Chapter 10: Regarding the Crew
"Why are you still here?" Ashley's annoyed voice rung throughout the room, though the comment was clearly directed at Wrex, who shot the human female an impassive glance. "I know you're a mercenary, so I'll tell you now, there is no money to be made here. You're better off going and collecting your bounty for Fist."
"I'll do that soon enough, but for the time being, I want to see where things go with this," Wrex didn't really take Ashley seriously, namely because she wasn't in charge, and because he had dealt with scrutiny due to both his species and profession before. "Besides, as I recall, you're the one who chose to seek me out in the first place."
"That's because we shared a common goal; we both had business with Fist. After you killed him, you could have left."
"And who says we don't have a common goal?" Wrex was just playing with the woman now, seeing how uneasy he made her. "Maybe I want to help you track down Saren and this 'Conduit' he mentioned it the quarian's audio log."
"There's no certainty that we will be chasing after Saren at all, especially since there's a good chance the trial is still in session," interrupted Naruto, finally breaking into the conversation. While it was true he could have stopped the two from arguing at the very beginning, or could have asked Wrex to leave, being the highest ranked human in the embassy, he both felt that it was better for the two to talk out their issues and that it was Udina's decision of who should stay and go.
"Regardless," continued Ashley, "you weren't invited to stay here, so you're better off leaving."
"I also wasn't told to leave. Your ambassador said I could do whatever I liked, including staying or going." Wrex's argument was definitely better than Ashley's, though he didn't leave it there. "And what about the turian? Why aren't you asking him to leave?"
"Garrus was personally requested to stay, unlike you."
Before she could continue that thought, the krogan cut in. "Not the C-Sec officer, the one behind you who crawled in through the vent after your superiors left."
Ashley shot Wrex a look, not quite understanding, before turning around and spotting Nihlus for the first time, nearly falling out of her seat in shock.
"For the record, I did invite Nihlus to stay," Naruto once again broke his silence, once again to clear up matters in the debate.
As Ashley regained her bearings, she registered what the lieutenant said and regarded the stoic turian inquisitively. "Wait, weren't you the one who got shot by Saren on Eden prime?" as she asked that, her face turned to wonder, not quite sure how or why he was there.
In response, he just shrugged and said, "I got better."
"How in the hell do you get better from being shot in the head? It hasn't even been a week!" It was obvious that the woman was displeased with the answer, though whether it was because she truly expected more or was just lashing out at whatever was in her way due to the argument with Wrex remained to be seen. "Come to think of it, where were you during the initial trial? Your testimony would have been a great help and would have saved a lot of trouble for us."
"I move upon necessity. The reason I'm here is because there was an attempt on my life in the hospital. As of now, it is best I remain out of the public eye until everything's settled. And just for your advanced notice, I intend to help apprehend Saren, whether you are fully involved in the operation or not."
"That's enough," Naruto finally decided, feeling as if someone had crossed the line. "With the conversation moving into territory such as the past, I feel that it is fit to say this is a self-defeating purpose in and of itself because it can not change. Also, if Nihlus had testified, it may very well just be considered heresy, especially without corroborating evidence. Coupled with the fact that the take-down of Fist would most likely would have turned out differently, Cole may still be on the loose, and the odds of Tali being in, generally speaking, prime condition like now being lowered, and it most likely better things went the way they did here. Now, with that settled, I highly recommend we all sit patiently and wait for the others to return."
It was obvious to the others that Naruto had some type of problem with dwelling on the past. Maybe it was because he essentially didn't have one of his own, one that he could remember anyway, that didn't have him serving as slave to the military. Even if it was just supposition, the people in the room could figure out that the only reason such a valuable asset for humanity as Naruto was undertaking missions and in some constant form of danger was for field data purposes. Truth was, if misfortune ever befell the blond and made it so he was taken from active duty, the higher-ups would pounce and probably take him to a lab on a remote planet in a generally uninhabited star system to preform experiments on him until he eventually died, and even then keep using his body to unlock the mysteries of his power.
Regardless of what the reason was, everyone decided that it was better to remain silent as requested, even those who had yet to speak and were just letting the argument play out like Naruto had for the most part. However, it didn't do anything to alleviate any of the tension in the room. The stressful environment made it seem as if time had slowed to a pitiful crawl, though none felt the inclination to start up a casual conversation that may have made the time in the office less miserable, fearing that another pitiful argument may start and make everyone more miserable. It didn't explain why they remained either in their chairs, against the wall, or standing in their place with no movement except for exploring the room with their eyes.
That is to say, until they all jumped at the sound of a loud bang on the wall outside, prompting a few people to draw weapons and point them at the door, which opened to reveal a positively livid Shepard. Colban, Wrex, and Nihlus holstered their guns as the man stormed into the room, a deep scowl on his face as he slammed a fist into the door's control panel, resulting in another bang as the door slid shut behind him. All parties watched as he stormed over to the office's balcony and leaned heavily on the railing, seemingly shutting out the world around him as he looked down angrily at the people going about their day on the Citadel.
A bit hesitantly,, Tali leaned over to Naruto, who was sitting on the couch next to her, and lowly whispered, "Is your commander always like this?", though everyone could hear, due to how quiet it was.
