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#RedrockAgency – March 26, 2016
Vasquez is standing by the far wall in the conference room, waiting for everyone to arrive. Everyone who's presence has been requested for the mission would have been given an information packet which outlined the very basics - exploratory expedition, circa two weeks, providing security - as well as an ExoGeni-issued document outlining some specifics about the ship and the target world
Jason is near the head of the room as well, standing off to the side of Vasquez, dressed in his usual attire: Black fatigues, boots, and a plain white t-shirt. "How many are we expecting?" he asks, cocking his head to face Vasquez.
Ilyna enters the room, taking a seat after nodding to Vasquez and Jason. She's wearing a black modest casual dress, most likely to nobody's surprise.
Uvena is walking towards the office, looking ahead to see whether the front door is locked. She has a travel bag in tow. The asari is wearing simple blue jeans, a black top which is completely covered by her gray raincoat.
Tarkus was already sitting in the conference room, in his black and red armor. He was just waiting for the briefing to begin.
Nathan walks into the conference room. He's dressed in his motorcycle body armour with his helmet tucked under his arm. It seems he has only just arrived. He nods at the already assembled before dropping into a seat near the entrance.
Vasquez glances at Jason. She's wearing her gray Redrock uniform, and is her usual professional self, no sign of the previous night's vulnerability. "Eight, including Sullivan. Let's hope the new recruits show."
Artullin follows closely behind Uvena. He's dressed in his combat armour with his helmet locked onto his head. He stops next to Uvena and silently looks for a receptionist too.
Fergus is projected behind the reception counter. He raises a hand in greeting to Uvena and Artullin. "Welcome! My data indicates that you are newcomers to our band of warriors! Proceed down your right, and through the open door to join the preparations!"
Uvena let out a chuckle. "Their VI personality is modeled after something called a 'knight'," she says, before starting down the hallway.
Uvena shrugs. "I think it's nice to meet a less boring VI every now and then," she says before rounding the corner.
Jessica enters the lobby shortly after the other pair of new arrivals. She's an olive-skinned human of average height and build. Dressed in a pair of brownish beige cargo pants, white sneakers, a white tanktop and a brownish beige cap that covers her shaved head, she arrives in the room at the tail-end of the VI's instructions. Her left arm is covered in tattoos, starting at her knuckles and proceeding all the way up to
her chest. Just below her left ear, at the top of her column of tattoos, is the Alliance insignia. But her most eye-catching feature is the massive scarring on the right side of her body. Arm, shoulder, her entire right side is covered in what seems to be a burn of some sort. The fire appears to have mostly washed away what was once a canvas of even more colorful tattoos on her right arm, with only small
evidence remaining that they used to be there at all. The burns continue up on to her face, over her cheek and stopping just at her right eye, causing a good portion of her right eyebrow to be missing. She doesn't partake in the conversation and instead simply follows the other two.
Artullin shrugs before hearing more footsteps. He turns and looks at the new human, barely giving her a nod before turning to ignore her.
Uvena leaves the bag along the wall between the door to the two offices. She casts a glance at the new arrival, and nods, before entering the briefing room. "Good evening," she says. She steps aside to let the others through.
Jasper makes his way down the hall from the hangar, dressed in his usual dirty coveralls and oil-smudged cap. He arrives at the briefing room as the new arrivals do, pausing and nodding at each one that passes by as he waits his turn to enter.
Jessica returns the acknowledgement with nods of her own as she follows the others into the room. "Evening." she greets Jason and Vasquez before quietly taking a seat beside Tarkus.
Jasper joins the conga line of new arrivals once they've all passed him by and touches the brim of his cap in greeting as he spots Jason and Vasquez, an ear-to-ear grin on his face. "We 'bout ready to get this band on the road?" he asks as he finds a seat to settle into.
Korio makes his way through the front doors of the agency after everyone has already made themselves scarce. His deep black eyes settle on the VI projected behind the counter and he places his hands behind his back. He carries himself with a sense of dignity, straight postured with each step precisely gauged and measured. "Korio Ara." he drawls, "I am here about the position within Redrock?"
Jason returns Jasper's smile and waves him over towards the others. "Soon enough, Jasper." he assures the man, "Just waiting for everyone to get here."
Fergus nods to the drell. "Of course, sire. Proceed to down the corridor to your right, through the open door."
Korio bows his head respectfully before proceeding to follow the VI's instructions. As the pale green drell enters the door to the briefing room, his eyes dance over everyone in the room, taking stock and assessing them quickly. "I hope I am not late." he greets those at the head of the room who he perceives as in charge, "If so, my apologies."
Tarkus remains in his seat still waiting for the briefing to begin. He gives a few odd nods at newcomers.
Nathan looks at the Drell... then immediately turns away and folds his arms across his chest, his eyes narrowing the slightest.
Uvena nods at the drell, offering a tiny smile. "We haven't started yet," she says in a lowered voice.
