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Post by Corwin Havens on Mar 14, 2017 22:05:40 GMT -6
"...the best of both worlds."
"Let's plan giving me a concussion for our second date," Corwin quipped back, taking a seat across from Geneenh. He took his data pad off the table, setting it down next to him. "For now, let's keep things light. So, what is on your mind?"
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Post by Arcus on Mar 14, 2017 22:08:20 GMT -6
"So...like a vanguard, eh? We've had a pretty good team so far, mostly because the boss had an eye for talent--except once. It was a turian vanguard named Artacus. He was good at the fighting part, but social interaction and teamwork? Not so much."
Arcus cocked his head. A turian vanguard with almost his exact name? Well, the galaxy could be an odd place. It was apparent that that the large man was struggling with the similarity.
"The Broker hired you, so you must be good at what you do," he said. "But it's how you get along with everyone else that will determine how long you stick around."
Arcus considered for a moment before replying. "I suppose a vanguard would be fairly accurate in role, though there are differences in detail."
"Arcus hesitated before continuing. "I'll be up front with you, Mr. Fischer, and your group, considering it appears likely we will share the same employment for an extended period. I think you may have heard the krogan refer to me as "Madknife?" You may find, once we have spent a little more time together, that the description is fairly accurate. That being said, I do not simply carve my own path without regard for the mission, and I am not so easily fooled into rash action by smoke and mirrors. One does not survive as long as I have in the more violent sector of mercenary work by making a habit of betraying allies.
"As you stated however, it's how you get along with everyone else that counts, so let us reserve our judgments for when we've all had the chance to know each other better."
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Post by Geneenh T'Loris on Mar 14, 2017 22:20:53 GMT -6
"I'm new to this team, so I thought it best to get to know you all before our little mission for the Broker begins," she said. "What about you? Are you new to the team as well, or do you know some of the others?"
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Post by Urdnot Thrak on Mar 14, 2017 23:42:24 GMT -6
"Hey! Maelstrom!" the krogan called, when he got into the armory again. If there was one thing he had learned since leaving Tuchanka, it was how to be subtle and not just throw someone's personal issues right out in the open for everyone to see. "Can you come here for a minute? Need to ask you something."
The man in black Collector armor shared a confused look with his compatriots before heading right over. To his credit, there did not appear to be any fear in his eyes or his manner. It had not been Thrak's intention to instill any, but it was remarkable how much of the time other races looked mortified when the krogan asked for a private conversation. The fact that his newfound teammates had some backbone heartened him, though.
"Need something off the shuttle?" Maelstrom asked. "Sorry to keep it locked up. It's kind of my home."
"It is about something on your shuttle. Something that came and said 'hello' to me," he answered, figuring the few dozen meters separating them from the others would be enough for their conversation to be private.
The man in black seemed confused for a moment before comprehension dawned on him. For the firs time since the krogan had met him, the human appeared at a loss for words. He quickly regained his composure, standing tall again and looking the krogan dead in the eyes. "And?"
"The poor girl's practically bare-ass naked in there!"
The man seemed shocked by the krogan's statement, and Thrak was pretty sure the human's face turned a couple shades redder. Clearing his throat, he said, "Come again?"
"I said 'The poor girl's practically bare-ass naked in there!'" Thrak repeated, though his reaction only seemed to irritate the human. Wondering if something was lost in translation, though it was a human expression, Thrak said, "I don't know if you realized, but we're on a ship full of mercenaries. Hell, even this 'crew' that the Broker hired is even technically a mercenary band. No one on-board should be without a suit of armor and some weapons to defend themselves if one of us goes rogue. It's just good sense. Especially anyone about to go into enemy territory with us."
Maelstrom shifted a little uneasily. "She'll be staying on the shuttle for that."
"Oh, like things never go wrong for the folks who stay on the shuttle!" Thrak said. "That's why pilots never keep a weapon under their seat." Leaning in close, he said, "Get the girlie some weapons."
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 14, 2017 23:57:49 GMT -6
"Get the girlie some weapons," Thrak said. Maelstrom was pretty sure that it was somehow a threat.
