Much love to my reviewers; Thank you so much!

And even more love to my Beta, Necr0mantic. Thank you, lovie!

EDIT: Turian Councilor is NOT Valern, as I recently found- if a name is too much of a spoiler for ME3 for you, then don't read. I edited his name to the correct name.

Oh, and Drawanon did the most beautiful piece for me- a scene from this chapter. Please check it out and give her love! (remove the spaces!)

http : / / fav. me/ d4n2hht


The Flux was noisier than Chora's but it was easier on a stressed individual like Nihlus. The blue lights were easier on his eyes, and he was grateful for the absence of pheromones thick in the air. He had a slightly glowing blue drink on the table in front of him, but he hadn't touched it. Maybe he'd offer it to him when he got there. Maybe the alcohol would soothe the older Turian's temper. Anything to soothe the aggressive male's anger when he found out what his former protégé had done.

Nihlus' green eyes flicked to the tall lean figure approaching him. Male Turians tended to be intimidating by nature, but this older male had an appearance that made him look downright malevolent. From his pale facial plates that bore no markings, the zygomatic plates that swept back and parallel to his fringe, to his cybernetic blue eyes, Saren Arterius wasn't the definition of a "nice Turian." His presence made people uncomfortable- strangers balked and even those that had interacted with him on neutral matters were wary of him. It didn't help that currently,the Spectre was wearing his black casual garb that made him look menacing and dangerous. Nihlus, however, flared his mandibles in a small smile as Saren slid soundlessly into the booth across from him.

"Saren," Nihlus greeted, nodding his head respectfully at the older, more dominant male.

Saren grunted, crossing his right ankle over his left thigh. Nihlus pushed the drink his way, and his friend glanced at it suspiciously, then to Nihlus before picking it up and draining it. He made an appreciative sound as he sat the glass down, leaning back in the booth. His cold eyes fixed on Nihlus's.

"So. The Council tells me you've put forward a name, but told me to talk to you about it...," he rumbled, his voice even. Nihlus flattened his mandibles a bit.

"Yes. I found a very promising candidate, Saren," he hesitated. "On Akuze."

Saren went still, tilting his head to the left slightly, his eyes narrowing.

"Akuze is a human colony," he stated simply. Nihlus nodded, keeping his composure calm.

"Yes. It was recently attacked by a thresher maw. Only one of the Alliance Marines survived. I put their name forward because their will to live, to survive, and the fact that they managed to save civilians in the face of chaos, keeping their head while their Marines lost theirs is a trait valued in Spectres, is it not?"

Saren was silent, still staring at his former student, his mandibles twitching slightly as he digested this. Only the slight digging of his claws into the tabletop betrayed his feelings on the matter. Nihlus didn't look at Saren's claws leaving gouges in the tabletop, keeping his gaze on the other male's face. His mandibles flared, and he didn't blink as Saren leaned forward slightly, his own mandibles flaring and shoulders hunching. The silent posturing continued for a few minutes, neither male backing down. An Asari waitress walked up to check if they needed any drinks, but immediately backed away as she noticed their locked gazes. She wasn't dumb enough to get herself tugged into the middle of a fight, should one break out.

After an incredibly tense few minutes, an unspoken word passed between them and almost simultaneously- too close to tell who backed down first- both males relaxed their mandibles and posture. Nihlus flagged the wary waitress back and ordered another round of drinks while Saren seethed at him.

"A human, Nihlus?" He hissed as the waitress walked away. "They have no place in the Council, let alone in the Spectres!"

"I disagree, Saren," Nihlus retorted, falling silent for a moment as the waitress brought their drinks and left. "It wouldn't matter if she were Turian, Asari, Salarian or even a Krogan. She survived because she kept her head. She saved lives. Importantly, she also shouldered the burden of losing her crew, and is taking it well. It's been six months, and according to her records, she's dealt with the possible mental ramifications of survivor's guilt quite well."

Saren jerked his head back, blue eyes flashing.

"A human female?" He asked incredulously. "Have you lost your mind, Kryik?"

