Note: This is just a test of waters at first. I find that this seems to be a bit messy, but hopefully it'll become more refined as time goes on. This was just basically to quickly introduce a number of characters that will be reasonably important at different points. This isn't a constant flowing story with chapters, but an episodic sort of deal. There might be two or three parts to certain 'episodes', such as this first one, but they'll generally be concerned with separate stories each time.

Some well known characters from the game and wider universe may make periodical appearances, but this will generally concentrate on two specific characters (both original I'm afraid). One episode might be told from the perspective of a certain character, and then someone else in the next. But, generally, there won't be any big 'saving the galaxy' type things here. This is supposed to tell the story of odinary people, with relatively ordinary lives, getting mixed-up in slightly unusual situations.

I've also been playing with the idea of having instances where the reader, you, will get to choose what path the story takes. This may come in the form of two, three or even four options to pick from, each one having a different outcome. I feel that that may make the reader more involved. I wouldn't put such a thing into action very soon, however, and not so often that it'd become tiresome as opposed to interesting. And it all depends on how well this goes in the first place anyway.

Right, sorry for going on, but I had to get those things done. On with the story.


Episode One: The Rookie. Part One.

Date: 24.5.2172 CE

******

Citadel Space. The very heart of all space-fairing and, some would argue, civilised species. Here they all convened, trading commerce, ideologies and culture. This social and political hub brought together all that was good about the separate Citadel races. However, even among the grand towers of the Upper Wards, there are those who seek to bring their corruption with them, wherever they may go. Crime, like the relatively peaceful exchange of culture, is a daily occurrence, and it only gets worse the further in you go. Right down to the Foundations, where it is rare to see security personnel. Obviously, with such prevalent amounts of crime, there needs to be some sort of policing force to keep everything in-check.

That is where the Citadel Security Service, commonly known as C-Sec, enters the picture. It is an organisation consisting of over two-hundred thousand volunteer personnel, coming from all walks of life and varying Citadel species. It is up to them to meet crime head-on, wherever it might crop-up. And it is their story that shall be told, from the ground level looking up.

******

A face. More beautiful than he had ever seen. Smiling at him. Warmly. Lovingly. Together again. Like they always were. Like they always had been. Like they always should be. The artificial light. The Presidium. Flowers. Beautiful. Day turns to night. Faster than expected. There's a voice. It shouts. Garbled and distant. But clear. "Dekarie!" The thunderous crack of a gun. Screams. Blood. Darkness.

He jolts up from the deep slumber, short of breath and with a cold sweat. It was that dream again, the same that had been haunting him for too long now. They bring a clawed hand up to their forehead, slowly rubbing it and letting out a low sigh. The room around him was practically bare, save the necessary computers and various mechanical equipment. Construed bed sheets were thrown off, and soon he was getting ready. Work would be starting soon, and he had never been late. Not once.

The daily and constant hustle of the Wards buzzed on and on, as it always had done. The many thousands of fantastic lights shone and blinked, displaying their adverts or simply providing illumination. Civilian vehicles went hurdling by at great speeds, rushing to reach their destination. There was no sleep-wake cycle, no day or night. The Wards were a site of activity, no matter the time or date. In the distance sirens wailed, answering another call for help, as they always did. Grand towers, constructed by those who claimed the Wards as their own, but refined by the Keepers, stretched up to reach the stars, their windows reflecting the lights from the opposite arms. And below there was the same tired sight of people barely managing to get by, their lives just a blur of pain and suffering.

It truly was a day like any other. Nothing changed, yet it was always something different. From behind a set of blinds, two sharp predator-like eyes stared out at the view before them, with only a mild interest at what was going on. Around them were clearly visible white-markings, indicating as to which colony they hailed from. The markings continued over the entirety of the turian's face, with jagged sides and spiked endings. His skin was of a dark grey complexion, with some hints of pale brown, and his eyes a clear ice blue, uncaring and harsh. He is Detective Arlond Dekarie, an officer of C-Sec for seventeen years and a generally respected man. And today held a good few surprises for him.

