Kesik Bal'uim had participated in hundreds of daring missions, he had volunteered for the insanity of the Skylian Blitz and his crew had once boarded a Turian freighter as it approached a Relay. The difference between those battles and the one soon approaching were planning however, was the presence of a safety net, a way out if things got too hot. The days long past also lacked the little part about Kesik being live bait. So rather than Kesik's intentions to scout E-15 and try to call in favors to move the Cartagena patrol out of the nearby area, he took to drink.

This bar was the type of place that even the most hardened Krogan would shudder to enter, a Batarian dive, swarming with locals. Something about a large collection of proud, drunk Batarians sent waves of unease to those who even passed by. Valok and Kesik had found some space at the end of the bar, relatively ignored by the rest of the patrons. As he thought it over, Kesik began to dread the upcoming attack, regretting his bravado or lack thereof by simply accepting his role as bait. If things went sour, the rest of the team could scatter. Cartagena was a hive of criminals, they could hide on the promise that there was someone with a bigger bounty on their head nearby. Kesik could no longer blend into the crowd, he was that someone, Siame was here for him.

Despite his innards being tied in a knot, the flow of drinks would not yield. Valok proved to be a capable drinking partner, simply powering through the drinks like he was being paid to empty his glass.The two Batarians had both been at Elysium, and they shared their war-stories with a group of teens that were standing nearby. As it turned out, Kesik and Valok had met once before, in passing, during the Blitz, and they made a toast to that encounter. While there were many Batarians Kesik would have liked to have along for this mission, he was content with having Valok at his side. This man was a brute with a superiority complex, but he was a smart brute who distrusted everyone else on this team more than he distrusted Kesik, that was good.

More drinks flowed, more war-stories, both Batarians were significantly buzzed by the time they headed to the hanger. Going into battle under the influence normally would have mortified Kesik even more than being bait, but Valoks's confidence was inspiring, and both of them boasted loudly about their past achievements as they walked to the station's shipping center. Kesik turned to Valok after thay dropped off their equipment, sure to be within eyesight of Tanya. He gave his kinsman a nod of the head and a clasp of the shoulder before turning away. He needed this man to watch his back, because the rest of the aliens would happily stab it.

"Give me a blade, a gun will do me no good at the kind of range I will be in. I can use one of them as a hostage if things get messy," he said as he walked over to Tanya, interrupting whatever conversation she was already having. Eyeing the cuffs hanging from her belt, he then held out both his hands, keeping a constant scowl on his face. "And make the arrest now, the longer I am in custody the more convincing it will look."