[center][hr][hr][sub]Interacting with:[@Silver Fox], [@Dervish], [@MechonRaptor], [@PrivateVentures], [@SgtEasy], [@Arcarius], [@Rithy], [@POOHEAD189], [@Mega birb], [@The Spectre], [@Leos Klien], [@MrDidact][/sub][hr][hr][/center]

Neither Spectre had really expected any of the group to turn down the offer. They’d all been thoroughly evaluated by a flurry of experts who dealt with such things as [i]‘personality indexes’[/i] and [i]‘choice percentage matrixes’[/i]. All those details might well have been in French for all Anderson understood them, but the professionals had delved into an absolute mountain of personnel files that the Council and Systems Alliance had at their disposal, and after weighing up all those interesting personal tit-bits that made up a person’s ‘character’, used it to predict just how likely these misfits were to hitch their horses to the Spectre’s wagon. The results had all been promising, otherwise the invites would never have been sent. Still, it was interesting to watch these men and women come to their own conclusions. 

Unsurprisingly the Geth was the first to react. Figured that having a computer for a brain made for snap decisions. Funny though, because to Anderson’s eye it looked like Phalanx was shaking with excitement. He’d heard that due to Commander Shepard’s involvement in the war for Rannoch the Geth had finally reached a state of independence that had been beyond them beforehand, and now were more capable of showing individualistic, [i]humanising[/i] characteristics. Seemed there was some truth to that after all. He still wasn’t too comfortable around the synthetic lifeform. After all he’d lived his life hearing horror stories about Geth, like they were a race of boogeymen, and that wasn’t going to go away overnight, but this small show of emotion eased his misgivings some.

[COLOR=steelblue] “This taskforce was designed to be representative of our new unified galaxy Phalanx. The Geth are part of that galaxy. If people don’t like it, then that’s just tough for them.”[/color] He narrowed his gaze in Vella’s direction, another silent reprimand. [COLOR=steelblue] “It doesn’t hurt that you know your way around a sniper rifle either.”[/color]

Ravanor Rykarn was the next to accept the offer. Anderson had gotten the impression that the young Krogan was a consummate professional from the Council’s dossier, and that impression was just being reinforced by what he’d seen so far today. Thoughtful, solid, and dependable. A damn sight distant from the stereotyped view of the Krogan race that the galaxy held. If he'd been a human Anderson would have said that Rykarn was easy N7 material. He was glad to have him on board, as having a Krogan on your side was the next best thing to marching into battle with a YMIR at your shoulder. 

[color=steelblue]“Claim to salvage, huh? I can swing that. Anything we find, you’ll get an even cut of my share, I promise you that. And that goes the same for the rest of you. It’s a two-way street though, because you can be damn sure that we’ll be getting our money’s worth outta you.”[/color]

Rykarn was quickly followed by the first of the two Quarians to arrive, who stepped up next to Phalanx and bowed formally. Rayes'Xum Vas Fowal had come to the Spectre’s highly recommended by several high-ranking members of project Crucible, not for his fighting talent, like most everyone else here, but because of his superlative skill in engineering. It was too early to tell if he’d be a liability on the battlefield, but it would be foolish to ignore the impressive skill set he brought to the table simply because he wasn’t as comfortable around a rifle as the other, more violence-prone members.

[color=steelblue]“Probably be a damn sight more exciting than what you’d get in the lab, too. Glad to have you on board Rayes.”[/color] Anderson returned the bow, somewhat more mechanical than the Quarian’s due to how unfamiliar he was with the action.

A figure in bulky black armour lumbered forward next, moving more like a Krogan than the human Anderson knew to be encased within. The Spectre couldn’t help but frown, and had to fight the urge to draw his carnifex as Ellis Taevon introduced himself, describing his abilities and specialties. He almost snorted a derisive laugh when the man said he was skilled in search-and-rescue. He doubted the terrorist had ever rescued anyone in his life. 

[color=steelblue]“Nice of you to introduce yourself, seeing as you weren’t even invited here. You’re lucky our specialists realized that you intercepted our message, or Aegon here would have shot you as soon as you showed your face, and I would'a put some holes in you just on principle after realizing who you are."

"However, we decided to pursue our information leak with a former-Cerberus operative, trying to work out if you were more worth our time or the bullet. Long story short, be sure to thank Miranda Lawson next time you see her for arguing your case. Said you were a misguided, small minded man, but with an impressive skill set, and long overdue a chance at redemption. Though she did add that if we were to kill you, it would be no great loss to the Galaxy. Make no mistake Ellis, you put a foot outta line and the best you can hope for is rotting away in some deep, dark hole somewhere at the ass-end of known space.”