Suddenly, a sharp tone rang out through the room. It was his alarm, indicating that he should still have been asleep. But, as was usual, he had awoken long before then. Sleep was a luxury, one which he could ill afford. This time, the transition between being ready for work and actually needing to be there, was the oddest time of the day for Arlond. It gave an opportunity for contemplation, a moment to stop and take stock of everything. One thought would lead to another, then another, not all of them good. Indeed, prying into the mind of this man would be inadvisable. A regularly occurring thought was 'Is it all worth it?' The constant fight for the streets, a new crime everyday. It was...tiring, to say the least. One half wished to just end it, pack up and give in. However, the strongly indoctrinated turian ideals of public service and dedication to the group as a whole simply would not allow it. Sometimes, this harsh determination was the only thing that kept him going, kept him sane.

His eyes snapped away from the window, down to the floor and then slowly over to the screen which was currently displaying the Galactic News, with the standardized Citadel time in the corner. It was time to get to work. Arlond cast a final wary glance out over the Wards, glaring intently. Then, silently, he left the apartment, leaving all electronic devices to switch themselves off, the mechanical VI voice bidding him farewell.

*******

The journey over had been silent, as it always was, save for the low hum of the engines. Dekarie cared little for listening to broadcasts while driving, something which he did with only half-hearted interest. Some warned him to pay more attention, while he had warned them to mind their own damn business. Eventually, he softly landed at the platform for Precinct 79-B, a place which he was all too familiar with. He knew its plain grey walls and dull metal hallways better than he knew his own apartment block. With steady and purposeful steps he approached the front desk to report in, being greeted with a smile by Deena Ti'ira, the precinct's resident asari, receptionist and general intelligence officer. She had been there the day he had started, and was still there now. Still with a smile, and always looking beautiful. And yet, she had never been more than just a passing acquaintance to him. Someone whom he was obligated to converse with, merely because she lay in the direction of where he needed to go.

"Ah, hello there Detective Dekarie," she said once she spotted the familiar turian, already logging him and activating the necessary systems "I trust you had a good sleep?

"You could say that," he replied, with the usual raspy voice of his kind, but with a slightly deeper tone.

"Alright...that's you all logged in," she looked up at him, that genuinely friendly smile still present "Have a good day Detective, and be safe out there."

Arlond gave a simple nod, before heading through the automatic doors, instantly being greeted by the loud buzz of activity, which he had become entirely accustomed to. Shouts, jeers, calls coming in, situations being dealt with. It was almost comforting in comparison to his eerily quiet private quarters. He gave a few nods and greetings of acknowledgement to those who recognised him, but generally kept to himself, heading straight for his own office, where he was likely to be greeted by numerous messages and new case files. He made brisk steps toward the central elevator, going in at the same time as a few others. Two officers, a salarian and a fellow turian, particularly perked his interest enough to warrant him listening in on their conversation, which was something which he could not help doing.

"...Yeah, I know it was months ago, but still. It's hard to believe that they just left like that," said the salarian.

"I still say it was a mistake to back the humans. Batarians have been here much longer. Their interests should have come first," added the turian.

"Exactly! I'm telling you, those humans, they'll bring nothing but trouble for us!"

"Won't disagree on that one. Say did you hear on the news about that..."

It at this point the elevator reached Arlond's destination and he got off, leaving the conversation to continue on without his intrusion. The batarians opting to remove their embassy entirely had been a point for concern for many Citadel citizens. They felt a certain amount of distrust toward the fledgling humans, who were all too keen to make their mark on the galactic scene. Some took their mistrust to new heights, leading to yet more dangerous situations. Prejudice toward the humans was still high, and tension remained between them and the turians. Suffice to say, Dekarie made a concious effort to avoid any humans who had been hired into C-Sec. Fortunately, there were still relatively few, the first one having only joined nine years previously. And from the stories he had heard, the man wasn't exactly doing a good job.

