The group looked as suspicious as a group hiding in a corner of a club could be.
Flux was a nightclub, for winding down, dance, drink, play a few games...not exactly a 'shady' place, then again Chora's Den wasn't really an option for them to make their plans.
She was drumming her fingers on the table, something Ashley had caught herself doing ever since she entered the place. At least the music's good...huh...should come her on my next shore-leave. Next to her Kaidan sat perfectly still, looking pensive and brooding as hell, two armed and armoured humans to the right of a third carrying enough ammunition and weapons for two soldiers... Even I don't think this as subtle...
Things weren't much better on the opposite side of the table in the darkest corner of Flux. Wrex in his blood-red armour was a monster of an alien, making the predatory-like Turian's in his blue c-sec armour look frail and brittle in comparison...and not a little awkward as the Turian's had to shift to the far end of the table with a small sigh and an irritated glance aimed up at the Krogan.
Five people then, armed and armoured to the teeth, hiding in a dark corner while bent over a table with a small holo flickering atop the table... Not at aaaaall suspicious...
Though so far none had bothered them, or even cast more then a shy look at them, Ashley's and Wrex alternating glares shot out over the room keeping the nosier types strictly focused on enjoying themselves, turning the group seemingly invisible to the near hundred civilians no more then a dozen feet away.
Since it was Wrex's turn, in fact the Krogan seemed to have stolen Ashley's turn since he was apparently enjoying scowling threateningly at passers-by...Ashley took the opportunity to study the pair of aliens, hoping she wasn't too obvious about it. Can never know...wouldn't want them to get all angry...especially not that one..She smirked...he could get hurt in a fight.
Even seated Wrex towered above the others, even more so then usually actually due to the great hump on his back. The red crest atop his head – or is that part of his head? Aliens... – sported three jagged scars along the right flank going down over the creature's large red eye, much like Shepard's in fact, and just as with Shepard's it made the Krogan look all the more dangerous. As if a seven foot monster bent on nothing but destruction doesn't look dangerous enough...
At least his motivation for joining them was easily understood. Ashley didn't particularly like mercenaries and thugs, but they were nothing if not predictable, and as such she'd, only hesitating a moment, placed him in the category of 'momentarily trustworthy'. Heck he even looks dependable...dependable to bite someone's head off for a few credits sure...but dependable none the less.
The other one...she was less sure about. They had found Garrus at the local doctor's in the wards, the Turian's interrogating the poor woman harshly enough to bring her to the point of crying...which he had ignored without a second look back once he had begun to listen to Michael presenting his idea with a growing glow in his grey Turian's eyes...
With Turian'ss so irritatingly tall she had found the c-sec officer a full head taller then her, which thankfully meant he was equal to Shepard's height, and far more lithe of build, not cutting as powerful a figure as humanity's champion. Ashley wasn't sure why but she felt that was important... With his grey and tan scales of a face and those tiny but sharp teeth lining his currently smiling mouth the Turian's looked like a dinosaur of some kind...a raptor, yes, that's it...and Ashley kept expecting the creature to leap across the table given the way he sat leaning over it. If he does that I'm shooting him, c-sec or not.
It wasn't just how he looked though, though that weird blue face-paint made him look like some sort of Indian out of a western movie... – Beware the natives... – but also the fact that he had been so damn quick to join up once Michael showed even a chance of finding evidence of Saren's doings. Ashley didn't know much about Turian'ss...but even she thought it odd that one would be willing to risk his entire career on a mere chance, especially to bring one of his own down that hadn't actually done him any harm. A sleeper agent maybe? Maybe one of Saren's, here to infiltrate anyone trying to get to that asshole? Though if so couldn't he just have refused to help so that we couldn't get that stupid door open...? Maybe he's bidding his time? Though that seems a bit too canny...and not at all smart.
If he noticed her suspicious look the Turian's didn't show it, his eyes, one still half-hidden behind that glowing targeting-lens of his, focused solely on Shepard as the Comander mimicked the Turian's's stance in leaning over the table. At least the human had a reason though as he pointed at the glowing map of Chora's Den's layout, his eyes cold as ice as they reflected the green light of the holographic projection hovering a few inches above the table.
