Chapter 2

The Elevator doors opened slowly revealing an immense docking bay, with plenty of fresh new ships for all the fresh new spectres. The crews were mingling outside of their respective ships, there appeared to be at least one member of each known race in the crews. The Ships were all frigates from the respective races, The Bitch couldn't help but pity the crew hesitantly boarding the rough looking Vorcha war vessel, the aptly named Rotting Plague, lead by the arrogant looking Viscount Krhar his cape billowing down the boarding ramp. But she had wasted enough time judging her competition, she had her own crew to attend to.

"Commander Minnows" Barked the saluting human standing beside a mighty alliance frigate. "I'm lieutenant Cartwright, I'll be your second in command, this is the finest crew we could find, each hand picked by me to follow your commands without hesitation. This is head engineer..."

"In due time lieutenant" The Bitch interuppted sighing exaggeratedly. "And please call me The Bitch"

"Uh...right...ok, Commander...Bitch, will you be heading to your quarters?"

"Yes, I am so very tired. Tell the chef to prepare a banquet for my arrival"

"A banquet?"

"I'm feeling...Varren tonight" The Bitch stopped on the boarding ramp and span to face her field team, "And prepare some rooms for my Maids of honour"

"You mean guests of honour?"

"Who's Spectre?"

"...You are?"

"Right!" The Bitch marched past her crew lining the ramp, snatching a champagne bottle from a Salarian Medical Officer, and stopping just before the entrance of her ship. "I christen you...Kevin!" She cried as she smashed the glass bottle against the fresh paint job.

"You're scratching her!" bellowed who she could only assume was the pilot from amidst the sea of faces.

"Scars are sexy" Bellowed M.T as her followed his commander onto the vessel.

Minnows strolled along the bridge, everything was so clean, it felt dirty. She gazed out from the cockpit, beyong the arms of the citadel, and into the breathtaking blackness of the universe. She smiled grimly, pushing herself away and back towards her station among her crew.

"Holi, put it back" She demanded as she passed the Quarian who relinquished the Phalanx pistol she had swiped from Lieutenant Cartwright.

"The council are ready to give you your first assignment Commander. The comm link is on level two" Cartwright explained as he snatched his pistol back from Holi's hands.

"I was just looking at it" Holi whispered

"Holi, M.T let's meet the council" The Bitch ordered marching to the elevator. The doors swiftly opened and they eagerly stepped inside.

"Haven't you already met the council?" M.T asked

"Yeah, they made you a Spectre" Holi added

"What I meant to say is that you two were going to meet them" The Bitch defended

"But you didn't say that" M.T countered

"You knew what I meant" The Bitch cried

"That's not the point"

"If you actually said what you mean, instead of hoping we'll know" Holi quipped

"Like that time in Rio"

"Poor Jax"

"Never saw it coming"

"Took his arms clean off"

"Just...uh...OK!" The Bitch shouted as she stepped onto level two. "Excuse me" She asked the lone Asari waiting to board the lift. "Am I in the right place?"

"Depends on what you're looking for" The Asari replied with a grimace.

"Wel clearly this isn't the fun factory" The Bitch responded, pretending to tickle the Asari, who responded by not moving an inch. "The Comm Link?"

"Down the hall, to your right"

"Thanks" The bitch strolled forward, but stopped shortly and turned on her heel to face the Asari. "Do you work here?"

"I'm the head engineer, we almost met outside"

"You're an engineer?" Holi sneered folding her arms.

"Head Engineer. Is something wrong?"

"You aren't Quarian"

"My mother was" The Asari spat at the mention of it, stepping heavily onto the elevator. "One of them anyway" The doors closed swiftly.

The Comm link activated, a shimmering blue hologram of the council appeared before them.

"Commander Minnows" Hackett started, saluting the recently crowned spectre. The Bitch sighed and rolled her eyes. "We have decided on your first assignment" The Bitch looked around the room, she swept the golden hair from her eyes whilst turning back to the Council and giving an almighty shrug.

"Your 'Mission'" Councillor Sparatus began condescendingly. "Is to investigate some Cerberus stragglers"

"Cerberus?" M.T enquired, folding his arms lazily.

"Yes, Cerberus. Since the end of the Reaper Wars we have taken control of Cerberus Headquarters. Cronos Station." Cpncillor Tevos explained calmly "However there is no trace of The Illusive Man"

"Guess he deserves the name" The Bitch interrupted.

"Quite, however we do have leads on the location of remaining Cerberus cells"

"Your duty" Councillor Valern continued "Is to investigate one of these cells and discover the location of The Illusive Man or what Cerberus' next step is"

"Ok so where are they?" The Bitch emplored, folding and flexing her tattooed arms.

"We intercepted a transmission from a cell orbiting Turvess, the Raloi homeworld, The Raloi were fortunate to have been left untouched by the Reaper Wars. The Cerberus cell mentioned landing and investigating further"

"Raloi Homeworld, got it, bye!" The Bitch shouted as she kicked the Console forcing the image to disappear with a blip. "They could have started with that" She sighed storming back to the bridge.

"Commander" The lieutenant barked as she passed him in the hallway, saluting as he did.

"What is it...uhhhh" The Bitch sighed nervously gazing at the ceiling, searching for a memory.