Thankfully, he soon reached his office, which he valued greatly. It was a good place in which to organise his thoughts and put everything together. Neither too big nor too small, it served its purpose just fine. Quickly, he started punching in the code necessary to unlock his door, the well remembered pin coming easily to him. However, his finger was stopped before it could hit the last digit by someone calling for him from further down the hallway.

"Detective Dekarie!" called the familiar voice of fellow detective Zalek "The captain wants to see you. Says it's something important."

Arlond couldn't help but to let a pained sigh escape his mouth. For a few moments he stared at the door which stood between him and his office, wondering what he would be needed for this time, before pressing hard on the cancel button to clear his nearly finished code. The holographic screen blinked away as he turned, his footsteps echoing down the long metal hallway. Being a reasonably renowned officer had granted him a place which lay near the captain's own office, which meant that the otherwise annoying walk was cut down to a casual stroll. Dekarie rarely rushed to get anywhere, regardless of who might be waiting for him, superior personnel or no. He knew he could get away with it though, his exemplary record had granted him that much.

Within two minutes he was at the destination, the doors opening automatically for him, revealing a room two times the size of his own office, and equipped with far better and far more equipment, ranging from personal computers to large data banks. Captain Ja'sar Ullok sat behind his desk, diligently filing numerous reports and dealing with anything that might be required of him. Arlond stepped in, waiting patiently for his commanding officer to acknowledge him. A prolonged silence broke out, before Ullok finally looked up, his yellow tinged eyes meeting the detective's. Both being turian, and being from the same world had created a certain sense of respect and camaraderie between the two, and so they treated each other as such.

"Please, take a seat detective," the captain offered, slowly indicating his hand toward a chair opposite him "I get the feeling that you might need it."

"You wanted to see me about something?" Dekarie inquired as he lowered himself into a sitting position.

"Yes. It seems that a decision has been made from high-up places. One which will concern you quite greatly in the coming months, maybe even years," Ullok started, building up for something that Arlond probably won't be happy with "They have deemed it necessary to post a new partner to you, who will serve as your assistant and student of sort..."

"A rookie? I'm no babysitter Captain."

"Please, allow me to finish," he paused for a moment "They're not a complete rookie. They've had previous experience with policing...on the Arcturus Station."

"But that's...oh no. You're not serious about this are you?" the turian asked, in a rather demanding tone.

"This isn't my decision Arlond. My hands are tied. If I had my way, I'd tell them that you don't even need a partner. However, that isn't what this about. You're pretty well known. Known to Executor Pallin, and to an extent the Council themselves. Hell, they even had the ridiulous notion to consider you as a potential Spectre candidate briefly, but myself and Pallin let them know what you'd think of that. Still, both they and the Executor are in agreement. Due to your extensive experience and outstanding record, you're perfect for this. The Council also sees it as an opportunity for our two species to improve relations, especially after the Relay 314 Incident. If you can make good on this guy, then it'd do something toward helping our image. I know you don't like it, I'm not exactly thrilled either, but that's just how it is."

"Fine," Arlond accepted with another heavy sigh "When's he getting here?"

"I'm told they're already here, but are having some trouble at customs. Head-up to the Presidium and pick him up. Bring them back, give him the grand tour, tell him what's-what. We'll introduce him gradually. Don't want to overwhelm the bastard."

"If you say so Captain," the detective answered, before getting up and turning to leave.

"Oh, and Dekarie...try not to get him killed. It'll look bad on the news."

"No promises."

******

Transit from the Wards to the Presidium always took longer than he liked. Too much time was wasted in it. Add the fact that he held no love for the autocratic feel which the area held, and his acute disdain toward having a new partner, all made for one particularly unhappy turian. They were a race that you would do best to not annoy, Arlond more-so. Whoever this guy was, he was about to get a rather unpleasant introduction to Citadel life. At the forefront of these mixed thoughts was the prospect of having a pupil of sorts, following him around and 'helping' with investigations. He had no doubt that they would prove to be a great hindrance, and guessed that they wouldn't last three weeks before giving up, or dying. He cared little which one came first.