"This is Fist's private office, and here we have the door..." He pointed at the squarish room at the farthest back of the spinning little image, while there were no furniture shown on the map Ashley could imagine that the small corridor leading to the security door could be heavily guarded by entrenched men, and since they were supposed to do an extraction... She looked at Shepard, hoping his special forces training would be up for it. There was not a hint of worry or hesitation in the man's movement or eyes as he glanced up at Wrex: "You said he already has the Quarian?"
The Krogan nodded, as unfazed by the problem as Michael was. Then again his objective isn't the Quarian... "Yeah, they kept her hidden somewhere and then snuck her in as they had the c-sec officers force me away with some false charge about 'disturbing the peace'." A small smirk on the wide mouth. "Heh, they'll know when I'll start disturbing the peace..." Finally, an alien speaking my language! Ashley found herself mirroring the smirk.
"Then we need to move quickly." Michael summarized, his eyes darting over to Garrus. "You're sure you can hack the door?"
"Absolutely, five seconds is my best..." The Turian's nodded, mandibles flaring for a moment. At least he has a pleasant voice, alien as it is, I give him that. "...to get to Saren I'll do it in four." Why! There was no answer in the steady gaze focused on Shepard, only an eagerness Ashley didn't really understand.
"Good." Michael nodded and leant back for a moment, looking around the table with calm eyes. "Now, if anyone has an issue with me being in command..." He eyed Wrex in particular, but the Krogan only shrugged in disinterest. "...or with my plan as I make it out I want to hear it, when we're committed I want no arguments or issues, all will work at a hundred percent commitment. Anyone?"
Silence.
Then, to Ashley's utter amazement, Kaidan spoke up. The man leaning his elbows on the table, his hands clasped in front of him and his forehead wrinkling in a frown. "Actually sir...are you sure about this? This is an attack on a civilian establishment, in the citadel no less."
"That 'civilian' establishment is a front for a dirty criminal." Garrus replied with a snort, eyes moving from Shepard to Kaidan, steadily eyeing the biotic, as if offended.
"In that case why not call c-sec?" Kaidan argued, not backing down, eyes still focused on Shepard as he ignored the Turian's as best he could. "Give them our information?"
"Fist has men in c-sec, he'd be warned instantly and move the girl elsewhere, they would find nothing on him." Garrus protested, a hint of frustration in his voice, apparently baffled by the foolish human's lack of understanding. "Besides, they wouldn't act on tips from the Shadow Broker on principle, it would look as if they took orders from a criminal." A scoff and the Turian's looked away. "Furthermore we're talking about a lone Quarian, c-sec doesn't put much effort into protecting and finding lone trouble-making vagrants..." Kaidan opened his mouth to protest, only for the Turian's to be faster, shooting a glare at the lieutenant. "That's the truth, neither of us might like it, but there it is."
"Fair enough...but humanity's position in the citadel's frail enough as it is." Kaidan replied, shooting Garrus an irritated frown, then looked back to Shepard, decisively ignoring the Turian's. Heh, this is sort of fun...didn't know the guy had it in him. Ashley smirked, watching the events unfold. "Sir, if we are wrong in this we'll have caused untold damage in a civilian facility in the heart of citadel space and done untold damage to alliance's and humanity's reputation, not to mention warned Saren of us not giving up on our pursuit...which will be effectively ended once the Council hears of this."
"And if we succeed we'll be right on Saren's trail!" Garrus snapped with surprising heat. "Potentially get his Spectre status revoked and turn him into a criminal not only in reality but by law, a criminal we can bring to justice!"
I can't believe I'm agreeing with the Turian's... Ashley kept her mouth shut though, she was a soldier, and knew her place. Besides, wouldn't know how to say it anyway.
Kaidan sighed and looked back at the Turian's. "That's a mighty big gamble, acting on mightily weak info. Not to mention illegal."
"Sometimes laws should be pushed aside..." Garrus retorted, making Ashley blink. Did the c-sec officer just argue for breaking the law...? The eyes of the Turian's were intent, glaring at Kaidan. "...so that their intent might be better followed."
Kaidan glared back, not saying a word, his arms coming to cross over his chest, eyes narrowed at the Turian's...who in turn narrowed his eyes right back at the lieutenant. Oh...this could be fun!