Tarkus nods at the asari "Well that is hurtful, Ilyna. Its me, Tarkus." He stops for a moment "Or have you forgotten me?"
Korio cocks his head towards the asari. "Much appreciation." he says, bending slightly at the waist. He decides to take the seat beside Uvena, giving a quick bow of his head in thanks.
Ilyna gives an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I've had a lot to think about lately," she says. "I do remember you now, Tarkus. It's good to see you again."
Uvena had taken a seat after speaking with the drell. "You're welcome," she says before turning her attention towards Vasquez.
Vasquez ' gaze moves over the gathered group, from person to person, until she's satisfied that everyone has arrived. "Looks like it." she says quietly to Jason, and then takes a step forward, folding her hands behind her back. "Welcome to our new recruits. I look forward to seeing what you can do in the field. I think introductions are in order. I am Chief Vasquez, and this..." she
gestures to Jason. "...is Mr. Wolfe. He will be leading you on this mission. Will the new please introduce themselves?"
Tarkus was about to say something else but when Vasquez started to speak, he decided to remain silent.
Artullin nods to the room, face obscured behind his visor. "Artullin Ortoratus. Tech expert. If it helps, call me Art," he says before falling silent again.
Jessica leans forward, placing her elbows on the table in front of her as she opens her hand in some sort of half-wave. "Jessica Kaya." she says flatly, looking only towards Vasquez and Jason at the head of the room, "Ex-Alliance. Served as a combat engineer with the 134th." She nods her head once, not going into anymore detail as she glances around, hoping to indicate that someone else can go now.
Uvena takes Jessica's cue. "I'm Uvena Atana," she says. "I served on Sanves. I'll provide offensive biotics in the field."
Korio quickly surveys the room once Uvena has finished, looking for any sign that someone else may step forward to speak. After a moment passes, he turns his gaze back to Vasquez, "Korio Ara. I have a background in security that I hope may prove beneficial to Redrock Agency. My thanks for this opportunity." he states with another respectful bow of his head.
Nathan rolls his eyes at the latters introduction, rapping his fingers against his arm as he waits for the briefing to fully commence.
Vasquez nods to each of the new recruits as they introdue themselves, her eyes narrowing slightly at Tarkus. She returns her attention to the room as a whole and speaks again. "You've all been given a basic outline of the mission. I'll be able to tell you a bit more now, but the expedition leader will fill you in on more details en route to your destination. As previously stated the
expedition is expected to take around two weeks, but this is a rough estimate. Travel time, weather conditions and potential discoveries can and will affect this estimate. The planet you're going to is very cold. Prepare accordingly. Fully sealed hardsuits, try to avoid fragile equipment and large visors. Extra power cells will be provided by ExoGeni. Your main duty will be to protect
the ship and the scientists from potential threats while conducting their survey. The main risk factor that has warranted the employment of Redrock to guard the expedition is the potential for a geth incursion. We are, as I'm sure I don't need to remind you, on the edge of geth space. Once again, prepare accordingly. The armory has been stocked with disruptor ammunition blocks to prepare
for this eventuality. If any of you can provide any gear of your own suited for fighting the geth, do so."
Jason remains quiet, standing off to the side of Vasquez with his arms folded as she gives her speech.
Nathan winces slightly as she butchers the pronunciation. "If we're expecting geth, I can rig up the team's grenades for electrical detonations, rather than your standard high explosive. Naturally keep a few HE grenades as a contingency," he says.
Jessica chimes in without being addressed. "A few EMP charges wouldn't hurt." she says with a nod, "I'd be more than happy to help. Sorta my thing."
Nathan turns and eyes Jessica for a moment, judging her. He then nods once. "Well alright then," he says with a smirk. "Another explosive expert wouldn't hurt."
Tarkus thought about the planet and the Geth they would face, two things he did not really look forward to dealing with.
Vasquez nods again to both Nathan and Jessica. "Sounds like a plan. You have six hours before it's time to leave, but you could probably bring the materials to the ship."
Jessica gives a glance over in Nathan's direction, feeling a bit challenged. She gives a cocky smirk and silently returns her attention to Vasquez.
Ilyna glances at the new people, and for a moment failing to hide an expression of worry. She returns her focus to Vasquez.
Korio raises his hand once that's settled and just as quickly sets it atop the table. "Would it be possible to get the layout of the ship? I would like the opportunity to assess our options, attend to any potential trouble-zones."
Vasquez looks to the drell. "You will have to request that from the onboard security team. They will be in charge of safety onboard the actual ship."
Ilyna raises a hand, but doesn't wait to be addressed. "Are there any means of getting a message home while we're out there?" she asks.
Jasper peers around at the others as they speak, but he just remains quiet, mostly making his seat rotate back and forth, causing it to make a quick high-pitched noise each time it reaches a certain point in its rotation. He seems entirely oblivious to the minor annoyance.
