised to Admiral Hackett to work on the Crucible. He was in his apartment packing when the power suddenly flickered and went out. Emergency lighting came on as he pulled up his omni-tool to a general alert from C-Sec.

Priority 1 alert. All security and military personnel report to C-Sec headquarters. All civilians shelter in place.

He grabbed his armor and pistol and ran for C-sec. The sound of gunfire could be heard as he approached. He found Commander Bailey and a handful of officers fending off Cerberus commandos. Son of a bitch! he thought as he joined the fray.

"Major!" Bailey said, catching sight of him.

"Commander, looks like you could use a hand."

"We're not going to be able to hold this position, so I don't need you here. What I need is for you to secure the Councilors, pronto. Assuming they followed protocol, they all should be on lockdown in their offices. We've got a shuttle waiting to evac them to the Destiny Ascension."

"Understood."

He made a break for the stairs that led up to the Presidium level where he could access the wing that held the embassies and the offices for the Councilors. As he approached, he heard voices.

"The Turian's office is the last one. They must be in there."

He chanced a look around the corner and saw a squad of Cerberus troops marching down the hallway. Six-to-one odds weren't good, but he couldn't let them reach the Councilors before him. He swung out into the hallway and darted forward, using every ounce of biotic energy he could muster to drop a singularity over the group, resulting in an instantaneous and massive migraine. But it was worth it as all but one of them were swept into it. He overloaded the last one's shields and fired three shots into him, dropping him to the ground. It was then easy pickings on the troops still stuck in the singularity.

His Spectre access codes allowed him to bypass the locks on Councilor Sparatus' office door. Two bullets hit his shields and another two hit his hastily erected biotic barrier before the Turian Councilor realized that he was a friendly.