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Hit: Prolgue - For Now
He hid in the air duct above the doors, listening to the movement and goings on in the ship as he crouched in the comforting dark. He let out a soft long breath as he relaxed even more, letting him slip more into his semi-meditative state. He didn't know how to feel about this alien female that had suddenly been thrust into his life. Was she as strong and dangerous as she first looked when she stormed into the office back on Illium, or did all her power come from a dependence on her comrades? Was it luck and good timing? He usually could read people with ease, but something about her left him intrigued and on guard. The first, a rare occurrence; the latter was second nature. He would wait patiently so he could judge her capabilities firsthand. He was a master at many things. The waiting game was one of them.
Shepard made her way from one crewmate to the next, talking to each in a way to match their personality. She knew she had a way with putting people at ease, no matter how they may resist in the beginning. That was one way she'd survived as long as she had. Despite what people might think about some of her methods or her shady background, she didn't like hurting anyone that might not deserve the pain. Talking her way out of dangerous situations could almost be a game to her if other people's safety weren't usually involved. She straightened up as she made her way to life support to acquaint herself with the newest member. The doors hissed open and she took a step inside, glancing around curiously when there was no sign of the drell. She walked in a few steps, enough for the doors to slide shut before letting out a small sigh through her nose.
Suddenly, a weight hit her in the back, careening her forward as she gasped, slamming into the tanks along the wall in front of her. She quivered in shock more than in pain as her attacker pressed against her back, keeping her pinned to the wall, the tanks hard and cold against her front. She was aware of the smell of leather and a hint of spice, one strong arm keeping her wrists pinned above her head while the other held a blade gently under her ribs. She feigned a relaxed stance as the drell shifted against her back, his low voice murmuring next to her ear, his tone oddly curious and...disappointed. "I was not expecting you to be so easy a target, Commander. The moment the doors opened, I had already figured out five ways to kill you before you could make a sound." She tongued the razor blade out from the inner pocket in her cheek that she had received during her initiation with the Reds and slid it between her teeth. Her biotics surged just enough to create a threadbare barrier between her skin and his, allowing her to whirl in his grip so that she was facing him. She had managed to get one arm free before he had time to react and twist his hand at her midriff away painfully. He stepped back quickly, reaching up to the stinging cut running along his cheek as he stared at the faintly glowing woman in front of him. She didn't look angry or frightened, just calculating as she took the thin blade out of her mouth. He glanced down at his fingers as he pulled his hand away, almost smiling at the blood that was on them. He looked back at her as he rotated his other wrist to work the soreness out. "I would not make a habit of figuring out methods to assassinate me Krios unless you plan to either save the universe by yourself with both the Collectors AND Cerberus howling for your blood, or teach me how to execute said methods on my enemies." She replied smoothly, her biotics calming as he remained a safe distance, looking like he had no intention in attacking her again.
He sheathed his blade and gave her a small respectful bow, his tone polite once again. "I apologize for greeting you in such a manner; I was merely performing an experiment. I would not have caused you real harm, rest assured." She arched an eyebrow. "Trying to see if I'm worth following? Is that it?" He straightened up with a faint smile. "Partly." She crossed her arms, still fingering the bloody razor as she watched him. "And?" He put his hands behind his back and he walked silently to the window that viewed into the AI core. "I will follow you into battle. For now." She stared at his back before swiftly exiting the room without a word. Thane let out a sigh, closing his eyes. He wasn't expecting his curiosity to be heightened after their encounter. He touched his cheek again, fingering the blood that dripped down his face. Perhaps she would turn out to be a worthy leader after all; or at least a worthy opponent, if it came to that.
Shepard trembled, enraged yet exhilarated as she prowled through the crew up to the galaxy map. How dare he attack her on her own ship. Then again, if he had really wanted to hurt her, he would have done so. The fact that he had pulled her back just enough so that she was only stunned rather than injured when he had forced her up against the wall wasn't beyond her notice. On the other hand, did every dossier think they could just throw her about like a ragdoll? She had already had to put the krogan in his place, but now the drell? She pinched the bridge of her nose before looking down at the map tiredly. Her old team was gone, replaced by darker colder imitations. The only people who seemed to have stayed the same were Joker and Chakwas, but even they seemed melancholy and haunted behind their smiles and familiar quips. She smiled sadly as she flicked through the map, finding their next destination. The drell's words depressed her more than she had expected. It reminded her that everything was temporary. Everything changes. These people were to be her allies in stopping the Collectors, for now; but what about after? Would there even be an after… Would she even care?