Eventually, the C-Sec reached that most audacious of places, which presented itself as the pinnacle of Citadel society, the Presidium. The very sight of its pristine white buildings and shining lakes sickened him, not to mention the many ignorant people who only mingled with their own ignorant circle of friends. He was entirely out of place, wearing his rough and tattered grey and maroon armour. His vehicle landed gracefully on the platform just outside one of many customs offices. Before entering, he braced himself for the meeting ahead, taking in a deep breath. And the day had started off so well too.

It only took a flash of his identification to be allowed into the building, which was filed with numerous people, of differing races, all waiting for access and all delayed for one reason or another. Arlond scanned the crowd, searching for the queue which would be easiest to push into, choosing to avoid any which had an elcor or krogan in its midst. No point in causing a scene. Finally choosing one, he made his way to the front, asking people to move aside and informing them of his C-Sec status. He managed to reach the front just as the overworked customs officer shouted "Next!"

The evidently exhausted salarian looked at him with only a mild curiosity.

"Can I help you officer?" came the dull and monotone query.

"I understand that you're currently holding up my new 'colleague'. He should have just shipped in from the Arcturus Station?"

"Ah yes. Just head over there," he pointed to a nearby door "And then you can help sort out the situation."

Arlond simply nodded, before pushing his way gently through the crowd again, getting a few dismissive glares and angry growls as he went by. Again, the doors automatically opened for him and he was greeted to the sight of a rather plain room, with a set of plush sofas and a standard glass table between them. And in that room was an asari customs officer, and a turian guard, along with a rather upset human.

"Look, I'm telling you, I've been transferred here to a position in C-Sec. I'm supposed to be meeting someone right now!" his voice was raised, and clearly disgruntled, while the two others couldn't care less.

The human hadn't been what he had expected. He was actually, and surprisingly, reasonably well-built. Broad shoulders, standing at about five-eleven, with a solid well-defined jaw. But his face gave away his inexperience. He was young, painfully so, most likely no older than twenty-five. Arlond had been given his file, but had decided not to waste time reading it. The man's hair was a dark brown and cut quite short, flicking it up slightly at the front, while only the faintest signs of stubble were coming through on his face. A pair of deep green eyes were currently fixed upon the asair customs operative, who was simply looking over a data-pad and nodding to whatever the man said, giving the occasional "Mmm-hmm," to signify that she was at least listening.

He was wearing clothing typical of his race. A prussian blue hooded jacket, its sleeves rolled up, with a plain white shirt underneath, and a pair of dark grey trousers. However, his other personal affects were absent, having likely been confiscated for certain security reasons. It seemed to take the three present a few moments to notice Arlond's entrance. The turian guard turned instantly, his stance becoming as imposing as he could make it.

"Can I help you?" he asked harshly, to which Arlond simply replied by producing his well-used identification, causing the guard to back of with a nod.

"What's going on here?" he directed the question to the asari, ignoring the human entirely.

"This man claims to be here on C-Sec business. However, our records indicate no such arrangement. He was also found to be in possession of a firearm, which is a right reserved for C-Sec personnel only."

"Hmm..." Arlond looked to the human slowly, meeting the man's flabergasted stare with a cold gaze, before diverting his attention back to the asari "Then there's something wrong with your system. This human was transferred here under orders from Executor Pallin. I can vouch for them."

"Oh...I...that's, I mean his is an extremely irregular occurrence," she stumbles over her words, taken aback by the fact that their records were wrong "We apologise for any inconvenience officer. We'll have the situation rectified soon. You may accompany the human in order to pick up his belongings."

