The planet was thick with dust. A film of earth coated all of the buildings metallic red as the wind that whipped against their armor attempted to achieve the same effect on their bodies. There was a constant howling sound as dusty air forcefully pushed it's way through narrow alleys and everything smelled dry and lifeless.
Shepard checked her online map quickly, trying to locate the bar where they were supposed to meet their gang member in. Wrex shuffled restlessly behind Shepard. His large form kicking up a puff of dust with each movement. "Can we hurry this up Shepard? I'm getting sand in my quad." Shepard turned to look at Wrex. Most of her face was hidden by her N7 breather helmet but she still managed to communicate her disapproval with a pinching of her dark eyebrows and a simple muttering of "Wrex." Wrex shook his head and Shepard returned to looking at her map. After several minutes of fiddling around and looking for nonexistent landmarks in their banal surroundings, she pointed to their left with a heavily gloved finger.
"That way." Her voice rang clearly through Garrus' comm device. Wrex grunted his relief as they started to walk towards their destination. The wind grated his hearing and his nerves. There was a constant crackling sound filtering its way through his radio. It unsettled him and scratchy paranoia was lining his stomach when they finally found the bar where their package was waiting. Shepard's posture became taut as they approached the bar and her alertness traveled through Garrus and Wrex like electricity through a fine line of wire. Wrex stopped shuffling and Garrus keenly inspected the roofs for possible sniper hideouts. Being shot at was never fun and a bullet to the head was a nasty surprise Garrus was willing to pass up on.
Inside the bar there was a scattered collection of Asari, Battarians, Krogan and even a few Elcor pounding through the bar and grumbling over drinks. There was a lone Salarian talking in hushed tones with a commando but, none of the patrons looked as if they were prepared for a fight. The bar itself was crusted with grime. Suspicious stains decorated the tables flaking off with a wave of a hand or the brush of a cup. The whole place reeked of metallic blood and Krogan liquor. Dust scraped off the floor only to resettle with each step and Garrus couldn't help but wonder why the hell someone would choose to live on this planet.
The place was disgusting but, not threatening. Still, Shepard didn't relax. Garrus supposed that was how she had lived so long. Even a seemingly calm environment like this one had a habit of exploding into violence when Shepard was around. He wouldn't be surprised if she slept with a gun under her pillow and kept a second in her nightstand. "It doesn't look like he's here yet. Alright guys, our target is a human male and is supposed to be wearing red. Let me know if you see him come in." They stepped up to the bar keeping loose formation. Garrus could tell that their presence was starting to make the odd assortment of criminal patrons in the bar nervous. Good, he thought, keep them on their toes. Can't have criminals getting too comfortable.
Oddly enough the bartender was a Krogan. That was a first for Garrus. He didn't think Krogans had the temperaments to deal with loud drunks. Usually, they were the loud drunks but, in a way it made sense. This bar probably had the fewest customer initiated brawls in the city. Nobody wanted to make a Krogan angry by breaking one of his cups on another patron's face. The Krogan approached Shepard with caution and rumbled out an offer for a drink. Shepard waved him away distractedly telling him she was alright for now. Her hands slapped against the edge of the bar in a peculiar rhythmic drumming. If he didn't know better he would have said Shepard was nervous. "Something up?" He asked her quietly. Wrex was already staring down another Krogan and lifting his lip in a silent growl.
"No. Not really. Something about this mission just feels wrong. Call it intuition." She looked up at him and then behind him. "Fuck." She whispered. Garrus turned around and saw what Shepard was looking at. A smirking human male wearing red. This was their package, Garrus reasoned, based off of the description Shepard had given earlier. The human's features were craggy and the wide quirk of his lips nettled Garrus for some reason but nothing about him seemed to call for the extensive range of expletives flowing out of Shepard's mouth at the moment.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." She said for good measure before the human approached her warmly, his smile getting wider.
"Shepard!" He crowed, "Long time no see. Couldn't avoid me this time, eh? Knew you couldn't say no to the Alliance." He reached out to pat her on the shoulder but Shepard jerked away. Wrex seemed to be amused by this little bit of human drama as did the rest of the bar patrons who were now looking at their group.
"I would have said no if I knew it was you we were coming here to pick up." She hissed at the human. Something about this man had set Shepard off and she was spitting mad. Garrus noticed a fizzing sensation at his side and turned to look at Shepard. Her profile was picking up a hint of blue as her biotics spilled out of her body. Garrus decided it was time to intervene.
"I'm no expert on human politics but I'm pretty sure the Alliance won't be too happy if you kill their informant." He told her cooly. Shepard rattled out a sigh and the blue faded slightly but a protective film still covered her, "So," He asked casually, tilting his head back, "How do you two know each other?"
"None of your goddamn business." Shepard responded with sudden venom. Garrus stepped back. Shepard rarely snapped but when she did the whole crew- Garrus included- knew better than to push her. "Fuck. I'm sorry." She said seconds later, "Just don't ask about this." Shepard covered her eyes and then added softly, "Please." There were aspects of his own past he would rather not talk about so Garrus let it go with a nod.
"If you're done acting like a crazed varren let's take our package up to the ship and leave this ugly gob of a rock." Wrex grabbed the human by the shoulder, more than ready to drag him out. The human struggled for a bit but couldn't get his shoulder out of Wrex's grasp. After failing to pull himself away the human suddenly beamed at Shepard.
"Nice Krogan you got here Shepard. Where'd you pick him up?" Wrex growled at the subtle insult but the human just ignored him and the claws that must have been digging painfully into his shoulder, "But, you mean to tell me that you didn't tell anyone about our little relationship? Your brief fling with -"
"Shut up." Shepard whipped out her gun quicker than a snake and pointed it at the human's head. "Just, shut up." It didn't seem to bother the human at all that Shepard had a weapon pointed at his face and Garrus was beginning to find himself just as irritated with this human as Shepard was. It was that goddamn smirk.
"I'm Elliot, by the way." He introduced himself to Garrus, who was contemplating punching him just to get it over with, before turning to look to Shepard again, "A Turian too? You always were an alien lover." Shepard's finger was beginning to tighten on the trigger when Garrus pulled it away from Elliot's head. Wrex grunted and head-butted Elliot, knocking him out.
"I believe the Commander told you to shut up." Wrex chuckled and slammed his fists together.
Shepard's shoulders loosened and drooped for a bit. There were no real enemies here. Garrus wondered what expression she was making beneath her helmet. There was a dejected cast about her eyes, it was in the wilting of her lids and, maybe there was even a little bit of fear in her eyes too.