[IC] Mass Effect: Underworld

[POOHEAD189]

"I should have known the Specters were the source of this," he mumbled to himself, lowering his M15 Vindicator and shaking his head. He'd only run into a few before, and most were happenstance encounters on the Citadel, but he could usually smell them when they showed up. How convenient it was for such an elite group of Galactic peace keepers, that somehow continued to overlook the Genophage and the problems of the Krogan just until they were needed in the most recent Galactic conflict, yet again.

Still, he listened to what they had to say. His eyes turned to regard the members of the group, taking note now about who the Spectres seemed particularly worried about. So, there were a few trigger happy members of the group? And the Asari had shot at the Geth, with the younger Krogan and a Batarian of all people keeping the peace? He honestly had to hold in rumbling laughter at the audacity of the claim, but he wasn't about to argue. Spectres might be puppets of the council, but they were as no nonsense as the Turians. He guessed that's why a lot of Turians saw fit to join their ranks.

"Redemption?" Skarr repeated aloud, his booming vocals echoing across the chamber. "I am beyond redemption." He stepped forward a few paces, sizing up the two Spectres and gauging their reactions at his short advance. "But that will not keep me from a fight. If there's a war to be fought, or a rebellion to be quelled, we Krogan are here to save the day." He let the words sink in, before continuing.

"That being said, I believe my kinsman has the right idea. Funny, with such influence you Spectres throw around, you'd think you would have more funds to give your recruits. But as long as we get loot, with no questions asked? I'm your Krogan." Skarr announced, giving a gruff nod and stepping back into the surrounding line. "Now, what are we facing? I've grown tired of squashing Vorcha the past few centuries. I won't deny the reapers brought good sport."

[Mega Birb]

Sicaria Velinian

"You're sure you wanna go back into all this? We just finished beating the Reaper's asses."

"I know, but you know me. I can't stop for long, that's why I ran with the Suns for a little while."

"Yeah, and you almost got killed."

"Remember that time you almost had your stomach torn out by a Banshee? I didn't let go of you that entire night. Point is, we've both cheated death more times than we can count, luck's on our side. I promise this won't be what kills me."

"Fine... just be careful, okay? I don't wanna see you in a casket tomorrow. My limit's an ICU." Vetia, a turian with little facial tattoos besides a red streak across her eyes, sighed in defeat as her partner did one final check over her weapons. Sure, this was the woman she loved, but sometimes she was a nut to say the least. She couldn't blame her, though, there was a certain rush to fighting for a just cause. But since she herself hadn't been on the mailing list, she had been left in the dark as to what was happening. Her companion, as you could expect, wasn't helping. "Can you at least tell me what you're doing here?"

The other turian in the car, another woman by the name of Sicaria with complicated violet markings across her face, gave the other member a shake of her head. "I would if I knew myself, babe. For all I know I'm walking into an ambush, but I doubt it'll happen." With a shrug, she loaded a fresh thermal clip into her Phaeston and set to work getting ready to leave. "If anything goes wrong, I'll call, okay?" She looked up for some level of assurance from her lover.

Vetia couldn't avoid replying in a monotonous tone, decided to have a little fun with the situation. "I'll be here, don't worry." Unfortunately, she broke her character here and let through an obvious smirk, then leaned over and gave Sicaria a parting kiss. "Don't do anything too stupid, okay? I don't wanna have to cook every meal for a month." She chuckled lightly at that statement before dropping back into her seat, crossing her legs and tucking her hands behind her head.

After embracing that brief kiss, Sicaria felt a little better about her recent choice to hop into the action once again, and set her hand on the door handle. "Well, here we go again. If all goes well, I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"I'd better see you then, along with that sexy ass of yours." She gave a wink and blew a kiss to Sicaria as she got out of the vehicle, who waved goodbye as she passed in front of it and out of the alley.

Her mission now underway, the purple-faced Turian advanced towards the entrance to the London Underground, Phaeston held across her chest in a relaxed position like she was on patrol. She wasn't too worried about anyone showing up now, her and Vetia had been staked out in that alley long enough to have seen a man in a black body suit blast the lock off the gate awhile ago. If someone was gonna start something, they would've done it when he initially got in there, not when an entire company had arrived. Brushing what could've been aside, the Turian raised her weapon as she approached the gate and nudged it open with her left hand, keeping the right one on the trigger should something happen. Now she descended the steps, thoughts running through her head about how old the infrastructure must be and how solid it must've been to last this long.

She rounded the last corner on the staircase to see a group of various aliens talking with one another, the signs of a recent firefight all around them. This must've been the crew this contact would be getting together, there was no other explanation for it. Lowering her gun, Sicaria decided to make her presence known to the others. "...The fuck did I miss?" From here, she casually walked up with rifle held loosely at her side and an air of confidence around her.

[Silver Fox]

Phalanx watched quietly as the organic beings one by one calculated the situation before coming to a consensus. Listening and logging them into its system, taking notes and calculating the information. Most of them introducing themselves, their jobs and classifications and/or conditions. The first was the Krogan, known as Ravanor Rykarn. Examining the research the Geth has gathered of the species, Rykarn seemed young but strong. Like most Krogan, it was best not to challenge Rykarn in up close and personal combat. Probability of getting crush was quite high on the spectrum. The next was one of the Creators that stepped forth on the Geth's other side. Reading the smaller stature fleshy creature, the voice was that of a young male calling himself Rayes'Xum vas Fowal. Engineer. Useful for hacking. The third was the human male known as Ellis Taevon, explaining his history. Cerberus.. Logging... Number four was the Batarian calling himself Ja'Far Balak. He talked a little interesting, but despite that the organic kept a calm firm composure. Showing signs of leadership in order to keep things orderly.

Phalanx had overall, been relaxed(as in face plates flat against the head around the eye) as it registered its new squad members, though when the Batarian mentioned 'friend' Phalanx's upper face-plates lifted up, cracking the star mark just a little. The connection right above the eye seeming to almost strain. As if alert. But they soon returned to their normal position and resided in just tilting its head ever so slightly to the side. For he was also using these.... smoking devices. Except he used two.

The fifth was the male Turian of the cigarettes that called himself Tiberius Adarian while he stepped close to the machine, standing a good foot and two inches taller. Interesting organic.

Coming into sixth was the Asari, calling herself Vella Calixten Ophelia "Calisto" as it were. Despite the several scoldings from multiple other organics for her rash actions, her power module seemed to be overheating as she perkily accepted the job. Phalanx hadn't encountered any organic of the Asari species that acted like this. Well perhaps besides the ones in those odd establishments that revolved them to have very little armor for some reason. Heavy Weapon specialist... Noted down to be extremely wary and cautious around this squad member.

The last so far to join was the newly arrived Krogan. Whom did not give name, class, status or qualifications unlike many of the others. He kept his words simple, brief, and to the point. Agreeing with the younger Krogan of salvaging for loot and questioning what exactly was their enemy.

It was then another Turian arrived, although this one was a female. With purple on her face. At the question with usage of vulgar words, Phalanx turned its optical view towards her.

"Greetings, Female Turian Unit. System 42009874563001 reporting. Call Sign, Phalanx. Classified, Infiltrator." Phalanx greeted again, on number four introduction today.