"Again, it doesn't matter, Saren!" Nihlus exclaimed angrily. "She did what fifty others could not. She kept her head while others panicked blindly, and saved lives. She deserves a chance. She could go far as a Spectre."

Saren got up, glaring at him, then leaned forward over the table, eyes glinting.

"The humans have no place in the Council. They haven't proven their worth to the Council races. Their ambassadors Goyle and Udina have been nothing but throwing fits of self entitlement since taking up their positions," he hissed softly. Nihlus snorted.

"The incessant whining of a few doesn't speak for all, Saren," he replied. Saren's eyes glittered with a sudden cunning that set Nihlus on edge.

"Have the Council members said who her mentor will be, Nihlus?"

"She won't be assigned to you. I'm making sure of it. I know you'll sabotage her. I'm going to request to be her mentor," Nihlus snapped, getting up and pulling himself up to his full height. Saren snarled softly at the nerve of the younger male, but didn't push his aggression.

"We'll see who she's assigned to, Nihlus. It's the Council's decision, after all," he sneered before turning on his toes and leaving.

Nihlus rubbed his face with a palm, a groan escaping his throat.

"Damnit, Sparatus. I know you're the one who told him. He didn't need to know...," he muttered, then paying for the untouched drinks, he left the bar, cursing to himself.

There was no time for it now. He had to get to Tevos and convince her to have Shepard assigned to him. If she was assigned to Saren, she'd never be a Spectre- at best. At worst, she'd be killed. He couldn't let that happen.

ooooooo

Ellen sat on the mat, rubbing her lower back as she looked up at the Turian with a scowl that was more playful than annoyed. The C-Sec officer laughed and held out his hand, offering to help her up. She took his hand and with his assistance, got to her feet. He chuckled as she punched his shoulder playfully. She couldn't be mad at him. Ever since finding out she might be assigned to a Spectre for training as a candidate, she'd been seeking partners to spar with on her liberty, and after a week, Chellick had offered. The two had become fast friends. Ellen welcomed the friendship- he wasn't Alliance, and he was only interested in being her friend. After having male Alliance constantly making inappropriate conversations or making things awkward, paired with her history, Ellen wasn't keen on having a human male sparring partner. When she heard Nihlus might be her mentor, she'd been even more delighted to have Chellick as a partner- it was good practice in case Nihlus was the type to spring training on her, and Chellick was damned good at hand to hand.

"Damnit, Chellick. You damned Turians and your long arms and legs," she snorted good naturedly. Chellick laughed again, mandibles flaring in a grin.

"Hey, you wanted a sparring partner. Be glad I let you use biotics to some degree. If you have Nihlus as your mentor, you'll need practice, and most turians don't trust biotics. We even have a separate division for them so the military can keep an eye on them."

Ellen didn't look at him, letting go of his hand and stretching, trying to work the ache out of her lower extremities from being knocked on her ass.

"Yeah, humans have mixed feelings on biotics, too. Either you're a weapon or a monster. No real in-between from my experience," she groused. Chellick shrugged.

"Drinks this evening? I've got a bit of liberty tonight. Thought you and I could have a round with some of the other guys from C-Sec," he offered. "You haven't been out aside from this sparring. You could use a night out with some friendly company."

Ellen opened her mouth to retort when the door to the sparring room slid open and two Turian males entered. Ellen glanced at them and went rigid, backing up against Chellick involuntarily. The C-Sec officer put a hand on her shoulder when she nearly stumbled, and the softest growl issued from his throat- so soft, Ellen wondered if the newcomers even heard it. She certainly felt the rumbling in his chest as she looked at the two turians. One she was happy to see- Nihlus looked at her with restrained kindness. The other... the other Ellen had only heard of. She had hoped never to get a glimpse of him, let alone meet him, but to her dismay, Saren Arterius was standing there, arms folded over his chest, his cold gaze fixed on her with distaste.

"Arterius. Last place I thought I'd see you," Chellick observed, moving away from Ellen only slightly before turning his eyes to Nihlus. "Nihlus. Good to see you."