Vasquez shakes her head. "No, not after you pass out of comm buoy range, which should be about a day into the trip." She shoots a glance at Jasper, but doesn't say anything.
Jason sighs as he hears about the lack of communication available to them for the first time since agreeing to go, but doesn't voice his frustration.
Jasper finally speaks up. "Chief, I ain't tryin' ta question yer' decision, or anything. An' I certainly don't mind gettin' more work. But I can't help but wonder... Whatcha need me taggin' along with this crew fer'? Can't imagine they're gon' need a pilot." He furrows his brow for a moment before a smile suddenly crosses his face, " 'Less I'm gonna be flyin' the ship!" he says enthusiastically, coming to a quick conclusion.
Vasquez supresses a small chuckle, a controlled smile briefly on her face. "You, Sullivan, will be coming along for two purposes: Erecting defenses and piloting one of the mechs."
Jasper's enthusiasm fades away slightly, but a mech will do. "Fair 'nuff, Chief." he says. "What kinda mech we talkin' 'bout?" he continues, leaning forward slightly, "Combat mech? One of them T-472 mechanized assault mechs? Ooh! It's a driller, ain't it? I'm gon' do some drillin' when we touch down, right? Is it the-..." he trails off, realizing now probably isn't the place for this as he clears his throat, "Know what?
I'm sure I'll find out onboard, Chief." He gives a nod and the high pitched squeak returns as he goes back to shifting his seat back and forth in semi-circles.
Vasquez rubs her temple with her right hand, letting out a quiet groan. "Yes, there's mechs. Any other questions?"
Nathan furrows his brow slightly. "Was just going to say I'm also qualified to pilot them, boss...".
Jason nods a couple times, "Don't worry Tenhoonsen, we'll go over all of that once we're on the ship." he says, using the man's full name to try and sound professional.
Nathan sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Mein Gott..." He says quietly as Jason butchers the pronunciation... Even more so than Vasquez.
Vasquez looks around, hand still behind her. "Anyone else? If not, be at Dock 5-C at 1800 hours. Contact me or Wolfe if you have any questions or concerns before departure."
Jessica gives a nod. "Does that cover everything? If so, how about you show me to those explosives? I'll get to work."
Nathan claps his hands together. "Mind if I show her, boss?" He directs at the pair stood at the front.
Korio looks around at the others. Once convinced that the briefing has come to an end, he rises gracefully to his feet. "Again, I thank you for this opportunity, Chief Vasquez. I will do all that I can to ensure that this trip goes well." he says as he approaches the woman.
Vasquez gestures for Nathan and Jessica to go ahead to the armory after waiting a while to see if any more questions arise. She raises an eyebrow at the drell. "Uhm... sure thing. I'm sure Wolfe will have only good things to say on your return." Her gaze moves from Korio to the rest of the group. "Alright, dismissed."
Nathan pops off a small salute before standing, holding his helmet in one hand while gesturing for Jessica to follow. "Just through that door," he says as he starts to walk off, not checking to see if she is following.
Korio bows his head once more, closing his eyes for a moment before taking long strides out of the room.
Jasper stands and approaches Vasquez once the frog is out of the way. "So should I be gettin' the kodiak ready? Or am I leavin' ol' Betsy home fer' this one?" he asks.
Jessica rises from her seat, following closely behind Nathan. "Let's see what you people got cookin' in here."
Jasper frowns but nods. "Alright. Jus' make sure nobody-..." he stage whispers 'Victoria' "...messes with my seat settings." he requests before heading on his way.
Well, we have some pasta cooking on the hob at the back. We have some banana bread going in the oven. Annnnnnnd at the back, we have just made a lovely home-made shepards pie.
Nathan grins and looks over his shoulder at Jessica. "We also have MK II HE fragmentation grenades. Mostly standard grenades with interchangeable mods for all your explosive needs. And-"
Jessica lets out a groan as she follows behind Nathan. She lets out a humorless chuckle. One of mockery rather than anything coming close to genuine. She seems to perk up as he begins to talk actual shop, though. "....Annnnd?"
Nathan steps inside the armoury and makes a beeline for the racking where he stows his weapons. He hefts off his launcher and points it upwards and off to the side, resting it in a very laid-back stance. "My baby. The M-100 Elanus Risk Control Services grenade launcher loaded with 25mm grenades. She may be a dinosaur, but she still ranks with the best. This," he
says holding it in both hands and handing it over to her to examine. "Is a Sandbeck modification. She can easily be loaded with various explosive types and possesses a much greater range than the standard launchers the Blood Pack uses."
Uvena decides to head upstairs, as there's little useful she could do to fill the whole remaider of the time with.
