"Spectres are not welcome here."
The team was gathered in the communications room, all sitting before Michael as he stood before them with his hands folded behind his back, the familiar stance keeping him rooted in the present.
He managed a calm smile, with the debriefing and mission objectives gone through he had had no problem focusing, and even now, with it nearly over, he felt firmly in control of himself.
His ribs ached, but that was easily ignored, it was a bit more difficult to ignore the cold bead of sweat running down his back though, the slight shudder in his muscles...
Chakwas had done wonders, but despite his arguing with her he knew he wasn't completely clean...his body still felt the need for...help. But he had meant what he'd said to Garrus, he wasn't about to start again, and he was used to combat far more powerful mental issues then the need for some chemical.
The mission takes priority, focus on the mission...
He blinked, slowly, letting the words sink in...and opened them, calm once more.
The mission is all.
He held onto his smile, refusing to acknowledge the slight twitch in it. "So there will be no Spectre."
"Commander?" Kaidan asked, the man leaning forward with a curious look on his face.
"There is more then body armour in my closet." Michael retorted, holding the smile. "A nice suit, a briefcase...and I'm an investor coming to Noveria on business. A trojan horse if you will."
Garrus blinked: "What does a horse have to do with it?"
Michael's smile became a bit easier to hold: "I'll tell you later. Now an investor needs some assistance, but I can't well bring all of you or it'll draw attention..."
He let his gaze move over the assembled team. Need a tech...his gaze instantly fell on Tali...the natural choice.
Only to see those silver orbs narrow into slits as the Quarian crossed her arms over her chest and leant back in her seat, loathing written across her stance.
Regret.
It was a curious thing...Michael had desired disgust and loathing for what he'd done, but now that he had it from her...he regretted telling her.
No, a Quarian would attract too much attention.
It was an excuse, he knew it, but Michael stuck to it as his gaze moved to Garrus...whose eyes shone with eagerness. No, too undiplomatic, don't know to stay quiet in situations of delicacy.
He looked over to Kaidan: "Alenko, you're up, I want you in a business suit and a suitcase, you're to be my secretary."
A quick nod: "Yes, Commander."
And Ashley chuckled: "Oh I got to see this..."
I do need extra muscle... He looked to Ashley, finding her eyes shining mischievously at Kaidan, then look up to him, her eyes softening just a little. No, too...distracting.
"Wrex, you're to be armoured and ready with me." The eyes of the woman dulled a little with disappointment, then for some strange reason shot Tali a cold look.
Strange...
"Yes, because an armoured Krogan won't draw attention." The mercenary chuckled at Michael.
Who smiled back: "A Krogan bodyguard for the oh so important man with the money? No one will look twice."
A short nod, the Krogan baring his teeth in a grin: "True, and I've done that a couple of times."
"Good." Michael's hands moved in front of him, clapped together. "Then I guess-"
"Commander." He blinked, gaze moving to the chair at the furthest left, just slightly further away from the others...where Liara sat with her hands tightening in her lap. Her gaze was steady though, chin held high as she looked up at Michael, only something moving just under those eyes showing the emotional storm beneath the façade. "If I would be so bold as to request that you'd bring me along?"
"Yeah right." Ashley snorted. "As if Michael would take such a risk-"
Michael met Liara's eyes...and knew...with each passing melding he knew...she understood him as he understood her...they didn't like all they saw or felt...but they had accepted it. And while Liara in her heart wanted to see her mother again, to try to convince her to give up, to save her...her mind knew it was unlikely to happen. But if Benezia was to die...she wanted to be there, if nothing else but for closure.
A short nod and Michael replied: "Very well, you could be a contact with Binary Helix and your mother that is to introduce me there, go put on a dress."
"What? You're actually..."
Michael silenced Ashley with a look. My command, my decision.
She narrowed her eyes back at him, holding his gaze, unabashed, unfazed...and Michael felt himself swallowing at the sight.
"So if we run into trouble and I'm the only one with weapons and armour..." Wrex rumbled, drawing Michael's gaze away from Ashley.
To his shame he breathed a sigh of relief when he looked to the Krogan: "You can carry a lot Urdnot, our gear will be carried by you in a bag, you'll trip the weapon detectors anyway."
"And when they move to check said bag?" Wrex chuckled.
"I'll get us through." Michael shrugged. "Not the first time I've tricked a custom officer." Earth, feels like another life... "Garrus, I want you to prepare the rest of the team and the Normandy for any potential emergency drop if we need assistance."
"Yes, Commander." Garrus replied with a nod, gaze barely flickering to Kaidan, who stubbornly looked up at Michael.
Team tense, bad for mission, should attempt to fix it, but later, mission takes priority...
"Dismissed."
8
8
8
"This is an outrage!"
Michael, standing in the waiting room of the administrator's office, waited with an even face, ignoring the pleased smiles of Kaidan and Liara, as well as Wrex's amused smirk, as he waited.
