"Hey Chief, got a challenge for you." Shepard dumps three large boxes on Ashley's workstation. "I want you to help me combine then fit a Heavy/Medium set then use the left over plates to pump up the protection on Liara's shitty light armour."

The light armour is deposited on the ground as Ashley checks what she is working with, "Aite, so we have Elkoss Combine for the heavy plates, good choice Skip, did you want to start removing them from the mesh?" She is talking mostly to herself as she considers the challenge presented to her. Even in the harsh light her eyes are glowing happily and Shepard has to stop herself from staring as the Gunnery Chief bends over the table to open the medium armour box. "I don't recognise this stuff Shep what is it?"

Shepard tears her eyes away from the tightly presented ass, damn it she really needs to get more professional she can't afford to let her emotions slip like the last few days. "Uh it's Spectre grade. Hence the lack of branding. Can we use it as the mesh attaching the Elkoss plates giving a stronger set of armour with less movement restriction?"

"I can't see why not, just leave this here and I'll call you for the fitting in a few hours."

The Commander starts going through the away teams' lockers distributing armour and weapon mods where needed; the best shield upgrades on the market for Kaidan with a note added to see Chakwas for an upgraded amp, some weapon mods for Wrex and Garrus, Ashley gets the spare heavy assassin armour they 'liberated' from Lunar Base, Liara will be covered with the heavier plates from the Spectre armour added to hers. At Tali's locker she pauses, unlike everyone else her armour hasn't been upgraded ever. They do have a Mark X set of quarian armour also 'liberated' from a mission but the health risk is huge.

"Shepard a word if you will." Garrus is standing next to the shiny new MAKO his blue armour reflecting off its brilliant sheen, she has an internal chuckle that won't last long.

"What's on your mind Vakarian?"

He lifts the discarded box, "I had been wondering who had developed Spectre grade armour for humans so quickly, then I saw this." He waves a talon at T. Vasir marked clearly on the packaging.

"Oops." Shepard grins and shrugs, "Nice observational work Officer."

- I'm calling in that favour.

-It's been ten of your years. I thought you would be dead by now.

-Well I'm not. Time to pay up.

-I will NOT facilitate abuse of a young Quarian on pilgrimage.

-You have no choice.

-Never, you pyjak scum.

-Again you have no choice, remember I am a good enforcer. But if it will make you feel better I am now an alliance officer looking to upgrade a friend's armour with no clean room.

-Sending the formula now.

The armour fits suspiciously snugly, a near perfect fit in fact maybe Ashley had been paying nearly as much attention to her figure as... no best not to continue that train of thought.

"Not bad huh Skipper."

"Can you loosen this up Williams?"

Ashley eyes her CO askance, "Is that not a perfect fit?"

"Well it's textbook perfect." She trails off and looks at Ashley's feet.

"But..."

"Ever since basic my armour has been loosened to prevent messing with my back, fucking Batarians."

"Ah." Ashley honestly hadn't noticed the scars in the desert.

"Yea. But if it makes you feel better we can get Tali high so we can fix her armour."

Ashley looks concerned as she has come to view the young quarian as a sister figure to be protected. "Shepard!"

"What? No. You're the only one for me babe." It's accompanied by a exaggerated wink to show the Commander is at least partially joking, "It's also the only way I know of to get her out of the suit without killing her."

Ashley rolls her eyes while reclining on the bench. She can still see faint orange and now brownish stains dotting the cargo bay. The last few days have been a real eye opener about the 'Hero of Humanity'.

"Should I even ask?"

"Honestly? No."

AN - Sorry, it's not even a RL excuse, I'm just super lazy. Enjoy, review if it pleases you. Or not.