"When this unit arrived, there appeared to be a grenade accident. But hostility between the members at the time were minimal. No major damage that could be observed. Sharing of hypothesis of whom the benefactors are were exchanged, the human known as Ellis Taevon apologized for previous behavior before I have arrived towards the undecided Creator and Baltarian named Ja'Far Balak. Because of the explosion and slowly decomposing structure of this area, Turian Tiberius Adarian suggested we relocate. However both Ja'Far Balak and the young Krogan, Ravanor Rykarn recommended remaining stationary in order to remain at the designated meeting area. Structural walls currently old and mildly falling apart, but stable. Ellis Taevon asked if he could sculpt a perfect image of himself upon a piece of stone using his Omni-Blade. I calibrated the question, reading to approximately time taken to reach 100% perfect image carved in stone around eight hours minimum. I was curious over the purpose of Tiberius Adarian's cigarette before the Asari Vella "Calisto" Calixten Ophelia joined us. Greeting us in a odd slurred human language that I was unable to fully process. She noticed I was Geth and grew hostile, speaking normally, tackling Tiberius Adarian in order to protect him from what I calculate in her mind 'possible annihilation from the Geth Platform that stood a couple feet from him' before putting up a biotic barrier. Vella "Calisto" Calixten Ophelia aimed her Apostle rifle in my direction and fired. I reacted accordingly in order to escape, damage most likely inevitable despite attempt. Ellis Taevon activated defense measures, stepping in front of this platform and tanking most of the bullets, raising vocal levels in a attempt to cease further gunfire. While Ravanor Rykarn tackled Vella "Calisto" Calixten Ophelia in order to prevent further gunfire, while giving several reasons she should cease and desist. Number one, we are in London, a highly populated historic Earth city. Number two, there is no longer war with the Geth. Vella "Calisto" Calixten Ophelia made calculations, processing information before coming to the incorrect conclusion this platform was reprogrammed to serve Ellis Taevon as his robot. Then returned speaking to the odd human slang. The undecided Creator whom Ellis Taevon apologized too, did not respond to the situation and resigned in checking his omni-tool. I noted my gratitude to my saviors of the situation, while assisting Tiberius Adarian back to his feet. Answering my question of earlier of why he uses cigarettes. Ellis Taevon responded with 'The first to die is the first to become a martyr for an intergalactic incident.' Most likely towards Vella "Calisto" Calixten Ophelia actions. Whom attempted to apologize to Tiberius Adarian for tackling him into the grimy ground under false alarm. In which he did not fully accept and scolded her over rash actions. The Senior Krogan Unit then arrived, similarly unsure what exactly happened. Ja'Far Balak beseeched everyone to calm down without any further hostility and keep things civil by introducing ourselves. Ellis Taevon then questioned Ja'Far Balak if he was present on the Citadel, during the Cerberus coup. The answer given was no. The Benefactors then revealed themselves, tired of the display and promptly scolded those involved in hostility. Spectre Agents Staff Lieutenant Human Jake Anderson and Turian Aegon Partinax explained the situation and the reason why all of us are present. Main Objective, maintain the peace that is currently unsteady. Their current sub objective is to recruit suitable combat forces in order to assist them. Explaining the cons of accepting this task. Objective will lead to various, highly dangerous situations. Pay is minimal. Sights may be unbearable. No one will know or thank you for good work due to very little people having any knowledge of our actions. However we are given a ultimatum. Victory of this objective means peace is preserved. Failure, innocent blood is spilled. If you accept however, you are beyond the law while under their direction. If you wish to refuse, you are free to leave without pursuit. For the moment. If you wish to accept, step foreword, if you wish to refuse, you may go. Current members to accept. Phalanx, Ravanor Rykarn, Creator Rayes'Xum vas Fowal, Ellis Taevon, Ja'Far Balak, Tiberius Adarian, Vella Calixten Ophelia "Calisto", and Senior Krogan Unit." Phalanx explained in a long wind answer, although the synthetic lifeform did not tire at all through the whole explanation in order to answer the female turian's question. It spoke clear, before finishing as it watched the new arrival curiously. Awaiting her answer to this situation.

[PrivateVentures]

"Brevity is a virtue, dear Geth. You ought to study when it is and is not the proper time to summarize, or even give a single sentence as an outline." He took a deep breath, and felt the muscles in his leg stumps quiver. If not for the fact that his lower limbs were mechanical, his knees would have quaked. "For example, to this new Turian, I might respond: 'Things blew up, people got angry, they calmed down, we were reprimanded, and those two are secret Spectres.'" Another deep, shuddering breath, no doubt sounding quite menacing through Ellis' audio input system. "In summary, would you like to be- make a positive difference in the galaxy?"

His heart pounded. THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

Ellis stared this newcomer up and down. A feeling he'd never known before welled up inside of him, and try as he might to fight it back down, it would not. It warred against every fiber of his being, every belief, but he could not deny it.

THUMPTHUMP THUMPTHUMP

This Turian was the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. For the first time in his life, he felt bashful. Where once was rage, was now skittish fear. Like a frozen stick of butter, he'd gone from blunt-force-weapon to delicious-on-toast in a moment.

Even her words, "The fuck did I miss?" were music to his-

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

no no no no no NONONO!

This avian slut will fry like any other bird-

That's not an appropriate response. He shook his head, again, and again, desperate to clear away this fog that clouded his mind, warped his thoughts to-

Her legs... So slender... And fit- A fist clenched. Teeth gritted behind a ruined face.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

God damn this. GODDAMMIT! NONO NO! For he knew what this was. He'd heard of it before. And like so many before him, he fought. But like so many before him, he would succumb.

His fingers twitched with the sudden impulse to draw his weapon, to blow his own head apart like he'd done to so many others. And, like a cancer once gone, it crept back again.

THUMPTHUMP THUMPTHUMP

She could never feel anything from you but fear. Or pity.

THUMP THUMP THUMP THUMP

Shut up, I don't care.

Look at you. You're horrifying. Don't you remember what the Illusive Man said?

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP

"Taevon, you have done exceptional work here. Never did I, even in my wildest dreams, believe that the Council, or Shepherd, much less, would have allowed any of the Human Reaper project to survive. I would assume the Council would send a team back to search for remains."
"They did, sir. The Council will find their bodies in fragments, spread amongst the rubble."
"Well done, Taevon. You're the monster I never wanted to need. Dismissed."

SHUT UP!

"More goddamn Turians." He muttered under his breath, and cursed himself for his cowardice.

[Rithy]

Vella's attention would be drawn towards the newcomer, a Turian female.

The first thing that struck Vella was how short she looked. Well, "short", standing at a ´mere´ 6ft next to the more than 8ft towering stickman that was Tiberius the Chugger!

"Well look who we have,-"

Vella started, having just opened her lips to speak to Sicaria when then, suddenly; only warned by a slight hum and beeps; Phalanx happened...

"By the goddess... "

Stunned, Vella remained halfway leaning forward, staring at the Geth with just sheer unbelief as it just blurted out an entire reference of their entire meeting, passing over a couple of minutes of a constant, unending spill of information! It was as if someone had accidentally activated voiceover on a page on SpaceWiki, locked the Terminal and just left it in a crowded room!

By the time Phalanx was finished, Vella was already halfway behind the Geth, hands in the air as if to find a hidden "Mute" button somewhere on the robot before it finally quieted down on its own.

"Sorry about that, we have not calibrated it properly yet!" Vella was quick to apologize to Sicaria, throwing a glance over to her before turning to look back at Phalanx with a glower, pulling its lamplight closer to her own head as she whispered into its audio port:

"You could have left out the incident part! Please, for the future, do install a password on your memory banks, or otherwise,-" However, in the middle of her sentence, Vella would look back up as she suddenly remembered something! Still holding Phalanx, she'd look back at Sicaria, then over at the peculiar human Ellis, then back at Sicaria, then back at Ellis, as Vella's eyes opened in a sudden look of curiosity!

There was an intense connection between the two. Although Ellis was covered in his suit, it was unmistakable.

It was a strong, obsessive connection, a type of mental contact of great intensity, the kind that usually only occurred between lovers, or people whom were about to kill each other!

By this point, Vella clutching onto Phalanx, whilst unconsciously staring at both Sicaria and Ellis with great interest, yellow eyes wide open with great anticipation as if she expected something big to happen at any moment now!

[Mao Mao]

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🇪🇦🇷🇹🇭, 🇸🇴🇱🇦🇷 🇸🇾🇸🇹🇪🇲

While Rol'Naaris was still on his omni-tool, another krogan soon joined the group. If he had got here earlier, then he could of witnessed the geth being shot by Vella, the asari that started the mess. That was when the group was still chatting with each other while Rol'Naaris still played around with his device. And then he heard another voice started to question the entire group and shouting insults towards the krogan and batarian. Rol'Naaris immediately turned off the omni-tool and looked at the person before he was joined with another turian. He knew that something was going on.

That was when the truth was revealed and proving his theory right. They were Spectres and they have been watching the group for awhile—even during the explosion and the fighting. He stood up and walked towards the group as the human was giving some sort of speech, which was decent enough to Rol'Naaris' standards. Both Anderson and Partinax were better fit to be leaders than anyone within the group, especially Rol'Naaris. He then listened to the offer; join to keep the galaxy safe while earning almost nothing and you might die or leave and forget that you never came here. Simple enough. Almost everyone from the group stepped up and accepted the offer. He listened as members of the group introduced themselves and accepted the Spectres' offer.

When the other krogan was done, Rol'Naaris soon walked towards Anderson and Partinax to accept their offer. "I have no regrets for my actions during the Battle of Roannch and the Battle of Earth. I have sent people to their deaths and helped our people retake Roannch, our homeworld. I did it for a better tomorrow, not because of credits or the glory. As long as I come out of this alive, I don’t care if you pay me or not."

"If you don't know already, my name is Rol’Naaris vas Vaepal; a decent strategist and a useful sniper during the heat of battle." he delightfully said as he walked towards the group, awaiting for their first mission as a team.