"Listen, it's a little more complicated than that," Maelstrom said, holding up both hands and thinking back to the last mission he had been on, if one could call it that. "She's got a bit of a complicated past. Let me run this by a few people who know her first, and I'll get back to you."
The krogan crossed his arms and nodded at Maelstrom to proceed.
What seemed quickest and most efficient, not to mention least obtrusive, was to open up an omni-tool message to Lysander, Fischer, and Naetilia. That way, they could type a quick response without interrupting their current tasks or conversations inordinately.
Hello Everyone,
I may not have mentioned this, but Miss Moore still on my shuttle. Our new krogan friend is quite concerned that she's unarmed, and I admit I'm still a little concerned about the possibility of being shot in the back... That said, she's had plenty of opportunity since the base. She'll be staying on the shuttle during the mission, but what would you all think if we gave her one of these Cerberus suits of armor and pistol for the duration of the mission and then locked them back up when it's concluded? At least until I can wrap my head around things with her better?
Maelstrom
"Now, if you don't mind, Thrak, I'd like to go back to the conversation I was having with the others. You're welcome to join us. We're all just getting to know Arcus a bit better," Maelstrom offered, wondering if it would have the desired effect.
The krogan pushed off the wall and unfolded his arms. "You all want to get to know him now. Just wait until you've run a few missions with him. You'll be asking the doc to suture his mouth shut." The krogan then laughed. Maelstrom was not certain, but he thought he detected a fondness underlying the critical words. "No, I'm good. I need to get some space. Small ships make me cranky. Krogan trait."
Thrak started to leave, but turned back to Maelstrom at just the last second. "I mean it, though. Get Girlie some guns, or I will."
Maelstrom shook his head as he returned to the rest of the group. "Sorry about that."
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 15, 2017 5:17:16 GMT -6
Naetilia was in the freighter's sickbay, examining its inventory to replenish her personal stock, when Maelstrom's message came in.
The woman's presence had unnerved him somewhat, yet he had still brought her along, and the message showed he still did not fully trust her, but that was only logical; they had escaped the Cerberus facility only a week earlier, certainly not a sufficient time to truly trust someone.
She started to leave the sick bay but then stopped. In their short time together, and based on what the others had said, he was a man who valued his privacy highly. If he had sent her a message rather than simply speaking to her, it was logical to assume he was in the company of others who were not aware of the situation--and he preferred to keep it that way.
She brought up her omnitool and tapped out her response.
Maelstrom I suggested the idea of all of the nonhumans--at least the ones who could not pass for human--staying on your shuttle until we successfully acquire the frigate. I will do this while keeping watch on Miss Moore, not only to keep her safe but also to prevent her from committing any acts of sabotage. My only concern is if something goes wrong and I must leave the shuttle, whether to engage in combat or provide medical aid. On which do you place the higher priority?
Dr. Bolanis
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 15, 2017 6:39:46 GMT -6
...On which do you place the higher priority?
Dr. Bolanis
Maelstrom was surprised it was even a question, but he guessed he and Naetilia had not had a great deal of time to get to know one another yet. He quickly sent off his reply.
We can't risk the mission or the lives of our team members on having you stay behind at the shuttle, Doctor.
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 15, 2017 17:31:47 GMT -6
"Beachcomber?"
Eric was a little surprised that Arcus would be listening to human music that was historically associated with activities on the beach and not know anything about them.
"Surfin. . . . No, I'm, not entirely certain. . . Ahh, The Beach Boys. No, I'm afraid I don't comb beaches. I greatly enjoy human classical music. The renaissance and baroque periods, such as the Beach Boys, Ray Charles, and Nirvana, are my favorites, though I do listen to other periods. Unfortunately, some things tend to get lost in translation. I'm not really sure what surfin is."
Eric smiled at the turian’s regard for ancient rock 'n roll as classical music. “Ridin’ a surfboard, a plank o’wood or plasteel, over ocean waves,” he explained. “GalTube’s got tons o’vids. Some with those songs as the soundtrack. 'Beachcomber's' slang for someone who hangs out at th' beach a lot."
