'I move faster on my own.' The turian moved as if he wasn't expecting any dissent, and the sharp sound of scoffing pinned his taloned feet to the deck.
'That's a shit-stupid plan.' Jenkins' head swung around and through the clear faceplate, his slack jaw was visible. Alenko visibly started, and the spectre slowly turned on his heel with all the slow menace of a tank turret.
'Excuse me.'
'We're hip deep in unknown territory, facing unknown enemies that blew through Alliance defenses…and you want to split up.' Everyone present could hear the low growl from the turian, but if Shepard cared, she didn't show it. Anderson opened his mouth as if to interject, then stopped, waiting to see how it would play out.
'I have extensive experience on my own, Commander. And I am not used to repeating myself.'
'I don't care if you can fart ion exhaust and fly without wings. Splitting up the only four people in theatre is a recipe for disaster. You wanted to evaluate me as a leader? Well, as a leader, I'd never stand for that kind of tactical mistake.'
'Then I'm overriding your objections. As there is Prothean tech on the ground, Council authority supersedes Alliance.'
'And as it's an Alliance world with Alliance citizens dying I'll thank you to shove that authority up your angular ass. Feel free to jump off here, Nihlus. I'll just be following you.' Nihlus, exasperation writ large on his face, evident even across species divide, turned to Anderson.
Who, surprisingly, shrugged.
'You wanted to see how she would act as a Spectre. The Commander may not speak for me in specific, ah, phrasing, but I stand behind her choices.'
Nihlus clenched a fist, relaxed it, and before he could speak, Jeff's voice cut in.
'Uh, Commander? How long do you want me to idle here? Whatever's out there is going to pick up on us sooner rather than later…'
It was the necessity of speed in the operation that tipped Nihlus' hand. He could no more afford to argue about it than Shepard, so he relented, and nodded, and locked eyes with Anderson with a look that screamed 'this is so far beyond not over'. And the ground team, three humans and a turian, trotted to the edge of the hanger, to the bottom of the opened ramp, and jumped down into the whipping winds of Eden Prime under a burning sky.