(( I've tried to keep typos to the bare minimum. I hope you enjoy :D ))
'You've got a murderous look on your face, Ay.'
Aaron glanced briefly at the human sitting next to him. 'Don't I always?' replied half-heartedly, reverting his eyes at the bag before him. He placed his C-Sec uniform on an hanger and put it in his personal locker.
'Yeah- I mean, more than usual!' he shook his head 'C'mon, don't let that turian chick get you down. It wasn't fate: there wasn't enough feeling between you two.' completed with a chuckle. Aaron deeply stared at him this time, feeling the sudden urge to smack the hell out of his head. Unfortunately, he couldn't fulfill his desire, otherwise he would have had to go look for an economic undertaker for his friend. From time to time, he forgot of his own outer shell.
'Here you go again. Oh wait, it's probably just your relaxed face.' said, before focusing on removing a pair of heavy leather boots.
'Michael, I can assure you this time I was filled with homicidal intent'. Aaron's mandibles snapped as he closed the locker and took his beloved gray hoodie from his bag. 'What a pointless morning. I completed the C-Sec training for what? To be left behind by some random drug rat in the middle of the world?' uttered dejectedly. His voice was heavy and rough; the turian woman gave him an hard time, running crazily about for practically one hour. He raised his trousers over the hips, closing the custom oblique zipper.
'Mate, each time I see you dress yourself up, I wonder what's wrong with this world.'
As usual, human expressions had no secrets for him. Michael's eyes were slightly more open than normal, hinting partial if not total disbelief or amazement. His human upbringing gave him an head-start during the specialized C-Sec courses for facial expressions recognisance. Quality credits, easy to obtain and to maintain his score high enough to continue getting the Alliance scholarship for aspiring C-Sec officers. Sure, his physical appearance was quite in contradiction with the assignment of such a prestigious human funding, but under the obsidian-coloured scales and leathery skin lived an human, not a turian. He felt uncomfortable with those biologically similar to him, unable to read their voices and expressions. Thus he had always preferred the company of those furry sentient beings.
'On my account, instead, your inability to adapt to newer circumstances never ceases to amaze me.' said sarcastically back, opening his mandibles instinctively in a sort of smile.
'Low blow, kid.' admitted the human with a soft grin. His partner always acted like that: honest, trustworthy and easy-going, but quite the observer.
In the meanwhile, Aaron had finished packing up his things. He put a pair of blue headphones on his neck and headed for the door. Just before exiting, however, he called for the friend, closing the translator. 'Michael' his voice was rasping and odd, labial consonants badly pronounced for the absence of lips; over the rhythm of the words had something unmistakably british in it. 'You may as well be two years older than me, but I am almost twice as you in size and weight.' uttered with a series of sounds that seemed a deep laugh. He switched back on the translator. 'See ya tomorrow pal.'
The busy streets of the mid-ward engulfed the Turian as he exited the C-Sec office. Aaron made his way through the swarming crowd of aliens, wearing at once his headphones and switching on some relaxing, slow swing contaminated with star age elements. As the vocals swirled into his head, the streets acquired new colors and substance. Everyone seemed to know perfectly to know where to go, and the world seemed in order as the neon signs and screens gleamed over the heads of the busy intergalactic community. Several police X3Ms flew up from one of the void-proof windows, skirting alongside the floor's main connection hallway to quickly hover in patrol over the main trafic routes. The Zakera ward had always been one of the most economically and "socially" active among the wards of the Citadel.
The shuttle connection wasn't particularly distant from the building where the C-Sec had placed an HQ. After a small queque, identification and scan for potentially hazardous items, Aaron managed to get inside the station and jump on the first available shuttle. Fastened the seatbelts, he allowed himself to unbend his muscles and observe out of the glass as the vehicle's engine ignited. Over the intricate mazy layout of the wards roads and passageways shone the presidium, political and cultural heart of the galactic society. A common sight around there, yet Aaron always found it so astonishingly inspiring. He and his sister settled in the Zakera ward already several years before, and ever since they had been working their lives out in that cosmic megalopolis. From time to time, Aaron still felt somewhat homesick, recalling all the fine memories of his childhood in London. Nevertheless, life went its way, and they followed accordingly. They now had a new place to call home, new friends to spend time with and new mundane habits. Everything was going smoothly.
Shin Akiba was quite distant, one of the last stops, so he drew a datapad outside of his bag and inserted the autopilot for the voyage. Aaron's eyes were caught by some headlines running about on megascreen along the road. The words "Geth Invasion on Human Colony." sent a shiver to his mandibles, which started itching slightly. Of the many possible things he would have impulsively done after reading that, checking on his sister to update her was the most logic option. They once spent some holidays on that paradise, so he felt obliged to inform her. The shuttle redirected itself to a major interchange, hiding the ominous characters behind some buildings. However, just when he had composed the number for Elizabeth's omni-phone, a private C-Sec communication made its way to his datapad. He grimaced, and dejected activated the call.
'Officer Aaron Brannheim, currently off-duty.' greeted, trying to sound as neutral as he could. 'How can I be of assistance, sir?' added shortly thereafter.
'Ah! Aaron, bad news, I am sorry.' replied back a familiar voice.
Knowing who was at the other end of the phone, he sighed deeply. 'Michael...?'
'As I've said, bad news. There's some serious crap going on around here.' Some clatter could be heard in the background. The sound resembles closely the noise of closing lockers. 'Apparently the higher-ups have scheduled some kind of unexpected dock patrol. Our squad has been dispatched to this mission.'
'Michael, I am off-duty now. You know perfectly I have to attend to... that thing. You know, Ade has finally been accepted into the Representative orchestra and he succeeded to get us a discout'. Two C-Sec shuttles thundered on the lane over him, only to turn suddenly right at the successive block.
'Yeah, bad luck. The lieutenant has assigned you as a plainclothes agent for this operation. You've got your Phalanx with you, right?'
Aaron felt the heavy pistol with his hand. The weapon rested attached to a belt strapped on his lower abdomen: he never parted with it as it made him feel unprotected. 'The old lady's with me. No need to worry.' said sarcastically.
'Meet us at the docking station. You should be able to recognize us from the C-Sec looking suits and bad-ass automatic assault rifles.' concluded the human with a chuckle, ending communications.
Aaron, deactivating the auto-pilot, quickly sent a message to his sister as the vehicle changed lanes.
"Sorry sis; we've got to reschedule."
