[center][h3]Vellios, after the fight topside[/h3][/center]

Clean up was easier than Vellios expected. From the last known location of the thugs were finished off or had abruptly vanished, the scarred, black Turian seemed to materialized among the aftermath and walked casually toward the group. He paused long enough to wipe his blade across his leg, smearing the Batarian red blood across his armored thigh. Not fazed by the gruesome display, he quickly flipped it about and insert it into his holster at his hip. Immediately his hand reached to check his medi gel supply then noted he was lower than he would've liked after healing Haze. Choosing now to fix that, he decide to restock by exchanging with one of the mercs in charge of returning the Asari starship back. Thankfully they were willing to take a fair deposit of what meager credit supply he had for additional supplies. 

It reminded him he had to seek another way, independent, way to gain credits later. 

Vellios leaned against the rig, the one hijacked during the operation, as his eyes studied the Krogan taking lead. He wasn’t one for being highly involved when it came to the final choices so he held back to the background, listening to the conversation. Many would be surprised why he was alive and not some bullet riddled corpse left on a long past battle field since the silent followers were often led to slaughter. Some would assume it was his Turian nature, born and bred to follow orders until the end. Little did they know, any military loyalty never took root in his DNA. Not since the Haides. So any loyalty he did have was usually by his own will and not because of his background, cautiously given. Settling into the metal hull he rested against, he felt the sensation of eyes above him. Curious to the source, he tilted  his head to note someone on top. 

Tanya. 

His lips curled in amusement and delight, her figure perched near the turret ring and overseeing the whole scene. Like a hawk spying her prey or fledglings. Resting  his crest against the hull, he let the cool sensation spread along his arching neck. At least until it made it cold then he straightened up. At this point, Tonka’s voice boomed out for everyone to hear.       

 [color=39b54a]“Okay, from the files Dex and Drono lifted, we have a mineshaft here that didn’t really get a good lifespan before it was shut down. About six hundred meters down, it splits into two, so we’ll have to split the team into two.[/color] 

When Tonka said that, Vellios was already considering sticking with Serena. While there were a few good individuals, like Tanya and Haze, he still required more time to be fully trusting toward them. That meant more missions where he wasn’t getting his carapace shot off. His eyes closed while Tonka droned on over the battle plan. 

[color=39b54a] “I’ll take point for one, I used to be a miner so this is like stepping into a crusty ass bubble bath for me. Past that, about another 550 meters the fork ends to the right path, and it looks like there’s surface access at the end. The other side goes about 700 meters but is much more narrow at the end, like they were trying to go far, but didn’t really spread it out to look for minerals or whatever the hell they were looking for. Either way, I’ll head off that way. It sounds like that’s checkpoint central, and I’m itching to get my armour dirty.”[/color] 

The Turian enjoyed the sound of guns being switched, his eyes opened in time to see the sniper rifle being put away and replaced by an Argus rifle. It rapidly extended and stiffened, clearly eager for a fight when the Krogan finished out with a question. [color=39b54a]“So, who’s with me?”[/color]” 

First one to speak was Tanya, drawing Vellios’ attention back upward. 

[color=cyan]“Iosif and I seem to be a package deal here, so we’ll take this here truck down and go to the right towards the wider end, rather not find out the road’s too narrow for us to get down and find another rocket sailing up our ass. We’ll do fire support, and we can probably cover a lot of ground acting like an APC of sorts.”[/color] Shouted down the mechanic while she brushed her mohawk into something neater, the messy bangs still fluffed out giving her a bed head appearance. Her figure was relaxing on her helmet and her face held a shit eating grin of satisfaction on her lips when she added. [color=cyan]”You know, I’m starting to like you guys. We still haven’t picked a name for our little team here. What do you say we pick it out over celebratory drinks tonight?”[/color]

[color=39b54a]“You humans drink way too much, but screw it. I’m in this to see this beautiful disaster fall apart, so the scary krogan will chaperone you idiots. Now, can we focus on the job?”[/color] Tonka grouched.

[color=palegreen]”As for drinks. None of you drunks better lick my face. It keeps happening with humans. I keep telling people there are better ways to get high.”[/color] Drono, the blue Drell, bitched then examined his gun and checking it over keenly. His hand reached for the heat sink and unclipped it, his eyes looking for cracks in the thing only to refasten it back in. It seemed it passed his inspection when he turned away, Vellios watching him vanish. 

A thought, namely for the upcoming battle, occurred to him. 

Walking away while the others continued to chatter over who was going where, he pushed off the rig then quietly edged toward one of the downed Batarian. It was Jelagon, the thug that Kasyra took down, causing him to pause and crouched down. His fingers pushed aside and rumbled through the cooling corpse. 

He found the explosive rounds. Gripping the ammo in his fingers he then shifting them into his belt and again started salvaging for more. While he searched, a memory surfaced. One from his childhood, causing him to grind to a stop and sink back into that hell.

[i]Vellios was covered in grime and dried blood, his talons touching the corpse of a dead Batarian. The tips skimming the surface until it reached a cease then quickly dug in. His fingers ripping off the armor with a sense of urgency, revealing the battered and chilled corpse beneath. A few chits fell from the stash in his suit but the boy wasn't interested in that. His fingers trembled harder causing him to pause, taking notice for the first time. Blood, mostly red, covered his hands. They were stained with his first official kill, the Batarian pirate before him and one of their own. The face was completely bashed in, a crumbled mess of brain bits and skull.  

