15

"It would mean a lot to me Steve."

"No promises Shepard. It's an outdated model but she's a beauty. I'll see what I can do."

"Next time we are at Purgatory drinks are on me. Speaking of which get rid of those pictures. That's an order."

Laughing the Commander exits leaving Cortez to deal with the fall out of their exchange.

"Pictures?" Vega pops his head around the Kodiak.

"Well vids actually. Promised her I wouldn't upload them to the extra but you never know when good blackmail material will come in handy."

"You're shitting me Estaban." The boyish hope was not well hidden on the LT's face.

"No! Common I suppose I should thank you for warming her up anyway. Buying drinks for those Marines before hitting the dance floor. Classic!"

"Que Mierda!"

"You are just mad 'cuz she came down here to see me not you." Cortez leans against the craft. It felt good to be throwing it back at the big lug for a change. Since Vega got invited to N7 and the gym had been set up everyone suddenly was asking Cortez about his friend and their CO. He had respected both too much to say much either way but that didn't mean he was above giving Vega shit about it either.

"What is that piece of junk anyway? Looks ancient." Giving up for now on the topic of an intoxicated Shepard on video he switched to the item that she had left behind.

"Pistol. Civilian issue. Military upgrades but outdated as hell."

"But look at that POS things gotta be older than me."

"And for once Vega. You are not exaggerating." Cortez puts the antique on the work bench. It was weird having Shepard come to him about it. She had on more than one occasion modded her own weapons but this one clearly had meaning behind it. Getting the parts for this would be difficult if not impossible but given everything the Commander had done for him impossible was doable.

"Yea but why would anyone keep that ugly thing?"

Sighing at his somewhat dull-witted friend Cortez puts the pistol down gently.

"Unlike you some people keep things out of sentimentality. Some people look at things beyond what's on the outside."

"Says you. She's still damn hot."

"The gun Pendejo."

"Whatever. Actually I think I saw her use that thing on Mars. Not like I was paying attention after the concussion but seemed out of place."

"Yea well we aren't gonna get parts for it in Citadel space." He scans it with his omnitool putting in a work order for Shepard.

"Elkoss Combine. Out of circulation over two decades. Ok Vega I'll give you one. This thing was a piece of crap when it was new."