Chapter 6
Rolling out his shoulder, Shepard was surprised at how good it felt. That Dr. Michel is quite the doc. Not only is she easy on the eyes, but she knows her stuff. Fixed me up pretty good, and on the cheap no less. A guy could do worse. Hell, I have done worse. He chuckled, then turned to his turian teammate. "Hey Garrus, where's the requisitions office? Anderson said it outfits both C-Sec and Spectres."
"If we go left, around the elevator that leads to the docking bay, there are some stairs that will take us down to the office." Garrus replied, pointing one long, taloned hand at a doorway next to the Citadel Rapid Transit stop. Shepard nodded his thanks, and then took the lead. In practically no time, they were standing in front of a turian surrounded by armor and weapon lockers.
"Is this the C-Sec requisitions office?" Shepard asked.
"One sec, looking you up." The turian didn't bother to look up at the commander. "Commander Shepard, here with the Alliance military. First time on the Citadel. That about right?"
"How did you know all that?" Shepard was astonished that the turian, whom he was certain he'd never met before, could rattle off that kind of information.
"I'm the C-Sec requisitions officer. It's my job to know who can get what." This was accompanied by a lackadaisical shrug. "So, will you be purchasing anything today, Commander Shepard?"
"Show me what you've got." Shepard responded.
"Sounds good. Let me just set you up . . . whoa, this can't be right." The turian's face showed substantial surprise. "The system's telling me to offer you the special stocks . . . Spectre. Well . . . I'd heard about that, but I didn't realize it was you. Sorry, Commander."
No apology required, man. I'm still trying to come to terms with it myself. All of a sudden I'm a Spectre, and I get to go chasing after Saren. He better run fast, because when I catch him, I'm putting a bullet in his scaly ass. And his head. Maybe a few in his head, just to make sure. But for now, I wanna see what being a Spectre gets me. "It's alright. Just show me what you've got."
"I'll open the rare stocks for you, Commander. Enjoy."
The Council sure knows how to pick their gear, don't they? These are some A-level toys. I've never seen these HMWs before. How have I never seen them before? They're phenomenal! "Mr. C-Sec requisitions officer?" Shepard began. Shit. I didn't even bother to find out this guy's name. Nice job, asshole. "Er, actually, what's your name?"
"My name is Viagho. Viagho Korkari." The human held out his hand. I don't think I'll ever understand the human obsession with shaking hands. It's just unnecessary physical contact. I should be polite, however, and try to show this human some manners. I know a lot of them still hold grudges towards turians over the Relay 314 incident. The turian took the proffered hand and shook it. "I'm surprised Garrus didn't tell you my name. We used to work together, in a manner of speaking."
Garrus looked up from his conversation with Tali when he heard his name. "Wait, that Viagho? I didn't think it would be you! Who did you piss off to get stuck down here?"
"It's a long story, Garrus. The short version is that I set up a sting without the 'proper' authorization. Executor Pallin created some new regulations, and my operation was time-sensitive. Thus, I find myself in the Pit."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Viagho. I managed to get out from under Pallin. I'm working with Shepard now, to take down Saren." There was a hint of pride in Garrus's voice as he said this.
"Good for you. I know a lot of people think humans are too pushy, but that's no excuse for attacking them."
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Viagho." Shepard stepped in. "But I wanted to ask you a coupla questions about these weapons."
"Right, Commander." Viagho looked chagrined at having been distracted from his duties. "What can I do for you?"
"I've been around the block a few times, but I've never seen anything like these HMWs." Shepard admitted. "Can you tell me more about them? Who makes them? Why haven't I seen them before? Why are they so expensive?"
"Certainly." Viagho said, his mandibles fluttering in amusement. "The reason most people haven't heard about these weapons is because they are exclusively available to Spectres. And all Spectre gear is biometrically protected."
"What does that mean, exactly?" Shepard interrupted.
"It means that the gun won't fire if anyone but the registered user tries to use it." Viagho explained. "The exterior of the gun will also discharge a powerful electric shock if anyone but the registered user touches it."
"What kind of an electric shock are we talking about, exactly?" Shepard asked, intrigued. "Is this the kind of shock my omni-tool gives me if I won't get outta bed in the morning, or the kind of shock I get from licking an ionized plasma popsicle?"
"I've never heard of a plasma popsicle." Viagho said, confusion all over his face.
"It's just an expression. I've never seen one either." Shepard answered, smiling.
"I see." Humans and their humor. I just do not understand them sometimes. Viagho thought to himself. Aloud, he told Shepard, "It's the kind of shock that can stop your heart. Literally. I've seen a salarian die because he wanted to take home a 'bonus' from work." Shaking his head at the memory, Viagho continued. "Unfortunately for him, he picked the wrong pistol to steal."
"Did he work here?" Shepard inquired.
"Yes."
"Then how come it shocked him? Was that one already sold to someone?" If it was just sitting in the storage area or stockroom, I don't understand why it would react that way.
"No, no one had purchased the weapon yet." Viagho was unsure of how to explain the way the HMW defense mechanisms worked. "Think of it this way: the gun is going to shock everyone. It refrains from doing so if it recognizes your biometrics."
"Oh, I get it." Shepard said. "So basically, its default setting is to zap people, but having your biometrics in the gun overrides that default."
"Yes, that's a good way of looking at it." Viagho said, somewhat surprised at the ease with which the human had grasped the concept. Maybe there's hope for them yet.
"Alright, that explains why I haven't seen them around before. But who makes them? And why are they so damn expensive?"
"The answers to those questions are related." Viagho's statement was met with an expectant look from Shepard, so he continued. "Spectre weapons are prototypes, made by different companies around the galaxy. No company makes more than one type of weapon. For example, a company, if it makes HMWs, will only be making shotguns, or pistols, or ARs, or sniper rifles. And any company that produces an HMW is under an incredibly strict non-disclosure agreement. Talking about what weapon you make, or even saying that you make one of the HMWs, would be met with swift and unpleasant action by the Council."