"If you don't wish to come it's your call." Shepard's calm voice broke the tension, making Kaidan look back at the Commander with a raised eyebrow, though the Turian's continued to glare at the lieutenant for a good moment longer. Michael was looking calmly back at Kaidan though, not looking the least angry about the prospect of a man jumping ship. Or illegal attack, whatever. "I can send you on an errand to the ambassador or the like, that way you'll not be involved."
The lieutenant took a deep breath, looked away from the Commander and down on the table before him...then breathed out through his nose as he frowned in irritation. "No sir, I'm not about to abandon ship due to a bad turn, I'll follow your lead."
For a moment they just sat there, Shepard looking at Kaidan who was looking at the table...and then nodding, once. "Good, we'll need you." He kept looking at Kaidan, waiting...only when the lieutenant offered a short nod did he turn back to the map, finger moving to point at the large and circular room at the map. "Now, the first issue will be entering the main floor...Wrex?"
"Usually more then a dozen guards spread out among the customers, they're not that easy to see save the fact that they're all human with T-shirts, not to forget the pathetic things they call guns." The mercenary snorted, a thick finger reaching out to circle around the large room on the map. "They're patrolling freely among the people though, can be hard to spot right away, but as I said, no armour, if you let them take the first shot and therefore reveal themselves you can kill them with a single bullet."
Shepard nodded, once. "Agreed, what else?"
A small chuckle, Wrex apparently finding something amusing with Michael's swift agreement. "Two Krogan bouncers in simple armour, one by the main door, the other by the door leading to Fist's office, shotguns, they're the danger until we enter the officer, where I'm not sure what we'll face."
"Don't forget the customers and employees." Garrus tapped the table with a clawed finger, mandibles pressed closed to his mouth in an oddly human frown. "Once a fire fight breaks out chaos will ensue, people stampeding for the exit probably, though you never know in the wards...I'd say ensuring they can leave would save us a lot of trouble, not to mention lives."
"Yes, that would be preferable." Kaidan muttered, shooting the Turian's a short and neutral nod, a nod returned in kind. "Sir?"
Shepard looked at the map, eyes slightly glazed over, hands limp on the table, just...staring on the holo. What is... "Got it." For a moment she almost thought he had talked into a communication device as the glazed look disappeared, the man eyeing the map with a distinct calm. "Wrex, you have already been in there correct? And they are wary of you?"
"Yeah."
"Then I want you to go in there again, preferably opposite this fire exit." He pointed at a small blue outline in the room. "Scowl at Fist's office, keep them aware and focused on you."
"Easy, and I'll act when the moment's right." The Krogan nodded, looking satisfied and confident. Not that I can imagine that thing as unsure...
"Good. Meanwhile I want you, Garrus, to lead the others to where this fire exit leads, I trust you know the back-alleys of the ward's well enough to get them there quietly?" Shepard eyed the Turian's even as Ashley's eyes bulged. You want us to follow the Turian's! You've just met him and you want to divert half our numbers to be guide by...him!
If Garrus noted her slight splutter he didn't show it, his eyes intent as he met Michael's gaze. "They'll never see us coming, I can guarantee that." Then there was a hint of a uncertainty in the eyes. "But given this is Fist...not to mention Chora's Den...I know that door will be locked and alarmed, we can't enter without having to fight through a bottleneck...and we'll lose precious moments."
"Yes." Michael nodded evenly, looking not the least bothered. "Therefore I'll infiltrate in civilian clothing and get the door open for you."
"Civilian clothing? As in no armour? Or guns?" Ashley blinked, realising she had spoken only when all others turned to look at her. Damn it, screw protocol, everyone else is doing it... "Sir, if you and your mission is detected you'll have no way to defend yourself." And the alliance wouldn't like their big hero dying to a thug in a strip joint...
"I'll have a knife." The man shrugged, as if it was a non-issue.
A knife...wow...you're an idiot. Ashley glared at the man even as he turned to Kaidan as the man voiced another concern. I swear if you get close to dying while I stand around helpless again I'm going to end you myself...I don't need the more guilt. "Sir, how exactly are you supposed to get the door open? I doubt they will just let you out..."
Again, nothing but a shrug, the Commander calm as a rock. "Trust me, I'll get it open."
Yep...we're being led by an idiot...
8
8
8
Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her sterling assistance.