Fischer followed up on Eric’s summation of their previous mission to the Collector base. "We're the only ones left from that mission...at least that are still part of this team. Karn, the boss, Iskra, Morgan, Murchadh, the twins.... I think I miss the boss the most," he continued. "One of the most uptight guys I ever met, and a civilian no less, but he was cool under fire."
"Don't forget Meldom,” Maelstrom interjected “Can't say I've spotted him since we've been on the freighter, but I think he signed in. I know I saw him at the meeting. He's our stealth expert and sniper. Lysander is our explosives expert and generally-accepted XO. Fischer is our tank on two feet. Me... I'm the biotic artillery. Also, for some reason, I always seem to be the one providing the nuclear devices... And then, of course, there's Naetilia. She's never hit the collectors with us, but she did help out with a few mercs and a little geth incident. The team doctor, ever since Iskra went MIA. Lekuhn may be around here somewhere. Can't say I've seen him since the meeting either, but he joined up at the same time as Naetilia."
Arcus considered everyone’s input.
"I see. I am a biotic, close quarters specialist. I have never met my match in the use of a blade. My particular biotic abilities allow me to move across the battlefield rapidly for both assault and feint attacks. I'm no stranger to stealth and I'm decent at infiltration, but I wouldn't say I'm a master."
Joseph looked to Eric and Maelstrom briefly, seemingly impressed with Arcus’ claims.
"So...like a vanguard, eh? We've had a pretty good team so far, mostly because the boss had an eye for talent--except once, a turian vanguard named Artacus. He was good at fighting, but social interaction and teamwork? Not so much.”
The Merc in Silver’s lip tightened somewhat as the junior N7 recounted a couple of key incidents in their misadventure with their exiled turian merc.
"The Broker hired you, so you must be good at what you do," Fischer concluded. "But it's how you get along with everyone else that will determine how long you stick around."
The newest turian merc was silent a moment.
"I'll be up front with you, Mr. Fischer, and your group, considering it appears likely we will share the same employment for an extended period. I think you may have heard the krogan refer to me as "Madknife?" You may find, once we have spent a little more time together, that the description is fairly accurate. That being said, I do not simply carve my own path without regard for the mission, and I am not so easily fooled into rash action by smoke and mirrors. One does not survive as long as I have in the more violent sector of mercenary work by making a habit of betraying allies.”
“Cool nickname,” remarked Eric. “Better than th’ one I had in Basic: Dumbass.”
Arcus went on. "As you stated however, it's how you get along with everyone else that counts, so let us reserve our judgments for when we've all had the chance to know each other better."
Eric ceased propping himself against the locker behind him. “That definitely works for me. And speakin’ of getting’ ta know folk, where d’ya think th’ big guy skulked off ta?”
Just then Eric’s omni-tool flashed to life in receipt of a new message. He gestured to his companions to be excused a moment. He stepped a bit away from them and consulted his device. It was a message from Maelstrom, copied over to Joseph and Naetalia as well:
Hello Everyone,
I may not have mentioned this, but Miss Moore still on my shuttle. Our new krogan friend is quite concerned that she's unarmed, and I admit I'm still a little concerned about the possibility of being shot in the back... That said, she's had plenty of opportunity since the base. She'll be staying on the shuttle during the mission, but what would you all think if we gave her one of these Cerberus suits of armor and pistol for the duration of the mission and then locked them back up when it's concluded? At least until I can wrap my head around things with her better?
Maelstrom
A moment’s thought and before the senior N7 reached for the Reply All key, Naetalia answered that she would guard Maelstroms’ “guest” Emily Moore on the Vengeance but wished to know if she should concentrate on providing medical or combat support once the fighting started. Eric chimed in the moment he finished reading her entry and Maelstrom’s reply that her combat skills would be needed:
Hey Gang:
If it’s okay with everyone, I can hunt down some armor for Emmy that’ll offer some decent protection without being overdone and a service pistol that can put up a decent fight. That way if Naetalia’s needed Emmy can at least defend herself while we're working to haul ass out of the dockyard.
Eric
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 15, 2017 19:47:49 GMT -6
Sensing the conversation with Arcus coming to an end, and with nothing else on his mind to discuss, Joe turned back to the storage lockers and began looking for armor.