Jessica studies the grenade launcher with great interest. "Don't be a tease, give it here!" she says before he hands it over. She grips the handles and shoulders it, testing the weight. "Woooooo shit. Could do some real damage with this big bitch!" she exclaims. "So you rolled with the Blood Pack?" she asks as she looks over the weapon, "Didn't think they let 'your type' in." This close, it's clear that she's at least
partially blind in her right eye as there's a milky white color to it, a sharp contrast to the deep brown in her left.
Jason remains in the room, looking between Vasquez, Tarkus and Ilyna. "So... At least ten days without contact..." he says.
Ilyna frowns. "I told T'Iavay to also keep an eye on Li," she says, "but you'll have to take care of her, make sure she eats enough and get's the sleep she needs." She pauses, before adding, "And make sure she doesn't watch anything that isn't meant for children."
Jason raises an eyebrow as he steps forward. "You're going to watch Li while we're gone...?" he asks.
Vasquez offers Ilyna a reassuring smile. "I'll handle it." She glances at Jason. "Just until Ehanis can take over." she states.
Nathan laughs, equally as enthusiastic as she is, if not more. "Could do? Pfft, my baby can level a street. And hey! She ain't a bitch. She's a lady," he playfully scolds. "And no, I didn't run with those savages. I was apart of a PMC called Sandbeck. They utilized M-100's because they're cheap and easy to manufacture. And, with them being so cheap and with easy
customization, they could play around with them until this ancient piece of tech was equal to that of modern explosive ordnance and launchers." Nathan doesn't seem to pay much attention to her physical injuries or her slightly milky eye. He's too stoked to have met a fellow boom-head.
Mendez is over by the fridge. He's dressed in shorts, a grey shirt and running shoes. A pool of sweat on his shirt implies he's probably been, as usual, working out. He doesn't pay much attention to Uvena entering.
Ilyna nods. "Thank you, again," she says with a tiny smile. "She does find you intimidating, though, so please be careful when you approach her."
Jessica nods a few times, aiming the weapon towards the ceiling as she lines up the sights. "Oh, my mistake. This big lady." she corrects before handing the weapon back over. "Nothing wrong with 'ancient'. If it survived this long, means it's reliable. Too many people care about flash over substance." she gives a shake of her head, "Not me. Make most of my own stuff. No worrying about a charge not going off, a
grenade being a dud or blowing up in my face. And if it does? Only person I have to blame is me. And that's the way I like it."
Jason lets out a chuckle, nudging Vasquez with his elbow as he looks towards Ilyna. "To be fair, I find her intimidating, too."
Nathan takes the weapon back, brushing off a speck of imaginary dirt. "Learn from the past so that in the future... there may be more explosions," he says sagely. He looks to her and quirks an eyebrow. "Damn, a woman after my own heart," he says with a smirk. "So, Jessica, what're you bringing to the table? ML-77 Missile Launcher? Your own concoctions of
explosives? A winning personality that can surpass mine?" He pauses and hefts the launcher onto his shoulder, humming. "No, never mind. The latter is not possible."
Ilyna chuckles before turning to Tarkus. "I... adopted a child we rescued on a job a while ago," she says. "She's up in the recreational room if you want to meet her."
Jessica lets out a snort. "Experience." she says with a sigh, turning her gaze to the rest of the room as she looks over all of the gear. "This job seems like a perfect match, really. Was on the Citadel when the geth attacked." she continues, reaching out to run a hand along an Avenger, "Was pretty fucked up. Maybe I'll get another shot at them out there."
Mendez glances back at the door. Once he realizes who it is, his entire body turns to face her. "....Oh. Uvena." he greets. "I see you've recovered. Good. What are you doing here?"
Tarkus nods "I will go meet her, after this job. Don't want her to meet uncle Tarkus for one day." He states with a plain look.
Nathan hums and sets his launcher on the table. "Shit, that's rough," he begins. "But if you're here for some revenge scheme against those flash-lights, put that as a secondary objective. Keeping your team alive always comes first," he says rather seriously. "Though, you were Alliance. So you probably already know that, right?" He has already started to spread out
Tarkus gives a chuckle and a shrug "Well, at least we have you to act as our Geth diplomatic representative." Joking back at the man.
Uvena glances at the door. "I'm going with them on the expedition," she says, looking back at Mendez, "but I have a few hours of downtime before we depart. I might as well look around."
Jessica casually gives Nathan a thumbs up without looking back at him. "Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it." she says as she continues to browse the armory. "I'm not looking to get anyone killed if that's what you're worried about. Believe me, I fucked up my fair share of geth that day, so the score is nice and even as far as I can tell." she says, actually sounding somewhat disinterested
with her own story. She turns back to the man and, upon spotting the gear laid out, quickly moves beside him and starts to get to work gutting a grenade.
Mendez reaches over and grabs a bottle of water from the fridge before closing the door. "Oh... Are you sure that's a good idea so soon after your injuries?" he asks, "These jobs can be........ rough."
