Beta-read by Saberlin.

-J-

Garrus strode past the marines and Tali towards the stairs that would lead him down into the C-Sec Academy. "Heya Garrus!" Officer Lang waved.

"Hey Eddie." Normally, Garrus might have stopped to chat but not today. The C-Sec Academy's placement made it a hub of sorts. It was faster to get from the Presidium to the wards, by going through C-Sec.

The twisting, blue-lit corridors passed in a blur. Occasionally a fellow officer would hail Garrus—either to tease him about looking ready to save half the galaxy (and blow up the other half in the process) or to congratulate him on completing his investigation, despite the fact that completion came about later than expected.

Yes, the investigation part was over. Saren was ousted as the treacherous scum-sucker he was. But the grunt work, the get your talons dirty and peg the perp work wasn't. Not by a long shot.

He wanted to be there to help take Saren down. He'd find a way to convince Commander Shepard to take him along. She wasn't unreasonable. In fact she was very reasonable, he just needed to come up with a good reason. She'd let him tag along while ferreting out Fist, after all.

Being on the Executor's shitlist did not mean much to a Spectre; nor did havign a C-Sec officer on staff who was also on that shitlist.

Though not so far down the Executor was looking for reasons to get rid of him. Not like Harkin. There was a disgrace to a species.

He was not hung up on being C-Sec to the core, he could follow orders without feeling conflicted. He had contacts both in C-Sec and out of it. Contacts the Commander might find useful. Who knew what they might overhear that might end up being valuable?

He picked up his pace, stepping into the elevator that would take him up to the presidium.

The elevator let him off, and Garrus strode forward, feeling anticipation, and general readiness to go do something come to a rolling boil. The Commander was open-minded. She didn't mind nonhumans. That Chief did, but Shepard kept a good rein on her people.

The doors to Executor Pallin's office hissed open. "Garrus." Executor Pallin rubbed his temple. Probably come in to smirk and do the 'I told you so' dance. Pallin was in no mood for it today, not when he was still sorting out all the crap on his desk. Crap Garrus had contributed to in no small way. The boy had talent, he had potential…

…and an itchy trigger talon. If it wouldn't have affected Garrus' ability to do his job—and do it well, overlooking Garrus' disdain for rules, regs, and SOPs—Pallin would have suggested the kid get some medication. Help him calm down a little. Slow his mind down enough to think.

Garrus stopped in front of the Executor's desk, radiating tension and readiness, his mandibles waving.

"There's plenty to do, Garrus. It's on your desk. You remember where your desk is, don't you?" Pallin asked, looking up.

Garrus tossed his C-Sec badge on the Executor's desk. "I quit."

"What is it this time, Garrus?" Pallin picked up the badge, nonplussed, expecting Garrus to break in a rant about some red tape or other.

"I quit. I'm going after Saren with Shepard." Or he would, as soon as he convinced her it was a good idea. Definitely not something he wanted to try before she'd gotten lunch.

Pallin sighed, dropping the badge. Garrus was correct in assuming he knew who Shepard was. "I'd heard the humans finally got in. It's a political stunt Garrus."

"She'll get him."

"No, she'll get dead. Have you read her files? Any of her files?" The news had come to Pallin first, so C-Sec's upper echelon would know Shepard really was a Spectre when she showed up to requisitions.

Pallin had also read her security-accessible file. Orphan. No family, no clan. Childhood trauma. Batarian hunter. Hero. Always in the right place at the right time, throwing herself heedlessly into something dangerous.

The sort of person who ended up very dead. She was living on borrowed time.

Pallin did not need Garrus shifting from foot to foot to know the younger turian had not read even this much about his new hero. "I have. Half her crew is going to end up dead. The other half will wish they were. Let it go, Garrus. You'll do more good here."

Garrus shook his head. "I'm going, Venari."

"Your dad's not going to like this." No, Vakarian senior wouldn't like it at all.

Yes, his dad was a fan of the 'do it right or don't do it at all' camp, where 'right' meant 'by the book'. Garrus grit his sharp teeth. "No, I expect he won't. But I intend to own my decisions."

"Then what are you doing in my office? We've done the 'I'm quitting' thing what, six times now? You're C-Sec, Garrus, through and through. Grab your badge, grab a case, and get out there." Pallin pointed in the general direction of the wards.

"Why? I catch a perp, and he's loose two days later. I'm done." Garrus turned on his heel, both irritated and as though his sense of balance was off. Perhaps it was the weight of red tape and rule books full of small print landing on the floor as he shook them off.

Pallin was right: Garrus' father would be livid when he found out.

But Shepard understood what was at stake. She wouldn't let Saren squiggle loose…

Garrus also decided he had better get hold of her censored file. There was obviously something in there to make Pallin more unreasonable than usual. Pallin hated Specters for being above the law. He disliked humans because they were loud, pushy, and had achieved more in less time than most other species had.

But when Pallin hinted someone was on the path to self destruction, it was usually an objective observation.