Spotting a set of armor that was bulkier than the standard grunt version, he picked it up and was surprised to find it looked like it would accommodate him.
He pondered the meaning behind that for a moment, then shrugged; it was a gift horse from the Broker, and he wasn’t about to go looking it in the mouth.
Looking inside the chestplate, he saw the name for it—Centurion—and smiled as he began putting it on.
*****
About ten minutes later, he put the helmet on, completing his disguise, and began moving around to get a feel for it. When he arrived at the shipyard, he had to move like he had been born into it, not clomp around like some junior officer fresh out of basic training
He brought up the VI and took stock of its capabilities. The shielding was stronger than that of standard Alliance armor, but still nothing compared to the Destroyer. There was a grenade launcher built into the right gauntlet, but it carried smoke grenades as opposed to fragmentation. Finally there was a stun rod in a holster on the right thigh for close quarters combat.
Yeah, definitely spoiled by the Destroyer…
He looked back at the others.
Part of him was tempted to make a joke at Maelstrom’s expense, but held back; given the biotic’s past history, as well as recent events, he was sure it would not be received in the spirit it was intended.
“So, do I look like a goosestepping moron?” he asked.
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Post by Corwin Havens on Mar 15, 2017 20:35:28 GMT -6
"....or do you know some of the others?"
Corwin looked at the Asari thoughtfully, considering how to answer her question. How much should he reveal. After that brief moment, he responded.
"This is my first time working with them as well," he started, leaning back in his seat. "Though I'm quite familiar with most of them. It's... complicated, best told over a brandy..."
His eyes darted towards the nearby counter. A bottle of alcohol and a few clean glasses rested in the shadows.
"Would you like a glass?"
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Post by Geneenh T'Loris on Mar 15, 2017 20:45:26 GMT -6
" 'Complicated'?" she said, a playful smile crossing her lips. "Now that sounds like the beginning of an interesting story. And yes, I would like some brandy, thank you."
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 16, 2017 14:42:10 GMT -6
“So, do I look like a goosestepping moron?” Fischer asked, as Maelstrom finished reading Lysander's message.
"You mean more than normal for a man wearing a tank?" Maelstrom jabbed. "The colors don't suit you, but we can change that after the mission." Holding up the light armor he had modified, he added, "Can't say I like wearing these colors either."
He quickly typed up a response-to-all to Lysander's message.
Sounds like a plan. She was trained as an infiltrator, so something light. Let's leave off the cloak, though.
Looking back to the Phantom suit he had modified by removing the sword and swapping out the cloak generator for a shield emitter, he said, "I'm not being objective here. Think this will raise too many eyebrows? When they had me the first time, customizing one's gear was no big thing, but it seems like they're getting a bit more standardized. Not sure where they'll draw the line."
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 16, 2017 19:12:22 GMT -6
"For an operation in which we're going incognito, you're trying awfully hard to draw attention to yourself," Joe said as he continued to move around to get used to the Centurion armor. "Nothing draws more attention than something that is out of place. Pick one and stick with it, no modifications. I'd say you should dress up as one of their adepts or vanguards."
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Post by Maelstrom on Mar 17, 2017 5:24:37 GMT -6
Maelstrom shrugged. "I've never been great at generating barriers around myself for a prolonged period, and the stuff they have with shielding gives me NO mobility. Sure, I can take down grunts in any of it... but I'm useless against heavy-hitters if I don't have my mobility."
Looking to Lysander, he said, "Second opinion?"
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Post by Joe Fischer on Mar 17, 2017 12:13:33 GMT -6
Joe shrugged at Maelstrom's rejection of his opinion. Just because he had been asked for it did not mean it would be accepted, so he returned to his preparations for the mission. He grabbed up another Cerberus assault rifle and went through the same process as he did with the previous one for preparing to shoot at the target
"WEAPON HOT!" he yelled and squeezed off several short bursts.
He put the weapon on safe, laid it on the deck and again checked the results.
"Damn!" he said.
He picked up the rifle, disengaged the safety and aimed at the target.