Reaching Benezia had proven impossible for the investor Michael Pandora...administrator Anoleis had proven helpful if a bit short in tact when he'd explained that Benezia and Saren had left for Peak fifteen a week ago, and that Saren had left the day after that, his work apparently done.
Sadly that had been the end of the help as Michael had decided to continue to pursue Benezia, given that he didn't know where Saren might go...not only were communications with the base impossible due to the current storm outside...but physically going there had been out of the question due to Noverian privacy contracts with the companies that were their customers...
So he had tried playing the Spectre card...only to be even further stonewalled as Anoleis had more or less thrown Michael out of his office...
Anoleis, however, was apparently not the big defender of the companies he was in charge of...as his 'assistant' Parasini so calmly had explained when she had stopped him from leaving Anoleis waiting room...
Michael had had a choice then...Anoleis was dirty...and Michael knew that dirty men paid well for being caught...say a pass to Peak fifteen?
But dirty men were also unreliable...prone to betrayal...and Michael prefered to keep his back clear.
So it hadn't been a difficult choice at the end, it had been a bit more work...but getting the testimonies of several company managers of the way Anoleis had squeezed money from them hadn't been difficult, even if convincing them to work with the Noverian executive board that Gianna Parasini really worked for had been a bit more difficult.
Shifting where he stood Michael felt a shadow of a smile appear. Feels good to be back in armour again though. With their cover so swiftly blown Michael had had everyone suit up, just in case Anoleis had one of his guards 'accidentally' fire off a round...
If necessary or not wasn't important, it still felt...better, he was a soldier...and in armour was where he belonged. He hadn't realised how much he felt that way until he'd been stuck in medical bay for those agonizing days...
A small crash and he looked over to the glass doors of Anoleis' office, seeing the Salarian uselessly kick and toss in the grip of two Turian guards that dwarfed their former boss as they with carefully neutral looks on their faces dragged him from his desk and towards the door.
Behind them Parasini ambled after, the red dress she wore looking oddly out of place with the pistol in her right hand and the cocky grin across her soft features. To Michael she looked vaguely Italian or Spanish...but he was sure she didn't know of such things, that with most people out in the galaxy now being either spacers or colonists...
The doors opened with a thump, making Anoleis' voice almost painful as he shrieked: "I'll get you for this! I'm not finished! I'll-"
A muted thump...and a pained cough escaped Anoleis as the butt of Parasini's pistol struck him square in the face, her voice velvety sweet: "You have the right to remain silent." Then harsher: "Use it."
Behind Michael a chuckle escaped Wrex.
The Salarian coughed again, mouth moving fast, yet no words escaped him as his alien eyes stared at Parisini in shock...then to Michael as he was dragged past him. A moment of staring...and Anoleis' eyes turned small: "You! You did this!"
Michael crossed his arms over his chest, looking back evenly: "Blame yourself."
A shriek that might have been a Salarian roar...and Analois went quiet as one of the guards dragging him sighed...and slammed his gun into the back of the Salarian's head.
"Thank you, Shepard." Turning, Michael looked to Parasinin who with a smile deactivated her pistol and moved to lay it down on the table she'd used during her cover. "You probably saved me a couple of months of work..." A shake of her head before she turned back to him, grimacing. "...and I'd have to wear a dress all that time."
Michael assumed a winning smile automatically. Keep it pleasant, achieve pass, mission requires it. "At least it's a nice dress."
The grimace turned to a smirk. "Easy there boy, don't give me ideas even before the celebration."
No time, subtly reinforce your need for the pass. Michael smirked back: "Alas I'm afraid there is no time for celebrations for me, a Spectre's work is never done, but it's good to know I have allies and friends on Noveria..."
Parasini chuckled, shaking her head as she saw through his words: "Don't worry Shepard, a deal is a deal." Reaching back she pulled out a drawer in her desk...and held up the pass. "To Peak fifteen wasn't it? You're more then welcome to go there, the Noverian executive board is under enough scrutiny without housing a traitor to the Council."
"Thank you." Michael took the pass, and felt his smile turn a little more honest. Primary objective complete, onto the next mission. "You've been most helpful."
A small chuckle, Gianna smirking: "That's what allies are for aren't they?" Coyly. "Now don't be a stranger..."
Then she ambled past him, after the unconscious Anoleis and his guards...and Michael looked after her, mind calculating. Attraction useful to further trust, no need to act, but can be used to strengthen cooperation with Noveria over any backlash from engaging Benezia, will also ensure that our back remain clear as we move to Peak fifteen to engage-
Then his helmet beeped, reminding him that the rest of the team was watching what was happening back in the Normandy...and Ashley's voice through the com-link, short and irritated: "Are you going to keep staring at her ass, Commander...or put that tongue back in your mouth and get to work?"
"Chief!" Kaidan snapped, though with a chuckle. "That's highly inappropriate..."
In the com-link there was nothing but a muted grumble.
Dammit...
A sigh, Michael feeling annoyed as he began to walk, momentum lost.
The mission is all, focus on the mission...
"Move out."
8
8
8
Thank you to Abydos Jackson for enduring this one.