Arlond didn't wait around, beckoning the human over with a sharp hand gesture. He didn't bother to wait though, turning about and heading away instantly, leaving his supposed partner to follow behind. The detective was well aware of where the items of people were held, and so headed directly there, hoping to avoid any unnecessary conversing. He was, however, to be bitterly disappointed.

"Hey!" came the human's rather up beat voice "Thanks for helping me out back there. Did ya notice how I didn't get an apology? What the hell is up with that. I'm tellin' ya, this whole place is just out to get me. I swear they picked me out just 'cause I'm human and all. Is that normal? The vids back on Station said that everyone got along just dandy here. Thought it'd be nice and friendly, ya know? At least the buildings are nice enough. Beats the hell outta the stuffy Arcturus hallways. Oh, my names Brenic by the way. Brenic Thompson. So, I guess you're my partner, huh? For the Citadel Security Service? They told me it'd be a turian. I thought you'd be taller...vids said you'd be taller. They said you have wicked sharp claws too, so I guess that one was true. Your file said you're a real veteran. Been through lots of stuff, seen lots of things. Man, it must be great working here. You probably get to meet all kinds of people. So do you think that..."

It was simply non-stop. Arlond was entirely unprepared for this. He was quite capable of blocking out unnecessary or annoying noise, but this was just an onslaught of one thing after another, a constant droning sound which just caused an ever increasing amount of annoyance. The turian wasn't well-known for his friendly attitude, or any sort of patience. Brenic kept on talking. He talked while they went to get his stuff. He kept talking while they waited for his stuff. He continued to babble when they had acquired his duffel bag of belongings. He persisted went on as they exited, and only quietened to a stop when Arlond spun about sharply once they were near his vehicle.

"By whatever God, or gods-you-may-worship's sake human! Do you never shut up? Will these constant annoying questions and comments be a persistent thing? Because if they are, I will shoot you now," he snapped in a harsh manner, his eyes fixed upon the human in an intimidating fashion.

"I-I-I...just wanted to...I mean I'm..."

"Lets lay some ground rules here," Arlond started, poking Brenic with one clawed finger "You're here because you were sent, volunteered, force to, whatever. I'm here because I have to be. That does not make us friends. We are partners in C-Sec, for now. But that, does not, make us, friends. You will not speak unless spoken to. You will not act unless told to. Hell, you won't even think unless you get my say so. Are we clear on that?"

"Y-yeah...sure..." there was a tinge of hurt and disappointment in Brenic's voice, but it went unnoticed by Arlond, who turned away and got into the vehicle, waiting for the human to do so as well.

Soon enough they were off again, heading back to the precinct.

******

Their journey back to Precinct 79-B was an awkward one to say the least, with no words passing between the two at all, and no radio to disrupt the uncomfortable situation. Though it may have been that only Brenic felt awkward, seems as Arlond looked to be perfectly fine with silence. It was, in his eyes, much more favourable to the option of a constantly talking human. A most disturbing prospect. Their arrival couldn't come too soon for the human, however, who was thankful to see the dull building which would serve as his new base of operations.

He had occupied the journey by looking out over the Wards as the whizzed by, his previously high expectations getting damaged more and more the further they went. Even from high up, he could see the dilapidated state of some places. It was a far cry from the images that the vids had shown. He was starting to wonder whether he had actually been lied to or not. They said he was chosen because he had talent, potential even, but maybe he was just chosen because no-one else was crazy enough to accept a placement in this part of the Citadel. It was too late now though, and he decided that slugging it out was probably the best option. Arlond turned to him again as they came in to land.

"Okay human. Stay close to me, keep your head down and don't speak to anyone. It's bad enough that I have to be seen walking in here with you..."

After giving this brief but harsh warning, Arlond opened up the vehicle, stepping out and not bothering to wait for his new partner. This intent to get through the main floor as quickly as possible caused him to forget that Brenic needed to be signed in. Fortunately, Deena was there to intercept.