[Leos Klien]

Local cluster; Sol; Earth; London: Year 2187- Time: 17:00 GMT

Earth, this place had been Gilvert's new home for the past year now, the home-world of Humanity and the last stand against the reapers, a battle he would never forget as long as he lived; literally.
At the moment he was just sitting in a London based apartment block that he and the remainder of the Merc crew he had been apart of for over 20 years stayed.
There was Virtak, their indomitable leader, and without a shadow of a doubt Gilvert's best friend and closest ally, a beast of a Krogan who is getting on in his years, clocking almost 1,000 years of life, next was the beautiful, and equally fearsome ex-commando Asari, Deiynia.
As well as himself.
However they'd just recently restocked their ranks a bit with some new recruits, a Turian havoc soldier- Polvious and a former N7 human Mia Harding, whom was an exceptionally skilled technician.
On this particular day all of them were doing their own thing, some resting, others watching vids on the extra net, and Gilvert himself was reading, it helped calm him sometimes.
It was today however, that he knew he must leave and check on a very conspicuous set of co-ordinates he received, he was mulling several things over at the minute, thinking on if he should go, that was until he was quickly brought out of his thoughts by Virtak who called him and tossed him a bottle; freezing cold.
"Here, stop thinking too hard before your pop a blood vessel, its that human alcohol that's weak as piss that you like, their N7 newbie chimed to say its's name "Beer".
"Yeah, that crap - whats got you so tense Giles?"

Of course, he almost forgot, some here knew him better than he knew himself, they would easily detect if something was off, since that normally meant that an impending episode was on its way and they liked to have express warning.
Gilvert spoke, in his hoarse voice that was akin to his kind. "I received an encrypted transmission a few days ago, it contained co-ordinates, a place and a time. That time is in an hour, I'm wondering if I should go, see who sent this."
That cuased the rest of them to stir a bit and pay attention to what was going on, Mia once again spoke up "Encrypted? Must be from someone important..."
"or powerful." Pol said cutting her off; which drew a glare from her.
"or both, seem's like you should go there - it has to be on Earth right?"

Giles replied with a nod before Deiynia stated what they all thought.
"Well get going then, we've got your back if anything bad happens you know that - we look out for our own."
That was pretty much the end of it, whilst all were trying to think whom would possibly send what was sent, and why, Gilvert set himself up with his weaponry and explosives, as well as taking some medication before he left.
It wasn't far, this place called Baker street was only a 10 minute walk away, the co-ordinates was in the cities old and abandoned subway system, specifically baker street station - it was off-limits to the public but that wouldn't stop Gilvert - when he finally reached his destination it turned out he was 10 minutes early, which was good.

He was moments away from activating his cloak before a small rumble and a little cascade of dust fired from the stairs leading downwards - it sounded like and explosion, what on Earth awaited him down there?
Shrugging he activated his cloak and walked down the old steps, keeping his ears pricked for any further noise... not that he needn't bother, he had only been descending for a few seconds before he heard the mumbled clamour of several different voices, all speaking at once, some raised, some naturally deep and resonant, echoing off these old and unused paths of a bygone era.
It piqued his curiosity, as it meant that there were at least 5 other people down here as well as him, was it possible that others received this information?

Giles was now very close tot eh meeting point, voices extremely easy to hear now - the noise down there was loud, it beat off the walls and hollow spaces of the subway - Gilvert wasn't about to head down there blind.
He pulled a mine template out and primed a Recon mine, he placed it on an adjacent wall facing the platform where the meeting was, it highlighted a lot of lifeforms, one was even synthetic.
Giles creased his face a bit making what was an equivalent of a frown, what could possibly be so important as to summon this many people- loud and uncultured as they sounded - removing the mine, de-priming it and replacing it back in it's satchel he peered around the corner to see what awaited him.
Quite the mess, was the first thought that came to mind: Krogans, Geth, Asari, Turians, something in a exo-suit, Quarians and a human...
It appeared the two at the front of them all where the actual senders of the massage, and there stood a line of different people standing in front of them, clearly they offered a job that was of some great import - he wasn't sure what it was, but either way he would take it.

As he looked on, the air warmed slightly behind him, still cloaked he turned his head to discover a female Turian who had obliviously walked right past him, she only asked what the fuck was going on; a reasonable question.
It looked as if they were recruiting the galaxies most armed and armoured clowns with the way the acted; thankfully though the Geth had answered and filled him in on what was going on - inadvertently though.

Gilvert had made his decision, he creeped forward accidentally pushing past the Turian woman causing his cloak to flicker and spark slightly before he turned it off, with a fizzle a Drell stood with the rest of those whom had agreed to the job.

"It appears I'm on time, but everyone else arrived early, and... redecorated whilst they were at it... I am Gilvert Somner, or Giles, whichever you prefer, a master at the art of destruction and explosives expert, and I'm sure - since you're spectres, you know of my other side... the artist..."
Gilvert had begrudgingly accepted that he was mentally unwell, he was split between two personas, the Mercenary and the artist, he battled with himself daily on working out which one was truly him, which side of his mind was the one that belonged to him, only time would tell.
"Krogan, mechs, vehicles, gunships; they undress themselves before my rifle - and exposed in their naked hides I can easily dispatch them with only a single shot, and if you want a city to go missing I can do that too, with enough explosives - consider me on board for your mission, whatever it is."

[SgtEasy]

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Particular Interactions involving @Arcarius, @Silver Fox and @Rithy

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Three others had joined since his own exclamation, Ja'Far's uncertainty about the future of his own sanity in this group made him rethink a little.

The soldier, Tiberius was his name, seemed like a welcome addition. Ja'Far was a Batarian and therefore had much pride in his country's military and doctrine but no one could compare to strict Turian discipline. He could respect that but the male's cigarette choices left much to be desired. He looked at the small twig in his mandibles with disdain, the former Legionnaire bringing out another original Human Cuban cigar from his pack. He thrusted it forward unexpectedly, placing a cigar in Tiberius' hand and closed his fist before he could even refuse. He took a long drag of the three in his mouth, smoke rising from the various holes that made up his nose.

"Thou hast ta try these, sweet and eloquent." He grinned, tossing the fellow smoker the rest of his pack "Friend and comrade, correct?"

However, the Asari, now named Vella, seemed to be the reason for most of the awkward and exhausting situations he was placed in beforehand. And thus, she took the brunt of the blame for his exasperation. This was mostly due to her obvious idiocy and gung-ho attitude towards anything. As a Batarian, the very caste rules he was raised upon dictated that one must cover one's self in a veil of humility and modesty. A middle caste should always strive for higher placings in the hierarchy but they must see that they are inferior to all High Caste. It was literally beaten into him by his father as stepping out of one's place could quickly bring shame to a family name. So naturally, he was against any sort of person with the tendencies to act recklessly and talk loudly.

Having Siarus around growing up prevented Ja'Far from being brainwashed by the Hegemony social system but he still viewed that one should stand proud but not act brashly. This Vella was quickly getting on his nerves but he couldn't help but feel a small tinge of fondness. The Asari was very similar to how his sister was, both in their maiden years and both springing with life. They both had the energy of an over hyperactive child but in a sense that was endearing. He had smiled slightly as she stepped forward before quickly covering it with a strict nod and a blank expression. No use putting past faces on current ones after all.

Another Krogan, known as Skarr, had joined their midst, making Ja'Far worry that this assembled team would be more of a juggernaut on the front lines rather than the more covert small squadrons of light infantry that he was more used to working with. Not that the Batarian was any sort of coward and would refuse an offer to fight but his specialisation didn't allow for much hours on CQC. Still, he appreciated another heavy weapons frontman to take the aggro from him. His light barriers and light armour lacked the capability to take the brunt of sustained fire, hence his tactical cloak and reconnaissance specialism. He nodded, acknowledging the skill that the Krogan obviously possessed.

The entrance and announcement of self by a new arrival brought Ja'Far's attention elsewhere. His eyes found themselves staring at a face of beauty. 'Hmph, pretty female. 'Least by Turian standards.' He could appreciate the attractive features of other species and was aware of how this particular Turian could be of great interest for many males. And females he supposed. Quite though, this small moment of appreciation was broken by Phalanx. He scratched his fringe.

Ja'Far merely watched with lazy eyes as Vella tried to shut the AI down, it's monotone explanation of events happening prior was obviously dragging on for too long for the Asari. He merely sighed, content in letting Phalanx finish its long boring speech. As it finished, he was about to approach but was halted by the sudden interest the Asari had between Ellis and the newest arrival. She had a face full of hidden assumptions and questions that did not need to be voiced. Adding to that, she was clinging to the poor Geth who seemed entirely unaware of organic behaviour and no doubt confused by it.

Another being approached the little gathering, a Drell who flickered out of the very air, a man by the name of Giles. Ja'Far wasn't surprised, his species were known for their skill in stealth and despite his announciation as an explosives expert, this man did not miss the basic training for all Drell brought out of their world. He once worked frequently with a former Drell slave from a close Penal squadron, telling him of how he was trained as one of the best by the Hanar. The Drell is no doubt dead by now, killed off in the defence and destruction of Khar'Shan. The former Legionnaire nodded at the man, someone of his expertise was valuable and his presence reminded him of his dead friend. Somewhat unstable in the mind but someone who was useful, resourceful. He would try and ally with him later, however, he had a certain Asari to deal with.

The former Legionnaire approached Vella, breath clear of any smoke or smell due to Batarian biology, whispering to Vella "Thou eyes speak of great interest in what is happening during current times. However, may I offer that thou let go of Phalanx and mind thine business? History between the pair may be unpleasant and thine curiosity may bring questions to the table, questions that the pair shan't answer." Snapping her out of her daze, he peeled her off the Geth and set her on to the ground.