A sickening sensation curled into his middle. It swirled and coiled, souring the meager contents in his stomach. He was distracted when the slave collar began to itch feverishly. Both carapace and thick scars had started to heal over the wires latched into his flesh, leaving it always tender to the touch. 

Vellios tried to ignore it.  A mistake because it didn’t cease but instead the twitching and tingling need grew, making him raise a talon then scratched along his neck side. The collar was a crude thing, made from metal and wiring, that had a single metal band wrapped around the middle of his neck like a choker. At the back was an attached electrical generator that went from the base of his skull to his neck middle, sparking whenever he touched it. Over the years it had been removed and repaired repeatedly by ill-skilled hands until it looked like a nest of wiring was growing from his flesh. The moment he touched the itch's source, he dug in gently at first. His fingers digging in deeper with each movement until it started to relieve the itch, through his talons didn’t stop since he enjoyed the relief. Then he began to feel a warm, wet sensation dampen them. 

The ten year old stopped. Fear edged into his eye as he pulled his hand away, his own blue blood trickling along his spine and anxiety reach into his core. It hugged around and started suffocating him, his breath thick and useless. His collar gave a crackling warning then-[/i] 

Vellios snapped himself from the memory the moment the electrical surge would've rippled through his young figure, the lacking pain reminding him he was alive. Inhaling, his arm slowly retracted from the slaver’s dead body. He started to retreat from the corpse when he spotted it was time to go. 

[center]**[h3]Heading into Hell We Go (Mineshaft)[/h3]**[/center]

Vellios was assigned to Tonka’s team, his shotgun held tightly at his middle while he moved steadily beside the truck. The low rumbling echoed throughout the tunnel and for a moment, he wonder if the pirates could hear it. This time he had opted for his helmet, hoping he would have better luck, despite the slight constriction about his head and fact it made him uncomfortable. His neck was twitching while the back rubbed against the old scars causing them to flake and hurt slightly. He gritted his teeth to bare through the sensation when he finally said fuck it and jerked the helmet off, tucking it into his arm nook. Without thinking, he started to ease the tingling sensation racing up his scars with a scratch. 

He still had Serena’s comm placed about his waist, an alter way to communicate in the event he couldn’t tolerate the helmet, when the woman cursed than hollered out a warning.  [color=hotpink] ““Snipers up ahead! We round that corner, and we’re taking shots.” [/color]

Fortunately, he was near the back of the truck when Del exploded. Vellios ducked toward the rear of the truck for cover as Del’s frame shattered and promptly wheeled into the nearest wall, shot by the snipers at the farthest end of the tunnel. It cracked against the mine’s walls causing his ears to go deaf then ring loudly. His eyes widened, his teeth gritting and head hurting thanks to the loud sound causing him to drop his helmet. He couldn’t hear a thing for several seconds because his ears were adjusting to the high pitched results from the snipers. He rubbed his hand palm against his ear, hoping to stop the ringing, while he missed Tanya make a request about the snipers. Though he did note that Tonka drew out his rifle for target practice. 

Vellios cautiously pulled to the side, making sure not to be shot when he did, upon seeing Drono approach. The alien had what looked like a sizable spitball of death, one made from improvised flammable and explosive material. Not wanting to know the details, he merely leaned down to snatch up his helmet which had been kicked in his movement then shifted back from whatever the Drell was planning. His attention was taken by what he could hear, Serena’s muffled voice. 

[color=hotpink]"THOSE MOTHERFUCKING, COCKSUCKING, SHIT-EATING, PISS-DRINKING, BASTARD LOVING, KROGAN HUMPING, HANAR SPOONING, BRICK WALL HEADBUTTING, ACID SNIFFING, VOLUS RIDING, VARREN FUCKING, FOUR EYED BALLSWEAT LICKING, SONS OF BITCHES!"[/color] Serena’s words cursed letting him know one of her driods were out for the count… again. She was looking at Del’s remains from her hiding spot and cursing a storm, at least from what he could tell, drawing a smirk from him.  [color=hotpink]"He's going to be all sorts of out of whack now you fuckers!"[/color] 

Being distracted only helped a little when the second explosion, one much farther down the tunnel, occurred. Dust and rock from the mine ceiling hissed down after being knocked from its perch as Vellios’ hand came up to shield his eyes, not liking he would be forced to wear a helmet still. He wasn’t given much chance to dwell on it since the ringing stop and his ears picked up Serena’s voice much clearer now.    

[color=hotpink] "Oh Vellios!"[/color] Serena’s sweet voice, clearly false and wanting something from him. Of course, she mentioned it immediately without hesitation or concern for his wellbeing which meant she was pissed. [color=hotpink]”You like killing Batarian snipers don't you? The two remaining Del will cause a lovely bit of chaos, and I'll fire a couple concussive crossbow bolts down the way, and you can go kill them. Sounds like a plan?”[/color] 

She barely gave him a moment to get his helmet fully on and reply when the two Del hovered quickly past him and toward the ceiling. In moments they zipping erratic patterns while darting toward the snipers. Vellios rolled his eyes then shook it, his mind debating on what to do when he spotted Serena get ready. Sighing, he moved to slip as close as he could during the chaos created by Drono. His talon pressed into his helmet comm he spoke to her confirming he was moving quickly.  [color=Rosybrown]”Alright, I’m going, don’t get overexcited!”[/color]