Nihlus entered the requisitions office with Jane by his side. The office was full at this time of day since this wasn't just for spectres, but for C-Sec and the military as well. They were here to assign Shepard a proper spectre profile in person for requisitions. This was merely a necessity as the database already had her info, but they had to scan her retina and take her fingerprints here again, for an extra measure of security. After all, she'll be able to access top grade stock from now on, they had to make sure that no one will be able to get access by abusing her profile.

It all went smooth so far, Nihlus thought, only one person in line ahead of them, and she seemed good company as well. She was eager to see the stock, so they quickly started discussing weapon mods and favourite types while waiting. And she was pretty too, he had to admit.

Full, red hair, bright blue eyes and smooth skin.
He chose an intelligent human, he knew, but quite possibly he also chose the most beautiful one. What he didn't notice while getting to know the newest recruit was that a certain Saren Arterius was closing in on them from behind, with a deadpan face.

"Nihlus" he greeted, making the two finally notice him as he arrived.

"Ah Saren, I didn't know you were back already" nodded Nihlus politely, as always. He was so smooth, he should have been a politician.

"I just got back" he confirmed, seeing from the corner of his eye the human turn around to see who arrived. Saren looked at Nihlus, and he knew the look his friend had on his face. He shook his head, already knowing where this was going, but proceeded to fulfill Saren's unspoken request:

"Shepard, meet Saren Arterius, fellow spectre." he said as the girl turned around, and Saren finally got to see the face. His expression tensed. "And Saren, this is the first human spectre in history, Jane Shepard."

Their eyes met.
They both were surprised a bit.

He saw the human's fiery red hair from miles away, which already intrigued him, being a very unusual colour. But the eyes hit him a bit even more, as he looked into those perfect almond shaped, icy blue eyes, the look in them piercing him through to the bone. Most of the time when he met humans, they all took a step back with usually wary looks as soon as they saw him, being he wasn't the prettiest of turians. But the look on the face of this woman was confident, intrigued. It was almost like she was analyzing him… not afraid for a second. She was small, but her posture straightened as she saw him.

Most of the humans he met were haphazard, power-hungry and everything between all extremes. Too all over the place. He wasn't sure what was it, but there was something in her… Very different to the picture that was in his mind regarding humans. Something familiar that he never noticed in the others. A fire lingered in her eyes that told him she could destroy this whole room in a second if she wanted to. He usually hated all of them, but it almost seemed like it wasn't worth hating this one.

On the other hand, Jane never hated turians, on the contrary. She looked up to them as individuals and their military. Almost all of them were bright, but a little bit stuck in their ways. But to her they all looked the same… up until this moment.

This turian was everything but average. He was giant, muscular, his plates had a very rare, greyish colour, no face painting, and his eyes were bright blue. His face was perfectly symmetric, and she found herself looking at his straight, sharp mandibles that slightly pulled apart as he looked at her. A coldness emanated from him that warned her: he was a top tier spectre.

He was a very interesting sight.

"I see your new fetish is small human girls... " Saren said, looking at Nihlus with an evil smile, but secretly only paying attention to Jane. He wanted to get a reaction. He needed to go further. "I am disappointed Nihlus… Humanity is not ready for this and you know that. I suggest you stop this before you kill this little girl..."

Nihlus rolled his eyes, visibly frustrated. Was it impossible for Saren to not be a dickhead towards humans?

"Careful, Saren." he immediately replied "She's an excellent candidate, and humanity has more potential than you think."

"Well" Jane started, looking straight into Saren's eyes "If your only problem is that I'm not a turian and I don't have a dick, it shows what you value in a spectre..."

Nihlus couldn't believe his ears. Did she really say that?

Saren's mandibles clicked. Nihlus couldn't tell if he was going to laugh, or kill her right in this spot. This was the kind of comment no one dared to address to Saren, he killed for much less before.

"Extremely funny..." Saren said, almost immediately, his voice thick with sarcasm. But he did not snap. He exhaled, not removing his eyes from Jane, maybe even a small smile appearing on his face.