"No," was the blond's reply. For the, admittedly short, time he had known the man, not much emotion had been shown, especially not as strongly as now. Watching as Shepard seethed in his own little bubble, Naruto said, "He tends to mask what he feels. Something must be really wrong to get him this pissed."
A few more moments of silence asked, before Cole decided to be the group's voice, being the least effected. "I assume the retrial didn't go well," he said, ignoring how the comment sounded coming from him and the small glares sent at him from Ashley and Naruto.
"Trial went fine," was Shepard's gruff response. "The crew of the Normandy is now charged with the apprehension of Saren. Of course, the Reapers came up. Council didn't believe it, but that's to be expected. Overall, they were pleased. In fact, I got a promotion. I'm a Spectre now."
"What?" asked Naruto, shocked, as was everyone else who had heard him, knowing how prestigious the position was, that it was an honor to be nominated. "But, Commander, that's amazing! Why the hell are you so pissed?"
The man was about to answer, when the door once again opened and Udina jogged into his office, Anderson right behind him, the former looking peeved and the latter a bit worried as he tried to stop the ambassador. Udina would have none of it though, and quickly identified where Shepard was and stomped towards him, the commander turning fully to face him. "Shepard, your conduct back there was far from acceptable! You would do best to mind your superiors!"
"Screw you! You had absolutely no fucking right to do what you did!" he replied in a severe tone. Those who had not attended to trial were left to wonder what exactly caused this dispute.
"Watch your mouth you ingrate!" Udina barked back, getting up in the taller man's face. "I had every right for my decision and the executive power to ensure the action is carried out! You should be more grateful that I entrusted you with such a responsibility, even though it's blatantly obvious that you don't deserve my charity!"
"Oh, I should be grateful that you stripped a man of his position and pawned it off on someone else so you could appear to be acting on behalf of the goddamn council? In that case, thank you so fucking much for your pitiful act to increase you own political standing!"
"Why you...!" started Udina, harshly pushing Shepard's chest in an attempt to get him to stumble back. The man didn't budge. "Was everyone from Mindoir like you? Is that why the bartarians killed almost all of them?"
Pure, unadulterated rage flashed across Shepard's face as he grabbed Udina by the neck, causing the man to gasp and gurgle, trying to get another breath of air, eyes widening in fear as the commander raised a fist to strike. At that moment, everyone in the room jumped into action.
Both Wrex and Colban grabbed Shepard's shoulder's as they pulled him back, Ashley and Nihlus working to detach his hand from the ambassador's throat and Garrus held his fist back, Naruto standing in front of the raving man and pushing him back as Anderson held Udina back once he was free and wanting retaliation, Tali blocking his path like Naruto was the commander's.
"You don't fucking talk about Mindoir, you sack of shit!" the commander yelled as he struggled fiercely against the people restraining him. At that point, everyone was glad that Shepard had no biotic potential (meaning no implants) whatsoever and was thusly a containable threat to an extent.
Before Udina opened his mouth again, Anderson decided to speak, temporarily causing Shepard to stop resisting. "Listen Shepard, I normally don't agree with Udina, but in this instance, he's right. I'm getting on in years, and there's too much old blood between me and Saren. To catch him, we need someone with a level head on their shoulders; someone like you. Right now, this isn't you, this is something you usually keep hidden until needed. You earned the rank of Spectre for a reason, and I expect you to do well now with the Normandy at your complete command. You deserve this."
Hearing what the captain said, Shepard's features immediately softened back into his stoic gaze as he stopped struggling, prompting everyone to release him and back away a bit, still on guard. For a moment he just glared at Udina, the man still struggling against Anderson and shouting obscenities, Tali having backed off at seeing Anderson controlling the situation, before shaking his head, coming to see it wasn't worth it, and addressing the room, saying, "Those who're coming with me, let's go," before marching out through the door, not looking back even once as most everyone followed him, leaving only Anderson and Udina behind.
(On the SSV Normandy):
Gathered in the communication's room were the people Shepard had dubbed the ground team; they were the people who were on call to conduct in ground operations with the commander. Basically, everyone who had been on the Citadel that the team had picked up. The ship was still moored on the station, as before they set off, Shepard wanted to make sure that the newcomers had both the ability and the drive to undertake this assignment.
In the middle of the room stood Shepard, fixing everyone in front of him with a critical gaze, letting them know he meant business as the all straightened up. Ashley and Naruto were situated close behind him, as he knew they were both fit for duty, having seen them in action. The others, however, were positioned in a small elliptical formation in front of him.
As he spoke, his words came out stern, just another indication of how serious he felt this matter was, though there was also a tinge of harshness, no doubt a remnant from his recent exchange from Udina, "I'll be frank. I don't know you, and I may not necessarily like you, but I do give a damn about you if you're going to be serving as a member of this ship's crew. That being said, I want to know why you're willing to risk harm to take down a megalomaniac like Saren. Garrus, you first," he said, looking at the turian at one end of the line.
"I think that's quite obvious. Saren is a menace to the entire galaxy, someone who has harmed innocents before and will no doubt do so again. This can not go unpunished, and the way I see it, I would be no better than that scum-bag if I didn't at least try to take a shot at him, not to mention whatever underlings he has working for him."
"And your superiors at C-Sec are okay with this?"