Turning his attention to his fellow sniper, Ja'Far bowed his head apologetically before placing a hand on it's shoulder. "Phalanx is thine name? I extended a hand of friendship, amidst the merry band hither, one must find common grounds with another. A fellow sniper perhaps. I trow that thine Pulse Rifle is of expert smithing. May I ask where thou bought it? And why did thou come hither out of Geth space?" He was interested in getting to know the platform, if only for the reason that he would most likely be working with it the most out of everyone in the room. He noted any further interactions going in the background but waved them off, dismissing them as not important compared to the possibility of gaining a new ally.

[PrivateVentures]

Ellis stood, staring at the beautiful Turian for quite some time. During this time, his suit injected its hourly dosage of painkillers, a sensation that Ellis, despite having been used to this feature for years, this time took it for the flutterings of infatuation.

This can't be love... It can't be not her.... Not a-

Drell? Aliens from the furthest reaches, and not another human in sight. Even Anderson is barely human, consorting and fraternizing with the most vile of races. Quarians? Evolution hass been trying to wipe them out for a long time. Krogans? Unintelligent brutes. Turians? Men with the brains of birds, disgusting creatures... With such a symmetrical face... And lovely eyes-

No. No no no.

Ellis fought his urges with everything he had. He was pulled out of his spiritual war by the Batarian, suddenly peeling the Asari, Vella, off of the Geth. He reprimanded her. Ellis watched the male Turian, Tiberius, dealing with a packet of cigars. They looked nice. He was sure they smelled nice, too. It pained him often that he was unable to engage in simple acts of comraderie, just like everyone else. His body wouldn't allow it.

Her body looksso healthy, so athletic...

Just another reason she would never want you.

I would kill for her...

You would kill for fun, if it were a financially stable career.

I'd die for her.

Would you?

The Drell announced himself. Gilvert Somner, a demo specialist. Ellis' first thought was, Seems unstable. His second thought followed suit.

Takes one to know one, you fucking freak.

Again, Ellis was overtaken by the urge to draw his weapon, but this time, the impulse was to unload a full magazine into the Spectres that had that summoned that demonic beautiful avian graceful whore goddess to this place , along with all these other disgusting animals.

He forced it down, save it for battle, you dumb motherfucker. His eyes scanned the area, desperate for a distraction.

The Batarian was shaking the hand of the Geth. This is weird, wild stuff. His eyes threatened to wander back to that gorgeous woman alien abomination. He forced them back, willing his thoughts to focus on the oddity of an organic shaking hands with a synthetic. Ellis wondered if it were possible that the Geth understood, on some level, what a gesture like that meant, or even comprehended that a pact of any kind was being made at all. He wondered, particularly is she single if the Geth had any experience with organics. It was, after all, fully plausible that she prefers humans Geth, as a self aware entity of a sort, could comprehend emotion and expression.

He glanced toward the Spectres, second guessing his decision to join. It can only bring turmoil.

But this is whatI came to do. To do good. To make a difference.

You only want to feel better about your choices. You would die for the greater good?

I would die for her.

You don't even know her. His gaze wandered back to the beautiful Turian.

I would die all the same.

You pompous, naive, disfigured dotard, you will never redeem yourself. She will never care for you. You have nothing to offer the good and decent people of the galaxy. They are not like you-

Shut up.

'Shut up?' You're a freak.

I'm not a freak.

You're violent and unstable.

I have it under control.

Do you? Because right now, you're talking to no one.

Concealed by his armor, Ellis sweated profusely. Tears poured down his face. His teeth gritted, fists clenched, he ordered NERO to shut off his external speakers, and screamed, long and loud, letting off as much turmoil as he could.

Surprisingly, this was not an uncommon episode for Ellis. The feelings were, but the response was not. This often happened when he was faced with high stress environments. His body naturally reacted to stress with violence. He ached for combat, to wash away these feelings in the purest of elixirs: enemy blood.

A song came to mind, one that his father had been fond of singing while loading up shipments of illegal weapons, ammunition, and ordinance.
I ain't going back
To Barton Hollow,
Devil's gonna follow me
e'er I go.
Won't do me no good
washing in the river,

Can't no preacher man save my soul.

[An Outsider]

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_{Interacting with:@Silver Fox, @Dervish, @MechonRaptor, @PrivateVentures, @SgtEasy, @Arcarius, @Rithy, @POOHEAD189, @Mega birb, @The Spectre, @Leos Klien, @MrDidact}

---

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Neither Spectre had really expected any of the group to turn down the offer. They’d all been thoroughly evaluated by a flurry of experts who dealt with such things as ‘personality indexes’ and ‘choice percentage matrixes’. All those details might well have been in French for all Anderson understood them, but the professionals had delved into an absolute mountain of personnel files that the Council and Systems Alliance had at their disposal, and after weighing up all those interesting personal tit-bits that made up a person’s ‘character’, used it to predict just how likely these misfits were to hitch their horses to the Spectre’s wagon. The results had all been promising, otherwise the invites would never have been sent. Still, it was interesting to watch these men and women come to their own conclusions.

Unsurprisingly the Geth was the first to react. Figured that having a computer for a brain made for snap decisions. Funny though, because to Anderson’s eye it looked like Phalanx was shaking with excitement. He’d heard that due to Commander Shepard’s involvement in the war for Rannoch the Geth had finally reached a state of independence that had been beyond them beforehand, and now were more capable of showing individualistic, humanising characteristics. Seemed there was some truth to that after all. He still wasn’t too comfortable around the synthetic lifeform. After all he’d lived his life hearing horror stories about Geth, like they were a race of boogeymen, and that wasn’t going to go away overnight, but this small show of emotion eased his misgivings some.

“This taskforce was designed to be representative of our new unified galaxy Phalanx. The Geth are part of that galaxy. If people don’t like it, then that’s just tough for them.” He narrowed his gaze in Vella’s direction, another silent reprimand. “It doesn’t hurt that you know your way around a sniper rifle either.”

Ravanor Rykarn was the next to accept the offer. Anderson had gotten the impression that the young Krogan was a consummate professional from the Council’s dossier, and that impression was just being reinforced by what he’d seen so far today. Thoughtful, solid, and dependable. A damn sight distant from the stereotyped view of the Krogan race that the galaxy held. If he'd been a human Anderson would have said that Rykarn was easy N7 material. He was glad to have him on board, as having a Krogan on your side was the next best thing to marching into battle with a YMIR at your shoulder.

“Claim to salvage, huh? I can swing that. Anything we find, you’ll get an even cut of my share, I promise you that. And that goes the same for the rest of you. It’s a two-way street though, because you can be damn sure that we’ll be getting our money’s worth outta you.”

Rykarn was quickly followed by the first of the two Quarians to arrive, who stepped up next to Phalanx and bowed formally. Rayes'Xum Vas Fowal had come to the Spectre’s highly recommended by several high-ranking members of project Crucible, not for his fighting talent, like most everyone else here, but because of his superlative skill in engineering. It was too early to tell if he’d be a liability on the battlefield, but it would be foolish to ignore the impressive skill set he brought to the table simply because he wasn’t as comfortable around a rifle as the other, more violence-prone members.

“Probably be a damn sight more exciting than what you’d get in the lab, too. Glad to have you on board Rayes.” Anderson returned the bow, somewhat more mechanical than the Quarian’s due to how unfamiliar he was with the action.

A figure in bulky black armour lumbered forward next, moving more like a Krogan than the human Anderson knew to be encased within. The Spectre couldn’t help but frown, and had to fight the urge to draw his carnifex as Ellis Taevon introduced himself, describing his abilities and specialties. He almost snorted a derisive laugh when the man said he was skilled in search-and-rescue. He doubted the terrorist had ever rescued anyone in his life.

“Nice of you to introduce yourself, seeing as you weren’t even invited here. You’re lucky our specialists realized that you intercepted our message, or Aegon here would have shot you as soon as you showed your face, and I would'a put some holes in you just on principle after realizing who you are."

"However, we decided to pursue our information leak with a former-Cerberus operative, trying to work out if you were more worth our time or the bullet. Long story short, be sure to thank Miranda Lawson next time you see her for arguing your case. Said you were a misguided, small minded man, but with an impressive skill set, and long overdue a chance at redemption. Though she did add that if we were to kill you, it would be no great loss to the Galaxy. Make no mistake Ellis, you put a foot outta line and the best you can hope for is rotting away in some deep, dark hole somewhere at the ass-end of known space.”

“And don’t think just because you say you’re Reaper-free means we’re going to take your word for it. It’s the exact kinda thing someone indoctrinated up to their eyeballs would say, and you’re not the most trustworthy of sources to begin with.” Anderson still had his misgivings about letting Taevon on the Task Force, but his record was impressive - though equally repulsive – and it would be a waste to dump the man if he really was serious about turning over a new leaf. Still, he’d be keeping a very critical eye on the supposedly ex-Cerberus operative.

