[Mass Effect: New Genesis] Part 1: Meeting at the Citadel

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[quick edit to include character description]

[On the Citadel, every day is the same. Yet, every day is different. No matter where you go or what you look at, you will see similiar patterns play out. But you will see these patterns play out in entirely new and unexpected ways. It is the nature of the Citadel. After all, not only is it the hub of galactic civilization. It is also one of its Nexi (plural of Nexus). It is a common place for mercinaries to meet.

[Corwin Havens, ex-Cerberus and ex-Alliance foot soldier, is sitting at the bar at Chora's Den, enjoying a drink of....something red. To him, it tastes like rotting cinnamon. But, it passes for alcohol. Assuming it doesn't kill him. He is donned in red and gray medium armor with an assault rifle on his back and a pistol at his right side. Corwin has dirty blond hair and blue eyes which has not been crushed by the several battles he's been apart of. Slowly, Corwin scans the crowd of writhing life. He is looking for the mercinaries he's been in contact with through the extranet. He paid a nice sum of money to the Shadow Broker for their names. This mission, if successful, should make it all worth while...for everyone involved.]

A young human woman steps through the front door of Chroa's Den. She's in light armor, with a heavy pistol on one thigh, and a sniper rifle on her back. She's got red hair so dark that it almost looks brown in low light. Her eyes are a brilliant green. She takes a moment to watch some of the Asari dancers (who doesn't like a good show, after all) and then scans the room for some inspiration on who she's supposed to meet. Taking a guess, she heads toward Corwin, taking a seat at his table.

"Come here often?" She asks lightly. She leans back in her seat, crossing her legs lightly. She motions to the bartender, pointing at what Corwin's drinking, and then to herself.

Corwin glances towards this newcomer and gives a slight smile. His blond hair and blue eyes really makes him stand out from every other human here (seriously...why do all humans seem to have only dark hair?). Corwin considered that for a moment.

"It seems like a good place to meet people," Corwin responds in an even tone "Careful with the drink. It has a little kick to it."

Of course, Corwin thought to himself. She'll down it in one gulp just to show me up. They always do.

"Hm..." She muses as the drink is set before her. She takes a sniff of it first. "Smells like Goldschlager." She takes a sip, and seems to take a long moment surveying the 'subtle notes' of the liquor. It's probably some cheap garage swill, but she tastes it as though it were a fine wine - and she, a sommelier. A quick shrug of her eyebrow and she raises it to him in a sort of pseudo cheers.

"Aashe DeWinter." She sets her glass down after taking another sip - he wasn't kidding about that kick. Though she wasn't sure the 'kick' was high alcohol content, in her opinion it was just cheap booze.

Corwin grins, watching her sample the alcohol. Listening to her response, Corwin started feeling slightly foolish. He thought it tasted off. Apparently, it was something good.

"So that's what it is called," he responds casually. "During my time in the Alliance, we called it Krogan's Blood."

Corwin nods and raises his glass.

"My name's Corwin. Corwin Havens."

a mid aged quarian, lurking in the back of the club begins to listen in, slowly sulking around the main bar to hear as much of the conversation being had by his contact and the red haired stranger. He checks the Locust at his hip, for he knows that chora's den is no place for an outcast such as he. His engineering skills were required to fix the ducts within the club just a month earlier, his very presence had provoked hostilities from the both the gawkers and the dancers alike, comes with being an exile he supposed.

"filtered turian brandy" he orders the drink more as a cover, he couldn't approach the contact till he knew he was sure who he was dealing with.

"Oh, I don't think this is real Goldschlager - they stopped making that lovely liquor a few years ago, something about the gold flakes being too expensive to include in the drinks. You know, Omni-tool chips being gold and all... This just smells like it." Aashe says with a laugh.

"All the same, glad to meet you Corwin. Seems like my intuition is still proving me right after all this time. I'm a few months off the job, I'm looking for a little fun. I understand you need someone in 'acquisitions'." She glances around a bit. "I thought this'd be a bigger team. I assume I'm early?"

Kreiger vas Quibb Quibb, shuffles around to a booth opposite the pair, trying to listen in on the job, amplifying the audio intake through his custom omnitool, he want's to be dead sure this isn't another dead end job, that this truly IS a way out of the slums.

Corwin shakes his head.

"No. I think a lot of them are just exercising caution. This is the first time any of us are meeting face to face. They are probably sizing me up and seeing if this is some sort of trap."

Takes another sip and winces slightly.

"Can't say I blame them. But that's why I picked here and not Omega."

Corwin turns his head, looking around Chora's Den for anyone who looks close to the contacts he's spoken with on the extranet. Spotting a familiar looking Quarian close by (as familiar one can look like, at least), Corwin talks slightly louder, in an obviously clumsy way, to get the Quarian's attention.