"That bridge will be burned when I come to it, Shepard," replied Garrus, almost as if he didn't care what the people above him thought. "If we succeed, they'll probably take me back, if we fail, we'll probably die. It really is hit or miss."
"Right," Shepard seemed pleased with the answer. "Now you, Tali if I remember correctly. You seem pretty young to be undertaking a mission like this."
"Thanks for the concern, but I can handle myself just fine. As for my purpose, the connection between the geth and Saren is strong. Undoubtedly we will be facing them at one point or another, and it will give me a chance to collect new and more relevant data on them for my Pilgrimage, benefiting my race as a whole."
It appeared that he wished to question the woman more, but moved on regardless. "Nihlus?"
"As a Spectre it is my duty to aid you in the apprehension of a traitor. Added to the fact that he tried to kill me not once, but twice, not even bothering to do the job himself the second time. In short, he made this personal, and I intend to see him pay," the turian said, stifling a cough at the end, causing Shepard to raise an eyebrow.
"Are you sure you're fit for duty?"
"Aside from a slight headache and cough, I'm fine."
The lie was transparent to everyone in the room, but nobody was able to call him out on it, as Shepard wanted to continue. "Wrex? Surely a big and powerful krogan mercenary has better things to do with his time."
"Spare me the sarcasm, Shepard. I may respect you from what I've seen so far, but it doesn't mean I like you. I'm only here because the council is incompetent and pompous, and need to be sure that you don't serve as a scapegoat if this does fail. Also, when we succeed, the krogans will regain much of their respect from the other races."
"Fair enough," he said, his gaze turning to the final person in the line-up and disdain showing on his features. "Finally, you, Colban. You truly are a piece of work. You've already abandoned us once; what's to say you won't do so again, costing someone their life? Combined with being unreliable, your still under the pretense of being a simple dock-worker, and thus no combat experience to speak of. The last thing we need is a liability to get in the way. You have one chance to sway me into letting you aboard."
For a moment, Cole was silent, just staring Shepard in the eye, unflinching. Finally, the man just shrugged. "My life beyond being a dock-worker is not a thing that needs to be made known to everyone, especially to those I don't trust. Rest assured, I do have combat expertise and can hold my own in a firefight and in close range; just ask your lieutenant. As for my purpose, Saren already tried to take my life. I don't know how important I am to him now that he no longer has any political backing, but I'm sure if he still perceives me as an obstacle, he will end my life. Better to take him out than the other way around. If I am to die, it's better I do so fighting back. In the end, it's your decision though. I couldn't care less if I'm working with you or not, but if you do leave me here, I'll just find the places that need to be hit to stop Saren on my own and book passage on another ship."
What followed was a tense silence, Shepard's face void of any emotion. Finally, he turned to the intercom in the office and spoke, an audible echo sounding from just outside the room. "Joker, warm up the engines. We leave in two."
"Aye, aye, commander," was the pilot's snarky response before the intercom went dead.
Turning back to his new crew, Shepard continued by saying, "I'll leave you all to relax and explore the ship if you so wish. Get to know each other and the other crew. I intend to follow up my evaluations in a bit, so be prepared. We reach our destination in three days, and I'll brief you once we get closer. Dismissed."
With that, everyone filed out of the room to do just as suggested by their new commander.
However, as Ashley and Naruto began to walk by Shepard, the man spoke up once again, saying, "Not you two. You stay."
It caused a few glances from the few still in the room, but they soon left regardless.
Once the door was closed, Shepard waited a few moments before turning to the one's he saw as his more trusted soldiers, ire visible on his face. "Williams, is there something you want to tell me?"
By the tone he was using, the two knew that Shepard was using his authority over them to get an answer. Of course, Ashley didn't know what he was probing at, and thus was reduced to stuttering, her surprise evident, "I-I'm sorry, Sir, but I don't know what you're referring to."
"It's just that I want to know if you hate just Wrex, or is it all krogans. Or is it the mercenary part you find unflattering? Or do you just not like members of different species?"
"You know about the argument we had?" asked Ashley, shocked looks crossing both her's and Naruto's faces. When the hell did he have time to get informed about it? They hadn't left his side, nor heard anyone announce their concerns on the matter.
The commander just shook his head. "I didn't say that, did I? But thanks for being the first to tell me."
"But then, how...?"
"The hostility you directed at him ever since we left the embassy is palpable. Don't think I can't sense how dysfunctional a team is. I find your behaviour on the matter rather disconcerting. So, out with it; what's the problem?"
"Sir, understand, it's just that... this is a big task we're undertaking, and I don't feel comfortable working with people with loyalties not placed within the crew's best interest. I mean, the council wants us to stop Saren, whatever the cost, and while Wrex said he wants to stop him, he sells his loyalty to the highest bidder."
"So is it just him you have reservations about?" Shepard had become decidedly more calm as the conversation wore on, creating a more inviting environment for Ashley to answer questions.
"Truthfully, I find fatal faults with all the new help we've brought on board that could jeopardize the mission."
Ashley waited for a verbal reply to continue, but went on at the commander's probing look.