"Ah, you must be our latest recruit," she said to Brenic, just before Arlond could enter the precinct, her smile still present "You must be very excited."

"Oh..." Brenic seemed cautious, looking to Arlond briefly, though the turian hadn't bothered to turn around "Yeah! I mean...I can't wait to start helping out. This is just a dream for me. Always wanted to come to the Citadel. Though, it hasn't been quite what I expected so far..."

"Really? Why's that?" Deena asked, genuinely curious.

"Well," Brenic leant in closer, lowering his voice "You're the first person I've meet that has actually been nice to me and...well," he quickly glanced at Arlond, nodding his head toward the turian slightly.

"Don't worry. You'll fit right in soon enough," she leant forward as well now, and whispered "And don't worry about Arlond. He may be a mean bastard on the outside, but there is actually a soul in there somewhere...at least, we're pretty certain there is."

"I'm not deaf you know," Arlond interrupted.

"Be nice Dekarie," she replied jokingly "Anyway. I just need a few things from you, Mr..."

"Thompson! Brenic Thompson," he answered sharply, offering his hand, which Deena quickly shook with her soft hand.

"Nice to meet you Brenic. A firm grip too, I like you already."

This continued for about two or three minutes, Brenic filling out numerous forums, signing this and that, handing over certain data and generally getting himself signed up onto the C-Sec system. Meanwhile, Arlond stood to the side, arms crossed and eyes staring dead ahead. Disregarding his general dislike of humours, he could already foresee being greatly annoyed by this one. He was young, far too curious and overly enthusiastic. The detective could understand being excited about a new position. After all, it did bring new chances, new life experiences and an 'expanding horizon', but this kid took enthusiasm to a whole new level. Arlond could only hope that he would settle down after a few days, though he wasn't about to hold his breath on it.

When the necessary procedures were finally done and over with, Arlond led his new 'student' through the maze of cubicles, desks and information stations which occupied the ground floor. People glance over at the pair, giving them odd looks and directing a few derogatory comments there way, such as "Nice pet you got there!" or "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing," all of which Arlond promptly replied to with some rude gestures and a few choice curse words in his native tongue. Though these reactions simply led to a raucous of laughter amongst some groups of officers. In the meantime, Brenic followed sheepishly behind, shying away from the comments and keeping his head down, as he had been instructed. However, this was, unfortunately, not enough to stop a certain other officer from blocking his path. Yet another turian, seems as C-Sec was mostly filled by them, used the space between Arlond and Brenic to stand in the humans way, stepping out from a nearby cubicle.

"What the hell is this? Higher-ups must be getting desperate if they're letting your kind dirty our precinct. Never thought I'd see the day. Look at you, more pitiful than a baby vasgar. Shit, you probably think you know it all, huh?"

"Hey Tes'kar, leave the kid alone," Arlond intervened, though not for concern of Brenic, but just because he did not want to be held up.

"Sorry sir, but I'm just saying what we're all thinking. This human is going to mess everything up. Hell, he's already made the place smell bad enough."

"Not my problem. Now move out of his way."

The turian complied, though reluctantly, glaring at the rather meek looking human as he briskly walked by, head staring directly down at the ground. Once he was certain that he was out of earshot, Brenic muttered something to himself, in an attempt to feel better about the whole situation.

"Ass hole," he scoffed under his breath.

Brenic had, however, forgotten to factor in the rather excellent senses that turians possessed, as even Arlond, whom was a considerable distance away, managed to catch what he had just said. With yet another heavy sigh, the detective stopped in his tracks, making an educated guess as to what was about to happen. Indeed, Tes'kar had also heard and stopped, turning his head slightly.

"You say something human?" he asked, but knowing exactly what had been said. He now turned completely to face Brenic "Why not say it to my face?"