The one Batarian in attendance was the next to offer up his services. Anderson wasn’t sure just where the Spectre’s had gotten their information on Ja’Far Balack, what with how secretive the Hegemony had been while it was still active. However they'd done it, they had built a dossier on the man, and his service record spoke for itself. On top of that his conduct since entering the Underground had been exemplary, especially in the face of all the wildness going on. Still, the N7 operative was a touch put off by the sniper. He’d long held a low opinion of the Batarians, ever since the Skyllian Blitz and the retaliatory attacks at Torfan. He’d seen too much shit inflicted on his own people to not hold a grudge against the four-eyed race. He reminded himself that Ja’Far hadn’t been present for either battle, but prejudice was a hard thing to overcome.

“Friend and comrade. . . good to know, and glad to have you.” He grinned, though the expression was somewhat forced, resembling more of a grimace than conveying any real feelings of goodwill. Still, he felt he deserved points for effort.

Tiberius Adarian was next up. He was one of the few candidates who had been unanimously accepted by both Spectre agents. The military prowess of the Turians was legendary, and add to that the skills of a biotic then you had yourself a downright lethal soldier. The Cabal sometimes had a reputation for not playing nice with others, but that didn’t seem to be the case with Adarian, not judging by his service record. In fact, if anything there was evidence that he grew too attached to his comrades. Despite that, he was unequivocally a boon to the Task Force. Anderson returned the Turian’s grin, this one far more genuine.

“Unstoppable is what we’re going for here.”

The Asari, Vella Calixten Ophelia, was quick on Adarian’s heels. From the impulsiveness, she’d showcased earlier, it was surprising that she’d taken so long to take up the offer. Hell, it was surprising that she’d waited for him to finish his pitch before agreeing. The Spectre’s had expected the Lance of Light shock trooper to be boisterous, but they hadn’t been even half-way prepared for just how excitable she actually was. The woman was like a kid amped up on those e-numbers that had been such a problem for twenty-first century parents. If she performed like this on a mission, then Anderson hated to think of the messes she might cause. Her superiors in the Asari military had spoken quite glowingly off her though, so she obviously had an ‘off’ setting. She certainly looked like she meant business when she offered up her name and specialization, so much so that Anderson felt a flush of arousal. He’d always been attracted to women that could kick his ass, and in that moment, he had no doubts that if Vella put her mind to it, she could beat him like a drum. He was a professional though, and pushed those feelings to the back of his mind.

“We’ll bear that in mind soldier. Just make sure you’re only destroying the things that we’re pointing you at.”

The older Krogan, Raik "Aralakh" Skarr, finally came forward. Being over half a century old, it was no surprise he was slower than his younger counterpart, but going by the records he was no less deadly for it. He was another pick that had proved surprisingly easy. The man had been fighting wars and ending lives since before Anderson's great-great grandfather was anything more than a sparkle in his daddies’ eye, so there was a wealth of experience to exploit there. Couple that with the sheer destructive capabilities of a biotic Krogan, and Skarr just became a no-brainer. Hell, the only problem with the old Krogan would be giving him an order he didn’t like. It would be a damn difficult proposition, ordering someone with his kind of bulk and power back into the ranks. Fingers crossed that situation never arose.

“This is Skarr, for anyone wondering. And like I said, we’ll see you alright. And you’ll find out who the target is all in good time.”

A latecomer, Sicaria Velinian, arrived, and Anderson was about to explain the situation to her when he was intercepted by Phalanx. He stood in near dumbfounded silence as the Geth supplied a blow by blow account of everything that had happened since it had arrived. He couldn’t fault it’s accuracy, even if the delivery left something to be desired. He arched a quizzical eyebrow in the synthetics direction, choosing to ignore Vella as she manhandled the talkative platform – no doubt Aegon would have some choice words for her - before turning to the female Turian

“Yeaaah, well Phalanx has about the long and short of it. . . My speech was better, but can't fault her for trying. The offer extends to you too. Join us, and do something with all those skills and that training of yours, or go back to slumming it on the Citadel.” Anderson had some issues with allowing Sicaria onto the team, mostly due to her apparent habit of running from her responsibilities. She’d fled the military when news of Saren’s betrayal became public, she fled Omega and the Blue Suns when things weren’t going her way, and she'd fled earth when the Reapers came. Yes, she went on to fight the massive machines throughout the galaxy, but he couldn’t help but wonder about all the human lives that might have been saved if she had stayed. He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt though. She might just have been waiting for a fight worth sticking around for, and despite all that her combat record was impressive. She’d be another one he’d be watching closely in the days to come if she chose to join them.

After that Rol'Naaris Vas Vaepal joined the others. Unlike Rayes, this Quarian was more militarily focused, and while Anderson didn’t doubt that the marine had some skill with that omni-tool of his, Rol’s real strength was in his tactical ability. Apparently, he’d been heavily involved in many of the plans devised by the Quarian’s to retake their planet, and his help had been indispensable during the battle for Earth. Time would tell just how good he actually was, but on paper he was a thinking-man’s soldier. Hopefully he’d step up and help balance out some of the more ‘loud’ personalities on the team.

“You’ll get plenty of opportunity to showcase just how useful Rol’Naaris.”

He was about to explain to the group the details of the first mission when the Drell, Gilvert Somnell, materialized out of thin air. This time Anderson couldn’t help himself, and he’d half drawn his carnifex in an impressive showing of quickdraw skill before realizing that Giles wasn’t hostile. Maybe he owed Vella an apology, this crew seemed to go out of it's way to get shot.

The Drell was another ‘trouble hire’ for Anderson. On the one hand, he was one of the most highly recommended explosions experts he’d ever seen. On the other he was almost certifiably insane. The Spectre had been around mines and grenades for a long time now, and the one thing he’d come to realize about them was that you didn’t give them to crazy people. However he had distinguished himself with the ‘heroic outcasts’, and the work he’d been doing aiding in reconstruction efforts was commendable. Giles ‘episodes’ were apparently under control for now, and the Council wanted to take advantage of his skills while they still could. Ultimately Giles fate was up to Jake and Aegon now, and they’d been instructed to ‘take care’ of the old Drell if he proved unreliable. He was just too dangerous to let walk free.

“We know of it, though were led to believe that you have some measure of control, otherwise we would have never extended the invitation to you. Keep the crazy to a minimum, do what we tell you, and refrain from blowing up cities, and we won’t have any problems. ”

That seemed to be it for introductions, and Anderson didn’t want to waste any more time.

“You aren’t the only people we reached out to, but anyone not here now is officially late, so unless they come through that door right now we won’t be waiting for them.”

“You’ll all no doubt be wondering what the first job is, and the good news is we’re gonna be striking while the irons hot. See, we didn’t pick this as our meeting place just for the ambiance. Hidden deeper within this tunnel complex is a secret bunker, used by people we suspect of not only supporting the Terra Firma party, but harboring former Cerberus operatives. Obviously the first part is not a crime in of itself, we still support free speech after all, but the TF has been stirring up all sorts of trouble lately, and if we don't deal with them now who knows what kind of chaos they could cause."

"Now Cerberus, they're a different story. These guys are still actively working against any Xeno presence on earth. ” He let that sink in. If anyone here knew anything about Cerberus then they’d know exactly what that meant. Abduction, experimentation, racially motivated killings, Cerberus was into all that and more. The Spectre was especially interested in and reaction Ellis might have here, as he still wasn’t convinced the man had cut all his former ties.

“Our mission is to infiltrate the bunker, detain anyone inside, and find out exactly what they’re up to. Resistance is expected to be light. However, if it really is a support station for Terra Firma then that means there is the possibility of civilians inside, so we’ve got to be careful of stray fire. To that end, no one shoots unless fired upon, or under the express instruction of either myself or Aegon”

“We’ll be splitting into two squads. Aegon is taking those of you used to getting noisy, and you’re all just gonna knock on the front door and cause a ruckus. The rest of you will be with me, and we’ll be using the distraction caused at the front to sneak in the back. We’ll be actively investigating just what’s going on in there while the heavy team deals with the bulk of the resistance.”

“To that end, Skarr, Giles, Tiberius, Taevon, Vella and Rykarn will be going with Aegon. Rol'Naarisl, Balak, Phalanx, Rayes'Xum, and Velinian, you’re with me.”

“It's a relatively simple mission, and a simple plan. I'll level with you, it's more for us to get a true impression of your combat capabilities, how well you can work together, and how well you take orders. If it seems beneath you, it's because it is. You don't like it, there's the door."

"Now, If anyone’s got any questions, let's hear 'em now. Wont be any time for them later.”

[Silver Fox]

Phalanx slowly nodded in response to the Spectre, silently listening as it turned it's lamphead to look at the human Ellis Taevon, processing the information given curiously. "Your explanation would not notify her of the important decision given by Anderson-Spectre and Partinax-Spectre. It is likely she is another recruit. Chance of a passerby willingly come into unsteady structure full of grime without a valid purpose a minimum. However, I will re-calibrate further explanations." The Geth platform spoke, calibrating this acquired information into its systems. It appeared organics did not wish for 85% of the information when asked the question 'What happened?' Mhm interesting.