"As you said before, or implied at the very least, Colban is a spineless rat who abandoned us earlier and made our lives just that much harder. It will be difficult to trust my or the crew's well-being to him out on the field of battle. Tali, on the other hand, seems to be all there and is brave enough, but she's still very young and probably inexperienced. The fact that she's also doing this for information on the geth means that she could become distracted in battle in the pursuit of preserving intelligence or simply abandon us as soon as she gets what she wants, though I see that behaviour less likely to come from her than Colban. Then there's Garrus, who I personally believe is the most trust worthy, who wants to stop Saren and make him answer for his crimes of conspiring against the council, the leading an assault on an alliance colony, and the attempted murder of a Spectre. Of course, being a turian, he may still feel there's bad blood between his race and humans due to the First Contact, and though I don't foresee him acting out some form of vendetta, he seems a little too concerned with the reputation of the turians and enacting vengeance on Saren for tarnishing it. Finally, while Nihlus is a Spectre and serves the Council dutifully, I suspect he only came with us to see that his own ends are met, and that it's only a bonus that Saren is sanctioned to be hunted down."
As Ashley finished stating her thoughts on the crew, Shepard remained silent, assimilating all of what he had just heard said. After a few moments, he finally said, "Thank you for your appraisal of the crew, Ashley. I will take what you said into consideration when selecting ground teams. You may leave."
The woman nodded, giving a formal salute before leaving. As the door slid shut behind her, the commander turned to Naruto.
And how would you rate her analysis, Lieutenant?"
"I guess I can understand her worries, and her cynicism did yield a relatively accurate outline of what they may be like."
"But..." Shepard supplied, suspecting more and aiding Naruto in moving on.
"But I don't think they will actually act out in the negative way Ashley described they might. We need all the help we can get for this mission, and I think we need to trust them."
"I see. Now, concerning Colban, I want to know the extent of his combat prowess. From what I understand, you're the only one who's seen him in action so far. I only ask because his attitude seems to have flipped and he is now more more annoying and arrogant than I could have imagined. Seeing as I have no compunction against blasting him out the airlock, any redeeming qualities you describe could mean the difference between his cruel death, his slow and lonely death on an uninhabited planet we abandon him on, and just dropping him off on some civilised planet and letting him find his own way back."
"Rest assured, Shepard, in combat, Colban is ruthless and efficient, using the environment and even his enemies' movements to his advantage."
"I'll take your word for it... at the moment. In the mean time, though, I want you to socialise with the crew; get them to open up to you. I want to know the things they might not want me to and wouldn't say to me directly. Can I be confident in your ability to help me?"
"Of course," said the blond, understanding Shepard's reasoning and thinking it would help him better interact with the crew.
"In that case, I leave this assignment in you hands. I want daily reports. Good luck."
With that, Shepard turned his back on Naruto, prompting the blond to exit and find his first target.
(On the Lower Level):
After a long, uneventful lift ride, Naruto came out on the lower levels of the ship, thankful that he had finally gotten out of the inefficient device. In all seriousness, how could they have the technology to travel at speed faster then light, yet remain with the and obsolete elevator that took five minutes to go down twenty feet? Especially in such an advanced ship? Who designed the ship without stairs, anyway? Needless to say, the blond couldn't exit the accursed thing fast enough.
Once he was off, the blond took stock of his surroundings. Miscellaneous crew members were milling about, mostly non-essential personnel and those who were off duty, though, as the lower level consisted of the crew quarters and mess. However, Naruto didn't immediately spot the people he was supposed to be probing for their secret thoughts. Knowing they were down here and with little alternative, the lieutenant went deeper into the back of the ship.
What met him was a large, open space; it was the cargo bay, for lack of a better term. In truth, however, it was more than that. It was also where all the people he was to talk to were located. Off to the left were Ashley, who was checking everyone's weaponry and just doing general maintenance to kill time, Wrex, leaning up against the wall next to the weapons lockers, looking as if he were reminiscing about something, and Cole, who was doing general exercises off in the corner.
To the right was Garrus, reading a report (on which Naruto could only guess), as he leaned up against a giant vehicle. 'The Mako,' Naruto idly thought, a grin coming to his face. Chiefly, it was for exploration on potential hostile planets, as shown by its thick, metal plating, adding quite a bit of bulk to the craft. That wasn't to say it was necessarily slow, though, as it had thrusters on the back of it to boost its speed, and on its underside to give it lift should the need arise. It sported three axles, each with independent suspension and two thick, heavy wheels on either one, one axle set closer to the nose of the vehicle and the other two set closer to the back. The profile of the body was actually rather streamline, even with the bulk, the front (and only) porthole covering part of the angular front and going a ways to the side, continuing downwards to even under where the operators of the vehicle sat. mounted on top was a giant canon that had machine-gun attachment on either side of it, and access to 360 degree rotation, all to help deal with potentially hostile fauna and whatnot. Truly, Naruto couldn't wait to have a go in the thing, just the tiniest excuse to test it out, a desire he had since he first set sights on the thing. 'The alliance really went all out on this.' he would know, having spent most of his time on the ship studying it.
Shaking his head, Naruto banished the desire to test the vehicle. He noticed that neither Tali nor Nihlus were in the area, and would question their whereabouts later. Instead, he decided to start conversing with now, beginning with his fellow Alliance solider. "Hey, Ash," he called to her, prompting her to look up and drop what she was doing and look a, a confused look on her face.
"Lieutenant?" the woman asked, a bit uncomfortable. Something Naruto caught right away.
"Something wrong?"
