Mass Effect: convergence.headquarters

[The Changeling Horde]

On the Aliance ship Tokyo the mixed crew of operatives are given their missions and interact with each other.

It is not the most strongest or fastest vessel nor the most liveliest but she is their home away from home for the time being.

Tokyo has been repaired after the tragedy on earth very quickly and it's capitan while rather would prefer guarding the crucible is forced to help these operatives travel across space.

The crew are decent, the quarters pretty spacious, and the food is not half bad.

[oasisa]

Cecil: Think we will make to the ship on time Gary? 

Gary: Don't know.

Stacy: (Angrily) Why the !@#$ did you start shooting that can outside anyways?  You should have been arrested!"

Gary: (laconic southern accent, though not human or from the American south) Caus' cecil told me to

Cecil: I did not! I was just thinking out loud. I was desperate!

Stacy: Desperate enough to go to jail?  Over a job?  In a backwater planet in the middle of nowhere with less pay than almost everyone else?

Cecil: Look who's talking!

 
(Still running)

Stacy: Gary, do you always HAVE to do what Cecil says?

Gary: I follow Cecil. 

Stacy: You didn't answer my question...

Gary: And I like shoot'in stuff.

Stacy: The ENTIRE TOWN can see that!

(Gestures to shot out bottles outside the government building).
 
Kerg: Why hasn't this nut been arrested yet? (Gruff voice)

Stacy: He's not. Ironically that stunt he pulled helped us all get the job. The Protector thought it indicated we were desperate enough or something.

Kerg: Then why are we running?

Stacy: Because that ####### Protector only gave us a few minutes to get the ship for some reason.

Kerg: Huh. What would he have got if he were caught.

Stacy: He was. That's what got the Protector's attention.

Kerg: Uh sorry, I forgot.

Stacy: I know, sweetie.

Kerg: What would have happened if the Protector didn't like that, uh, "stunt"?

Stacy: He would have just had to take a few classes.

Kerg: That's it?

Stacy: That's it.

Kerg: Then while we are running I might as well take a few potshots at some pedesdrians...

Stacy: Or shot.

Kerg: Huh?

Stacy: You either go to class or you get shot. They got rid of all the jails.

Kerg: What kind of idiot makes a penalty like that?

Stacy: Our employer, apparently.

 
(still running)

Melissa: How did he know all of that information on our backgrounds?

Stacy: Bet ya he's working with the mercs.

Melissa: That doesn't make sense.

Stacy: Then you tell me missy. If he didn't know what he was talking about, why did you acted so surprised when he said what he did? How did he know of that information on you guys then? Hes in league with the mercs, and I kill him when I find out he is.

Melissa: Still doesn't justify pointing a gun at our employer.

Stacy: It was an appropriate measure. That shock value was a perfect preamble to an ambush.

Cecil: Your lucky he didn't have us killed.

Stacy: I still don't why he didn't. He just sat there smiling. Like he knows something.

Cecil: Like the fact that he has an entire security force with an itchy trigger finger just waiting for an excuse to lightly pepper us with bullets.

Kerg: He probably was talking with the mercs.

Stacy: Ya! That's I am saying!

Kerg: Such as the 100 or so that were outside his door until Gary here decided that bottles make good target practice.

Stacy: Don't tell me he had that level of information on every single merc in that room!

Ceceil: If he only had info on us, how could he have known that it would be us six who would be staying in the room despite gunfire?

Stacy: He probably lured us here with tales of work so that he can keep on eye on us for his nefarious purposes.

Sasha: Stacy, stop and think for a moment.  What your saying is that he knew ahead of time which six random people would stay in the room when there was a sniper loose!

Stacy: Which he knew every single detail of!

Sasha: Not every single detail. And in this day and age, its not that surprising he knew as much as he does.  Nowadays you can pull up records any merc (like us) and find out there entire record.  He probably looked up all of our records when we were the only ones in the building, probably suspecting we were sent to kill him!  You would want as much information as you can on your potential enemy, which is why he had all that information ahead of time.

Stacy: That's not what your face said when he said you were here for "other things", whatever that means.

Sasha: I wasn't immediately suspecting that he would know so much about me, though in retrospect it was obvious.  And he probably said "other things" in order to maintain his dominant position?

Stacy: What?!

Sasha:  He was displaying all that information as leverage, for bargaining power, to show that he is in charge and that he isn't going to be beholden to 6 random mercs and that he doesn't need us. 

Stacy: Errr... That doesn't make sense.  He just had a primitive laptop in frount of him!

Sasha:  Would you expect a national leader to show his best equipment in the room where he is meeting with suspect and possibly dangerous mercenaries?  It doesn't need to be seen in order to be in that room, you know.  He could have people who sent him that information with advanced computers elsewhere.  That's what I would have done.

Stacy: Why would he meet with dangerous mercenaries IN PERSON!? Something isn't right.

Sasha: No offense, but I think he's a bit nuts and sure of himself.

Stacy: That is SUCH an understatement as to be a flat out LIE!  


Kerg:  You have a better explaination?


Stacy:  You know better than to trust employers!

Kerg: I didn't say I did. However, I think Sasha is right.

Sasha: Thank you.

Stacy: Your siding with her?!  She's a complete stranger!  We have been together for... I won't say how long in front of the others.  You never know who's watching.

Kerg:  I didn't say I trusted them either, at least till I get to know them...

Stacy: Not even then!

Kerg: That's ridiculous.  If you never learn to trust, they will still always people out to kill you.  Except that you won't have allies to bail you out.  We need friends.

Stacy: Your one to talk!  I know how you got started!

Kerg:  We were both betrayed, Stacy.  That is when trust ends.  If he's up to something, we need people in the same situation as us to find out.