Something was happening. It seemed Saren liked her remark, and she liked his reaction in turn, as their eyes were still fixed on each other. Nihlus wasn't sure if they were declaring each other as enemies or weirdly flirting. But only a second later, Saren nodded to Jane and briefly looked back at him:

"Good luck" he said and just turned around and left. Jane's head turned as she was looking at his back while he was walking away. Her eyes followed him out until he disappeared at the entrance.

What a dickhead, she thought. But he was testing her, she knew. He clearly had bad experiences with humans before, and it was obvious that he didn't like them one bit. But still, the look in his eyes after her comment was very strange, it seemed like no one ever talked back to him like this before. She thought he was going to go reeling, but all she saw was excitement in his eyes. She had no idea who he was, but she wanted to know him better.

"You're writing your own death sentence with comments like this" Nihlus warned her "Saren is a very - if not the most - dangerous spectre."

"Dangerous?" she asked, smiling with amusement.

"That was not a compliment.."

As soon as Saren exited the office, he dived deep into the crowd on the Wards. He honestly thought Nihlus' new catch will be another tough guy with loads of military experience, but other than that nothing interesting, just like how Anderson was. Someone who can be swayed easily. But no. This was a woman above all, and she was so young, she must have been at most in her mid twenties. And that red hair… could he possibly choose a candidate flashier than her? Was that hair colour even natural for humans? He had no idea, as he had seen red haired humans before, but not this bright. And humans were also known for painting their hair different colours, so it was always possible that whatever they had on their heads was artificial in reality.

But more so, the aura of this woman was very strange… wild, explosive… almost interesting even. Not long ago he thought this was going to be a hilarious experience, but he was intrigued more than anything.

He stopped at an elevator, suddenly catching himself. Was he now really thinking he was intrigued by a human? He was probably ill.

~ 2 months later

Nihlus was taking each step up the stairs like he was going to his own funeral. But it had to be done, things just simply couldn't stay like this. He was thinking about this for quite some time now, and now was the perfect moment. It hurt him bad, but in his best conscience, he just couldn't do this to her. She was not to be wasted away.

As he reached the podium in the Citadel Tower, he looked up and saw the Council quietly talking to each other while they waited for him. They didn't need to wait for long, he was punctual as always.

"Welcome back, Nihlus." Tevos greeted him with a friendly headnod, the other Councilors following her example. Nihlus also politely nodded, and the meeting started.

"We've read your report, and I can say I'm quite surprised." Sparatus started, looking at the holo projection that showed the report that Nihlus sent to the Council just a day ago, with Jane in its focus. He's been working with her for 3 months now, and after she was inducted, they've been to all sorts of missions, just to map her place within the organization. Most of the spectres worked alone, some worked in smaller groups occasionally, some were paired or grouped permanently. They needed to find out where Jane belonged in the big picture, so they could utilize her best.

This was the topic of his report. It wasn't due for another month, but he decided to submit it now. He gathered enough information. So to say.

"We presumed you would keep Shepard by your side..." Valern proposed: "...but your report says otherwise. Elaborate on this reasoning."

"I cannot guide her." he said, fully aware of every one of his words like a true diplomat "I am unable to do so anymore."

"Is it because she is not as skilled as expected?" Sparatus immediately asked, but Nihlus shook his head:

"No. On the contrary; her induction to the organization is still fully justified, and well deserved. However, she is different from the lot of us." He looked at the floor. How was he going to say this… "She is over performing in every aspect. But even though she is very easy to work with, she's taking high risks, and she is very hard to control. She is "extreme" when it comes to safety and has little regard to her own life. I do not think she needs anymore guidance. I also do not think that low maintenance missions will satisfy her."

"Are you suggesting she is capable of higher caliber missions alone?" Tevos asked, sharing a quick look with Sparatus.

"She is capable, but not exactly my suggestion."

"Nihlus" Valern warned him "Don't beat around the bush. Say what you mean."

"I think I found the perfect partner for your favourite agent."