"Nothing, just... I guess I'm not used to seeing you act so informal."
"All I did was call you 'Ash'," was Naruto's reply, raising an eyebrow.
"Even so, you're usually just so formal. I'm over it now. In any event, why are you down here?"
"Decided to act on the Commander's advice and get to know people better. Doesn't look like anyone else decided to take initiative, after all," as he said this, the blond swept his arm across the room, emphasising that everyone was preoccupying themselves with their own little activities and generally ignoring each other.
"It just means I'm not the only one distrustful of everyone else here."
"Come now; are you saying you don't trust anyone here?"
"Fine, I worded that wrong. The only one's I trust my well-being to, probably along with everyone else, are you and Shepard, mainly do to your skill, rank, loyalties, and what I know of your personalities so far," Ashley relented.
"Care to elaborate?"
"Well, you're both prominent members of the Alliance, unlikely to turn your backs on them for various reasons, and both of you are gifted, meaning you can protect us should the need arise... not that anyone here would want to be a burden and need the protection, but it's nice to have reassurance. Also, you're not so highly ranked that you'll get caught up balls deep in some governmental conspiracy, so that's comforting."
"And what makes you think you can trust Shepard with your life? In his career, he's sent hundreds, maybe thousands to their deaths just to achieve an objective. What makes you think most of this crew won't be turned into fodder?"
"First of all, while I may not agree with all of his methods, what Shepard did was to ensure the safety of countless more lives than those that were lost. You also have to respect a man with such conviction, willing to see a mission through to the end. Also, we have very few personnel as it is; not even have of us are combat oriented, so to speak. Our lives won't be wasted, and seeing as it is doubtful we will get into and space battles, only the ground team will ever really be in any danger, all of whom can handle themselves. I'm not saying the road ahead isn't hard, but despite my distrust, I have faith that most everyone will fulfill their duties to their fullest."
"Speaking of Shepard's earlier days, why do you think Shepard slaughtered those surrendering bartarians?" asked Naruto, generally curious on the woman's thoughts. She was definitely more complex than he had initially given her credit for, and actually thought quite a few things through.
"I think that's simple. Back then and even now, bartarians deal heavily in slavery and pillaging, something really no one allied with Citadel space condones, unless dealing with spoils of war, and even there it depends on the discretion of the generals. However, for Shepard, it goes deeper than simply despising their practices. They slaughtered his family and basically everyone he ever knew. Remember, he was still young when he commanded that operation, enough time for his hatred to fester into something nasty, something that caused him to really loose it when a few bartarians asked for mercy, something he probably saw as arrogant, insulting even. Truthfully, I believe he was a bit of a racist back then, but has since grown out of it. I'm not sure. But I don't think Shepard would ever do something like that again unless it was somehow needed."
"So he may still be a selective xenophobe," surmised Naruto, earning a shrug. "And what of you?"
As the question left Naruto's mouth, a glare immediately lit up on Ashley's face. "Let's get one thing straight, Uzumaki. I may not trust the people Shepard brought aboard, but that doesn't mean I hate them. In fact, Cole's the one who's the closest to earning my hatred, but since he's human, the point is invalid. Hell, most of the distrust stems from the fact that I've almost never been out of a garrisoned unit and I don't have much experience with other races. Do not think I'm an ignorant bigot just because I refuse to act as you would. And for the record, I never said Shepard was a xenophobe. Maybe all the accusations are just you deflecting how you really feel. Maybe deep down, you're the one who hates other species. I don't know, nor do I care, but I do know that this conversation is over." and with that, Ashley turned her back on him and went back to her work.
The blond just stared at her back for a moment before shrugging and walking off, not even giving a moment to contemplate what she had said about him. He knew it wasn't true and he also knew they both knew that Ashley was grasping at straws with her last comments. Therefore, it didn't really bother him. Regardless, he had learned something, and he would question her again when she cooled down about things he was still wondering about.
In the mean time, though, Naruto moved on to his next person of interest: Wrex. The krogan turned his head to the blond, even before he was near him, perhaps hearing the footsteps. "Uzumaki," he grunted out, nodding at his presence. "I'm next, huh?"
"What do you mean?" asked the blond, trying to feign ignorance but also genuinely confused. Did he know that he was going around talking to everyone.
"Don't take me for a fool, kid. Being aware comes with the life style of a mercenary. At least, it does with the good ones. I heard the conversation you had with the Sergeant over there. She raised some good points, mainly the distrust concept. In most situations, you can't trust strangers. Hell, I never trust my employers either, namely because I know they'll sometimes try to go back on their deal and do away with me once I've obligated my side of the contract."
"Sounds like you've had plenty of experiences with that happening."
"I do, but I've come to develop a sense of knowing when it will happen after meeting an employer. A certain gut feeling. Know what I do in those situations? I alert the target and then convince them to hire me."
"And if that doesn't work?"
"Trust me, I make it work."
Naruto was really interested by now, wanting to know more about Wrex's history, if for nothing else but to be entertained for a while. However, in the back of his head, he also had this nagging feeling. "Say, why were you so adamant about coming aboard anyway? I know you said it was to ensure the job got done, but there needs to be some other reason. I mean, you probably could have found some grieving person who had family on Eden Prime to pay you to track Saren down, so why do this for no pay?"
