Fandom Mass Effect C-Sec (Closed)

[Elias Wren]

Viper Actual Nomai RikuXIII ThatGuyWithSouvlaki

Commander Castle sat at his desk while the four new recruits waited for him to finish filing a few new reports, a look of frustration on his face. The room was quiet except the sound of his heavy breathing and the occasional sigh. Commander Castle stood up and faced the latest addition to his C-Sec force and looked them up and down, shaking his head side to side.

“Alright recruits, time for the rundown. Let me welcome you to your new home for the foreseeable future. You'll only hear this once so take it to heart. Thank you for your service. Now with that out of the way there are a few things you need to know about our sector of the Citadel.

We have the highest crime rate of any of the other arms, and have one of the only active gangs this close to the Presidium. Top brass is up my ass to get them taken down and run in, so any suspicious activity related to the Black Nebula goes through me.”

He crossed his arms over his armor clad chest and leaned back against his desk.

“Now normally a senior officer would join you in the field but we are severely short staffed. You'll be going out on patrol in the market district. Talk to the local shop keepers and find out all you can about the Black Nebula. If you come across any members of the gang you have permission to engage and apprehend, but keep damages to a minimum.”

Castle shifted uneasily, not liking the idea of sending fresh recruits into the field so soon and unsupervised. Sadly he didn't have a choice, there was just too much going on and he desperately needed them in the field.

“Now then, if you have any questions, now is the time. You'll have an open direct line with me for your first day so I can keep tabs on you and so you can report anything suspicious. If it seems worth investigating I will join you int he field.”

 

[Viper Actual]

Then...

Painted in the standard grey and blue of the Alliance, the armored personnel carrier rumbled to a halt on the desolate dirt road. Karl gave it a quick glance before returning his focus to the five Batarians standing with their hands cuffed behind their backs and their foreheads pressed against a civilian offroad truck. Nearby, other Alliance marines from Karl's squad lingered, maintaining watch over the entire situation in close proximity to their own APC.

A major- as indicated by the oak leaf insignia on his chestplate- approached Karl and his squad.

"Report," the grim-faced officer said.

"Major," began Sergeant Evans, Karl's direct superior, began. "These five were spotted making a run for it on the old service road. They are- according to their own accounts- hunters. No ID, no business certification or anything else that can corroborate that."

Evans nodded slightly. "We did find a shitload of guns in the trunk."

The major snorted and looked at the Batarians, of which one gave the officer a vile sneer. Grunting, the major gestured towards Evans. "Take them back to base and have them processed. See if we can send these five spider-eyed freaks back to Khar'shan."

Karl exchanged a look with Evans, of which the latter simply nodded. "Understood, major."

Evans gestured towards Karl and two others. "Corporal, let's book 'em."

"Yes, sergeant." Said Karl, nodding.

*​

Now...

Standing with his hands clasped together behind his back and his chin tilted slightly upwards in a parade-like fashion, Karl listened silently to the rundown given by Commander Castle. In a way, the briefing reminded him a lot of the military. There was a problem that needed to be dealt with and there weren't any time to waste on mincing words, just cold, hard, facts.

As Castle spoke Karl offered his fellow officers a quick glance. An Asari, a Drell and a Turian.

Good mixture as far as cultural know-how go, not to mention tactical abilities.

“Now then, if you have any questions, now is the time. You'll have an open direct line with me for your first day so I can keep tabs on you and so you can report anything suspicious. If it seems worth investigating I will join you int he field.”

Karl cleared his throat. "Commander, sir. Do we have any tactical support on stand-by if we do run into anyone affiliated with Black Nebula? Any other resources available to us, such as CIs?"

Elias Wren

 

[ThatGuyWithSouvlaki]

Talian stood amongst his new peers as the commander gave them their instructions. He was straight back with his hands behind his back, his straights expression and dark eyes showed off little of his thoughts and reaction to this strange assignments. Inwardly, he was quite a bit giddy and had to hid away his amusement, both where he found himself and the current situation with C-Sec. It was still could not get used to the idea that somehow a once young duct rat half that was halfway to becoming a career criminal was standing as a recruit to C-Sec. Under a false name and background, of course, but he had always feared during boot camp that the story would not hold up.

Standing here now and listening to the commander mention that the C-Sec resources were stretched thin, he began to understand a potential reason why he might have slipped through the cracks. Growing up C-Sec was an omnipresent threat akin to a sleeping dragon, easy to sneak around but very dangerous if attention was drawn to it. Only the guile and protection of the gangs were the only true safety from the dragon. In truth, right now C-Sec appeared more like a scarecrow, big and imposing but otherwise useless when the illusion was gone. So much for using its resources to get proper justice.