Nathan grins lopsidedly at her. "Well then, if that's the case, start sorting out the MK I's first. We have more of them so I'm thinking we use them as our EMPs. We reserve the MK II's for our HE mods. Higher explosive yield and wider coverage," he says as he starts talking shop and guts one of the aforementioned MK Is. "I've also got a couple of MK IVs and Vs with
me. Never been a fan of the MK IIIs. I feel like they ended up being a downgrade. Sure, they were lighter and traveled further but they had to sacrifice some of the explosive capability in exchange. And I mean, pfft, who wants to sacrifice damage for further travel time? I mean, seriously!"
Uvena nods. "The FTL trip should be enough, I think," she says before sitting down at the table. "What do you mean by 'these jobs'? Has this agency gone on expeditions for Syranis before?" She glances towards the couch.
Jessica makes short work in disassembling the grenade in front of her as she listens to Nathan rattle on.... and on.......... and on. She doesn't even pretend to be interested. She lifts a wire to her mouth and bites down on it, stripping it with her teeth as she lets out a disinterested 'Mmhmm.... Mmhmm......'. She looks over her handy work as she lets out a deep breath. "You really like to hear yourself talk, don't
Mendez gives a shake of his head before taking a long gulp from his bottle. "No-... No, not Syranis." he says, wiping at his mouth with his forearm and screwing the cap back on, "Others, though." He goes quiet for a moment as he thinks better than to just go spilling insider info. He shakes his head, "I didn't mean anything by it. It can just be dangerous. Take care of yourself out there."
Nathan hums and uses actual pliers to strip the wire of his grenade. He's already made fast work of his project and has moved onto the next. "I dislike quiet for too long. If there isn't someone here, I listen to music. If there is, I talk," he says as he starts switching out the internals of his next grenade. "And for someone with 'experience' you're awfully slow,
Jessica takes her time, twisting a few wires together and holding them up in front of her face to inspect her work. "Music sure sounds good right about now..." she mutters. She sets the internals back into the housing and closes it securely as she moves on to the next. "Or maybe I just like what I do? Hm? It's not all about, getting up in there-..." she says as she tugs the internals out of another grenade, "...fast and
hard and finishing. Sometimes you just have to let it linger a bit. Enjoy your time with it. Besides-..." she continues, passing a disapproving glance at Nathan's current project, "...You're sloppy. Mark the ones you put together so I can steer clear of them."
Vasquez seems a bit distracted, not paying too much attention to the back-and-forth in the room. She turns to Jason. "I'm gonna go let the Saint Lucia know we'll be ready on time." she says before heading out of the room, going for her office.
Nathan glares across at his now-rival. "...Or maybe you learned from a pretty serious mistake, hmm?" He stabs, aiming for below the belt. He flicks the grenade around in his hand and examines it. "Sloppy my arse, this baby is perfect," he says as he sets it to one side with his other finished grenade, now moving onto his third.
Uvena gives a small smile. "Staying here could be dangerous, too," she says, "At least I'll expect it out there in the form of Geth." She doesn't consider that there are little ears nearby that probably shouldn't hear about how dangerous this job is.
Li tears her gaze away from the screen, tilting her head as she looks to Mendez and Uvena. "What's a geff?"
Jason gives Vasquez a nod. "Alright..." he says, turning back to face the others, "Suppose we should probably get ready ourselves, huh?" He gives a glance at Tarkus, "Well, me and Ilyna should. Since you don't have shit to get ready anyway, ya freeloader." he teases.
Mendez gives a slight nod in response to Uvena and opens his mouth to speak when a tiny voice draws his attention. He hadn't even realized Li was in here. "Geth." he repeats, emphasizing the pronunciation, but he gives no explanation.
Tarkus gives a shrug "I got all my weapons back, from the former pirates." He states to the human "Don't worry, Wolfe. I will protect you from the mean Geth."
Ilyna nods. "I'm almost ready to leave, actually," she says, standing up. "I suppose I should call home, so they know where I'm going. My family is not going to like this, at all."
Uvena looks at the child with a warm smile. "It's nothing to worry about, dear," she says. "Don't let us interrupt your vid."
Jessica rolls her eyes as she continues to work. "Really? Is that the best you can do?" she lets out another condescending chuckle as she places another unit together, purposely picking up her pace just to prove Nathan wrong, "Whatsamatter? Did I hurt your fragile ego? For your information, this?" she taps a fingertip against her cheek, "Had nothing to do with this." she holds the grenade she was working on up in
Nathan has moved onto his fourth grenade, gutting it, altering it, rebuilding it, then placing it to the side. "No, that ain't my best. But then again, don't think you're worth my best," he replies, used to this form of rivalry and 'banter' from his days with Sandbeck. "And please, refrain from smiling. Jesus, I want to be able to sleep at night, y'know?"