Watching as heat signatures seemed to rise a little within the human, the Geth tilted its head curiously about to question on the well being of the organic before Phalanx's head was pulled closer to the Asari. Whom also seemed displeased with the long winded information. "Specify. Is it not important for possible new comrade to be informed of their possible new comrades?" it asked, genuinely confused. Although Vella "Calisto" Calixten Ophelia now seemed intrigued with the Female Turian Unit and Ellis Taevon, her grip tightening around this platform's head. Phalanx's flashlight head sorta tilted between the two, not particularly understanding the situation that the Asari was so intrigued about.

"Vella "Calisto" Calixten Ophelia, for what purpose do you continue to clutch onto this platform?" Phalanx asked, not particularly bothered by the situation. As long as she didn't try to shoot it again. But it couldn't read a reason for the action. This position didn't particularly detain the Geth unit from further action or anything. Plus, due to the fact of the Asari's hostility from earlier, it didn't make too much logical sense why the blue fleshy creature would willingly get this close to the synthetic lifeform. Organics were such a mystery.

However it seemed its words went on deaf ears as the Asari continued.... with whatever she was doing.

Turning its head slightly to glance at the second Creator, calling himself Rol’Naaris vas Vaepal, classing himself as a strategist and a sniper. Seemed there was a few members who had sniper experience. The Creator also made the consensus of joining the Spectre crew. Making him the eighth member to join in this expedition. However, it wasn't long until another joined the crew, one hidden until revealing himself. A male Drell calling himself Gilvert Somner, a explosives expert. The reptile-like organic spoke about a different side of himself called the artist. Phalanx had little information of what this could mean. Speaking of artistic painting, sculpting, photography, pottery, calligraphy, and other such types of art did not seem to fit in what someone should be wary of. Although, the Geth could recall some terms that would seem a bit disturbing that some organics called 'art' but Phalanx had little to go on having little knowledge of this newcomer.

It was then, Ja'Far Balak came to the Geth's assistance and pried off the Asari while explaining that basically she should leave the Female Turian Unit and Ellis Taevon alone. The Baltarian then nodded to the synthetic, placing a hand upon this platform's shoulder plate as he spoke to it. Phalanx tilting its head slightly, curious over this development as it listened to words that left the organic's mouth.

"Affirmative, this program has designated itself with the name, Phalanx." The synthetic lifeform replied, the metal flaps raising in a alert fashion ever so slightly, shaking barely as 'friendship' was mentioned once more. It appeared Phalanx had a positive reaction for that particular word and its synonyms.

"Affirmative. This platform is built for accuracy and infiltration, and been programed using a sniper rifle as my main firearm." Phalanx said, head flaps returning flat against the platform, before upholstering its sniper pulse rifle from its back, the keychain jingling slightly at the sudden movement, and held it in its arms for better inspection. "This model is the Geth Pulse Sniper Rifle Mark X. It was designed by myself and 2,445 other Geth programs. Some Creators on Rannoch have started selling some models in the last half a year." it explained before pausing at Ja'Far Balak's question of the reason Phalanx had decided to leave Geth space. It was a valid question, considering it was extremely rare to see a Geth platform, fully operational, outside of Rannoch. Despite reaching a peace with organics and a sense of individuality, most its kind is content where they are.

Processing a proper response, taking in consideration that organics did not quite enjoy long explanations. It answered a couple of seconds later then it usually would. "Main objective is to study organic behavior, social and emotional patterns. Unlike many programs, I find them fascinating. I also made calculations that since Shepard-Commander's and Legion's actions, Geth systems are short circuiting with what organics define as 'emotion'. This is new to the Geth, most do not react, many programs finding it a flaw within organic code. However, organics have proven to defy logic and statistics stacked against them with the assistance of these 'emotions' despite historic repeat behavior of illogical actions thanks to these. So I am researching it, while attempting to strengthen organic and synthetic relationships. Many organics believe none of this 'emotion' makes a 'monster'. I do not know if I classify as a monster or not. However, I also witnessed these... short circuits within my system. Further research is needed to pursue understanding of this short circuiting." the Geth explained.

"I look foreword in experiencing this adventure as comrades with you and the others." Phalanx chirped. The Geth program had a lot to learn when it came to proper organic socialization, but it was putting forth the effort to attempt to learn more with physical experience. Several programs may find its actions illogical, but it seemed like it was necessary to achieve true peace with the organics of the galaxy. So far, it at least could identify two of these 'emotions' which was its unending curiosity and confusion. It was a lot, considering Phalanx had only been interacting with organics for a year, and most of the time they weren't interested in actually socializing. Prior to the Old Machines defeat, the last time Phalanx had interaction with a organic was back during the Geth War.

Turning to the human Spectre as he explained their mission and assigned positions. Logging the information in, Phalanx was the first to pipe up when asked if anyone had any questions. "Specify priority if situation becomes critical. Protect possible civilians or detain/shoot hostile units?" the synthetic lifeform asked. It could already calculate the answer and doubted the situation will get to that critical point, however it wanted to listen to answer from the Spectre themselves.

[Rithy]

It was not until the creepy eyed Batarian had physically begun to remove Vella's unthinking grip on the unfortunate Geth that she suddenly snapped back to reality, her yellow eyes shooting back at Ja'far with lightning intent; before her face suddenly softened just as fast as it had turned and she gave a mischievous smile.

"Surely you saw it t,-" Vella was about to say with an enthusiastic grin, when her eyes suddenly narrowed into a frown, she smelling the thick scent of the batarian's cigar and... other smells!

It was... unusual to be this close up to a batarian. His many eyes looked practically ghastly at this close range, and every scent and smell became magnified many times at this proximity!
Vella had never been a fan of the batarians. They were like the vorcha, except more intelligent as well as slimy! Wherever there were batarians, there seemed to always be trouble. Their general propensity for crime seemed endemic to the specie itself! And most of the times she had encountered batarians, it was either for shooting or arresting them, or avoiding them as much as possible during social calls.

And the current proximity was... awkward.

"Normally I stab them at this range! ... but I do not think the spectres would approve."

"Soooo... that accent." Vella replied, the strong sense of awkwardness surrounding the whole situation making her hesitate as she glanced at Ja'far.
" ... are you an actor?"

Then, it happened; salvation! The moment Vella heard a mention of a secret facility underground, something about Cerberus, and that she was supposedly going with the Turian, she immediately perked up as she was saved from the social awkwardness with the batarian!

"When you say ´knock´, how many charges are we talking about here?!" Vella exclaimed enthusiastically!

By the sound of everything, this was her dream assignment.
Close quarters, indoor, underground; this was the environment that she had been made for.

She glanced across the rest of the groups, sizing them up. Given how this was her favored environment, she questioned whether any of them might be able to keep up with her once the fighting started. Yellow eyes darting from person to person, she saw a lot of specialists, infiltrators and essentially support personnel.

However, the four people she identified as potential matches were first and foremost the two krogan. Whilst krogans were often made fun of for their terrible aim in the open field, they were truly formidable beasts in close quarters. Even a untrained Krogan was a threat to be reckoned with in a tight hallway, doubly so if it was armed to the teeth! Then there was the turian spectre, Aegon. She did not know much about him, but he did look like a dedicated soldier through and through. Although Turians were nothing if not known for their anally-strict soldiery and (borderline unhealthy) obsession with anything war, Vella still considered herself a step above them. Even so, this Turian warrior was also a spectre, which meant he probably had something extra that put him well above your usual goon!

And then there was the matter of the ´thing´ in the full metal suit, supposedly a human, but appeared to be so in name only.

She had never seen those specs before. She had no knowledge about its limits, what it could do. Other than that it looked abominable. For all she knew, it might be nearly impervious, or suddenly malfunction at the first EMP grenade thrown by the enemy.
And he was ex-Cerberus...

"I hope you are turncoat through and through!" Vella chuckled towards the hulking suit of armor.

She had never fought against Cerberus before. Sure, she had once shot someone assumed to be associated with the organization, but she had never fought against anything close to one of their combat divisions before. Something she just chalked up to their luck.

But perhaps, today, things were about to change. Vella could feel a tingle of excitement run through her body, her fingers automatically expanding as if to react on a snap moment!

[PrivateVentures]

Close quarters combat. Well, possibly. Mostly, the goal was to arrest the bad guys, free the civvies. But also, CLOSE QUARTERS COMBAT. Ellis’ favorite. There was nothing quite like the thrill of feeling an enemy soldier flail against your armor, helpless to stop you as you squeeze, squeeeeeze squeeeeeeeeze on his helmet until crack goes his helmet and crunch goes his skull, spilling hot slime and gore like a smashed pumpkin.