"What kind of action are we talking about?" Shepard asked. What's the Council gonna do? Make 'em stop producing the guns? Fine them? Big whoop. Maybe have them killed? Nah. The Council's just a bunch of big fucking pussies.
"No one knows." Viagho answered with a shrug. "To my knowledge, no one has ever tried to test the Council, or their conviction, by talking about HMW production. That is why they are so expensive. The technology they put into these weapons makes each one a prototype. That's what makes them so powerful, and expensive."
"If you say so." Shepard admitted reluctantly. "But we're talking almost a million credits for four guns. A million credits! Don't Spectres get weapons for free?"
Viagho shook his head at the human commander's naivety. "No. Members of the Spectres are always a part of their race's military, and that military is responsible for outfitting their Spectres with whatever weapons they need."
"Huh." Shepard asked, looking a little crestfallen. The Alliance is chock full of penny-pinchers. There's no way I can get approval for a million creds worth of weaponry, not when it only outfits one person. Damn. Looks like I need to make some more money. Spectres can do all kinds of extra-legal jobs, though, right? I'm sure I'll be rolling in dough before too long. Actually, I should look into 'maximizing' the money I get ahold of, too. Maybe that financial guy Anderson mentioned earlier, the Shadow Broker stooge, can help with that. I should go have a chat with him after I finish up here.
"Well, thanks for the info, Viagho." Shepard smiled at the turian. "I'm gonna go look into 'procuring' some money, and I'll be back. Sometime soon, hopefully."
"Good-bye, Commander." Viagho said as Shepard led Tali and Garrus out of the office and back towards the Rapid Transit station.
Shepard walked out of Barla Von's office in good cheer. In fact, he was practically whistling.
I have a feeling I'm gonna see my portfolio skyrocket. I know I'm not as rich as some of his other clients, but being a Spectre has gotta bring in a lot of miscellaneous credits from some pretty shady sources. I was never good at investing or saving money. This way I can send it all to that little guy, and he'll take care of the rest. I'm definitely gonna check in with the Alliance, too, and see if I can get a bonus or something. First human Spectre, baby! Time to get paid!
"Um, Shepard?"
"Yes Tali?"
"Are you feeling ok? You're acting kind of, uh, strange."
"I'm right as rain, Tali. I'm just excited to start going after Saren. Let's go see what Udina and Anderson cooked up, the crazy bastards. How does that sound?"
"Um, fine?" Has he taken complete leave of his senses? Why is he asking for my opinion?
"Come on, Tali!" He crowed. "Show a little confidence! If you want to come with me, I have to know you've got my back. You've gotta know what you want, what you want to do! I don't wanna get my ass shot off while you're trying to decide if you should shoot the walking flashlights."
I don't want your ass to get shot off, either. It is a rather nice ass. I wonder if it feels nice, as well?
"Earthling-to-Tali!" Shepard interrupted her thoughts. "You will shoot the flashlights, right? I brought you along because I think you have what it takes. It wasn't supposed to be a real head-scratcher of a question."
"Oh, right. Yes, I'll shoot the geth." Tali responded. "Definitely!" She added belatedly, trying to sound confident. I shouldn't allow myself to be distracted that easily. It must be the stress of the day.
"Good." He replied with a smile. "I'm glad to have you with me, Ms. Zorah. Or is it Ms. Nar Rayya?"
Tali laughed. Oh no, what if he thinks I am laughing at him? I am, but it's because he's being cute. Even if he doesn't know it. Covering her mouth with her hands to try to muffle the laughter, she took in his amused smile. Good, he doesn't seem upset. I should try to explain, though. "Tali is my given name, and Zorah is my clan name, which is similar, I think, to your surnames. 'Nar' means 'child of.' And the Rayya was the ship I was born on. So my name translates roughly to Tali'Zorah, child of the Rayya."
"That's really cool." Shepard nodded his approval. "After you complete your Pilgrimage, you said you become an adult, right?" She nodded her assent. "So will you get a different name at that point?"
"Yes." I'm surprised he picked up on that so quickly. Most other species never ask. Although, most other species avoid us like a plague. "If I am accepted into a new ship, I would become 'vas,' meaning 'crew of.' My formal name would then be Tali'Zorah nar Rayya vas, and then the ship's name. Of course, I don't know what that name would be, yet."
"Of course." Shepard parroted with a grin. "You said 'if' you get accepted into a new ship. You mean you might be rejected from returning to the Flotilla?"
He really listens. Tali was genuinely surprised. I've never met anyone who paid so much attention to me. I wonder why he does. "Technically, a captain can refuse the gift offered by someone returning from their Pilgrimage. In practice, though, this hardly ever happens. Most quarians would be ashamed to present a substandard gift, and most captains like having as many people on board their ships as possible. It shows that that captain can be trusted, and is respected."
"That makes sense." Shepard said, nodding as he digested her comments. "It's kinda like the way COs want to have the fewest transfer-out requests. It means they're doing their job the right way."
"I think you're right." Tali agreed. But I can't say for certain, because I don't really know anything about the Alliance."
"If you'd like, I can teach you." Shepard offered.
I'd like that a lot. Tali thought to herself. Aloud, she said, "That might be useful."
Shrugging, Shepard turned away from her and made for the elevator to C-Sec.
Internally, Tali was struggling to understand Shepard's meaning. Was he shrugging because he agreed with me? Or did he think I was trying to refuse without hurting his feelings? I really would like to spend more time with him, even if that means learning about the Alliance. And it would be nice to know more about humanity. She sighed in frustration. Why are humans so hard to understand?