The human had also stopped now, a progressively angrier expression spreading across his face. He looked to Arlond for support, but doubted that he'd find any. Surprisingly though, the detective was looking right at him, at seemed to understand how he felt. He shook his head slowly, as if to say "Forget it. It's not worth it," and it took all of Brenic's resolve to comply. With a deep breath he steadied himself, before continuing to walk, following after Arlond.

"Aaah, that's right human," Tes'kar taunted "Walk away like a coward, just like the rest of your kind. You've got a real catch there Arlond. But I wouldn't count on him watching your back!"

These taunts were received well by the officers nearby, who gave a few quiet chuckles and jeers of supports for Tes'kar, who basked in his 'victory'.

*******

Finally, Arlond reached his office again, looking forward to having some peace and quiet again. He intended to just have a short conversation, give him a few token cases to go and work on while he rested his mind for a while. All of this was just far too stressful for his liking. An uncomfortable sleep, a new partner, a human no less, and a building full of people just waiting to poke fun. Pricks. He quickly punched in the well-versed numbers, and the door quickly slid open, revealing his familiar office. Arlond instantly stepped in, taking solace in the rather bare room. He indicated with a hand gesture that Brenic was allowed to enter also. For now at least. The detective started going through some files, looking for something to give his new partner so that he could be left alone, while the human settled into a desk that was situated on the left of his office, not far from his own desk.

Wait...

He paused, turning to look at where Brenic was now sitting. The human was moving back-and-forth in his adjustable chair, which had not been before, behind a plain desk, with computers included, none of which had been there before either. Arlond pondered about this for a few seconds, a shocked expression on his face, before leaving the room without a word. Brenic was far too occupied with his new computer to notice. Dekarie stormed down the hall way, turning sharply and 'bursting' into Zalek's office. The salarian looked up from his computer, slightly surprised by the sudden entrance.

"Why the hell is there another desk in my office?" he asked, demanding an immediate answer.

"You weren't told? Space is short. We didn't have another room available for your partner..."

"Then put him down on ground floor in a cubicle, or in the janitor's closet, or hell in the toilets!"

"There's simply no room for him anywhere else. We are full to capacity. I'm sorry that inconveniences you so, to have another being present in the same room, but there's not much that can be done. Least of all by me."

"For crying out..." Arlond stormed out again, the door closing automatically behind him.

"Nice talking to you too," Zalek muttered.

Dekarie re-entered his office in a whirlwind of angst and annoyance, heading straight for his desk and plummeting into it, allowing his head to fall back and looking up at the ceiling. He stared blankly upward, before gradually getting the sensation that he was being watched. Slowly, Arlond brought his head back down, resting his weary gaze upon the young C-Sec officer, who was looking directly at him.

"Is something the matter?"

"No," came the quiet reply "Nothing. Right. What was up at customs? They said you had a firearm."

"Oh, right, yeah! I brought it with me from my previous posting, ya know, just in case."

"May I see it?"

"Uuh, sure. I guess."

Brenic opened up his pale green duffel bag, rummaging through it for a few seconds, before grasping hold of something and producing a small standard pistol. He got up and placed it in Arlond's hand, the turian instantly starting to inspect the weapon. It was a grey and black colour. Small clip, but pretty accurate. Aldrin Labs design. Very reliable, but extremely weak. He set it back down on the desk and slid it over to Brenic, who looked quizzically at his new boss.

"Why did you being it?"

"Well like I said, just in case."

"Just in case what?"

"I don't know...in case I get attacked or something."

"I don't see what good it would do," Arlond started, going on to explain what he meant "We have to deal with all sorts here. Asari, salarian, human, turian, volus. You get the idea. Then you have things like krogan. Now, I'm sure that pistol worked just fine on Arcturus Station, because it could easily put a human down. Things is, it's more like to give a krogan a tickle rather than actually damage them. Keep it if you want, just thought you should know to bring something with a bigger boom next time."

"Oh, erm...thanks?"

"On that subject, I guess I should probably go and get you kitted out. Armour, pistol, ID card, all that stuff..."