Out of all of his new teammates, Vella seemed the one most suited to pair up with Ellis. She was clearly impulsive, which would compliment Ellis' predatory prowling quite nicely. The Krogans would be the most superlative of diversions, and the Drell, he was certain, would prove useful in the thick of battle. He seemed almost... familiar. The Turian...

SO MANY ALIENS!

"I hope you are turncoat through and through!" She was right. He was a traitor now, wasn't he? No matter. The Asari seemed to fear him. He saw intrigue in her eyes, but also a tinge of uneasiness. Could it be the lack of visible skin? The synthetic voice filter? The fact that he was more machine than man? She was in his squad and must certainly be aware of his ability to kill her and dispose of her body quickly and easily. But then, she behaved as a child does. As one borne of innocence. But this new undertaking, this was war. He'd have to keep an eye on her. An innocent soul has no business in war, but if she insists, someone will have to look after her. Ellis sighed.
I guess I can watch her back.

That's the spirit.

And then, there was the lovely Turian.

Just sheer dumb luck that she wasn’t in his division. He didn’t need the distractions. He’d be distracted enough. After all, he might be shooting at old colleagues or subordinates. It sounded like fun, shooting old coworkers. Like, Mary from the Provisions department. Or Kareem from Accounts and Records.
Or Samuel. That rat bastard from Alpha One-One, Combat Infantry. Fuck Samuel. The good thing was, he’d only ever had to shout at Samuel’s helmet, so for all he knew, THEY COULD ALL BE SAMUEL.

JUST IMAGINE: They’re all Samuel. When you see them, every Centurion, every Grunt, every Specialist-

They’re all Samuel?

Every fucking one of them.

Ellis wondered if they might recognize him. It was possible, he supposed, as his suit was one-of-a-kind. And he did work closely with a lot of the ground troops. His stumps ached in reality, but he felt it in his fingers. He wondered how Cerberus was faring without their leader, as Shepherd had singlehandedly ruined nearly all of their conspiracies. He wondered about the number of Cerberus combat forces, then assured himself it didn't matter. They always followed Greek troop movements. He wondered how many Cerberus noncombat personnel there were, then reminded himself that they were still considered enemy combatants, so far as he was concerned. He wondered how they would all fare if there were another complication, if maybe he-
“If Cerberus is involved, it’s plausible that their troops recognize me. It’s likely that my resignation was not a widespread fact. It is altogether possible that they will accept me on sight, allowing me to open the way for the team. We may be able to infiltrate the operation without arousing any suspicion.”

Say ‘sir’.

“Sir. Partinax.”

He outranks you. Don’t call him by name.

“Sir.”

His eyes wandered back to the gorgeous Turian. Her skin sparkled. Like the stars…

Shut up, idiot.

It felt like his body were being charged up, like a battery. He needed to vent this pressure, before he exploded.

“So, Sir, when do we get going? I’m eager to get started.”

Alright, Samuel. You’ve done some bad things, and we’re here to FUCK YOUR LIFE.

Wait, no. We’re here to… detain you? That doesn’t seem quite right.
I really hope he shoots at us. That makes it okay to kill him, right?

God, look at her eyes-

Samuel. Back to Samuel. If one Samuel shoots at us, can we kill all Samuels?
What if one Samuel shoots, and another surrenders?

I suppose I’ll just play it by ear.

Ellis made a mental note, taking inventory of all of his gear. His Talon, freshly loaded, on his hip. His Mattock, collapsed on his back, fresh and ready to go, calibrated to fabricate antimaterial piercing rounds rather than soft antipersonnel ammo. He’d already checked his omni-tool several times, and reminded himself that his omni-blade application was set to project a Batarian Enforcement Gauntlet. He’d loaded his suit earlier, four thermal clips, another four in reserve, and his heat sinks read in the green. His blood pressure spiked again.

Soon. Soon. We're ready. Just waiting for them.

He was dressed to kill and exert his will.

“You know what, I like your idea better. Let's knock first. It might be good to-" GET DIRTY "play it professionally."

[SgtEasy]

---

---

The Geth's explanation made Ja'Far smile slightly, tilting his head. Unknowingly, the Batarian had now formed a little bond between him and this AI platform, a sense of companionship and leadership boiling forth into the surface of his mind. He had been used by his superiors to train new Penal Legionnaires back in Khar'Shan, to give support when needed. The mentally broken 1^st Legion were effective for the cloak and dagger but the Hegemony needed a larger, more conventional fighting force to combat the ever present threat of revolution. He used to lead these recruits and support them during his own downtime when he still had it, making sure that they survived the hardships of basic training. Many of them were young, curious and much more innocent than he was. The 2^nd Legion were made up of juveniles, young offenders who committed very petty and minor crimes like protesting and outspoken criticism.

Phalanx reminded him of one of these recruits, innocent in it's ways, curious about the world beyond their own little bubble and a warming sight for tired eyes. Ja'Far patted the platform on the back, calloused hands making a small thump sound as he smacked the metal. "Emotions shan't be studied through others alone, Phalanx. One must find thine own journey, own path, own self. Thou will learn miń ways in due time, why we act, why we breathe and why we feel. Remember this while on this journey; companionship is what separates feeling and unfeeling." Using a modified version of his own speech to his own recruits, it brought feelings of nostalgia. Back to a time where his blade wasn't so bloodied as it was now, not as far back as when his pulping rage clouded his vision of course but to a time where he still felt something when he snapped someone's neck.

Turning his attention to a commenting Vella, obviously uncomfortable with his close proximity. He deadpanned at her before scratching his fringe. This Asari was going to be a source of many headaches to come, he decided as he put his three cigars back into his awaiting mouth. He found a distraction from the Asari in the form of one of the Spectres giving them their first mission, grouped in with the Human spectre and the lighter armoured people of the assembled.

He immediately started assessing those he had missed out previously, analytical eyes peering at the people he would be working with. Rol'Naaris seemed like any other Quarian, a possible tech specialist however that sniper rifle and shotgun combo on his back may state otherwise. Sicaria was another soldier, through and through and once noticing the dual-Omni Blade mods on her arms, he labelled her as a particularly vicious one. A team with not as much armour or firepower as the other one, but able to sneak in and sneak out at a moment's notice. It was better to be unseen and hidden from your enemies before you kill them after all.

Ja'Far slapped his right fist against his chest once more, nodding respectfully towards his mission leader (the human Spectre) and his fellow squad mates. He unfurled his Incisor, ready to test its shiny new black coating on enemies if need be. He also brought his interrogation dagger out, curled spikes adorning the blade, used to great effect when you needed to get information from a hostile. He checked it's razor sharp edges before placing it back in it's sheath. He looked up to level his eyes with that of his superior, the cold visage of an experienced soldier steeling his gaze "Shalt any field interrogations be needed sir? And art thou capturing people of interest? I expect that thou has read miń profile and certain specialisations, all such specialisations I canst bring to the table. Nevertheless, I accept the mission sir."

[Mao Mao]

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🇪🇦🇷🇹🇭, 🇸🇴🇱🇦🇷 🇸🇾🇸🇹🇪🇲

Rol'Naaris listened as Anderson discussed the group's first mission. It was simple enough: infiltrate the secret underground base, find evidence that Terra Firma is working with remaining Cerberus operatives, and get out quickly. Rol'Naaris knew about Cerberus as much as any military official. They were the bad guys working with the Reapers, so killing them was the only option. He didn't encountered any Cerberus operatives or members until Ellis revealed his past occupation of working with Cerberus. His reaction, however, made Rol'Naaris worried about the former operative. One of the Spectres has to keep a close eye on Ellis throughout this mission. Rol'Naaris had this feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Anderson decided to split the group up into two teams. One team would create a distraction while the other team goes behind the scenes and gather as much evidence and leave quietly. Rol'Naaris also learned that he would be working with Balak, Rayes'Xum, Velinian, and the machine that called itself 'Phalanx.' He listened to the geth's question about dealing with civilians and hostiles and didn't say anything. The geth was going to be interesting to work with since he killed a lot of geth in the Battle of Rannoch. It was odd to see how the majority suddenly forgot the Geth's involvement with the Reapers prior to the Battle of Rannoch, the mess aboard the Alarei, and the Morning War (which caused the quarians to flee Rannoch in the first place). Rol'Naaris knew that he had to work with the machine, but that doesn't mean that they have to be friends.

For a batarian, Ja'Far was not the average 'I-hate-humans-so-much-that-I-want-them-dead' type instead he seemed more religious. Rol'Naaris seemed some potential in Ja'Far for the role of leader if one of the Spectre agents gets killed. Plus, he seems to know something about interrogation when he asked a question about to Anderson. Then, there was Sicaria. Another turian with biotics that Rol'Naaris needs more time studying before he could form some sort of option about her. Finally, there was the other quarian—Rayes'Xum vas Fowal. It was nice to have another quarian on the team even if his trust is hard to gain. In additional, he was a better tech specialist than Rol'Naaris could ever be.