Jason nods a few times at Ilyna as his smile fades. "I don't think any of us like this..." he agrees, "I just found out about this trip a couple of nights ago. But they're paying well, so..." he trails off with a shrug as he returns his attention to the turian. His grin returns somewhat as he shrugs, "Uh huh. Just like you protected yourself from the mean pirates, right?"
Ilyna frowns. "The problem is ExoGeni," she says. "I know we need the credits, but isn't it risky to go with them?"
Jessica slides the grenade aside as she begins work on another, her movements becoming far more aggressive as she yanks the insides out of the next grenade. "Most people ease into the burn-victim insults." she says, bringing another set of wires up to her mouth to strip, "You know, fall back on them when they run out of wit." She spits out the stripped casing, making sure it lands in Nathan's workspace, "But you
started with an empty tank." She gives another low chuckle and shakes her head as she begins to intertwine a few wires together, "But I can respect that. Go for the kill right out of the gate. Problem with that is-... Did you really think that was going to bother me? You don't walk around with something like this-..." she gestures to the right side of her face, "...without catching shit. I've heard it
Jason lowers his attention to the floor, suddenly losing interest in having a slapfight with Tarkus. He nods a few times before lifting his gaze to Ilyna. "I know... I had the same concerns, Ilyna. But Linda brought up some good points. She worked with the company for years. We know they're not all bad." He lets out a sigh, unsure of why he's trying to convince the asari when he
himself isn't even convinced. "We keep an eye on them. Because if they are up to their old games, we need to be there to stop them. We need to be there to make sure a ship full of innocent people don't get slaughtered. We can't let this be another 'Evening Star', Ilyna..."
Nathan plucks up the spat casing, flicking it to the side. "And now pretending it ain't bothering you?" He says with an evil grin, noting her increasingly aggressive actions and attitude. "Tsk, keep bottling up and it'll suddenly... blow up in your face." He's now onto his sixth, finishing his fifth during her rant. "And really, moving onto the homophobic insults?
Jessica looks confused for a moment. "Homoph-... You're an idiot. An absolute idiot. I'm here, what? Fourty-five minutes and I've already found the biggest fucking idiot in the galaxy." She turns slightly to face the man and cocks her head to the side, "Seriously. I've never in my life disliked someone so much so quickly. This is like some kind of superpower you possess. It's mind-blowing. How about you just shut that
gaping hole in your face and turn on the fucking music, hm?" she says, doing her best to act as if she's not really aggitated, but it's pretty clear that she is.
Mendez remains near the fridge. "I should get back..." he says with a nod towards the door, "...But good luck out there."
Vasquez ' voice suddenly comes over the speakers in the armory. "Oh for fuck's sake, will the two of you shut up before I kick both of you off the mission?"
Uvena nods. "Thank you," she says, a small smile still present. "I'm not planning on making your daring rescue be for nothing."
Nathan turns to her as well, setting aside the grenade he was working on. He watches her for a moment and cants his head, rapping his fingers against the workbench. "My gaping hole? How about I shove one of these grenades into your cock-holster and see how much brains actually resides in that walnut you call a hea-" he looks up at the ceiling as Vasquez chimes over
the speakers, narrowing his eyes. "...bah." He looks back down at Jessica and shoves his grenades over to her, offering her a form of... truce in having her double check his work.
Ilyna sighs. "That... that I can understand," she says. "Let's just hope they're not all bad, then."
Jessica regains her amused look as Vasquez chimes in and leans forward, resting an elbow against the workbench. "As soon as he stops being a complete fucking idiot? Absolutely!" she says, doing her best soldier impression. She cocks her head to glance at Nathan, the smile returning to her face before she adds with a half-assed military salute: "Ma'am!" She reaches out and scoops up the grenade, turning it over in her
hands and acting as though she's closely inspecting it. "I suppose it'll do." she sighs as she sets it down.
Mendez starts to make his way back towards the door. "That would be unfortunate." he says as he passes her, something resembling a.... smile? on his face.
Nathan chuckles, crossing his arms across his chest and nodding to her. "Thanking you kindly, soldier," he says as he resumes his work at a slower pace than before. He detaches his omni-tool and slides it across to her, waving at it. "If you don't want to talk, music is on there. And hey, good talk. Almost as much fire as an incendiary. Almost."
Jason sighs once more. "At least they'll be right where we can watch them..." he adds. "But we'll worry about that later. For now? Let's just get ready to depart, alright?"
Jessica leans back as she glances over at Nathan. "Almost? Psh, I'm just getting started, asshole." She scoops the omni-tool up off the table, "Let's see what you've got on here..." she muses as she pokes through his omni-tool files.
Ilyna nods. "Alright," she says. "Maybe I should... avoid mentioning that company when speaking with my family."
Nathan snorts. "Well, I look forward to it, bitch," he says, though there is no maliciousness in his voice. His label was more of a counter to her label. "I'd be disappointed if you didn't try harder." He places down the grenade and watches her as she shifts through his music selection.