Stacy: They could be spies!


Melissa: (*innocently and hesitantly raises a finger*) Right here?


Stacy: Why else would Gary stage that gunshot and the only people in there would be these spies and us, huh?  They know we're desperate!

Kerg: As they are.

Stacy: We don't know that!  Anyone can make a cover story!  People can act surprised!

Kerg: You can't fake shock.  I should know *grins*.

Stacy: You don't know anything about human emotions.  And when did you get so talkative?

Kerg:  Right when my meal ticket is being threatened by your unfettered paranoia. Your a human. Tell me.  Was that genuine shock?  I once read a study that human females are better at human males at it, so you should be the expert.  You tell me.

Stacy: With enough training, you can fake anything.


Cecil:  Would it help if we told you about ourselves?


Stacy: You would just be telling your cover story!

Kerg: Alright Stacy, let me tell you something.  #### let me tell EVERYONE something.  We need this.  We haven't got a job in months because of those mercs...

Stacy: Who now sent these goons to take out the competition!

Kerg: What competition?  We didn't lose out because we got cheated or threatened by them.  We lost out because we didn't perform, COULDN'T perform. Sending assassians after us only makes sense if we are any good.  I flunked out of war training and you half ##### your way through your training...

Stacy: I was brand new!  I didn't have a chance at formal training like you Mr. "wai wai I didn't finish my education wai wai war training was too hard"!  Well let me tell you something Kerg!  You didn't have scrap your training from a bottom of a barrel of a touchy merc thug who wanted to "get on friendly terms"!  You got a formal education! I had nothing!


Kerg:  You told me Stacy a billion times already, and that's my point (*grabs at his head in an exhaustive expression*).  I AM probably the more skilled of the two of us, and I was the laughing stock of my squad.  They just wanted a cheap Krogan as cannon foder to through at and scare the enemy.  And they weren't the best either.  You had to learn how to shoot from dumb thugs who obviously weren't the best, or would other wise be working better jobs.  And you were lucky to get that biotics training at all!  We had to learn this on our own, and not for very long either. Those Mercs you keep going on about had YEARS of training from actual militaries, and were so determined to fight that they just couldn't retire.  So they work jobs at the side with their special operation skills, and they aren't even the best out there! Face it Stacy, the cost to hire 4 low level thugs and a random bureaucrat to kill us wouldn't be worth the dime to them.  We ain't costing them anything, why should they spend money to make nothing! Their mercenaries!  Even the most trigger happy psychopath out there won't lift a finger if there isn't a pay day out there.  And it's not even worth their time to kill us themselves!  Not when they can get contracts that we can't even compete for! And its sure as #### not worth it to them to hire these "special operatives" you keep going on about, who can fool someone who can detect a lie from a mile away!  And it wouldn't be worth it to them to threaten or bribe a national leader to somehow trick us into some convoluted plot to kill us.  That's what you do to high level competition you can't kill yourself!  And we're the laughing stock!  As long as never interfere with their operations, they won't even know we exist!  We're nobodies!

Stacy:  Then how did us "nobodies" get this job, huh?  Why not hire one of the CLEARLY more competent people in that very room!  Face it! We were the only ones brave enough to risk gunfire to get the job done!  That's why he hired us!

Kerg: Stacy, they left because they have options.  They don't have to withstand gunfire for jobs. They can go other places.  The fact that he would hire mercs so desperate and incompetent that they would risk gunfire to get a job on a "backwater plant" as you yourself said, means he doesn't give a #### about getting good mercs.  We're cannon fodder.  A gesture to their allies that they are participating in their war, but not so committed as to bother getting actual operatives to do their work for them.

Stacy: That's ridulous!  Their mercs! They face gunfire for a living!

Kerg: Your right "for a living".  Their not going to bother with a government so poor and undefended that they allow guns right next to their leader!

Stacy: None of us knew that! And that didn't stop them from coming in!

Kerg: A ###### store isn't going to stop you from persuing around and see if you can get a bargain. If the government is desperate enough, they will pay.  And it's not like they have to stand and take sniper fire for the job!  They can just wait until the fire is over and jack up their prices to the now desperate and scared government.  The fact that we stayed meant that we weren't willing to walk away from the table, not even under fire.  The government knew they'd get cheap mercs.

Stacy: They have to be brave to do what they do!  And what you, a volus in a Krogan suit?  When did you learn so much about bargaining?

Kerg: They have to brave, not suicidely dumb.  Smart mercs don't expose themselves to the enemy for the promise of a pay day.  They lick their wounds and try again. And to answer your question, the answer is "Trying to shop for you" *grins*.

Stacy:  Hey, we are licking our wounds right now!

Kerg: Not from gunfire Stacy.  From failure.


Stacy: When did you get so down on us?


Kerg:  Not on us, kittie.  I just know our skills.  When you flunk and fail as much as I do, you have to know where you stand in the pack.  Step too far and you get killed.  We can get better.  I know we will.  We just need time.  And we need allies and frankly friends if we are going to survive until then.  So we have to pick our battles and make our friends until they betray us.  And if they betray us... 

Stacy: *Makes finger gun* bam

Kerg: Exactly. Now you get it. 


Melissa: Don't worry, I don't plan on betraying anyone! (*Melissa smiles, eyes closed, friendly, enthusiastic, and sure*)

Cecil:  You know, I never met such a talkative Krogan.  Most of the ones I meet are more about action than words.

Kerg: You better hope that's the case with me.  My lack of words turn into action.

Sasha: Then remember to shut up when your attacking the Repears!

*Suddenly, involuntarily, and screeching to a halt, everyone is practically tripping over themselves as they are laughing hysterically, even Stacy .  Kerg stops, gives a smug, self sure grin and looks up proud with his eyes closed*