The three Councilors looked at each other, dumbfounded. They were looking for a spectre to pair with Saren for years now. It wasn't like he needed any help, but rather that he was their best agent for a long time now, and they wanted to maximize his potential. It was good having Saren, but having two of him would be even better.

The only problem was that none of the candidates even remotely fitted how he operated, much less his nature. He was a true lone wolf and he tended to destroy everything in his wake. He bore no partners at his side.

"You want to pair Jane Shepard with Saren Arterius?" asked Sparatus, the air almost knocked out of him. "Why do you think that poor girl could withstand Saren?"

"She's not a "poor girl", and it's clear" Nihlus replied, elaborating immediately as he saw the looks on their faces "Shepard obliterated Eden Prime and all other missions I took her to. She has excellent coordination and leadership skills, strong biotics and combat tactics. She is possibly the best I have seen since Saren himself. Her personality is a lot like his, but in a more explosive fashion. You will waste a lot of both of their potentials if you keep them separate."

Tevos was already looking like she was convinced, but the other two Councilors not yet.

"What makes you think he'll accept something like this?"

Nihlus smiled with that usual sauve smile of his: "I will make sure he accepts it."

And Nihlus knew Saren well.

Really well.

They've known each other since they were only pups, growing up in the military, so he decided to talk to him right away, and as soon as he left the Council chambers, he arranged a meetup with him.

"Nihlus" came a rumbling voice from behind Nihlus' back and he turned slightly with his drink in his hand. It was Saren of course, in a dark grey robe and with an annoyed face. "Are you into whores in the middle of the day now?" he asked as he sat down next to his friend and looked around the club called Chora's Den.

Nihlus was very diplomatic and official, always buried in work and never had enough time for personal life. But he always had episodes with all kinds of women: human, asari, quarian, it didn't matter to him. He had the kind of face that attracted all sorts of women and he made use out of it quite often. But Saren wasn't sure what the hell they were doing here in this club with strippers, in the early afternoon. He had no interest in Nihlus' hunts.

"Am not, I just simply like this place" Nihlus smiled, and waved to the bar holding up two of his fingers. The bartender nodded, letting him know that the drinks are coming soon. He turned back to Saren "I want to talk about work."

Saren leaned back in his chair, letting him know he's listening.

"Remember my new candidate?"

"Like I could forget." he nodded. Of course, he remembered. It wasn't everyday that a human told him he was basically a dick.

"I'm not guiding her anymore." Nihlus said, earning a suspicious look from his friend. He continued: "She doesn't need anymore guidance."

Saren looked away.

Was this that important? He didn't care, and he had no idea why Nihlus was telling him this. His eyes wandered away to the dancers on the platforms around the club. Mostly humans, some asari. They moved around the pole like liquid, showing off their curves to everyone who wanted to see. But Saren wasn't particularly interested… he was looking at their hair. None had that colour, that bright red that he didn't see on anyone since he saw that woman, Jane, even though he was looking. Simply not a single woman had that same colour, or if they had something similar, they all had green eyes. Not like that icy, bright blue that she had. He was starting to think it was an artificial colour.

"Saren?" he heard coming from Nihlus, and he looked back at him. Their drinks were on the table now, and he was looking at him like he was a stranger. "Did you hear anything that I said?"

"Of course." Saren lied.

"What did I say?"

"I have no idea."

Nihlus laughed. He reached for his drink and they toasted. "I was saying that Shepard has some exceptional skills. You would find her very useful. That is if you want to take her with you. There is an opportunity here."

"Take her with me?" he asked back, now all of his attention was with Nihlus.

"Yes." he nodded "I released her off guiding since she was outperforming way too fast."

"If she's that good, why don't you take her as partner?"

A smile appeared on Nihlus' face. "She's not really compatible with me. Her tactics are much more straightforward than I'd like. Her battlestyle is a lot more like yours. She has no taste for low priority cases…. To be fair she was quite bored I believe."