He smirked, hearing Karl question about supports. "Oh my, lieutenant, where did you pick up such a taste for luxuries like support and resources?" He spoke up jokingly. "I have a feeling we will have to do without." He added, despite his joking demeanour, he did see the issue in going out there with no support against the largest gang yet. However, there was another issue that played to his mind. "More of an issue is if we really expect people would talk, if someone does know anything i suspect that the Black Nebula would insure their silence by fear, lead or credit..."

 

[Nomai]

Eletra watched with bated breath as her commander--her human commander--finally slid his reports aside and stood to examine her and the other recruits. She couldn’t quite discern the meaning behind his expression. The species' faces were still rather difficult for her to read, though upon realizing that they bore marked resemblance to those of the asari and the drell, she had gotten slightly better at it.

Commander Castle, for his part, very much fit the image of humans Eletra had gotten from the vids she’d seen on Palaven, with his angular jaw and serious demeanor. Even so, she didn’t think she would ever get over the tufts of hair that sprouted from the top of most humans’ heads (or in Dolksten’s case, from his face.) For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what evolutionary purpose it served, though it did look quite soft. The first time she’d met a haired human she had to resist the impulse to pat it.

Eletra’s mandibles flexed with anticipation as Castle addressed them, though she did wonder slightly at what he meant when he said that they wouldn’t be receiving much gratitude. It wasn’t that she needed thanks, but did the people of the Citadel not look kindly upon C-Sec? Back on Palaven, those serving in the military or law enforcement were viewed with the utmost respect. More likely the Citadel denizens simply took C-Sec for granted; she couldn’t possibly imagine why they’d resent them. After all, they were the ones trying to keep everyone safe.

As Castle outlined the squad’s assignment, her excitement was tempered mildly by confusion. Black Nebula was not something to be taken lightly…Eletra had heard the stories that had trickled down through C-Sec academy from active officers. They were one of the most feared gangs on the Citadel, and had demonstrated time and time again that there were very few--if any--ethical limits to their operations.

It seemed strange that such new recruits would be assigned to investigate the gang on their own, even if C-Sec was short-staffed. She wondered what kinds of cases the more experienced officers had to be investigating if this mission was considered suitable enough for a squad right out of academy. A shiver of apprehension shot up her spine at the thought.

Eletra listened attentively as Dolksten and Talian asked their questions, nodding as the latter brought up the concern of attaining the shopkeepers’ cooperation. “There has to be some way we can ensure their safety,” she replied, glancing towards Castle. “Though considering we don’t have many officers to spare, that likely would have to be done through discretion.” She paused, thinking for a moment.

“We’re new to C-Sec--people don’t know our faces, at least when it comes to associating us with the department. I don’t know if its’ against protocol, but if we approached the shopkeepers out of uniform…well, Black Nebula might not recognize us.”

 

[RikuXIII]

Aashka T'Loni stood at attention with her fellow fresh C-SEC officers. Her eyes occasionally unfocused as she took in the briefing and start formulate plans. She was a little ashamed of the excitement welling within her as Commander Castle outlined the situation and how short staffed they were. While she kept telling herself this was about upholding the law and protecting the innocent, a part of her was thrilled at the chance to rise to this challenge and prove herself. But one couldn't get too confident in a new environment.
The Asari officer glanced to her new squad mates. She hoped Officer Dolksten's question would lead to a bit of good news, but it wasn't that big a hope. If fresh recruits were being turned out on the street with no supervision, the chances of backup seemed distant. A slight smile touched Aashka's lips as Officer Necros bravado in reacting to Dolksten's question, though his more sobering observations about how much control the Black Nebula might have on the local merchants caused her to refocus on the task at hand. She was considering a couple of different ideas to suggest when Officer Silvanus spoke up with a recommendation for subterfuge.
"Yes." Aashka said, hesitantly at first, but gaining more confidence as she continued. "Going in plain clothes could help, though might still draw attention if we aren't careful. Perhaps if we split the squad into two, one for a more offical C-SEC patrol in uniform, the other for the more covert option. The uniformed officers draw eyes hopefully away from two new customers looking to sample the Citiadel's wares?"

 

[Elias Wren]

Castle shook his head as he listened to his recruits concerns and suggestions, wishing in his head he had better news for them.



"Unfortunately you will be in your own in the field. While I understand that this doesn't sound ideal, there is a reason we are deploying all four of you to the same location. Most other officers work alone or in groups of two, you are your own back up. I will be available as additional support and try to route more teams your way if all hell breaks loose, but you need to rely on each other."



He scratched his chin at the suggestions of a plain clothes operation, feeling this was a rare opportunity to have fresh recruits in the field that the Black Nebula would not recognize. A good option indeed, one that might lead to a major breakthrough in this ongoing war.



"Not a bad idea really. Two of you will reply in plain clothes while the other two will act as decoys. A turian and asari will draw the least attention, so Electra and Aashka will be the plain clothes while the other two ask around in uniform."



He did worry for his fresh faced recruits, but he didn't have time to codle them. He needed reliable agents in the field to turn the tide and put down the Black Nebula for good.