For a moment, Wrex was silent, a contemplative look washing across his face as he averted his gaze from the blond a bit, obviously deliberating on whether or not he should tell Naruto something. Finally, he said, "Would it surprise you to know I worked for Saren once?"
"Care to repeat that?" asked Naruto, immediately tensing up as he registered what was said but relaxing again as he worked out that Wrex probably wasn't still working for the psychopath. If he was, why did he help secure the data that ultimately proved the turian's involvement in Eden Prime? No, it was doubtful Wrex was some type of spy, but still, Naruto wanted to hear this story.
"It was a few years ago," said Wrex, adopting a wistful look as he retold his days as a mercenary to Naruto, "and back then, I still operated with the aid of a group, undertaking larger contracts, jobs where we were the assault force, unlike the more defensive or preventive oriented tasks that come with solo work. In any event, I received word of a job to knock over a cargo ship. Seemed rather routine, but what really got me was the substantial pay that would be received. At the time, I just figured it represented the mission difficulty. I accepted, met the others I would be working with, was briefed on the specifics of the job, but most importantly, I was introduced to Saren."
"I take it you didn't like him."
"Truthfully he wasn't that bad. He was very colloquial with us, did a good job with saying what the job entailed without saying what exactly we were procuring for him, and was of course paying us quite a bit. All that aside, I still felt something was off about him back then. It may have been his fake smiles, his cold eyes, any number of his mannerisms that brought me to second-guess accepting the mission. I decided to stick out for a little longer. The mission was nothing special, though that was the problem. The pay didn't add up to the sub-par opposition. I ended up leaving right away, not even bothering to get paid. And wouldn't you know, I later found out that everyone else who was on that mission ended up dead."
"So, what, you want some kind of vengeance on Saren?"
"No, Uzumaki. Vengeance for something that petty is for the weak and leads to their inevitable downfall. The point is that I've known that Saren is dangerous for a while now, but after what happened on the Citadel, I now know to a better extent. He will truly be a challenging adversary, and that is that only reason I want to fight him. If one does not constantly challenge themselves, they will grow weak. If there is one thing you take away form this conversation, let it be that."
"I will," replied the blond, and, sensing that there was nothing more to be said between the two at the moment, he moved on to the next person in his line-up.
As he approached Colban, he received a grunt of acknowledgment, but nothing more as the elder blond went on with his exercises. The blatant action of disrespect slightly perturbed Naruto, but he didn't say anything, instead choosing to just stare down at him, watching, making Cole acknowledge him before speaking. Sure, Naruto had secured his stay on the ship for a while, but he needed the man to know he wasn't the one in charge.
It soon became apparent that Naruto's statuesque presence wore on Colban's nerves, shown by him growling before finally giving up on his exercises and getting off the floor, turning to him with a scowl on his face. "Is there a problem, or do you just enjoy pissing guy's off?"
"Someone's a bit touchy," was Naruto's reply as he shrugged the reaction off. "Is it because I'm here specifically, or do you just hate people observing you?"
"That's none of your goddamn business!" Colban hissed, prompting Naruto to lean more towards the latter reason.
"Look, whatever the problem is, I came to inform you to watch yourself. Shepard isn't far off from just ditching you on some hostile planet, and that's only because I convinced him not to blast you out the air-lock because you have worth. You're treading on thin ice."
"I didn't ask for your help, so don't think I own you," Colban said, his scowl still in place. "And if Shepard has a problem, tell him to confront me himself. If that's it, leave."
The man started to turn, but Naruto stopped him. "There's something else I need to talk to you about."
"Wonderful," Colban quipped sarcastically, adding an eye roll. "Get on with it. The sooner you piss off, the better."
"I need to know where you came from."
"Pardon?" asked Colban, a dangerous look coming to his eye, something which Naruto chose to disregard, instead continuing on with his question.
"You're running from something, that much I know. Eden Prime was the perfect hiding place for a while, barely seeing any visitors, but that changed when Saren got involved, and we found you."
Colban remained silent prompting Naruto to carry on with his theory.
"We attempted to get you to testify, and while the sniper gave you the perfect opportunity to split, I could tell that you were going to make a break for it at some point. Why, I don't know for sure, but I notice you trying to duck down at the time, hiding your face from cameras. That's when I first began developing the idea you were in hiding. You didn't want your face to be recognised. But with all the media coverage, you were bound to be seen. Whoever is looking for you thinks you ditched us, which is why you so readily joined us when I found you. I've also figured out that your training has something to do with who's chasing you. So, what's the story?"
Cole just stared at Naruto blankly for a moment, before starting to chuckle. "That's quite the notion you have there. In truth, I never expected such a sophisticated thought process from you, let alone that kind of detective work. I still don't see how my origin has anything to do with you."
"As previously stated, I helped secure your place here for a while, but if people are after you, I need to know if I placed the crew in danger. I need to be prepared for any threat and have Shepard also prepare."
"I still don't know you enough to tell you the whole story," said Cole looking away, a reminiscent look in his eye and a smirk on his face, "but you've impressed me with what you've managed to figure out on your own. In regards to that, I will tell you that you pretty much got it right. My past profession has landed me in trouble with a few people, and I've been on the run for a few years now. Keep impressing me and I'll enlighten you to the full story. And while it's doubtful they will find me, it wouldn't hurt to keep on your toes."
