Another Krogan. Add that to the mix, and it was just yet another reason for Ellis to be uncomfortable. He’d killed his share of Krogan warriors, and knew their strength and durability rivaled his own. Except, Krogans could heal. Officially, the Geth was the only one Ellis knew he could trust. Geth were practically anathema in most parts of the galaxy, and therefore, was the one least likely to be allied with any of the others. Clinging to that fact like a lifeboat, Ellis stepped in front of the Geth when the Asari opened fire. If a fight broke out, the Geth was likely to be Ellis’ only ally.

But the first Krogan had intervened as well, which raised quite a few questions. Were the Krogan and Asari not allied? And the Quarians had not raised weapons against the Geth. Why not? Why only the Asari? Could Ellis’ groupings have been inaccurate? Possibly, the Asari was a faction unto herself, independent of the others. Perhaps, no one was allied with anyone. Perhaps, they were all here for the same reason, from different sources. If so, it would match the anomaly of the Asari’s assault. It would also make sense when recalling the reactions they’d all had to Ellis’ demands for information. Perhaps, they gave no information because they had no new information to give.

She’d stomped the Turian, opened fire on the Geth, and unloaded half a thermal clip into Ellis’ barrier. And yet, she didn’t seem very hostile. In fact, she acted quite like a child. [i]How amusing[/i], Ellis thought, [i]And how peculiar, that an Asari, the oldest of the Council races, should behave so immaturely. How almost… human.[/i]  Despite her behavior, upon removing her helmet, Ellis could see the face of a soldier. [i]Surely she is untrained, then. This is the conduct of Krogan children, not Asari Commandos! [/i]
All the same, she apologized personably, humbly, seeming to realize her mistake. Then, she had the gall to extend a hand to the Turian she’d trampled, asking his name.

[i]What the fuck is happening here?
[/i]
The new Krogan seemed older, slightly slower, maybe just more careful, than the other. He was also a bit wider, fairly well scarred, though Ellis would be considered marvelous on Tuchanka, if they judged one another for scars as much as humans like to joke about. 

The Batarian, Ja’Far, was once more the voice of reason, again, suggesting, nay, imploring the group to just stop for a moment and introduce themselves. 
“Ja’Far”, Ellis started, “Were you not on the Citadel, during the Cerberus coup? Your face seems familiar to me. Perchance you recall kicking a black figure into a passing car?” Ellis remembered that day, the sun shining, people screaming, Commander Shepherd and his “god squad” cutting through the Cerberus line like a laser scalpel through a Salarian eye… But more vivid than anything that day, he remembers spotting a three-eyed Batarian sniper on the balcony of an apartment overlooking the gardens. Ellis had advanced fast, from the side, leaping from the adjacent balcony, but the sniper must’ve seen him coming. A Batarian heel had slammed Ellis’ armored chest just hard enough to throw him off balance. Just hard enough to keep him in the air for the extra split second required for a Cerberus shuttle to catch him in the gut. 

If this were the same soldier, Ellis wanted to shake his hand, if only for being one of the few targets Ellis was unable to neutralize.