"Probably because you are a sneaky bastard, and those missions are boredom solidified… Picking up a dusty prothean beacon on Eden Prime? Come on."

"They require a level of sophistication you do not have, Saren." he replied, purposefully riling him up a bit inside. "But that's not the point. The point is that she should be your partner. The Council already knows about this. You should accept it."

Saren's face was suddenly distorted with frustration. He didn't like it one bit that Nihlus was telling him what to do. No one could do that, apart from the Council, and even that was only because it was his job. "And why would I ever have a partner? Let alone a human?" he hissed.

"What do you think?" Nihlus started, getting serious "The remnants of the First Contact War still cause issues all around Council Space. Human-turian relations are dire, but by improving on them we could have a military cooperation that is possibly the strongest in the galaxy. The krogans are coming back up Saren, and when their evolution works around the genophage, we will need an army that is disciplined but explosive enough to protect the peace. Turians and humans are the best for that, and two spectres from the two species publically working together can have a massive positive impact!"

"I don't give a fuck about human-turian relations, or the krogan." was Saren's short answer. Nihlus leaned back in his chair as he finished his drink, looking at him. Of course he didn't care. There was hardly anything he cared about, but fortunately for Nihlus, he had a bit more up his sleeve.

"All right, let me put it this way" he leaned in, crossing his arms casually "That chick is crazy. She says whatever she wants, and does whatever she wants. She charms everyone around her and those who she cannot charm, she will beat until they comply. Sound familiar?" That made Saren smile slightly. "We went on a couple recon and stealth missions and she nailed every single one of them, on her own. Some geth even recently ventured beyond the Veil and she hunted them down like rabbits. She's nuts for action and fighting, and there was no way I could shut her down. You could obliterate half of the galaxy's criminal underworld together if you wanted to. Her record..."

"I've seen her record."

"Well, then you know" Nihlus continued "No parents, no records until 16 when she joined the military. She practically destroyed a whole batarian unit on Elysium with ease. Perfect records, awards, Spectre at 25. That is the second youngest spectre ever, and you know who was the youngest one.."

Of course he knew. It was him. He became a spectre when he was only 20.

"If you don't take her with you she's going to make a name for herself on her own. But the Council wants your influence on her. That should say something about you too."

A long second of silence enveloped the two, only the noise of the nightclub around them.

The Council must be desperate, or stupid if they really want his influence on her, Saren thought. And that goes for Nihlus as well. They were so naive, all of them, they thought he was ruthless, sure, but a hero to commend nonetheless. When in reality, he was so much more worse than that.

And there was this human girl who said he was a dick. She already had more balls than the rest of the spectres combined.

"I work alone." was all Saren said eventually, before turning back to look at the dancers.

He was zoning out. The dancers were all disappointing. Saren's mind wanted to go to sleep just from looking at them. And from this whole station too. She hunted them down like rabbits… Nihlus' words echoed in his mind, and he smiled. No wonder she was bored with Nihlus. She would have been bored in any part of the galaxy with this kind of drive... it was written all over her face when he saw her a couple months ago. He still remembered those almond eyes, that look that pierced through him. She saw into him.

"I will take her with me." he suddenly said, still looking at the dancers.

Nihlus' mandibles clicked so loud, the sound could be heard.

"That's it? You're in?" he asked, his voice not masking his surprise.

Saren turned his gaze back to him. "Yes."

"But she's a human. You hate humans."

"You wanted to convince me to take her. Now you're talking against it?" he asked, then stood up to leave.

Throughout the years Saren had numerous opportunities to get a partner, but he always refused. Nihlus knew Jane was exactly Saren's caliber, and that he can convince him, but he didn't think that Saren would agree to partnering with her this fast.

It seemed that his hunch that told him that they would get along was right.

"Very well" he eventually said "I'll arrange a meeting."

"Don't bother" Saren stopped him before stepping away from the table "I'll contact her."

And he left, leaving Nihlus alone in the club.

He stayed seated and just smiled by himself, thinking about what these two are going to commit together if Jane agrees to partner with him.