"I can only hope the rest of the members will get here soon. I wouldn't want them to all pay for their own drinks."

kreiger shakes his head as he leaves the booth. hand on locust he cautiously approaches Corwin, giving a slight acknowledging nod i his direction.
"i assume you knew i was here the whole time, stupid to think a quarian would blend in here, especially one with a military grade suit, no need to catch me up, i heard everything from when she arrived. speaking of which, you would be?"

Almost on instinct, Corwin runs his hands through his hair. It was always a calming reflex for him. Sometimes, in the middle of battle, it helped him focus. But now, he was just trying to find the right words, as he gave his best sales pitch on the mission he needs help with.

"Acquisition is a good word to use," he began. "Have you ever been out to Argos Rhu?"

A slight pause. Some may think it was being done to create artificial tension. Anyone observant would notice Corwin measuring his words carefully.

"Ah, caution... an unnecessary affectation in my line of work." She laughs to herself. "Well, I'm enjoying the view, and the company - and if that was just an offer to pay for drinks, you've just cleared my afternoon."

She followed Corwin's gaze more out of curiosity than concern. She'd gotten herself in and out of plenty of fixes before, and she had relatively few scars to show for it. If there was an attack or a trap, she'd figure her way out on the fly. If she got into serious trouble, she had more than a few contacts on the Citadel.

The Quarian caught her eye after a second. They were rare on the Citadel... rare anywhere outside of their own Flotilla, really... Fascinating race - great with machines, and she'd met more than a few who had really charming accents. She flashed a positively glowing smile to the Quarian before turning back to her host, so as not to seem distracted or rude.

"Argos Rho? Sure - name any place in the galaxy, and I've seen it. I live out of a suitcase, to use an old Earth expression. I heard it was dangerous ground recently."

kreiger, losing his patience after wasting a day sweeping for bugs, snaps in.
"FIRSTLY, i asked the lady her name, secondly..."
kreiger stalls to mock Corwin
"your stonewalling us, measuring us up for the job."

Corwin gestures towards an open seat for Kreiger. He decided to leave his opening pitch hang, just for a moment. It could wait, after all. This was Corwin's first time ever talking to a Quarian face to face. All his time on the field taught him never to believe rumors about the other races. It was far better to judge any alien, or human, based on what is learned by talking to them.

"In all honesty," he start...with all the sincerity he could muster. "I've never had a chance to work with a Quarian. I've heard interesting things about your technical prowess. But you are right. I didn't say everything about the mission."

"You have to realize," he continued, "in this line of work. Information is very important. And it is hard to say who can be trusted with any information."

Corwin silently berated himself. He was always an open and honest person. He didn't really understand why he couldn't just explain everything straight forward. But another part of him knew that if he did, what would stop them from doing the mission themselves?

"Now that you are here, I can be a little more straight forward. You can never tell who is listening on the extranet. Or here."

kreiger sit's in the open seat, hesitantly. none of his run ins with humans ended well, he had been shot in the back, stabbed, beaten and even run down, the worst of all was the group of humans responsible for his exile, Cerberus. his unlikely run in with the group had lead him to "hire on" the humans to repair a flotilla life bio scrubber. instead 2 ships were destroyed and a third seized. from that dy forth, he never held humans in high regard nor did he trust them. he winces as he sits, the stab wound still healing.
"I on the other hand have had many a chance to work with Boschtet's like you, and i can tell you NONE of them gave me fond memories.SO, is it just me and red here?"
he came acros as cold and uncaring but a hint of excitement ran through his voice, he couldn't wait to hear what made this job so expensive to the client

She offers a hand, seeming absolutely oblivious to any tension. "Aashe DeWinter." She beams a smile to the men. "I don't know a lot about the mission either, but I heard what I needed to hear... the charming word 'lucrative'. Besides, Corwin has offered to buy us drinks. Take a load off, and enjoy the surroundings, friend. There's no way to be upset when Asari are dancing on tables."

"a quarian could take offence, a human starts pointing out that others can walk without a damned suit."
kreiger keeps his hand down, refusing the gesture
"as for names, im Kreiger, Kreiger vas Quibb Quibb, expert engineer and exile...and i DON'T want to be hounded as to why"

Corwin leans forward with a hint of excitement in his voice. Dim lighting hides the slight creases on his face. Slight scarring which never properly healed.

"There has been a lot of activity in the Argos Rho sector lately. But, yes, that is common knowledge."

Corwin pauses to acknowledge his companion's point.

"Alliance listening posts picked up a lot of chatter. A friend of mine was serving on Erebus. I helped him through basic. And he still passes along information he picks up here and there. Nothing definitive. But it was clear from the messages that several different....interests....were looking for something."

He leans in a little further.

"Have you ever heard of the myth of the Nocnistu's Glory?"

She shrugs an easy shoulder. "Offense is a waste of time, if you ask me. I don't bother with it." She rolls with Corwin's change of topic "What's Glory? It sounds like an artifact."