"WEAPON HOT!" he yelled again, and this time fired on full auto, holding down the trigger until the heat sink was expended.
He once again checked the results.
"HOLY SHIT!" he yelled, and turned to the others. "Check out this fucking grouping, fucking look at it! You could put a playing card over it!"
He looked over at the senior N7.
"Hey Pops, got any friends in Alliance R&D?" he asked. "We need to get this to them pronto! The shielding on this thing is okay, but they must have some sort of stabilization system built into the armor to help them stay on target! Even the Destroyer isn't this good!"
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Post by Corwin Havens on Mar 17, 2017 23:18:03 GMT -6
Corwin rose from his seat and walked over to the counter, running his right hand through his short blond hair before pouring the smooth amber liquid into the two waiting glasses. He grabbed both glasses, swirling the alcohol as he moved over to the Asari.
"Profitez de votre boisson, belle," Corwin whispered as he carefully set the glass down in front of her. "I'm not sure of the year, but hopefully it'll do."
The mercenary slid back to his seat with practiced ease and leaned back comfortably, setting his own glass down in front of him.
"Well... there's no easy way to explain who I am and why I am here," Corwin started simply, giving a dismissive wave his his hand. "Before the shadow broker hired everyone on this mission, I was the chief financier for a prior mission they had. A friend of mine, Esteban, liked collecting older pieces of technology. Prothean stuff mostly, I think. Though he was obsessed with finding older things."
Corwin's hand drifted towards his glass.
"I went through their files when my friend hired them. But... " Corwin's words hung in the air as he sipped his brandy, savoring the flavor. "Ah.... good taste."
He smiled to himself. "As for why I am here now? Well, I was hired because I am still one of the most dangerous people in this galaxy." Corwin said it matter-of-factly. Though the words sounded like they should be threatening, the way he said it was as if he was simply explaining. "I am a tactician. I never use brute force. It is all about skill...."
He paused, in case the Asari had any questions before he continued
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Post by Geneenh T'Loris on Mar 18, 2017 4:26:42 GMT -6
Geneenh resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the human's claim about being dangerous; alienating the people she was working with was not the best way to earn their trust--besides, it was probably true.
She also resisted the urge to ask about Esteban as well, but filed it away to pass it along to a volus information broker she often used to investigate new employers and team members. She would expect his information would confirm they were all highly competent in their fields but she what she would really be looking for would be stressors, weak points that, when pressured, could cause them to turn on the others--a lesson she learned early on in her career, a lesson whose cost was almost her life.
"Were we working for anyone else, I would consider that claim of yours to be pure bravado," she said. "There is also the matter of the meeting. I honestly found you to be the most interesting person there. Traveling through one of the most dangerous places in the galaxy to get there with no armor or weapons says a lot about your ability to move undetected when you want to."
She took a small sip of the brandy and rolled it around in her mouth before swallowing it. It was good, but that didn't surprise her; an organization as well-funded as Cerberus would not lack for quality items--even in their alcohol.
But it was no comparison to Serrice Ice Brandy. She had once snuck a bottle from her mother's liquor cabinet when she was 20, shortly before--
"Good," she said. "Merci pour la boisson."
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Post by Eric Lysander on Mar 18, 2017 12:30:59 GMT -6
Eric read Maelstrom’s response:
Sounds like a plan. She was trained as an infiltrator, so something light. Let's leave off the cloak, though.
Shouldn’t be much trouble, Eric mused to himself. Emily was of average height so there would be quite a few that would suit her. And the less modified it was, the less attention she would draw. As he wondered about what slight, hidden tweaks he could apply to his own Cerberus assault armor the senior N7 listened on as his young counterpart and Maelstrom debated theirs.
"I'm not being objective here. Think this will raise too many eyebrows?” asked the man in Collector armor after he swapped in a shield emitter for his armor’s standard cloaking device. “When they had me the first time, customizing one's gear was no big thing, but it seems like they're getting a bit more standardized. Not sure where they'll draw the line."
"For an operation in which we're going incognito, you're trying awfully hard to draw attention to yourself," Joe replied as he continued to familiarize himself with his Centurion armor. "Nothing draws more attention than something that is out of place. Pick one and stick with it, no modifications. I'd say you should dress up as one of their adepts or vanguards."
