The first person to arrive (literally, considering he was there before the hosts) at the meeting, the Salarian hitman Jaedi Tal, was making Kosso nervous. The salarian himself hardly gave him a sideways glance, appearing for all intents and purposes as if the circumstances didn't faze him in the slightest, but Kosso could feel his anxiety rising by the second. The gun at his hip gave him some solace, but not enough, and Kosso knew that if needed drawing his position at the table would severely handicap his reaction time. All his instincts were screaming at him to get up and find a more comfortable stance on two feet, so that's what he did. A water cooler in a one corner of the room seemed a decent enough excuse, and he stood to fetch himself a cup, ignoring the look Tanya gave him as he did. She was used to his constant worrying and incessant need for caution, but had never had much luck convincing him not to be so "paranoid." At least she didn't say anything about it this time. The water looked like shit, and tasted it even worse, but he drank it all the same as he took up position behind and to the side of Tanya, leaning against the far wall. Here he had a much better drawing angle on his gun, and a clear view of the door as the potential conspirators wandered in. 

First was the female Drell, wearing some ridiculous looking attire. [i]Oh, goddess. A Drell wearing sunglasses. Talk about the perfect setup for a joke.[/i] Indeed, Tanya was already turning to him, a slight grin on her face as she opened her mouth to make some clever quip. A sharp glare by Kosso stopped her before she could get the words out, and she just shrugged instead, the grin never leaving her face. The Drell herself wasn't much to look at once you got past the strange attire: Scrawny, with little in the way of armor, armaments or anything threatening. But if what they said about her abilities was true...well, Kosso wasn't sure what to think about all of that. He didn't even really believe her supposed talents were even possible, but in the off chance they were, the Drell would undoubtedly be a useful ally. [i]Or a dangerous enemy.[/i] The thought of someone being able to reach inside his head and rearrange his thoughts like cheap knick-knacks sent a wave of terror down his spine, and he was glad when the next person entered and he had something new to worry about. 

The tall bearded man ([i]Spirits, I had no idea humans could get so [/i]hairy) was undoubtedly the man known primarily as "The Enforcer." An intimidating name for an intimidating man, and one that Kosso had heard before during his travels around the Terminus Systems. As a contract killer, mercenary, and solider for hire, Kosso distrusted him on principle. As long as the pay was good, he could be sure to get the job done efficiently and without emotional complication, and there was certainly something reassuring about that. However, he didn't think he'd ever be able to feel safe working with a man that was on someone else's payroll. [i]A few credits in the wrong direction, and suddenly allies turn to enemies. And Siame has a lot of credits.[/i] 

That same distrust went double for the Salarian. [i]That[/i] one practically [i]oozed[/i] danger: in his well-fitted suit and his air of patient nonchalance, he cut a striking figure that Kosso was sure he didn't want to turn his back on. He'd spent a few good years dodging hitmen and assassins, and still this one managed to make his skin crawl. Maybe it was just the realization that he'd actually be working alongside someone who would unashamedly and unflinchingly murder him if paid enough, or maybe it was just those dark eyes of his, quick and careful despite the posture of indifference he was projecting.

The next through the door was another human, easily identifiable by the bionic hand protruding from one sleeve as he gave the two hosts a quick nod and moved to take a seat. [i]He's polite, Human, has a love for starships and hate for Batarians...Tanya must be in love.[/i] The thought made him strangely uneasy. Two years of traveling alone with Tanya, he'd finally found someone who he could trust, and who trusted him in return. Now the sudden thought of losing that bond due to the invasion of one of these strangers made his heartbeat start to rise. [i]You're being stupid. Stow your jealousy away and focus.[/i] A lifetime of trying to suppress hurtful memories left him well-practiced in smothering his emotions, and soon he had successfully discarded that strangely worrying thought process. Concerning Losif himself, Kosso had few fears beyond those that were standard by now. The man was skilled, and would make a valuable asset to his team if he played along. There were plenty of potential "applicants" that had Kosso far more concerned...

...like the Batarian who entered the room next. Given what they knew of his history, Kosso expected Valok to be a cut copy of the stereotypical Batarian, and so far he wasn't disappointed. All of the bastards eyes were moving, roving over the faces of the others in the room with a sort of cold hunger. [i]If that guy isn't a veteran of the slaving business, I'll eat my coat. Guess you were right about this one, Tanya.[/i] Kosso met his gaze without blinking when it came his turn to be sized up, but the Batarian apparently wasn't interested in holding a staring contest with a "lesser" being and just continued his silent appraisals elsewhere. [i]Real charmer, that one.[/i]

Valok's only gave a cursory glance at the next applicant to answer the conference room, and Kosso could see why. The Turian was hunched over and limping, relying on a Krogan lackey to carry his things. This could only be the legendary "Sleuth," Aran Nykerius. "Sleuth" was another moniker Kosso had heard during his travels of the galaxy, and had more than once done business with the man (at least, indirectly and through alternative channels) back when selling Eclipse's most valuable information had been his primary source of income. To be honest, this man, for all of his fraility, scared him more than most. There was nothing more dangerous than a man who knew how to use (and steal) information. If he had a choice between the two, Kosso would rather make enemies with a raging Krogan: at least he knew how to fight an actual, physical enemy. Aran's style of fighting was abstract, complex, and invisible. Kosso wondered if Aran remembered him from their past dealings. Surely the man went through hundreds, if not thousands of clients, customers and sellers in a year. What were the odds he remembered one Drell? If he did though...that could become a complication. Better to cross that bridge when he came to it.