His voice warmed as he spoke to Nihlus. He obviously respected Nihlus more, but gave Saren his greeting first to keep the older male placated. Saren snorted, his eyes never moving from Ellen. She made the mistake of locking eyes with him, and his left mandible twitched so slightly, she almost missed it. She refused to look away as his eyes narrowed slightly. Nihlus flattened his mandibles and looked pointedly at Saren.

"This is Commander Shepard, Saren. The candidate I told you about," he announced.

Saren didn't look away, and Ellen didn't either, despite the fact that she suddenly felt like she'd swallowed ice. Was Saren going to be her mentor? The blood drained from her face at the thought. Was that why he was here? She wanted to look at Nihlus, to see what was in his eyes, but Saren held her in his gaze like a cobra held its prey. Her pride also held her locked in place- she refused to back down. Something in her gut cried out that she was being stupid, but she lowered her chin, never looking away, looking at him from under her brows. Saren's mandibles flattened, and he lowered his head, a low growl issuing from his throat. Nihlus cleared his throat.

"Not exactly weak willed, is she, Saren?" He asked lightly.

"No, she's disrespectful," Saren spat, not looking away. Nihlus sighed.

"Saren, I doubt she's challenging you the way you think she is."

Saren snorted, and as if agreeing on a cease fire, both he and Ellen lifted their heads and looked away. Nihlus shot her a small smile, then turned back to Saren.

"See? She didn't cower at the sight of you. She's not your average skittish human female, Saren. This woman did what fifty men couldn't. Just watch. She'll do well as my protégé," he stated firmly.

Ellen felt a wave of relief wash over her. Nihlus was going to be her mentor. Saren was just there to be a racist asshole like she'd expected. Saren made a sound that could have been a snort, a snarl or a grunt. She couldn't tell, but was more than happy to see that he was turning and leaving the room. Nihlus sighed, shaking his head.

"Sorry about that, Shepard. He was adamant about seeing you. I can't exactly tell him no," he apologized. Ellen shrugged, trying to pretend she wasn't still frazzled by Saren's appearance.

"I'm under the scrutiny of the Council; it makes sense they'd send Saren to appraise me," she quipped. Nihlus grunted.

"I had to fight tooth and nail to keep you as my pupil, Ellen," he rumbled. "Saren wanted to take you as his student so he could fail you or get you killed."

Ellen was hardly surprised, and the snort that came from her indicated as such.

"So now what?" She inquired. Nihlus cocked his head, a small smile on his face.

"Now that Saren has seen you, he isn't impressed, but time will tell. For now? You need to get ready. I'm taking you with me on a mission in two days. Get enough supplies for three months time, Shepard. We're going to Omega, and things out there are expensive and illegal. You'll want your own supplies," he asserted.

Ellen blinked at him.

"Already?" She sputtered. Nihlus chuckled.

"Already," he confirmed. He turned to go. "Meet me at the market at ten hundred hours, and we'll pick out what you need."

He left the room quietly, and Chellick blinked at her, smiling.

"You should go get some rest. Nihlus probably won't rest with shopping. He'll probably have to debrief you as well," he declared. Ellen nodded and shook his hand.

"Thanks, I will. Thanks again for the sparring match, Chellick."

Chellick nodded.

"Anytime, Shepard. I'll have a raincheck for you on those drinks."

Ellen gathered her things and left the room, headed for a transit cab. She rubbed the back of her neck as she mentally tallied what she'd need. A three month trip? Obviously not just a small errand for the Council, then. Probably nothing too dangerous or sensitive, or she wouldn't be going, but nothing simple if they were going to be gone that long. She ran through the lists in her mind. Clothes, medicines, parts for her amps, kits for her weapons...she wasn't going to bank on the Council footing the bill for that sort of thing, not if she wasn't a full Spectre. If she were traveling with Nihlus, she wouldn't have to worry about food, since his crew had levo-amino members.