After looking at the group, he kind of liked most of the squad mates and was ready to work with almost all of them. When it was time to ask questions, Rol'Naaris waited for others to speak before he spoke. "Did you guys obtain the blueprints of the base? Do we know anything about the base, like how many people are there? That kind of question. And lastly, what kind of evidence would you guys like for our team to obtain?"

[MrDidact]

Aegon was used to dealing with miscreants. He had worked with addicts, deserters, mercenaries, spies, assassins, thieves, murderers, pirates, rebels, more than a few psychopaths. But never before had he had to deal with a child in a commando's body. Aegon glared at Vella with the cold stark intensity and channeled his old drill sergeant, " "In the future, refrain from manhandling your teammates. Especially the Geth. She is not a toy, she is a teammate and a valuable asset. And so far much more reliable than you. If you cause an inter-species incident because of your childlike lack of tact, I will personally entreat Republic High Command and you will not like the results. Understood?"

The Turian let his human comrade give the briefing. Best to present a united front. He fielded all the questions however, being the more senior agent. He turned to Phalanx and said, "Don't fire on anyone who doesn't present a threat but our job is to neutralize or capture Cerberus agents, not babysit civvies who deal with terrorists. If it comes to a fight, they will have to look out for themselves." It might have seemed ruthless to the aliens but the hastatim had been even more ruthless, anyone of fighting age who didn't surrender immediately was assumed to be hostile and was terminated with extreme prejudice. The Terra Firma members were lucky Aegon wasn't adopting their rules of engagement.

He managed to restrain from growling at Vella, "No charges. We need this facility as intact as possible to gather the intel and personnel we can and I would have thought you'd reconsider setting explosives in an aging tunnel system after the last incident. I will poke the hornet's nest with some flashbangs to draw their attention and we will work from there. Hopefully you can demonstrate something approaching a competent level of fire discipline in this case. But if we meet heavy resistance, I may give you permission to use more destructive methods. But only at my express command and not before."

Aegon replied to Ellis, "In other circumstances I might have considered it. But you haven't exactly demonstrated that you are trustworthy yet. I want you where I can keep an eye on you." He trusted Ex-Cerberus operative even less than Vella. Any other time he would have thrown him in a dark cell, but first he wanted to see if he would prove useful. However he did have a good impression of Ja'Far. Other Turians might have had a dim view of Hegemony Black Ops but Ja'Far had been as much a slave as anyone else. And he was demonstrating much more sense than some of the other team-members. Though his method of speech left much to be desired.

He responded to his question, "Field interrogations will take too much time, time we don't have in a close combat scenario. But any captives we take will be brought to our own facility. We might be able use your expertise then. As for HVTs, we have very little intel on who could be in there; only that the facility is there. That's why we will try to take as many alive as possible and sort them out later. But it's a good bet that Centurions will have some intel." Aegon turned to the Quarian, he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and asked sensible questions, "We have detailed blue prints of the Underground but we cannot know how these relate to the composition of their base. It was difficult enough finding out where the main entrance was without compromising the operation. However we will forward the blue prints of the sections of the Underground we believe that are firmly in control by Cerberus. These tunnels are old and will be difficult to navigate. As for numbers, our reports find that there are at least 60 permanent personnel but there could very well be more. For intel, any terminals we come across will be scoured for data and all hostiles will be checked for OSDs or other physical evidence. Each of you will keep your helmet cams running, any little bit could prove useful."

They had been planning the Op for weeks, but Aegon knew far less than he liked. Cerberus had chosen a good spot to operate in secrecy. He knew the basics but only the spirits knew just exactly what the team would be facing. So far they hadn't inspired a lot of confidence, but Aegon knew you had to go to war with the army you had, "Any other questions?"

[PrivateVentures]

"Just one." Ellis had thought this through carefully. Cerberus would be less likely to fire on him, particularly if he were able to pass at least their visual checks. After all, the guards looking to see who's knocking were human, more or less. "Would you allow me the honor of taking point? I can provide a good visual shield, as well as being, again, possibly familiar to the Cerberus officers present. At the very least, they'll recognize me as being of Cerberus make."

If you get identified, fully-

No, I won't think about that-

They'll kill you.

He sighed, barely a whisper, "No they won't."

[Rithy]

"Yes sir!" "Yes Sir!"

Vella replied automatically to Aegon's reprimands, as if she had done so a million times before. Which; answering to angry officers with a stick up their rears; was something she had indeed done a million times before! There was a slight grin on her face, her yellow eyes narrowing.

Aegon's hard-ass act made her just more excited for the mission. The spectres were; even if only in appearance; acting serious about this mission. And it was Cerberus on top of it all. This was like a dream come through for any dedicated linebreaker in the Lance of Light!

"I do not mind if the cerberus human takes the front." Vella added at Ellis's request.

Indeed, she did not mind. But not because she was afraid any of her defences would fail her. Rather, because she was not any particularly worried about Ellis's safety.

Should it it turn out that Ellis ended up knocking on the door and should it turn out that Cerberus just happened to have a big anti-vehicle(and anti-traitor) laser tactically positioned directly on the other side of said door, Vella wouldn't be too much traumatised if Ellis were to be instantaneously vaporised in an awesome laser show!

Vella simply turned and dragged her plastic duffle bag closer as she threw an offbeat smirk at Phalanx and the Infiltration team.

"You guys give Cerberus a good one in the rear for me, okies?" She giggled as she pulled out a stashed belt of X-rated stun grenades.

[Rithy]

*CURSE YOUUUU DOUBLE POST!*

[Dervish]

”Oh, don’t worry about me, Anderson. I’ll do my part, I always do.” Rykarn replied, crossing his arms as the Spectre made his way down the list of people who arrived; it begged to question if anyone didn’t show up. Even if it was an oddball assortment that was already running into friction, it was still a small team as far as most operations went. That sentiment was only further cemented when the briefing was underway, elaborating that somewhere in the metro was some kind of Cerberus holdout; he’d never fought them himself, but Rykarn knew enough that the group was a big enough threat to the galaxy that they almost entirely sabotaged the war effort against the Reapers and managed to take the Citadel. It would be a good fight.

Ah, Cerberus. It must have been too much to ask for them to all politely die on Cronos Station, wasn’t it? Rykarn thought as Anderson went through the briefing, reflecting on the Terra Firma loving pyjak who made his feelings towards aliens well known not half an hour prior via beer bottle. Civilians complicated matters; they always did, but it wouldn’t be the first time they’d been in the line of fire. It mainly came down to shooting the assholes with guns and detaining the ones who didn’t; most people didn’t argue when a krogan was bearing down on them.

The words, ‘cause a ruckus’ prompted a grin from Rykarn. That was something he was very, very good at. It wouldn’t be a totally boring and delicate job after all. He was assigned to Partinax’s group, which was fine. The krogan knew he worked well with turian Spectres from firsthand experience, provided Partinax wasn’t a total pain in the ass. The rest of the team was rounded out; the fellow krogan, whom Rykarn suspected was more experienced than everyone else in the room combined, Ellis, who had apparently wormed his way into this secret gathering and was suddenly under the crosshairs, the drell who had seemingly missed everything so the krogan barely made note of him until he figured out who the hell ‘Giles’ was, the perpetually 5 years-at-heart asari that was the primary reason for the Specters being annoyed beyond words, and the turian who tried to buddy up to Rykarn from the get-go who apparently wanted lung cancer. This should be a clusterfuck. the krogan thought, slowly taking in his team and trying to figure out exactly what made most of them worth notice. He’d find out, soon enough.

Similarly gathering was Anderson’s team, and the batarian Ja’Far was chatting up the geth like it was an old friend. Rykarn found it rather pointless; geth weren’t people, they were programs that simply followed what whatever made them dictated they should do. The only difference between a VI and an AI was that AI were allowed to think on their own, but that didn’t mean they weren’t machines. They simply were more useful ones that learned on their own. It was part of why Rykarn didn’t hold a grudge against the geth for siding with Sovereign and the Reapers on a pair of notable occasions; they were simply doing tools that another master dictated. Now they traded in deep space monsters for physiologically frail aliens that couldn’t even put down an uprising of appliances and had to become a series of galactic vermin until Commander Shepard convinced them both their war was stupid. The fact it took a human to sort out three hundred years of animosity was almost embarrassing.

Then again, the exact same Shepard was the one who managed to create peace between the turians and the krogan. The salarians, however, could continue being spineless little toadies. Sometimes, the galaxy just didn’t make any goddamn sense.

Aegon lined out additional mission parameters, the no explosive rule ruling out his use of the Striker; although small and contained, a missed shot might destroy valuable intel via explosive charge. He appreciated the Spectre being pragmatic; the team came first, and if a civvie got caught up in a crossfire, tough shit. They were associating with the wrong people. After what Cerberus did, anyone who supported them were guilty by association.

When prompted for further questions, Rykarn shook his head. ”Won’t know until we get there. What do we do about people who surrender? We can’t exactly march out of there with two dozen personnel . Are we just going to detain them and call the local authorities to collect them when we’re done?”