"Cartwright Commander. Lieutenant Cartwright" Cartwright continued saluting, The Bitch paused for five agonising seconds, before gesturing wildly at the Lieutenant. "Oh, er , right what are our orders?"

"Orders...OK" She grinned menacingly "Head to the Raloi homeworld, Duress? Matress?"

"Turvess?"

"That's the one, go there then sit back and watch us kick ass!" She gestured to her field crew, stood imposing behind her.

"Roger, Commander" He saluted again "The journey will take a few hours, uh, while we wait may I ask you a question?"

"You may ask. I may not answer"

"We were informed that you were supplying your own field team"

"That isn't a question" M.T questioned

"Is this it?" Cartwright asked, scanning across the imposing Krogan and fidgeting Quarian.

"This is the greatest damn field team ever assembled...bar one. We may be thieves, murderers and I'm pretty sure one of us is a drug addict, but together we are unstoppable."

"It's just that most Commanders I've worked with have at least six guys, and several others as back-up"

"Would you rather have one gun or a thousand bullets?"

"Honestly, both of them would be useless without the other"

"Exactly" The Bitch declared, proudly pushing past Cartwright and storming toward an idle crew member. "Are our rooms ready yet?"

"Th..They are Commander. How did you know I was responsible for that? We've never spoken before" The flustered crew member responded, her cheeks flooding red.

"I didn't, you're the fifth person I've asked...So where are they?"

"Your Quarian companion has a room down in the engineering bay, we thought she'd be more comfortable there"

"Racist" Holi sneered

"We've prepared the loading bay for your Krogan friend. We figured he'd need a bit more room"

"Words hurt you know" M.T snarled

"...Um, and of course Commander, you have a private cabin on the top level"

"Of course I do"

"Hey, Bitch, I'll trade you" Growled M.T punching his fist into an open palm, "Your life for that cabin"

"Try me" M.T leered for a moment, meeting The Bitch's gaze, he clenched his fists tightly and began to bare a fearsome snarl.

"Haha, Just kidding, it probably won't be big enough" He spat looking at the other crew member, who turned away and started fiddling with her omni-tool.

"Get some rest" Demanded The Bitch as she swivelled on her heel. "We'll need it"

The Commanders cabin was bigger than any room she had owned before, maybe even all of them combined. There were so many personal amenities, a private bathroom, her own personal bed, a localised sound system, a gigantic fishtank and a blinking intercom. Oh. She strode over to the door, slamming her Ryncol down on the sleak, chic table. She groaned to herself as she looked over the myriad of buttons and pressed one at random. The door swiftly slid open allowing the Asari Head Engineer to force her way in, grab the Ryncol, take a sip and sit at the end of the bed.

"Why are we heading to Turvess?" The Asari asked between sips.

"Something, something Cerberus" The Bitch turned to her trespasser

"You don't give a shit about Cerberus"

"The Council do"

"You don't give a shit about the Council"

"Sorry this is terribly rude" The Bitch proclaimed in her poshest accent, walking to the Asari and stretching out her hand. "I'm The Bitch"

"Christia"

"Well, Christia, why are you so concerned with where we are going?" The Bitch sat on the bed next to Christia.

"You're from Omega" She offered The Bitch some Ryncol, the offer was quickly accepted.

"I am"

"I thought the first thing you'd do is head back"

"Well I need to at least pretend I'm doing my job" She threw herself backwards onto the bed, "Why does it matter anyway?"

"I'm from Omega too. I've got a job lined up there, when I get back"

"Doing what? Rigging casino games? Tricking out cabs?"

"Stripping" The Bitch spat out her Ryncol in a fine mist of saliva and alcohol that lingered in the air.

"Stripping?"

"Stripping"

"Stripping, Stripping"

"I think we've successfully established that I'll be stripping"

"But you're the Head Engineer, on a shiny new ship, with a shiny new Spectre!"

"I hate Engineering"

"Then why are you the Head Engineer, on a shiny new ship, with a shiny new Spectre?"

"My Mother, Asari Mother, is a scholar, the Quarian one a technician. They both wanted me to study through my Maiden phase, instead of killing and fucking like everyone else"

"So this is your chance to do that?"

"No, I've done it before, in the wards, but my Mother found out"

"Which one?"

"Does it matter?"

"...Yes?"

"The point is, I felt more exhilarated, more alive and powerful during those three weeks than I ever have as Head Engineer. So as soon as you dock in Omega, I'm leaving" Christia pushed herself off the bed and strode toward the door. "That Quarian of yours seems like a decent enough replacement, if she doesn't steal the drive core that is" The doors slid open

"Christia, wait" The Bitch rolled off the bed and jogged to the Asari "How is stripping powerful?"

"It doesn't matter what race you are" She began to stroke her hands gently along her curves. "Men will do anything to get a look at this" She dripped her head spread her legs and pushed out her hips, before slowly, sensuously raising her head and biting her lip. "Women too"

"I...I'll bet" The Bitch stammered, fanning her flushed cheeks.

"See you, Commander"

"Seen enough from you Christia" The bitch hesitantly retreated to her bed, she took a long sip of Ryncol and sighed deeply as she fell into a sound sleep.