"Alright, tell me how useful you are," Shepard stood with her arms crossed in front of the three soldiers who sat in chairs around the conference table.
Vega glanced at the others, "Well, I can shoot anything you hand me. I can tweak weapons until they squeak, they are so fine tuned."
Shepard nodded, "Good," and looked to Kaidan.
"I'm an L2 biotic," he explained, showing his amp, "Have some tech skills. Garrus was using me as support most of the time, his tech was mostly offensive, so I would crowd control and they would take them down."
"Useful," Shepard drawled, "Very useful in an infiltration team."
She looked to the drell. He sat peacefully with his hands linked in his lap.
"What about you? I was not aware the drell had a military."
"I am not military, Commander Shepard," Thane intoned softly, his voice thrumming in his throat in that dual tone common to his kind, "I am an assassin in the hire of the hanar. Or rather…I was."
"An assassin…" Shepard murmured, and looked uncertain.
"He's on our side, Commander, Admiral Hackett has bought his services from the hanar government," Kaidan assured her.
"Forgive me, but an assassin is little more than a mercenary in my book. A killer for hire," Shepard frowned, her bright green gaze upon the drell.
"Are you not also a killer, Commander? Do you not get paid for what you do as a representative for your species?" Thane replied in that same modulated tone.
Vega sucked in a breath, and muttered, "Cool it, man."
Shepard narrowed her eyes again. Raised an eyebrow. And grinned.
"He has a point," she huffed a brief laugh, "Alright, you're in." She keyed something on her omnitool.
"You will not have access to the CIC or the upper levels of the ship until I have confirmed your security level. Vega, you are assigned to the shuttle bay and armory with Cortez. Alenko, you will be assigned to the forward gunnery room. I want the ship's weaponry in the best shape it has ever been. Thane…." She paused, "Damned if I know where to assign you right now."
"I am very good at searching for people, Commander. If you give me access to the extranet whilst on board, I will see if I can track the Blue Suns through tech."
"Alright, you can assist Liara in the tech bay," Shepard input the information into her omnitool. Then tapped her com.
"Cortez, Liara and Tali, can I see you in the CIC conference room ASAP please,"
A chorus of 'ayes' came back. Liara was the first to arrive from her place in the tech labs, the closest to their position. She eyed the new arrivals curiously.
"Commander," the asari stood to attention.
"Take a seat, Dr T'soni, I'm waiting for the others to arrive before I start my briefing."
Cortez and Tali arrived together, arguing over something technical with incredibly long words that just sounded like gibberish to Shepard. Oh. This was going to be good. She couldn't take her eyes off them.
Her pilot was the first to realise that something was amiss. He stopped in his tracks, his expression going blank. Tali didn't cue in for a moment and strode into the conference room, still trying to make her point. She realised that Cortez had stopped talking and turned to see what had caught his attention.
"Oh…." She raised her fingers to her helm, "Kee'lah selai…." She made a soft squeaking sound, before realising she needed to salute. Cortez hadn't moved.
"Get in here and sit down," Shepard snapped the order. Liara had a look of confusion on her face.
Cortez walked stiffly in, his face averted from the three men across the conference table and sat. Tali joined her crewmates and couldn't take her eyes off them.
"Here is the situation. You would have heard rumour that the club we were at the other night was blown to hell by the Blue Suns," Shepard began, bringing up a holo of the blown shell of the club, "This occurred during the day when those present were cleaners, barstaff and Mister Vakarian."
Vega made a sound. Shepard shot him a warning glance and he resided.
"The situation became complicated very quickly. I met with Detective Nought and I took over the case officially as a Spectre," Shepard touched her omni tool again and brought up a holo of Garrus.
"This is Garrus Vakarian. He is the owner of the club, and his whereabouts are currently unknown. It would seem they kidnapped him - to what end we do not know. They made the jump to Kite's Nest within three hours of the explosion."
She touched her omnitool and took down the holo. She looked around the room. Tali was shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Cortez was still stonefaced, staring at the top of the table.
"Garrus Vakarian is a General in the turian military," Shepard dropped the first bomb. Cortez jerked up his head and looked at her in surprise.
"He is part of a covert operations unit that crazily decided to conduct themselves as strippers to gain information about illegal activities on the Citadel," Shepard drawled.
"Hey!" Vega protested.
Tali waved a three fingered hand, "Uhh, Shepard?"
"Yeah, Tali?"
"So…why do we have three of his…employees on board."
"Lieutenant James Vega and Lieutenant Commander Kaidan Alenko, are both part of the Alliance Military. Thane is in the employ of the hanar government, but currently … hired by the Alliance to take part," Shepard gestured at the three men, "Lieutenant Steve Cortez, shuttle pilot, you will be working with Lieutenant Vega. Engineer Tali'Zorah nar Rayya vas Normandy, you will be working with Lieutenant Alenko. And Dr Liara T'soni, Thane will be assisting with the hunt for General Vakarian."
There was silence in the room.
Tali cleared her throat, "They aren't strippers?"
Shepard quirked a smile at the disappointment in the quarian's voice.
Vega grinned at the quarian, "Can give you a show anytime you like, Engineer. You just have to ask."
"By the Goddess…." Liara squeaked and all but blushed, she stood up, flustered, "This is highly irregular."
"Nothin' regular about us, ma'am," Vega shot back with that irrepressible grin.
"Alright people," Shepard rubbed her brow, "We have more important things…like finding a missing turian general! Go!" She flicked her fingers.
Cortez stood swiftly and marched out, not looking back, certainly not noticing the gaze of the biotic officer watching his retreat. Tali stood, and jerked her head at him, "Come on, Lieutenant, I will show you where you will be spending most of your time." Her voice hovered somewhere near a squeak still.
Vega strolled out after Cortez, "Hey! Esteban! Wait up!" He saluted Shepard on the way past.
"The tech lab is through there," Liara pointed toward the far door, "I will join you in a moment, Thane."
The drell bowed politely and headed out, leaving Liara and Shepard alone.
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Ilyana?" Liara queried of the Commander softly.
"Nope," Shepard admitted softly, "But we could do with the added firepower. And they know him, we don't."
"And your mark?" the asari asked.
Shepard grimaced, "Yeah. It's a bond mark. An accident, he said."
"Goddess, Shepard. You are bonded to a turian general…and a primarch's son."
Shepard glanced at Liara sharply, "You know that?"
"It is difficult not to when you have to pay as much attention to politics as I do," Liara replied gently.
Shepard rubbed her brow, "As long as we stay away from each other, it will be fine."
"But you are seeking him, are you not?"
"I'm getting back a kidnap victim, Liara," Shepard protested.
"In your head, you wish to find him and punish the Blue Suns. But in your heart, you are seeking your bond mate."
"Liara, you know I love you like a sister," Shepard laid a hand on the asari's shoulder, "But if you continue with this drivel, I will assign you to work in the garbage compactor until we finish the mission."
Liara smiled and touched Shepard lightly on the chin with her fingertip, "I love you too, Ilyana."