Arashu's Gift

Chapter 2

As they boarded the Normandy with the new member of the team, Shepard made introductions. She took Thane to the Briefing and Communications Room where Jacob Taylor was waiting for them. The Cerberus operative remained a stranger to her, as much as Miranda Lawson. Curiously, the rest of the misfits they had so far recruited inspired more trust in her than those two did. The fact that they represented Cerberus' interests in this new Normandy, rebuilt by them and with their resources, reminded her every instant that even though she was still the commander, she must report to them on every operation.

Her disdain grew as soon as she witnessed the ridiculous reaction of Taylor against Thane Krios. Taylor treated him as a simple gun-for-hire, and implied it wasn't a good idea for an assassin to watch her back. Shepard didn't know whether to be surprised by Operative Taylor's foolishness, exposing his prejudices against a professional the Illusive Man himself had recommended and who had accepted without charging one single credit, or by Krios' composed reply. With the same pragmatism he had shown in the Dantius Towers, he simply stated that an assassin was a weapon and, as such, it was not he who chose to kill, but the one who wielded him.

"I've accepted this contract. My arm is Shepard's," he said flatly.

The contrast between the two men couldn't have been greater.

"Where shall I put my things? I'd prefer someplace dry if anything's available," Thane Krios asked, speaking only to Shepard.

EDI appeared immediately.

"The area near the life support plant on the crew deck tends to be slightly more arid than the rest of the ship."

The Normandy's AI seemed to happily surprise Krios. He thanked them with a bow and left. As soon as he left the room, Shepard turned to face Taylor.

"Can you explain what the hell is wrong with you? What's your problem with Krios?" Shepard scolded.

The Cerberus operative stared in puzzlement for a moment, before snapping to attention with a military salute.

"I'm only worried about your safety, Commander," he managed to reply, clearly nervous.

"That greeting won't be any use if you don't respect my authority, Taylor. Why the hell are you treating Krios as if he were a common hitman? Haven't you read his dossier? Massani on the fourth deck stands a lot closer to an ordinary mercenary than he does, and I haven't heard you complain about his recruitment. Unlike Krios, who's accepted to join us gratis, the Illusive Man is paying Massani a juicy amount for him to be bothered to help us. Would you care to explain how it's better, according to you, that he watches my back instead of Krios?"

Shepard could have sworn she saw the young operative blushing.

"It won't happen again, Commander," he said, repeating the salute.

"Of course it won't happen again, because next time we have this conversation it'll be in front of the crew, Taylor. Question my judgment one more time and you're out. Got it?"

Jacob Taylor simply squared his posture again with such tension in his back that Shepard feared he'd break at any given second.

"Dismissed," Shepard ordered.

The Commander let out her breath, annoyed. She stretched her neck in an attempt to release the accumulated tension. She went out of the room through the lab and went to the CIC.

"Shepard," Doctor Solus called at her back. She turned and went to him. "Have read Thane Krios' dossier. Suggest thorough medical exam. Doctor Chakwas or I can perform it. In fact, exam for each member a good policy to prove health condition."