Remix: mix (something) again.

Jane was not in a good mood.

At all. Her usual customers seemed to tell as they avoided ordering from her and instead went to Nilia or Trela.

She felt like shit.

Her thighs still stung underneath the bandages, her scalp throbbed (Saren had pulled really hard at a point, it was a miracle that he hadn't pulled any of her hair out), her ass felt like she'd been paddled harshly and her vagina?...

Well. Walking for maybe 30 seconds to the Lounge after getting out of the sky cab had left her nearly in tears. Standing still behind the counter was a torture in itself.

And this was after applying antiseptics and medigel and a night's rest.

She was interrupted in her mental cataloguing of her aches and pains by someone clearing their throat.

Couldn't they see every part of her hurt? Couldn't they see she was in full bitch mode?

"So.. you're the kava human. I've heard a lot about you from Executor Pallin. Surprisingly good things... when you're not sleeping on the job."

The voice was turian, significantly lighter than Saren's with none of his dark, deep tones. A light sarcastic drawl. Almost caustic.

It offended her. Greatly. She wasn't particularly sure as to why it annoyed her so much. A sarcastic turian would likely get on with her like wildfire.

She gave him a dismissive once-over. He seemed offended at her blatant dismissal of him and she could see his eyes narrow at her.

Red turian. High quality blue and red turian civvies with a white trim. Green eyes. He looked like an older version of Nihlus. Surprisingly unarmed for a turian. He likely thought that his wit was a weapon enough.

Probably a politician or some businessman.

She already hated him. Even though the rational part of her said that this was a potential friend to be made, or failing that a banter partner.

Banter was always fun.

Her features descended into a frown and the idle cleaning of a shot glass, her shot glass at that (alcohol had failed to dull the pain), halted.

Her voice was just as sarcastic as his, though there was an undercurrent of annoyance that his voice had not had.

"And I get up to surprisingly good things when I don't have potentially racist turians to serve."

He seemed a little taken aback, amused even, but she wasn't finished.

A smile crossed her face though it was likely more of a sneer. Green eyes boring into his own.

"How can I help you, sir?"

With arms folded across his chest he spoke.

"So this is the greatly celebrated human 'hospitality', I assume?"

The air-quotes made her head spin. What was it with aliens and that gesture? It almost proved sobering to her anger. She'd make his kava and hopefully he'd fuck off.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll be celebrating when I'm finished dealing with you."

A turian smile emerged from him at that, a brief flicker of his mandibles. Bet he didn't know she could read those as well as make kava. Was he enjoying pissing her off? Was he hoping to throw her game off so badly that she'd prove him right and make him an average cup of kava?

The devious son of a bitch.

What did she do in a past life to have to deal with so many devious turians. Saren... Nihlus.. and now this old shit.

She backtracked. Fast.

"You know what, I'd love to snark with you any other day, but not today... What can I get you?"

"I suppose you can attempt to make me a cup of kava."

She didn't even dignify that with a response.

With painstaking detail and loving care, she made his kava.

"Here, sir. Enjoy."

He took the cup gingerly from her, endeavouring to make sure no part of his gloves made contact with her hand (what a little drama queen) and gave it a sniff.

"I will try to enjoy it. I wonder what the aroma attempts to conceal from me."

The stink of your attitude likely, and that was rich coming from her at that current moment.

He took a sip. His body froze for a moment, then he continued to drink.

She didn't bother to ask him what he thought.

She didn't care.

At all.

Customers gradually drifted towards her, inspired by the turian's courage likely and she found herself in a considerably better mood as she served them.

They had proper respect. Some of them knew her name and joked a little with her. Cautiously though, her mood was noticeably fragile.

When the crowd dispersed, he spoke to her. Cup of empty kava in front of him with a contemplative look on his face.

"So your name is Jane Shepard. Commander Shepard's adoptive sister. Yes?"

She shrugged. Hands idly going through the motions of making him a second cup. He hadn't ordered it but it'd serve as an apology for her attitude.

"Yes."

He took the cup from her with a nod.

"Thank you. We will likely meet again then at the Normandy's first flight."

Again, she shrugged. She wasn't particularly sure why he was attempting to make conversation with her. There was no real desire on her part to converse with him.

"Yes."

He sighed and gave her an annoyed look, eyes narrowed at her as he continued to sip his kava.

"Are you generally this impolite?"

She shrugged again. She could have sworn she saw the right side of his mandibles twitch in response.

"To those I dislike, yes."

"I'm General Sparatus of the Hierarchy 3rd Division, 2nd Fleet. Maybe you should show some respect, human."

She couldn't help but giggle. He practically flinched at the noise in surprise. After dealing with Saren, who was almost infinitely more imposing than him, he was adorable. Like a child trying to kick her shins.

"Oh my... next you'll be telling me that you're scarier than Saren Arterius and that I should do whatever you say..."

She tilted her head at him with a soft smile. One that she would give a precocious child. He'd even implied that he'd heard of how she'd slept in Saren's arms. What made him think she would be afraid of him?

She didn't give two shits about who he was.

"... No. If you dislike the way I'm treating you, the door is right there."

She pointed behind him. He looked so offended, mandibles almost agape and eyes wide that she thought that maybe this was the first time he'd been told no in his life.

Humans don't follow a hierarchy, asshole.

"If that doesn't appeal, Nilia or Trela can serve you instead. Nilia even says that my kava is better than hers. Prepared to settle...?" A disappointed sigh left her. He was still in a state of shock, frozen.

She'd hoped he'd choose to leave.

"But that would be admitting defeat I suppose. A turian general defeated by a lowly human barista, doesn't that just..." she leaned closer to him, elbows on the bar gazing at him in amusement, "get right underneath your plates?"

Her disrespect wasn't stopping him from staying and drinking his kava. Which he did so whilst glaring coldly at her over the cup. It was clearly the best he'd ever had, she could feel the tell-tale vibrations through the counter.

She continued smiling at him. Mockingly. Every drop he drank would likely be like poison to him.

When a turian was faced with her kava they had no chance.

Though... he wasn't offended anywhere as much as he wanted her to think as he finished his second cup very quickly. He cleared his throat once more.

An expectant look was what greeted her as she turned to face him. It was well camouflaged by the cool disdain ridden in his body language.

...

What a glutton for punishment.