“And don’t think just because you say you’re Reaper-free means we’re going to take your word for it. It’s the exact kinda thing someone indoctrinated up to their eyeballs would say, and you’re not the most trustworthy of sources to begin with.”[/color] Anderson still had his misgivings about letting Taevon on the Task Force, but his record was impressive - though equally repulsive – and it would be a waste to dump the man if he really was serious about turning over a new leaf. Still, he’d be keeping a very critical eye on the supposedly ex-Cerberus operative.

The one Batarian in attendance was the next to offer up his services. Anderson wasn’t sure just where the Spectre’s had gotten their information on Ja’Far Balack, what with how secretive the Hegemony had been while it was still active. However they'd done it, they had built a dossier on the man, and his service record spoke for itself. On top of that his conduct since entering the Underground had been exemplary, especially in the face of all the wildness going on. Still, the N7 operative was a touch put off by the sniper. He’d long held a low opinion of the Batarians, ever since the Skyllian Blitz and the retaliatory attacks at Torfan. He’d seen too much shit inflicted on his own people to not hold a grudge against the four-eyed race. He reminded himself that Ja’Far hadn’t been present for either battle, but prejudice was a hard thing to overcome. 

[color=steelblue]“Friend and comrade. . . good to know, and glad to have you.”[/color] He grinned, though the expression was somewhat forced, resembling more of a grimace than conveying any real feelings of goodwill. Still, he felt he deserved points for effort.

Tiberius Adarian was next up. He was one of the few candidates who had been unanimously accepted by both Spectre agents. The military prowess of the Turians was legendary, and add to that the skills of a biotic then you had yourself a downright lethal soldier. The Cabal sometimes had a reputation for not playing nice with others, but that didn’t seem to be the case with Adarian, not judging by his service record. In fact, if anything there was evidence that he grew [i]too[/i] attached to his comrades. Despite that, he was unequivocally a boon to the Task Force. Anderson returned the Turian’s grin, this one far more genuine.

[COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Unstoppable is what we’re going for here.”[/color]

The Asari, Vella Calixten Ophelia, was quick on Adarian’s heels. From the impulsiveness, she’d showcased earlier, it was surprising that she’d taken so long to take up the offer. Hell, it was surprising that she’d waited for him to finish his pitch before agreeing. The Spectre’s had expected the Lance of Light shock trooper to be boisterous, but they hadn’t been even half-way prepared for just how excitable she actually was. The woman was like a kid amped up on those e-numbers that had been such a problem for twenty-first century parents. If she performed like this on a mission, then Anderson hated to think of the messes she might cause. Her superiors in the Asari military had spoken quite glowingly off her though, so she obviously had an [i]‘off’[/i] setting. She certainly looked like she meant business when she offered up her name and specialization, so much so that Anderson felt a flush of arousal. He’d always been attracted to women that could kick his ass, and in that moment, he had no doubts that if Vella put her mind to it, she could beat him like a drum. He was a professional though, and pushed those feelings to the back of his mind.

[color=SteelBlue]“We’ll bear that in mind soldier. Just make sure you’re only destroying the things that we’re pointing you at.”[/color]

The older Krogan, Raik "Aralakh" Skarr, finally came forward. Being over half a century old, it was no surprise he was slower than his younger counterpart, but going by the records he was no less deadly for it. He was another pick that had proved surprisingly easy. The man had been fighting wars and ending lives since before Anderson's great-great grandfather was anything more than a sparkle in his daddies’ eye, so there was a wealth of experience to exploit there. Couple that with the sheer destructive capabilities of a biotic Krogan, and Skarr just became a no-brainer. Hell, the only problem with the old Krogan would be giving him an order he didn’t like. It would be a damn difficult proposition, ordering someone with his kind of bulk and power back into the ranks. Fingers crossed that situation never arose.

[color=steelblue]“This is Skarr, for anyone wondering. And like I said, we’ll see you alright. And you’ll find out who the target is all in good time.”[/color]

A latecomer, Sicaria Velinian, arrived, and Anderson was about to explain the situation to her when he was intercepted by Phalanx. He stood in near dumbfounded silence as the Geth supplied a blow by blow account of everything that had happened since it had arrived. He couldn’t fault it’s accuracy, even if the delivery left something to be desired. He arched a quizzical eyebrow in the synthetics direction, choosing to ignore Vella as she manhandled the talkative platform – no doubt Aegon would have some choice words for her - before turning to the female Turian

[color=Steelblue]“Yeaaah, well Phalanx has about the long and short of it. . . My speech was better, but can't fault her for trying. The offer extends to you too. Join us, and do something with all those skills and that training of yours, or go back to slumming it on the Citadel.”[/color] Anderson had some issues with allowing Sicaria onto the team, mostly due to her apparent habit of running from her responsibilities. She’d fled the military when news of Saren’s betrayal became public, she fled Omega and the Blue Suns when things weren’t going her way, and she'd fled earth when the Reapers came. Yes, she went on to fight the massive machines throughout the galaxy, but he couldn’t help but wonder about all the human lives that might have been saved if she had stayed. He was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt though. She might just have been waiting for a fight worth sticking around for, and despite all that her combat record was impressive. She’d be another one he’d be watching closely in the days to come if she chose to join them.