******

Thankfully, their journey to the Armoury, and then the Gunnery Sergeant, went without incident. Probably because Arlond opted to take the long way around, as to avoid the majority of personnel. Its length was much greater than its width, with the main desk at its centre. Down each way were massive firing ranges, which were currently filling the room with sounds of gun shots of all kinds, along with a few explosives. The two officers approached the desk, which was currently manned by Gunnery Sergeant Hurna Sol'a, a volus of typical height and stature for their race. Without even looking at them, the volus started typing something into his personal computer, which was followed by the sound of cogs and machinery beginning to turn.

"One moment please," he stated.

Behind him was a massive conveyor belt-like construct, which dipped far down into the ground, reaching depths unknown to the two C-Sec officers. Numerous metal containers went by gradually, each one with a different name and code etched onto it. Without too much time passing, it finally got to Brenics, the machine releasing his metal container and sending it along yet another belt, stopping only when it reached a small in-dent at the desk, in which it fit perfectly.

"This should contain all your necessary weapons and equipment, along with anything else you may require," Hurna explained, still not looking up from their computer.

"Detective Dekarie," the voice buzzed over his communication device, the voice belonging to Ullok. Arlond walked a few steps away from Brenic, who was too fixated on his new equipment to care anyway.

"Captain?"

"I've got a case here that serve well as a good start for your partner, and-"

"Good. I'll send him up to you ri-"

"Hang on Detective. You're going with him. It may look like an easy job, but I'm not having this guy run around by himself. Anything can happen out there, you should know that better than anyone. The case file should be at your office now. Look over it as soon as you get back there. Ullok out."

The turian exhaled loudly. Things were not going his way today. Not like they usually did anyway, but this one was rather more annoying than he was used to. Arlond informed his partner where he would be, and told him to hurry up, though didn't mention the fact that they had a case. He wouldn't want the human to get excited again. That's when it was the worst. With quick steps, Dekarie made his way back to the office, wanting to make the most of the few minutes that he would have to himself. Upon reaching it, the detective sat down once again, opening up his computer immediately and starting to look over this latest incident. The first thing he checked was where it would be. It looked as if they wouldn't have to go any further than the Upper Wards, which he was thankful for. That kid wouldn't last two seconds down where the real crimes were.

As if on cue, Brenic entered at that moment, decked out in the standardized C-Sec equipment and with his new gun holstered at his hip, the human was simply beaming with excitement. He had even opted to put his head-scanner in place already, which wasn't really necessary, but something which a lot of rookies did at first. Only those who are doing high-grade investigations need them really, but Arlond would let the human have his fun, though he did manage to cut him off before he could even start talking.

"We got our first case," he started, telling Brenic to sit down with a hand gesture "Seems that we got a salarian with some questionable financial records. We've got to track him down, get some more evidence on it and then reel him in. I don't expect you to do much more outside of watching and listening to everything I do or say. Then hopefully you'll actually learn something. I'll be blunt with you kid. This isn't a real case. I was given this to break you into the occupation nice and easy. You can expect similar things to this quite often. First off, we're going to head to Networking. They should have some extra information for us. Then it's straight off to the Upper Wards, where we can start this properly."

The turian rose up from his seat, closing down his computer and checking his side-arm. Walking about his desk, Arlond made way for the door, stopping only when he noticed that Brenic wasn't following behind, like the good little lap dog that he was supposed to be.

"You ready?" the turian asked, but without really caring.

"Yeah...lets get it done."

The two left Arlond's office, heading out to fulfil their first task together. It would most likely define their partnership from there and onward.

After-note: I apologise for the rather slow start, but as I mentioned, I needed to throw in all the characters before things could really start moving. This, in my eyes, makes the characters seem rather dull at first, but they will develop easily as time goes on. Hopefully in unexpected ways. Anyway. Thanks for taking the time to read my little bit, and I hope you at least took some entertainment from it.