Her face flushed suddenly. She'd grown attached to the stuffed Varren Nihlus had given her, but the thought of him seeing her with it...for some reason it made her stomach twist into anxiety-ridden knots. However, since Barkley was nothing more than a memory- a memory that still caused a stab of pain in her chest when she thought about it- she had clung to that stuffed Varren like a lifeline. A rack mate had teased her endlessly for having Barkley, and now, the thought of buying another toy made her feel stupid. Never mind that if Nihlus saw her buying one over the one he had given her... she couldn't do it. She couldn't be rude like that. She only hoped he wouldn't notice if she brought it. She couldn't leave it- her; she'd named the Varren Ammut- behind. Shouldering her bag and running her hand through her sweat-damp hair, she was totally lost in her thoughts as she headed for the cab.

A hand grabbed her wrist, and she found herself being slammed against a wall. Instinctively, she flung her hand at her assailant's face, the heel of her palm aiming for what she automatically assumed was a human nose. The blow met hard but yielding plate, and the hand on her wrist tightened painfully. Blind with rage, Ellen did the only thing she could think of that had worked back on Earth. She slammed her head into the face of the individual that held her. Her forehead met the plate of a turian's forehead, and a hiss came from him, oddly spicy breath exhaled sharply into her face before the turian recoiled.

Ellen darted back, pulling a knife from her boot, and blinked as the spots cleared from her eyes- stars had exploded in her field of vision as she head butted the turian- and saw Saren standing there. He looked torn between surprise and rage, and she held out her knife, trying to stay steady. He didn't advance on her, his eyes narrowed, and a small rumble issued from his throat.

"So you're not completely helpless. Head butting. Crude, but effective. I wouldn't suggest using that on a Krogan," he growled. Ellen lifted her lip in a snarl.

"What do you want? I assume you had a reason for grabbing me?" She leered.

Saren lunged at her, slamming both hands on the wall behind her shoulders as he loomed over her. Ellen looked up at him, realizing just how tall he was. She herself was average height, standing at five feet and six inches, but Saren towered over her in a most intimidating fashion; he had to be at least six foot five, if not taller. With the way he leaned over her, she couldn't tell for sure. Ellen refused to be intimidated as the turian snarled at her, and she reached up, grabbing the front of his black attire. He instantly grabbed her wrist, flaring his mandibles at her, and she stared him down.

"Look, pal," she fumed, her voice low. "I know you don't like humans, but I didn't agree to be Nihlus' pupil to piss you off."

"You know your kind doesn't deserve to have a Spectre in the ranks, and your species will just use that to gain a place in the Council," Saren hissed. "Only twenty six years in Council Space, and humans think they deserve a seat on the Council. Like toddlers throwing a fit for attention!"

"You think I don't know that, Arterius?" Ellen snarled. "Udina is the head of the toddlers and he's the one that can throw the biggest fit, so he's the Ambassador."

Saren hesitated, if only slightly, regarding her. Encouraged, Ellen kept on.

"You want to know why I accepted? Not for the glory of the human race. Not for personal glory. I accepted because it's my ticket out of the Alliance, and not having to put up with Udina breathing down my neck. I'd answer to the Council, not him, and not to a military branch that rewards their officers for losing their crews," she admitted.

Saren narrowed his eyes, then finally let go of her wrist, pulling back. Ellen let go of the front of his tunic and straightened her shoulders, the two staring each other down for a few silent moments. Saren finally snorted and tossed his head.

"You have more spine than most humans I've met, Shepard, but it won't be enough. Nihlus thinks you're Spectre material, but I don't. You won't make it, even if he tries to go easy on you," he rumbled. "And he'd better not, because the Council and I will be watching you both."

Without another word, Saren turned on his toes and strode away. As soon as he was out of sight, Ellen allowed herself to lean against the wall again, sliding down and landing on her rump roughly. She covered her face with both hands, shaken, and her fingers encountered blood, slightly sticky and almost dry on her forehead. She sighed and licked the red from her fingertips, glowering in the general direction Saren had disappeared in.

"I will prove myself, you asshole," she muttered.

She'd accepted Nihlus putting her forward to be polite; she hadn't wanted to be involved in the ploy of humans trying to step up in the Council and its politics. Now, she was going to put forth all her effort to make sure she passed her tests. She wanted to make sure she didn't fail Nihlus' praise of her. She wanted to be severed from the Alliance and work for the Council on her own terms.

But most of all, she wanted to see the look on Saren Arterius' face when she was made the first human Spectre.