After that Rol'Naaris Vas Vaepal joined the others. Unlike Rayes, this Quarian was more militarily focused, and while Anderson didn’t doubt that the marine had some skill with that omni-tool of his, Rol’s real strength was in his tactical ability. Apparently, he’d been heavily involved in many of the plans devised by the Quarian’s to retake their planet, and his help had been indispensable during the battle for Earth. Time would tell just how good he actually was, but on paper he was a thinking-man’s soldier. Hopefully he’d step up and help balance out some of the more [i]‘loud’[/i] personalities on the team.

[color=steelblue]“You’ll get plenty of opportunity to showcase just how useful Rol’Naaris.”[/color]

He was about to explain to the group the details of the first mission when the Drell, Gilvert Somnell, materialized out of thin air. This time Anderson couldn’t help himself, and he’d half drawn his carnifex in an impressive showing of quickdraw skill before realizing that Giles wasn’t hostile. Maybe he owed Vella an apology, this crew seemed to go out of it's way to get shot.

The Drell was another [i]‘trouble hire’[/i] for Anderson. On the one hand, he was one of the most highly recommended explosions experts he’d ever seen. On the other he was almost certifiably insane. The Spectre had been around mines and grenades for a long time now, and the one thing he’d come to realize about them was that you didn’t give them to crazy people. However he had distinguished himself with the [i]‘heroic outcasts’[/i], and the work he’d been doing aiding in reconstruction efforts was commendable. Giles [i]‘episodes’[/i] were apparently under control for now, and the Council wanted to take advantage of his skills while they still could. Ultimately Giles fate was up to Jake and Aegon now, and they’d been instructed to [i]‘take care’[/i] of the old Drell if he proved unreliable. He was just too dangerous to let walk free.

[color=Steelblue]“We know of it, though were led to believe that you have some measure of control, otherwise we would have never extended the invitation to you. Keep the crazy to a minimum, do what we tell you, and refrain from blowing up cities, and we won’t have any problems. ”[/color]

That seemed to be it for introductions, and Anderson didn’t want to waste any more time.

[color=Steelblue]“You aren’t the only people we reached out to, but anyone not here now is officially late, so unless they come through that door right now we won’t be waiting for them.”

“You’ll all no doubt be wondering what the first job is, and the good news is we’re gonna be striking while the irons hot. See, we didn’t pick this as our meeting place just for the ambiance. Hidden deeper within this tunnel complex is a secret bunker, used by people we suspect of not only supporting the Terra Firma party, but harboring former Cerberus operatives. Obviously the first part is not a crime in of itself, we still support free speech after all, but the TF has been stirring up all sorts of trouble lately, and if we don't deal with them now who knows what kind of chaos they could cause."

"Now Cerberus, they're a different story. These guys are still actively working against any Xeno presence on earth. ”[/color] He let that sink in. If anyone here knew anything about Cerberus then they’d know exactly what that meant. Abduction, experimentation, racially motivated killings, Cerberus was into all that and more. The Spectre was especially interested in and reaction Ellis might have here, as he still wasn’t convinced the man had cut all his former ties. 

[color=Steelblue]“Our mission is to infiltrate the bunker, detain anyone inside, and find out exactly what they’re up to. Resistance is expected to be light. However, if it really is a support station for Terra Firma then that means there is the possibility of civilians inside, so we’ve got to be careful of stray fire. To that end, no one shoots unless fired upon, or under the express instruction of either myself or Aegon”

“We’ll be splitting into two squads. Aegon is taking those of you used to getting noisy, and you’re all just gonna knock on the front door and cause a ruckus. The rest of you will be with me, and we’ll be using the distraction caused at the front to sneak in the back. We’ll be actively investigating just what’s going on in there while the heavy team deals with the bulk of the resistance.”

“To that end, Skarr, Giles, Tiberius, Taevon, Vella and Rykarn will be going with Aegon. Rol'Naarisl, Balak, Phalanx, Rayes'Xum, and Velinian, you’re with me.”

“It's a relatively simple mission, and a simple plan. I'll level with you, it's more for us to get a true impression of your combat capabilities, how well you can work together, and how well you take orders. If it seems beneath you, it's because it is. You don't like it, there's the door."

"Now, If anyone’s got any questions, let's hear 'em now. Wont be any time for them later.”[/color]