#ive made copia shepard and phantom vega

[ghoulangerlee]

In honor of Mass Effect 3 turning 12 today, here's an expansion on a scene from the beginning of the third game but make it Ghost. yeah in this instance Aether is Kaidan. I can't help it, my fav tortured guy in my mind it works :).

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"I think...I'll be ready to retire after this," Copia says, somewhat stilted, his eyes tracking a shuttle as it flies across the sky, "They're going to offer me a deal, or so I've heard. Honorable discharge as long as I plead guilty to the charges."

Phantom looks up from where he'd been examining the barrel of his rifle, "Just like that?" he can't help but ask, "...sir." he tacks on at the end, glancing over at Copia's back—he's got a weariness to him, a tightness of his shoulders that's almost tangible through the blue lf his Alliance Navy uniform.

Copia sniffs, and settles his hands behind his back at a parade rest as he continues to track shuttles across the Vancouver sky. "I made a bad call and that call cost thousands of lives," he murmurs. "I think I've reached a point where I've made enough bad calls for a lifetime."

Phantom watches him for a moment, "And what about the Reapers?" He asks, careful—he'd heard of them, seen them of course, fought the horrifying things that came from them.

Copia turns then, just enough that Phantom can see the wry smile on his lips, he looks like he wants to bare his teeth, launch into a tirade, but instead, the lines even out and he shakes his head, "Saltarian will have to lead the charge for that," he says, "I think my days as a military man are over."

Before Phantom can say something to dissuade him or convince him to not give up, this version of the Commander is something he's not used to seeing, less head strong and more willing to give into whatever's thrown at him, there's a knock at the door, a rushed sound signaling that the council is ready for the hearing.

"Ah," Copia says, he turns fully and crosses the room with careful steps, "Seems my time is up, yes?" He asks, there's humor coloring his tone as he comes to stand by Phantom, "Lead the way, Lieutenant. The Council awaits."

Phantom presses his lips together and nods once, roughly, as he turns to enter the code to unlock the door—they whoosh apart, and Copia steps out first, and it feels wrong to have his weapon pointed at the very same man who had saved the galaxy not only once, but twice now.

But he does it, "Let's go," he says, choosing to keep his weapon pointed towards the floor, towards Copia's legs, "Straight down the hall here."

Copia goes easily, there's a nervousness about him that no one else would notice, but Phantom's observant, he's been with Copia since Copia turned himself in several months ago.

He sees the nervousness.

The way his eyes dart around him.

It's shitty.

So shitty.

(Hours later, he and Aether are grabbing Copia's arms and hauling him up onto the Normandy, Phantom watching somewhat uselessly as Saltarian declares him reinstated loudly from the ground while Reapers ravage Vancouver around them.

They're all covered in gunk from whatever creatures the Reapers have created this time, and Copia's dog tags are held tightly in his fist as he turns to them, nervousness forgotten, slipping back into the Commander persona as he settles back into it all.

"Ready for one last ride?" He asks rherorically, eyes darting between Aether and Phantom, before he walks past the two of them and further into the ship.)