The Commander pursed her lips thoughtfully, nodding her head as Cole spoke. "Yes, unfortunately there did have to be some fudging of your record. Apologies for that. It'll all make sense to you soon enough. If you'd prefer me to call you something else, I'd be more than happy to oblige, but rest assured that as far as this crew is concerned you're still a lieutenant." She offered Cole a soft smile, a hint of empathy for the soldier. She'd been there once before, shuffled out of her command, her ship, her home for an opportunity to do something "greater." At least, that was the word the Council had used when presenting their proposal. A new command. A new ship. A new purpose. It had taken time for her adjust to her new role, even longer to acquire a crew she could trust implicitly. Searching across the galaxy with nimble fingers, careful eyes, and attentive ears to find those who suited the Council's needs and with skills grossly surpassing those of their peers. She may not have found Cole on her own, but his dossier had spelled out everything she needed to know. He'd do well, assuming he could adapt. Besides, it'd be nice having another human on board.<br/><br/>"Come on, let's--"<br/><br/><i>"Reese!"<br/>
</i><br/>"Ah, here we go," Talyet mumbled, smiling as much as was possible for a drell as the quarian came stomping and complaining, all bluster and ire. Reese seemed to share this amused expression, hands clasped at the small of her back. Before she could reply, the quarian had retreated back to the ship, foreign expletives spilling from her mouth.<br/><br/>"That would be our pilot, Suni'Tallah vas Anzio. Don't let her filthy mouth fool you; she's one of the greatest pilots I have ever seen. Watching her work is nothing short of pure artistry. She'd give Flight Lieutenant Moreau a run for his money. Come along."<br/><br/>Reese led Talyet and Cole to the hatch, entering the ship and standing still as beams of ultraviolet light quickly scanned the trio. A melodic, deep voice sounded around them, echoing throughout the ship.<i>Commanding officer Reese Amari is now on board.<br/>
</i><br/>"You'll notice the design isn't too dissimilar from that of your typical Alliance frigate, so you should be able to find your way around just fine. I'm sure at the moment you're less interested in where your belongings are to go than what you're doing here, so let's start with that. Come, we'll have some privacy in my cabin."<br/><br/><i>Nothing is private here, Commander. I always have my eye on you, </i>came the silky, disembodied voice.<br/><br/>"Not now, AIDEN," Reese replied sternly. "Cole, meet our Artificially Intelligent Defense Enhancement Network, or AIDEN. He is the ship's integrated artificial intelligence and a bit of an ass."<br/><br/><i>Talyet informed me that you harbor a great fondness for asses, Commander. <br/>
</i><br/>"It's true, I did say that," Talyet replied, nodding fervently.<br/><br/>"Both of you, busy yourselves. Cole and I will be discussing his placement. Understood?"<br/><br/><i>Certainly, Commander.<br/>
</i><br/>"Yes, Commander."<br/><br/>"Excellent. Cole, follow me." She led the new recruit to an elevator,<i>up up </i>to the top, doors opening out and releasing them into her private quarters. "Something to drink?" she asked, directing Cole to a mini-bar housed inside the west wall. "As you may have picked up, there is a lack of formality here. It may take some time getting used to, especially coming directly from the Alliance. But I believe I owe you some answers. Feel free to take a seat if you wish," she added, pointing to a black curved couch and a couple of armchairs resting next to a low glass table.<br/><br/>"Cole, you've been handpicked by the Council to join my crew. We are, in the simplest terms, the Council's private, specialized black-ops organization. We have no name, there is zero record of our activity, and aside from the three presiding Councilors, our existence is unknown. You could say I am a kind of anti-Spectre. While both my crew and the Spectres work on behalf of the Council and function outside of the law, we can do things and infiltrate places Spectres cannot. Their celebrity prohibits them from getting their hands too dirty.<br/><br/>"Your military track record and psychological profile has highlighted you as someone who can integrate well with our crew and get any job done. And I do not use my words lightly. I sincerely mean<i>any</i>job."<br/><br/>Reese paused, sitting herself down on the curved couch with only a glass of water. "Tell me, what do you think of all that?"<br/><i><br/>
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