With that, Colban turned away from Naruto completely and went back to what he was doing before, causing the latter to roll his eyes and contemplate about how full of himself the former was, moving on to speak to Garrus.
"So, how are you settling in?" asked Naruto on his approach, weariness in his voice from dealing with the others. The turian took notice of this.
"Better than most, if your state after talking to the others is anything to go by."
Naruto chuckled at that, saying, "Fair enough," as he inspected the turian closer. Garrus had turned back to his data pad, skimming through the data displayed upon it and piquing the blond's interest with the constant flicking of his mandibles. "Seems I'm not that only one getting stressed about something. What are you reading?"
"A report on an alleged terrorist organisation. From what it says here they have massive amounts of funding from who knows where and are pouring more into recruitment and armaments, almost like they're preparing to defend a base or something, even though no one knows where they are located, let alone much about them in general."
"They're forces could be to launch an attack of their own," suggested Naruto, getting a shrug from Garrus."What is known about the group, though? What makes them terrorists?"
"We know that they call themselves 'Cerberus', and are a self-described pro-humanity organisation. That doesn't exactly mean they're anti-everyone else though, considering they haven't taken any action against any other species. More like they want to ensure the interests of humanity. As for what singles them out as a terrorist group... they focus mainly on research and development, most if not all of which is unsanctioned by the council, not to mention unethical. Human test subjects (granted, most are probably voluntary), A.I. development, heavy genetic engineering leading us to believe they're trying to create a new species or resurrect and extinct one. I've even heard rumours that they may have formed a biotic facility two decades back that had highly con traversal practices. Of course, no evidence can be found of that, since we don't even know if the facility exists, only testimony from families claiming to have had children with promising biotic potential taken years ago, only to never be seen again. The 'recruiters' all wore the same emblem; it is the same one that the Cerberus of today sports."
"Two decades?" asked an incredulous Naruto. "Just how long have they been around?"
"We don't know," Garrus admitted. "C-Sec just recently decrypted some old data streams and gained some of this newer information. Again, a lot of this is compiled from rumours, though. Truthfully, one could easily say they don't even exist, but I've been around long enough to know what are just scare tactics created by some higher up to keep men on their toes or perhaps fulfill some ulterior motive of the government, and what conspiracy actually has merit. You can't just write-off those disappearances."
"But you don't perceive them as a threat?" asked Naruto, causing Garrus to look at him.
"As of yet, I don't see them as a threat, but that could easily change. Who knows what lengths they'll go to in order to ensure humanity gets what they think it deserves."
"Good point," conceded Naruto. "Anyway, have you seen Tali or Nihlus? I need to check on them as well."
"I believe Tali has settled in the engineering department. As for Nihlus, I saw him clutching his head and staggering into the lift. Considering you didn't see him passed out on the floor, I assume he's resting in the med-bay."
"Right. Thanks," said Naruto as he left Garrus to himself once again. He figured he'd meet up with Tali first since she was on the same level. It didn't take long to make it to his destination, getting a view of the ship's shimmering mass effect drive, then spotting Tali, her back turned to him as she worked on a console like many of the other workers, no doubt studying the ship with intrigue.
He came up behind her, making his presence known beforehand so as not to startle the girl.
"Hey, Tali," the blond called out, causing the person in question and a few other personnel in the room to turn to him, the latter soon going back to work.
"Lieutenant, Sir, how can I help you?" she asked, sounding almost as if slightly panicked at his presence, perhaps thinking he was there to reprimand her for something.
"Relax, I just wanted to check in on you: to see if you were having any trouble." Naruto gave an internal chuckle at her behaviour as he calmed her. "And you don't have to be so formal."
"Oh, in that case, thank you for your concern. I'm adjusting just fine, and everyone so far has been very nice. It's just..." tali stopped herself, apparently thinking that her complaint didn't have merit.
"Yes?" prodded Naruto, wanting to hear what she had to say regardless.
"I'm just surprised by how quietly the ship runs, and a little anxious, too. The Flotilla usually operates with an immense amount of sound accompanying it. However, it also means that everything is working. If something goes silent,it almost always means something has gone wrong and a component has broken down. Whether that something has to do with the life support, engines, communications, or something else, we can't know until it is fixed. As you can imagine, it causes a great deal of unease."
"Wow, life sounds hard for your people," said Naruto, sympathizing. "But as I'm sure you know, this is a state-of-the-art stealth-craft. Everything works just fine, even if it lacks the sounds you're used to."
"Thank you," was Tali's response. Naruto just nodded, and turned to leave, but said one last thing before walking away.
"Oh, and if the Commander comes down to talk to you, don't worry about it. He probably just wants to be sure you're adapting as well."
With that, Naruto made a quick, trek to the lift, ready to go back to the upper level and meet with Nihlus. Along the way, he sort of realised that he didn't really achieve what he was assigned to do, which was uncover everyone's secret feelings. However, given that everyone was still tense and had just met, and that Shepard was a reasonable man, Naruto considered the orders standing and with no real deadline.
As he pressed the button and the doors to the lift slid shut, the blond prepared for a long, boring ride up. However, the expected monotony was broken when the speaker crackled to life above him, causing him to look up as Shepard's voice came through.