Maelstrom shrugged. "I've never been great at generating barriers around myself for a prolonged period, and the stuff they have with shielding gives me NO mobility. Sure, I can take down grunts in any of it... but I'm useless against heavy-hitters if I don't have my mobility."
Looking to Lysander, he said, "Second opinion?"
“You remember that hit I took back at th’ Collector base, right?” said Eric. “My shields absorbed most of it but they shorted out afterwards. My armor barely stopped the rest. Shields are meant more for dealin’ wit’ glances than takin’ it full on. Your advantage’s mobility; stick with it. With Thrak n’ Joe making th’ most noise they’ll never see ya comin’.”
Meanwhile Joseph tested out another Cerberus rifle he found, warning all present of live weapons fire between shots. The young N7 was quite impressed with the results made possible by his armor's systems.
"HOLY SHIT!" he declared enthusiastically to Maelstrom and Eric. "Check out this fucking grouping, fucking look at it! You could put a playing card over it!" He looked over at the senior N7.
"Hey Pops, got any friends in Alliance R&D? We need to get this to them pronto! The shielding on this thing is okay, but they must have some sort of stabilization system built into the armor to help them stay on target! Even the Destroyer isn't this good!"
Eric looked over the target. “Not too shabby. My ol’ buddy ‘Stench’ Conroy knew some people but they went silent after he bit th’ big one. And you know how fiendish Alliance budgeting can be at times. Why spend thousands o’credits developin’ stabilizers when they can give snipers tranqs for thousands less? I swear ta God if ya look close enough, ya can see a silk necktie under th’ brass’ collar… like ta strangle ‘em with it sometime…”
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Post by Corwin Havens on Mar 19, 2017 0:29:44 GMT -6
The assassin listened, keeping his slightly bemused expression while he measured his response. He considered revealing that he had weapons and armor hidden throughout Afterlife. Only considered, because no killer would reveal they are always armed. So instead....
"The Last Stand of Terra Nova," Corwin said before taking another sip of the amber liquid. Talking about his time with the Alliance was far more acceptable than the acts he committed after leaving. "If you want an example of my work, that would be it. It was late 2173. I was finishing a nightmare five year stint. Terra Nova was supposed to be an easy couple weeks before I left. And for awhile, it was. After seeing a little more than a hundred firefights, all I wanted was something easy. It wasn't meant to be."
Corwin sighed, letting his mask slip for just a moment...revealing the weight of death that he carried. Thousands of souls haunting him. Silently screaming at him. All that visible in his eyes and expression for an eye-blink before it all disappeared. Once again, looking bemused, he took yet another sip of alcohol.
"My entire unit was wiped out in the first strike," Corwin continued in his conversational tone. "The Blue Suns thought they got everyone.... one of the biggest mistakes they could have made. I was able to grab every heavy weapon I could get my hands on. I had cover. Superior position. Line of sight. Knowledge of the terrain. Easy access to ammunition. Needless to say, I held off 700 Blue Suns. Killed 56 of them. Injured around 300 before they retreated."
"But... that's one of my missions. Tell me, why did the Shadow Broker pick you? What's your specialty? What are you known for?"
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Post by Geneenh T'Loris on Mar 19, 2017 4:56:09 GMT -6
Geneenh couldn't help but smile at Corwin's last question.
What am I known for? How about over two hundred years ago my parents created a biotic amp that cause massive brain damage to its users and the resulting scandal not only bankrupted my family but also ruined its name?
I don't think I'll bring up that dark little aspect of my life with you--ever.
"What's my specialty?" she said thoughtfully as she took another sip of brandy. "I have a quarian's knack for technology, but I'm not stuck working on third-rate equipment nor imprisoned by an environmental suit. I have a salarian's sharp mind but I'm not limited to only forty years of life. I know there are engineers in the galaxy who are better than me, but the number of them is quite small.
"You made it clear that Maelstrom is something of an expert in dealing Cerberus, but what about you?" she asked. "Any insights or advice you'd be willing to share besides 'Keep your helmet on during the mission'?"
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