The meeting was graced by the presence of not one Quarian, but two. Kosso had really only worked with two other Quarians in his life, both during his time on Nova. One had been a real asshole that tried to blackmail him, and the other had been unceasingly annoying, always pranking, laughing and generally being a nuisance. He really didn't have high hopes for these two, but nothing about either them jumped out to him immediately as a potential threat. The older one, Loral, was a bit of an enigma. Though he apparently worked as a doctor now, he'd done something in his past to warrant an exile from the Migrant Fleet. Kosso didn't know much about Quarian culture, but he knew enough to know that was a pretty fucking big deal. The guy seemed harmless enough now, if a bit fidgety, but Kosso made a mental note to keep an eye on him and maybe do a little digging on his past. Maybe the other Quarian knows something about him. [i]Her[/i] record, on the other hand, was practically spotless. In fact, of everyone in the room, Kali seemed to be the relatively young and innocent, which of course made Kosso trust her even less. [i]She's got to have some sort of motive, and chances are, it's something sinister. Why else would she choose to willingly work with [/i]these[i] assholes?[/i]

As if on cue, another Batarian entered. With two of the four-eyed bastards in the room, Kosso could tell that Tanya was on edge, though outwardly she was holding herself together remarkably well. She even returned the newcomer's head tilt with one of her own. On the one hand, he wanted to reach out and slap her for adding even more tension to the already tense meeting, but on the other hand, [i]yeah, fuck that guy.[/i] Given what they knew about Kesik's history, she had the right to be a little testy, though Kosso worried that her stubbornness might get them into trouble later on down the road. Still, he trusted Tanya, and he actually expected her to make every attempt to actually tolerate the Batarians before inevitably lasping back into hate. [i]Hell, at least if it comes down to a fistfight I'll be comforted with the knowledge that the guy deserves it.[/i] As it was, Kesik took his seat at the table without further incident. 

Mark. [i]Fucking.[/i] Russo. This guy was like a bad dream you just couldn't stop having. Last time Kosso had seen him, he'd been cracking skulls along with the rest of the Nova crew. The years apart apparently hadn't improved his disposition much. "I'm surprised you showed up as well, Mark," Kosso answered the man's retort with a sly smile. "Must be unemployed again. Tell me, did you leave your boss bleeding and broken on the sidewalk outside, or was this last one smart enough to fire you before you went beserk and started throwing punches?"

Last through the door was an Asari, Saseen. Experienced pilot and fighter with a glowing service record, she'd be a serious asset to the team, especially if they could pull of their first big caper. Her late arrival didn't bode well for her commitment to punctuality, but that wasn't exactly why Kosso wanted to work with her so she let it slide. To be frank, he was glad to see an Asari: their longevity usually meant they possessed great amounts of experience, and experience was invaluable. Hell, she even sort of looked like- 

[b]Blue skin. White smile. Gestures towards the curve of her body. Lithe and dangerous. Gun in hand. Smells of smoke and perfume and sweat. "How can you even compare?" He smiles back. Knows he can't.[/b]

-Kosso shook the memory away. [i]Damn[/i] He'd thought he had them under control, but let his guard down for one second and they slipped right back in. He missed his sunglasses, now more than ever. When he'd been wearing them, he felt safe, secure in the knowledge that no one could see his eyes when they danced to sights and stimuli that were only in his head. When it was just him and Tanya, he hadn't felt like he needed them, but now...he'd just have to be more careful until he could find another pair. 

With everyone in the conference room, Tanya gave her speech. Kosso knew most of it was ad-libbed. Tanya had a natural talent for these sorts of things: she was honest, friendly, and people were inclined to trust her. She'd even won him over somehow, which was truly a superhuman feat. Whether her charms worked on the applicants gathered here today, he couldn't quite tell. A few got up to leave when she outlined the stakes, but that was to be expected. The rest seemed at least willing to entertain their admittedly risky plans if it meant getting back at Siame. 

"I don't have much else to add," he said with a shrug when Tanya handed the baton over to him. Then, thinking of something suddenly, he spoke up. "We don't have to be friends here. We don't have to like each other, hell, we don't even have to [i]tolerate[/i] each other." His glance wandered towards the Batarians during those particular words. "What we [i]do[/i] have to do is take down Siame, or at least put a sizeable dent in their operations. Anything that has the potential to jeopardize that mission is unacceptable. If you're here, that means you're smart enough to realize that none of us can do this alone. Now that we actually have a chance, I'd rather not throw away my life for a stupid reason." He finished his water, realizing he was out of words. "Basically what I'm saying is, let's not fuck up."