"Attention everyone. This is Commander Shepard. If you have not already heard, I have been charged as Captain Anderson's replacement for the remainder of the foreseeable future. There's nothing wrong with him, he's just a victim of the incompetence and corruption of the political system. This incompetence is also what leads us our current mission, as the council was blind to see the treachery going on right in front of them by Saren. In any event, we're charged with tracking him down, as no one else seems to care or is just too stupid to see the danger he poses. Which leads me to my next point: we have some new crew members. They do care and are not stupid, thus they deserve your respect. Or, at the very least, your cooperation and an amicable relationship with you founded on our mutual interests. As such, if you have not already, please introduce yourselves to them. And to the new crew members, don't act like assholes when interacting with the others on this ship. I have faith in you all that we will complete this mission. That is all."
Naruto smirked a bit at the announcement, which only widened into a grin as the elevator reached its destination. Stepping off, the blond immediately made a B-line for the med-bay. The doors slid open, and he was met with the sight of Dr. Chakwas. Smiling now, he greeted the woman.
"Hey, how are you, Doctor?"
"Oh, Naruto," she replied, looking up from some files. She was a bit surprised to see him, but his presence wasn't unwelcome. "What brings you here?"
"I was actually looking for Nihlus. Heard he was here, but it looks like he left," he said, referring to the empty cots in the room. "You wouldn't happen to know where he went, would you?"
"Actually, he's in the next room over," Chakwas supplied helpfully. "When he stumbled through the door, I offered to set him up here, but he said that he just needed a place to collect his thoughts. I could tell he was in severe pain, but I know his type: prideful, but sensible. He'll only accept help if he thinks he absolutely needs it, and will deal with his problems on his own for the most part. Insisting to aid him would only do more harm than good. Besides, I have a feeling he knows the limits of how much he can take on his own. So, if you need to talk to him, I would advise you to tread lightly and not mention his condition."
"Of course," Naruto nodded, entertaining the thought of checking back later very briefly. He ultimately decided against it, though, as he wanted to talk to everyone first, then compile what he thought about them in a report to Shepard. So, saying a quick, "Thanks," to the doctor, Naruto stepped through the door to the backroom.
It closed behind him, as he came face-to-face with Nihlus, who had looked up just as he heard the door slide open. Though he had a pained grimace on his face, the turian beckoned the blond to come further into the room, to the desk he was sitting at. Concerned, Naruto wanted to intervene, to try and coerce Nihlus to seek medical attention, but recalled what he had just finished discussing with Chakwas, staying his tongue. Instead, he simply approached.
"What are you doing here?" asked Nihlus, trying to suppress a pained grunt, though Naruto caught it. He chose not to draw attention to it.
"I'm checking up on everyone, seeing how they're settling in, if they need anything," he said, leaving the statement to linger in the room, not mentioning how Shepard had assigned him to this. "Do you need anything?" he finally asked.
"I'm fine," he replied with an edge to his voice, though, it wasn't directed at Naruto. If the blond had to guess, Nihlus was directing it at himself.
"If you say so," Naruto went on, keeping the condescending tint from his tone. Then, taking pity on the turian, he said, "You seem stressed; like you have a lot to think about. I'll let you sort your thoughts out, come back later. You should probably rest though."
With that, Naruto approached the door, and was about to leave when Nihlus called back out to him. "Wait!"
The blond turned, a bit surprised at the abrupt, pained shout, and saw the Spectre rising to his feet, unsteady, the chair scraping against the floor as it was pushed out behind him. Approaching again, albeit slowly, Naruto stopped at an opportune position in which to catch him should he fall.
It seemed a good plan, as it wasn't long before Nihlus stumbled, and would have fallen hard on the floor if Naruto hadn't acted, catching him and bringing him to the bed in the room where the turian could sit. After he let go, though, Nihlus refused to look at him.
"Thank you," he said, begrudgingly, "though your help was unnecessary."
"I understand. Now, is there a reason you called me back?" he asked, hoping he hadn't caused Nihlus to go completely silent by helping him.
"There's something I need to ask, Uzumaki... no, Naruto." the turian said, catching the blond's attention immediately by addressing him so colloquially. "I feel as if... no, I've come to terms with my morality, and though I will do my damnedest to ensure I see the end of this mission through, I need... reassurance."
The blond listened intently the turian's words. Truthfully, he was more than a bit upset that he was talking the way he was, though kept the anger from his face. He knew that he should be grateful that someone as prideful as he was lead to believe Nihlus was was actually telling him something like this.
"Please, promise me, Saren needs to be brought to justice. Not for me, but for what he did to Eden Prime, to your crew mate, and what he plans to do to the galaxy. Don't let him get away with it."
"I promise," was all he said, looking the turian pointedly in the eyes.
Nihlus nodded. "Then, please, leave me now."
And with that, Nihlus went prone in the bed, and was quickly asleep. Naruto left him, going over everything her had heard from those he talked to, and wondering just what to tell Shepard.
(End):
And there we go. So this will be my final update, personally. At least for the immediate future. If Echo needs help again, I'll probably step in. this was a bit delayed, as my classes started up again not too long ago, which would also attribute to the rushed (to me, at least) ending. Anyway, my cousin should be back in three, maybe four, weeks. I don't really know. He probably doesn't, either. And with that, I bid you, ado.