Jessica settles on a song and starts it up, dropping the omni-tool back between them. "Alright, the musics on. You can shut up now." she says as she returns to work, giving a dismissive wave in his direction.
Jason nods slowly. "That.... would probably be a wise choice if you've told them anything about our previous encounter with ExoGeni. No point in needlessly worrying them." He lets out a breath through his nose and glances between the two, "Well, I should probably get ready. I'll see you when I see you."
Uvena walks over to the couch, and sits down beside the young girl. "May I ask what you're up to?" she asks.
Ilyna frowns. "I agree, I... don't need anyone else worrying for me," she says. "I'll see you, Jason."
Li holds up the omni-tool screen for Uvena to see. She seems relaxed despite not being familiar with her. "It's a game. I'm building a village!" She says enthusiastically.
Jessica continues to go about her work and, before long, is disassembling and reassembling explosive devices to the rhythm of the music. After a couple of songs play out, she slides another grenade to the side and finally speaks again. "How many of these are we putting together?" she asks, "Or are we just going until it's time to leave?"
Nathan shrugs, adding to the rather notable pile of grenades he has assembled. "I say another dozen or so should do it. I'm not taking any chances with the geth."
Uvena places her arm on the top of the backrest as she leans closer to look at the game. "How is the village doing?" she asks.
Jessica moves on to the next grenade, an assembly line of her own by this point. "Yeah they're-..." she stutters somewhat, "They can be a pain in the ass, that's for sure."
Nathan nods, looking up at her. "I've only fought them a few times and each time was hell. You got any advice?" He asks.
Jason lifts an arm in a half-assed wave at Ilyna and Tarkus as he exits the briefing room and makes his way back upstairs to the living area to begin packing his things.
Jessica gives a shrug but doesn't look at Nathan as she responds. "Not really." she responds, once more seeming disinterested and focusing on the grenade in front of her as if it's really got her attention, "Same as any other fight, right? Kill them before they kill you?" She quickly returns to her taunting, "What? You afraid of a few geth?"
Nathan shrugs again, looking back to his work. "Nah," he says. "Was just wonderin' if the 'experienced' one among us had any advice." His voice is aflame with sarcasm as he speaks. "Unsurprisingly, she didn't."
Jessica seems unaffected by his tone. "What's that old saying? Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach? Some shit like that? I can, and I do." She raises a grenade up in front of her to inspect more of her handy work. She glances over at Nathan, giving a wink before tossing the grenade in her pile of goodies.
Nathan peers up at her and returns the wink, satisfied by her answer. "Then I suppose I'll just have to watch ya' in a fight, hmm?" He finishes up another grenade and places it in his pile of boom-discs.
Jessica reaches over and skips the next song, a dissastified look on her face as it begins to play. "Uh huh. Keep up with this-..." she gestures towards him casually with a flick of her wrist, "...whatever it is you're trying to pass off as flirting, and you're gonna see me get violent a whole lot sooner than you thought." She resumes her working, sliding the next piece of hardware closer
to her. "You know that feeling you get in the back of your throat when you're about to hurl? That's where I'm at right now."
Nathan blinks and looks back up to her. He then descends into a fit of laughter, almost doubling over.
Jessica breathes in through her nose loudly. "Mmhmmm." she mutters, "Play it off. You don't even have the balls to own up to your bullshit. It's alright. How about sending a few more my way." she says, casually switching between topics as she points towards the pile of unmodified grenades, "While you're down there trying to hide your shame, some of us are actually working."
Nathan stands up straight and shakes his head, rolling over a grenade to her. "Yeah, sorry, but, uh, you ain't my type," he says with a knowing grin.
Jessica nods in agreement. "Oh, I don't doubt that. I'm not half a case of 'stupid'." she says, moving over towards a nearby case and tapping a finger against it. "Am I good to load them up in this or..?" she asks.
Nathan hums and decides to leave it at that. "Sure, go for it," he says as he finishes up his last grenade. He turns and walks over to his M-100 and hefts it, carrying over to the workbench and setting it down. "Did you bring your own guns or do you need to borrow one from the armoury?" he asks as he does his last inspection of the launcher.
Jessica gives a shake of her head. "Nah, I'm ready to rock and roll. Just need to pick my gear up at home before heading to the spaceport. Packed my shit before coming." she says as she opens the case and begins setting the grenades inside. Nathan would have a pretty clear view of the tattoos covering her entire left arm. It mostly consists of a multitude of skulls, human and otherwise, with wisps of smoke snaking in
and out of their eyes and mouth. It's well done, if a little strange. In stark contrast is the circular Alliance tattoo at the top of her neck, just below her ear. It's small and isn't even entirely circular, more... oblong. It looks hastily done, possibly even self-applied. The burns on her right arm have removed most of the ink, but small flecks of coloring shine through. Bright blues, reds and yellows. The
tattoos visible on her chest above the lining of her tanktop are heavily scarred, too, making them unrecognizable. But the scarring isn't consistent with her burns. "Where should I put these? Just set 'em by the door?"
Nathan now focuses on her tattoos, eyeing them up with curiosity. As she speaks, his eyes are drawn to the burn marks on her arm. Why hadn't she gotten a skin graft? Do they serve as a reminder? A painful lesson? These are questions he'll likely take to the grave as the woman clearly has no intention of talking to Nathan further after this mission. He shrugs
internally as he replies. "Nah, set them on the workbench," he says as he lifts the launcher from aforementioned bench and finishes his inspection. "I'll take them over when we need to go."
Jessica lifts the case and sets it on the workbench as instructed. "You got it, boss." she says. "So, how long have you been with these people? And why'd ya leave-... whatdidyoucallit? Sandbag?"
Nathan places the weapon back on the rack. "Less than a month," he says as he turns to face her, tapping a finger against his body-armour. "And I didn't want to leave Sandbeck. But I had to," he says, showing equal disinterest in talking about his time at Sandbeck as she did in talking about herself.
Jessica raises an eyebrow. "Oh? No shit? What happened? Someone get tired of that big mouth of yours?" she asks, seeming amused at the thought of him being forced out of his old job and quite obviously lacking any sense of boundaries when it comes to prying. "Or they just get sick of looking at that dumb look on your face?" She blinks and seems to study him for a moment before nodding and pointing at him, "Yeah, that's
Nathan shrugs. "Yeah, it can also turn a city block into atomized dust in the blink of an eye," he says. "I used one to try and remove a heavily fortified position that was inhibiting our armored column. It worked, but the collateral damage was astronomical. So, I was discharged." He shrugs again.
Jessica blinks a few times, showing no reaction one way or another for a few short moments until a wide smile crosses her lips. "Ho~ly shit. Like a literal city block? So, wait wait wait. You blew up a bunch of your own people and you were worried about me getting people killed?" She lets out a genuine chuckle as she clasps a hand on his shoulder. "Seriously, though. Mark those grenades you worked on." she says
Nathan frowns. "What, no. I didn't kill any of my own people," he says, slightly confused as to where she got that from. "I removed the position, but the block was wiped out. The armoured column had fallen back for the demolitions squad to do their work." He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Let me start over. This position was holding up an armoured
column and we received intel that they had rigged the area with a Maelstrom bomb incase they had to abandon the sector. Our job was to remove them and the bomb. So I did both at once. I got my squad in, we armed the bomb, we got out, boom. No more position, no more city block."
But, turns out we can't just go wiping out city blocks willy-nilly. So, I took responsibility, then I was discharged from Sandbeck.
Jessica furrows her brow, which slowly transforms into a frown. "So... You succeeded and got to blow up an entire block? I'm not following. What's the downside there? You can't clear out a fuckton of assholes without breaking a few eggs, right?" She removes her hand from his shoulder and jabs a finger into his chest, "And how do you get your hands on one of those Maelstrom bombs?"
Nathan throws his hands up into the air. "That's what I said! ...kinda." He then looks at her and starts to overtly inspect her ears from a distance. "A-are you deaf? I literally just told you. They rigged the area with one of these bombs as a contingency plan. It was located in the sewer system in a centralized location for maximum effect." He then glances to the
side. "And Sandbeck was formed by an ex-alliance officer. He stuck to the rules that the Alliance followed. And apparently destroying entire city-blocks without authorization falls under the 'bad' category."
Jessica's entire tone changes at the mention of the Alliance and she visibly straightens up, tensing somewhat. "Right, right..." she says, nodding a few times, "You... You can't just go doing that kind of shit, man." she continues, sounding dead serious. "People could've gotten hurt."
Nathan leans forwards slightly, eyes narrowing. "...What's with the sudden change of attitude?" He asks slowly, suspiciously.
Jessica raises an eyebrow, looking at him as if he's out of his mind. "Whaddya mean? Nothing. I mean, we all wanna blow shit up once in a while, right? But you've got-... regulations. Precautions to take." She seems to struggle with coming up with anymore to say. "We all make mistakes, just gotta learn from it." she finally manages before awkwardly adding: "...Uhh, soldier."
Nathan blinks and leans back, shaking his head. "Right, whatever," he says quietly as he makes to walk around her, plucking up his motorcycle helmet from the workbench. "I'm just gonna go now and finish prep. See you, Jessica," he says as he throws a half-hearted wave over his shoulder.
Jessica nods and moves to finish cleaning up the workbench as he starts out. "Right. Just don't blow the building up on your way out, hotshot." she says, instantly wincing at the tasteless joke and silently reminding herself to reign it in.
Nathan pauses and glances over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at her. "...that's fair." He says with a slight nod as he exits.